Paleolithic Diet – Whenever we talk about health and fitness, the first thing which everyone talks about is a diet. It is very hard and sometimes impossible to achieve your fitness goal without focusing on diet. Even though diet is a small word, it is one of the most dynamic parts of health and fitness. There are so many diets and their variations that new people fear them.
We will address the Paleolithic diet in this article, and we will also focus on how you can easily Take benefit of the Paleolithic diet. Kindly do not worry if we address the Paleolithic diet like the Paleo diet, caveman diet, or Stone Age diet. These are different names of the Paleolithic diet.
What is the Paleolithic Diet?
The paleolithic diet is a modern diet, but it mirrors the eating habits of humans during the Paleolithic era. It is also known as the paleo diet, Stone Age diet and caveman diet.
It is one of the hardest to follow. You cannot eat any processed food, and you also have to exclude dairy products, sugar, oils, salt, alcohol, coffee and legumes.
In order to survive, you have to rely on vegetables, fruits, roots, meat and nuts. As per the media reports, the paleo diet industry was worth $500 million in 2019.
Benefits of Paleolithic diet
Just like any other diet, the paleolithic diet also has a lot of health benefits. We will also address these benefits in-depth to give you more clarity about them.
Remember before you get influenced by the benefits of the Paleolithic diet. It is advised to consult with your doctor before you make any changes in your diet to absorb the benefits.
Lower blood pressure
Because you are avoiding sugar and salt, studies concluded that a Paleolithic diet could help you lower blood pressure.
Improved cholesterol balance
Many studies have found that a Paleolithic diet can help you improve your cholesterol balance. Because you are avoiding any preservative and stabilizer in your food, you obviously get these benefits.
Weight management
As you know, you will avoid any processed food, including sugar and salt, during your Paleolithic Diet. And it is proven that processed food that is high in sugar and salt can increase your weight, and using a Paleolithic diet, you can manage your weight at healthy levels.
Improved insulin sensitivity
Due to the culture of processed foods which are high in carbs and fat without fibre, many people are not sensitive to insulin. With the help of a Paleolithic diet, you can improve your insulin sensitivity.
More iron-rich foods
Essential minerals such as iron are very hard to get in processed food items. Because you are following a diet that isn’t named caveman, you will eat more red meat, and red meat is known to be one of the biggest sources of iron for humans.
More anti-inflammatory benefits
As per the studies, plant nutrients in fruits, vegetables, oils, nuts, seeds help you gain anti-inflammatory which takes care of your overall health. The Paleolithic diet is full of fruits, vegetables, nuts, so gaining anti-inflammatory benefits from these food choices is not going to be difficult for you.
No more preservatives and chemicals
Everyone knows that processed foods are high in preservatives and other chemicals, so by selecting a paleolithic diet, you will avoid these processed foods, and you will not have any preservatives and chemicals in your food.
Improved satiety
Overweight people struggle to lose weight because they do not get to feel full whenever they eat. Processed foods are designed in a way so that you eat more and more.
The Paleo diet is completely opposite to that culture. Because you are going to eat foods that are higher in protein, such as meat, you will obviously have many benefits. Vegetables are also one of the biggest reasons that you feel full because they are not high in calories, but they make you feel full really fast.
Disadvantages of Paleolithic diet
Mere advantages of anything or not enough to take decisions such as changing your diet. You should know about the disadvantages of the paleolithic diet before you decide, so let’s discuss a few.
- Hitting your daily carbohydrate goal is going to be very hard for you because the Paleolithic diet does not have any grains or rice included in it.
- It can be a very expensive diet because you always have to eat meat whenever you are going to have a meal.
- Because you are avoiding dairy, you might have a negative effect on your health. Everyone knows that milk contains calcium, which is very beneficial for our bones. And cutting dairy from your diet can have other physical problems.
Paleolithic diet food list
Before you select any diet as your primary, it is very important for you to know the whole list of foods which you can eat during your diet. Here is a list of foods you can eat on a paleo diet. Kindly remember this is just a small list there can be many more foods in the diet.
- You can eat lean meat, chicken, Turkey, beef, bison, and fish as a protein source. These items are easily available in the whole world so choosing one or more is not going to be difficult for you.
- As a seller, you can include any vegetable you want, and there is a whole list of vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, green beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach.
- There are also many options for fats, but remember you cannot eat peanuts. You can include nuts like walnuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios.
- You can also eat seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin.
- To cook your food you can include plant-based oils, for example olive oil, walnut oil and coconut oil.
Paleolithic diet for weight loss
As per the studies, the paleolithic diet is one of the best diets available in the world for weight loss. Because there are a few aspects which you have to focus on when you are on a weight loss journey
- No more processed foods.
- No excessive sugar.
- More vegetables.
- Be in a calorie deficit.
- High protein diet.
These are the few things that every person should focus on when on a weight loss journey. And all of these things can easily be achieved using a paleo diet.
You have to rely on chicken, fish and meat as your primary source of food, and all of these sources are high in protein. You do not eat any processed foods, so it is also good. You eat more foods and fruits in a paleolithic diet, so Your daily target of greens can also be achieved using paleo, right.
Final thoughts
As per the experts, there are thousands of different diets available in this world. You might be an expert on diets, but after some time, you will see a new type of diet, and that diet is also providing results similar to others.
The Paleolithic diet is one of the best diets available in the world. You can easily lose weight using it because it focuses on more protein and raw vegetables than any other diet.
Can I have Diet Coke during the paleolithic diet?
No, you cannot have Diet Coke during your paleolithic diet phase. Even though Diet Coke is near to zero in calories but it also has preservatives and chemicals in it, so it will be against the basics of the paleo diet.
The Paleolithic diet is not a very strict diet such as the keto diet, but you will be compromising on your morals if you include any processed or unnatural food.
Can I gain muscle using a Paleolithic diet?
Yes, you can easily gain muscle mass using a paleolithic diet. To gain muscle, you have to work out appropriately, and you have to focus on a calorie surplus diet and protein should be on a higher side. The workout you can do in the gymnasium, and you can eat as much as you need and you can gain muscle very easily.
What should I do before starting my Paleolithic diet?
Before you start your paleolithic diet, I will suggest you write down all the foods you can eat during your diet. Because there are so many foods you cannot eat, it will be beneficial for you to write down all the foods before they die.
Can I eat ice cream on a paleolithic diet?
No, you cannot eat ice cream if you are on a paleolithic diet because ice cream is made out of milk, sugar and other processed items. Dairy is not a good choice if you are on a Paleolithic diet, so you cannot eat ice cream while you are on a Paleolithic diet.