Perhaps you've heard of the Paleo Diet. Perhaps you haven't. Maybe you're someone who's grown tired of fighting a never-ending battle of the bulge, a battle that you're losing, and you're looking for a new way of healthy eating that will help you get in better shape. It could even be that you've heard a lot of hullabaloo about eating Paleo foods and simply want to learn more. Whatever your reason is for coming here, we're here to help you determine if the Paleo Diet is right for you.
The diet takes its name from the Paleolithic period of history, which lasted for approximately 2.5 million years and ended around 10,000 years ago. The Paleo Diet has also been called Neanderthin, the Stone Age diet, the caveman diet, and the hunter-gatherer diet.
In simple terms, the Paleo Diet is one that is based on consuming the foods that our hunter-gatherer ancestors supposedly ate-things like fish, grass-fed meats, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and roots. It does NOT include grains, refined sugars, salt, or processed oil. There is also some debate as to whether or not dairy products (milk, cheese, butter, yogurt) should be consumed. In a nutshell, the diet is high in protein and low in carbohydrates.
So are you wondering what you can eat on the Paleo Diet? Specifically, you can eat meat, fish, eggs, vegetables and berries, fruits and nuts, and dairy-depending on whether or not you are lactose-intolerant. You can NOT eat grains (barley, wheat, rice, etc.) and corn, starchy vegetables like potatoes and yams, refined sugar, legumes (beans, peanuts, cashews, soy products, etc.), and chemical food additives. If you must use salt, do it in moderation. The same goes for processed foods and artificial sweeteners like aspartame and the like. Think about it this way, basically you can eat anything that our ancestors could catch with a spear or pick from a tree or bush.
By eating a diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates and processed foods, your body will turn to burning fat for energy. This is because it will no longer rely on sugars, starches, and complex carbohydrates for energy. This means that after your body uses the energy in the foods you've consumed, it will then use the stored fat in your body for energy-hence the subsequent weight loss that comes with eating a high protein, low carbohydrate diet, such as the Paleo Diet.
In summary, eating a high protein low carbohydrate diet like the Paleo Diet, or even adopting it as a lifestyle rather than a diet, will allow your body will become better at burning fat and help you shed your excess weight easily.
