What is the Paleo Diet?
The paleo diet, sometimes known as the Paleolithic, caveman, or hunter-gatherer diet, is designed to mimic the eating habits of our prehistoric ancestors from the Paleolithic Era (approximately 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 B.C.).
There's considerable debate about what exactly people ate during this era, as food sources were scarce and diverse. Moreover, many modern foods are vastly different from their ancient counterparts due to hybrid cultivation and selective breeding over the centuries. Additionally, the past century has seen the rise of many ultra-processed foods that were unavailable to our ancestors.
Following the Paleo Diet
At the heart of the paleo diet is a focus on lean proteins. This includes lean cuts of red meat, poultry, pork, wild fish, and shellfish, which should make up about half of your daily caloric intake. The diet also encourages consumption of eggs, organ meats, moderate amounts of fruits and non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fats from sources like seeds, nuts, olive oil, and avocados.
Foods to Avoid on the Paleo Diet
The paleo diet excludes all dairy products, grains and grain-based products, beans, legumes, vegetable oils, and high-omega-6 fatty acids such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower oil, and iodized salts.
While natural sweeteners like maple syrup and honey are allowed, other sweeteners should be avoided.
Health Benefits of the Paleo Diet
Research on the paleo diet has primarily explored its potential for weight loss, better blood sugar control, and reduced cholesterol levels.
Due to its low carbohydrate content, the paleo diet shares similarities with the ketogenic (keto) diet, which you can read more about here. One common effect is significant initial weight loss, often due to a reduction in water weight. Typically, people lose about 4-6% of their total body weight within the first 10-12 weeks.
However, there are only a handful of long-term studies on the paleo diet. One reason for this may be the diet's restrictive nature, which makes it difficult to maintain over time. Additionally, the paleo diet can lead to certain nutritional deficiencies, particularly a lack of calcium.
Key Takeaways
The paleo diet emulates the eating habits of our Paleolithic ancestors, focusing on lean proteins, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fats while excluding dairy, grains, and processed foods. It offers benefits like weight loss and improved blood sugar control but can be challenging to maintain long-term and may lead to nutritional deficiencies, particularly in calcium. As with any diet, consulting with a healthcare professional is essential to ensure it meets individual health needs and supports overall well-being.