Paleo diet- The diet of our ancestors

What is the paleo diet? What has made it so popular these days? These are some questions that have imbued everyone’s mind. Everyone coming across this word is consumed by the story that it holds. Paleo diet also called the Paleolithic diet, owes its name to the Paleolithic era. This era dates back to a time 10,000 to 2.5 million ago. It adopts the lifestyle and eating habits of the people of this time. It resembles the diet of the hunter-gatherers. This gives birth to another question. Why adopt something so ancient? And like everything else we have an answer to this too.

With the alteration in the agricultural processes and the contamination in the pure forms, several diseases have emerged in this lively sphere. By adopting the eating habits of our ancestors we can make our body as strong as theirs. Paleo diet not only eliminates the newfound diseases, but it also helps in weight loss. This diet involves the consumption of food that came out ten thousand years ago when agriculture had just emerged. These sources include vegetables, fruits, meat, seeds, fish and nuts. It aims to restore the eating habits of our ancestors. It is believed that the modern changes made to the eating habits brought home several obnoxious ailments. Thus, by abiding by the old ways we can fix this body mismatch. This will automatically reduce the cases of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.

ADVANTAGES OF THE PALEO DIET

The paleo diet helps in weight management

Enhances the tolerance to glucose

Reduces the risk to heart disease

Limits the chances of diabetes

Reduces triglycerides

Improved management of appetite

Improved control for blood pressure

DISADVANTAGES OF THE PALEO DIET

Though the paleo diet is considered healthy and shows positive results, it holds a major drawback. This diet is rich in both fruits and vegetables. These are considered to be high sources of nutrients and vitamins. However, it misses out a major source of nutrient, Legumes and grains. Both of these are rich in fibres, nutrients and vitamins. It also fugitively leaves out the dairy products. These are the sources of calcium and protein. Also, these products are more affordable than the ones included in the paleo diet. Indeed this diet is tagged to be one of the most expensive diets.

DO’S OF THE PALEO DIET

Vegetables: this includes all the vegetables such as cabbage, beetroot, cauliflower, spinach, onion, tomato, broccoli, cucumber, kale, etc.

Fruits: this includes all the fruits such as oranges, grapes, apple, watermelon, cherry, strawberries, banana, blueberry, pear, mango, avocados, etc.

Nuts and seeds: this includes walnuts, almonds, nuts, hazelnuts, pumpkin seed, sunflower seeds, etc.

Meat: this includes beef, chicken, pork, duck, turkey, lamb, etc. This diet also includes eggs rich in omega-3.

Fish: this includes salmon, shellfish, crab, lobster, trout, shrimp, haddock, etc.
Oils: this includes olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, etc.

Tubers: this includes sweet potato, turnip, potato, yam, etc.

Salt and spices: this includes garlic, ginger, pepper, turmeric, sea salt, rosemary, etc.

DON’TS OF THE PALEO DIET

Processed food: any food that involves artificial replacement in the composition is termed as processed food.

Grains: these include pasta, wheat, barley, bread, rice, pulse, rye, etc.

Dairy products: these include butter, curd, cheese, yoghurt, milk, etc.

Refined sugar: these include pastry, cold drink, sweets, candy, ice cream, juices, chocolates, etc.

Legumes: these include: beans, lentils, etc.

Artificial sweetener: one must switch to natural sweeteners instead of the artificial ones. The artificial sweeteners include acesulfame potassium, cyclamates, aspartame, saccharin and sucralose.

Trans fat: this is generally present in processed food. It is considered as unhealthy fat and is responsible for several diseases. These diseases include obesity and high cholesterol.

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/paleo-diet-meal-plan-and-menu

Conclusion

The paleo diet that was modified according to the ancient diet scheme holds great health potential. It is highly preferred because of its flexible rules. There are no strict rules guiding this diet plan. This diet can be modified based on individual requirements. Water is the ideal liquor for this diet plan. However, many people opt for tea and coffee as well owing to their antioxidant properties. Green tea is preferred over any other tea. It even allows a small quantity of red wine indulgence. The only demerit is in its expense but that too can be managed with some cheaper substitutes. All this has made it an ideal diet plan for staying healthy. So, what are you waiting for? Jump on the train to the land of health and prosperity.