What is The Paleo Diet?

April 7, 2011 12:00 am

What is it?

The Paleo Theory:

The idea is that the healthiest diet for us is the one we are most genetically adapted to.
i.e. the diet that corresponds to what was available in any of the ecological niches of pre-agricultural humans (1.5 million-10,000 years BP)
“Increasing evidence suggests that a Paleolithic diet based on lean meat, fish, vegetables and fruit may be effective in the prevention and treatment of common Western diseases.” Read this study here.

What can I eat?

Here are your Paleo food guidelines:

Your diet should include meals that are high in fat, moderate in animal protein, and relatively low in carbs.
Eating generous amounts of saturated fats is encouraged. Anything from avocado to coconut oil to duck fat.
Eat a healthy amount of vegetables – cooked or raw and served with fat. Starchy vegetables are an okay source of non-toxic carbohydrate.
Limit your intake of fruit and nuts.
Stop eating cereal grains and legumes – this means wheat, soy, corn, brown rice, corn, rye, oats, barley, soy, peanuts, and the various kinds of beans.
Stop eating sugar (and soft drinks!), dairy, and all vegetable oil – including margarines and sunflower oil.
As a rule of thumb – if it’s in a box, don’t eat it.
Here is a list of suggested foods.

How often do I eat?

Here are your Paleo eating habits suggestions:

How will I benefit?

These are some of the proposed benefits by the Paleo community:

Improve your acne condition.
Slow the onset or progression of an autoimmune disorder.
Lose weight and improve athletic performance.
Gain energy.
Reduce or eliminate your risk for diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and most chronic degenerative diseases.

A great Paleo starter recipe – Gingered Carrots with Mahi Mahi

Resources: