Paleo Diet – A beginners Guide

Paleo Diet is readily among the most popular diets today. The typical thinking about paleo diet is, its perfect diet to lose weight. No, absolutely not. It’s not just another diet to lose weight, but it’s a new way of eating. I hope you’ll get an idea of paleo diet once you finish reading this.

What exactly is Paleo Diet?

Shut your eyes and picture yourself back in the days before modern technology, modern tools caveman days, as well as simple inventions such as the wheel.

If you close your eyes and imagine the days before all these technological progress, the caveman days, what do you see? Those simple foods they eat is the essence of today’s paleo diet. The key is to eat all-natural foods.

Why Paleo Diet?

The present day human body is entirely different from the early cavemen. There was a time when our body demanded much protein and fat, now all we crave is for sugar and carbs.

And the foods we eat now are nowhere close to the cavemen. The focus of the Paleo Diet is to get the body back to its natural state.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Paleo Diet

When we look at the paleo diet, there are lots of amazing things concerning; however, there are few serious drawbacks too. Let’s take a quick look at it;

Advantages / Pros

Weight loss

A diet mostly of carbs will lead to severe weight gain. And the Paleo Diet will let you have hardly any carbs. Paleo diet focuses on fat, the more fat you have, the easier it’s for the human body to burn fat.

Fewer unhealthy foods.

Fewer foods that are unhealthy – if you open your fridge, you will be amazed by all the unhealthy choices. Paleo diet is one way that you can focus on healthy eating

Reduced health problems

Health problems often come from our diet. The modern diet will always lead to nutritional imbalance. With paleo diet, you eat food that has a lot of nutrients that your body need.

Fewer allergies

Many people have trouble with allergic reactions to processed food. In paleo diet, you remove the allergenic from your daily diet. You will end up considerably healthier.

Fully customizable diet

There is no limitation to just how much it is possible to eat. You only need to stick to the healthy number of calories, but there are no strict guidelines on when and how to consume.

Rich in nutrients

You get to eat foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, protein and fibre while avoiding processed food.

No risk of bingeing

As with paleo diet, you’ll have to cut back on the binge food like cakes, cookies, snacks. You eat healthily and avoids the bingeing.

More energy

The healthful foods you take in, the more energy you should have. Every one of the man-made, purified, and processed foods actually juice your energy, so cutting out them will give you more stamina.

Disadvantages / Cons

Potentially very high in fat

The meat we eat now comprises more saturated fat, leading to potential weight gain and cardiovascular conditions.

Lacking in nutrients

It’s hard to get vitamin D and calcium without dairy products, and the paleo diet requires some other nutrients and vitamins as well.

Expensive

Organic and free range products are quiet expensive including those fruits and vegetables that you’ll have to eat loads and loads of.

Takes adjusting

When you begin on the Paleo Diet, you alter your body’s way of producing energy. It will take some time to become efficient in turning fat into energy.

Not vegetarian-friendly

Paleo diet mostly focuses on protein, so vegans will find it hard to follow. This excludes all the legumes, so it lacks non-animal based protein.

Lacking carbs

Athletes want anywhere from 3 to 6 grams of carbs daily to keep up with their training, but most carbs are cut out by the Paleo Diet.

Paleo Diet – Food List

Allowed on the Paleo diet list

•    Lean meats – beef, chicken, lamb

•    Nuts in moderation

•    Oil – avocado, coconut, olive

•    Sprouted grains

•    Seafood – crab, shrimp, oyster and mussel

•    Fish – salmon, tilapia and the rest

•    Organic eggs

•    Vegetables and fruits

Not permitted on Paleo diet

•    Anything processed, instant or packaged food

•    Salt

•    Grains

•    Potatoes

•    Cereal grains

•    Refined veggie oil

•    Refined sugar

•    Dairy excluding grass fed butter and natural yoghurt

•    Flours and anything produced with flour

•    Legumes

Paleo Diet Tips

•    Begin the day with a heavy breakfast

•    Rather than limiting calories or skipping your meals, start making them a bit heftier and more filling. Add a little steak or chicken to that particular salad, and add more veggies.

•    Use fruits as your dessert. Instead of craving for sugar, make some dessert with fresh fruit.

•    Clear your closets from the non-paleo diet food.

•    Add more and more raw vegetables and fruits.

•    Have eggs constantly. They are easy to cook and low in calories.

•    Love your food. Make food satisfying and delightful as possible as you can. Only then, you won’t cheat on your diet.

•    Plan, so that you don’t cheat your paleo diet.

•    If you slip out of your paleo diet, it’s okay it happens. Get back as soon as possible.

•    Find friends who are also into this. You can tips from them as well as this will encourage you.

•    Always read the food labels so that you know what you’re putting in