Paleo Diet, as the name suggests, is a diet believed to be that of our hunter-gatherer ancestors of the Paleolithic period (about 2.5 million years ago) and consisting mainly of pre-agricultural foods (such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, lean meats, fish, and seeds, etc) and strictly limiting foods (such as dairy products, grains, potatoes, salt, and refined sugar) which didn't exist prior to the development of agricultural practices.
In simple terms, the Paleo diet permits you to take only those foods that humans ate when they first arrived and roamed the planet. Their diets varied depending on availability and location. The core concept of the paleo diet is to eat whole foods and avoid processed foods. Let's discuss it in detail:
What is a Paleo Diet?
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Although it's not possible to know exactly what human ancestors ate in different parts of the world, researchers believe their diets consisted of whole foods. This diet is inspired by what was eaten by people during the Paleolithic Period.
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During that time, humans followed no fixed diet and ate everything they could find or was available to them. By taking a whole-food-based diet and leading physically active lives, hunter-gatherers presumably had much lower rates of lifestyle diseases, like obesity, diabetes, and various heart diseases.
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In fact, several studies suggest that this diet can result in significant weight loss (without calorie counting) and major improvements in health. This diet eliminates high-fat and processed foods that have little to no nutritional value. Such foods are rich in calories, which leads to weight gain.
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The Paleo diet concentrates mainly on eating fruits & vegetables that are rich in healthy vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which help your cravings to die down and keeps you satiated for a longer period of time. This successively keeps extra calories at the corner and avoids the likelihood of gaining unnecessary weight.
Benefits of a Paleo Diet:
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Paleo diet includes fruits & vegetables, we can reap many nutritional benefits from this diet. Moreover, while there is no set diet cycle to follow, you can eat the foods that are allowed and avoid those that are not.
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The Paleo diet mainly focuses on cutting off processed and sugary foods, which helps you regulate your calories and keeps your weight in check. There are many anti-inflammatory benefits from the plant nutrients in fruits, vegetables, oils, nuts, and seeds.
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Apart from that, it eliminates the risk of developing chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes and vital sign. However, there are no data to verify the claims but given that a paleo diet consists of whole and unprocessed foods, studies suggest that it is a healthy diet.
Foods to Eat:
As discussed above, the paleo diet puts restrictions on processed and fat-ridden foods. Here are some key foods to eat in a paleo diet:
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Vegetables like broccoli, carrots, kale, spinach, etc.
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Fruits like avocados, apples, oranges, strawberries, pears, and more.
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Nuts and seeds.
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Avocado oil, Coconut oil, Extra virgin olive oil, and others
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Lean meat like beef, chicken, lamb, turkey, pork, and others.
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Seafood like salmon, shrimp, trout, etc.
Foods to Avoid:
Contrary to the above diet, below discussed foods should be avoided if you want to follow a paleo diet:
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Sugary foods and drinks
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Dairy products, including milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter
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Legumes, like beans, peanuts, and peas
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Grains like rice, wheat, rye, and barley
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Artificial sweeteners
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Processed foods
Limitations of a Paleo Diet:
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Whether the Paleo diet is good for your health or not, is yet to be seen. We've discussed a set of foods to eat and to avoid, depending on your intake, it may prove advantageous or disadvantageous to your body.
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It's costly as it emphasizes foods that are organic and good quality meat, which can be very expensive. Apart from this, it can be a difficult alternative for vegans and vegetarians, especially since it excludes beans.
Conscious Eating is the first step towards Conscious Living. Go Ahead!!
