The paleo diet, also known as the caveman diet, contains foods that may be hunted and fished (such as meats and sea food) or gathered (such as eggs, nuts, seed products, fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices). It’s a program based on the supposed diet plan of our hunter-gatherer ancestors through the Paleolithic era, before the development of agriculture, around 10,000 years ago. That means cereal grains including whole wheat, dairy, refined glucose, potatoes – as well as anything processed or with added sodium – are strictly off the menu.
There’s no established “paleo diet”, but it’s generally seen as a low-carb, high-protein diet, with some variants on meats and carbohydrate intake. Advocates say the paleo diet is a long-term healthy diet program that can help you lose weight and reduce your risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other health problems.
Most studies on the paleo-type diet are small, and more long-term research is needed to show conclusively whether or not it’s as effective as some people state. A 2015 review of current studies found some moderate evidence for short-term health weight and improvements reduction. It figured while the modest carbohydrate, healthier fats and lower salt were beneficial, it was less clear if the restriction on wholegrain dairy products and foods was beneficial. The paleo diet encourages you to eat less processed food, less high-fat and high-sugar foods (such as cakes, biscuits, crisps), and more fruit and veggies. Cutting your consumption of high-calorie foods will certainly reduce your calorie intake and help you lose weight.
The diet is simple and doesn’t involve calorie counting. Some plans are more versatile, which can make the diet simpler to stick to and boost your likelihood of success. You will find no accurate information of the dietary plan of our Stone Age ancestors, therefore the paleo diet is based on educated guesses, and its health statements lack any scientific evidence.
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Most versions of the diet encourage eating a lot of meat, which runs counter to current health advice on meat consumption. Many versions ban milk products and wholegrains, which form part of a wholesome, well balanced diet. Unless it’s for a medical reason, there’s no need to cut out entire food groups from your diet.
Cutting out food groupings without careful substitution can result in nutritional deficiencies. The paleo diet can be expensive. For example, it advocates eating only grass-fed meats. Most versions of the paleo diet exclude key food groups, raising the prospect of nutritional deficiencies unless careful substitutions are created, and health supplements may be necessary.
The diet has some positive aspects, so an modified version that doesn’t ban any food organizations – such as wholegrains, dairy and legumes – would be a much better choice. The dietary plan lacks variety, so there are a risk you’ll receive bored quickly and give up. If you want to duplicate your paleolithic ancestors, you’re better off mimicking their activity levels rather than their alleged diet.