What is Paleo Diet?
The Paleo Diet is an effort to eat like we used to eat back in the stone age days…WAY back. If a caveman couldn’t eat it, neither can you.
This means you can eat anything he could hunt or gather – meats, fish, nuts, leafy greens, regional veggies, and seeds.
I’m really bad at keeping track of what I consume, specially when it comes to calories, I don’t really bother as it’s really tough to keep a check on the same. Moreover, all the stuff we consume has a different level of calories. Wish all were at the same level!
After lots & lots of research, reading several articles & trying to figure out what exactly is Paleo diet; I came across a very simplified chart to make things easy for all like me to make an attempt to understand this diet.
Do’s & Don’t
Don’t eat:
Cereal Grains
Legumes (Including Peanuts)
Dairy
Refines Sugar
Potatoes
Processed Foods
Refined Vegetable Oil
Salt
Eat:
Grass Produced
Fish/Seafood
Fresh Fruits & Veggies
Eggs
Nuts & Seeds
Healthful Oils (Olive, Walnut, Macadamia, Avocado & Coconut).
To read the above Do’s & Don’t is very easy & would also seem as if it can be done easily. Believe me I’ve tried to do the same. It’s way tougher than it seems to be. I started by giving up on processed food i.e merely cold drinks. I was already finding it difficult. Many experts have shared their experience. If you google you will get many article of Athletes, Doctors & Cross-fitters who have shared their experience.
I’ve tried it by myself that’s the reason I’m able to share my experience as well. For initial few weeks you will go crazy. Now crazy can go to any extent, you imagine it & you can define crazy. You need a strong willpower to go through the process of this crazy diet. There are only benefits of this diet. You get this done you will see the difference.
Benefits & Disadvantages
Paleo Diet Benefits
You are more likely to eat a clean diet without additives, preservatives, or chemicals.
There are anti-inflammatory benefits from the plant nutrients in fruits, vegetables, oils, nuts, and seeds.
If you are eating more red meat, you will get more iron.
You may see improved satiety — a feeling of fullness between meals, due to the higher intake of protein and fats.
Many people lose weight primarily due to the limited food choices.
Negative Effects and Disadvantages of the Paleo Diet
It can get expensive.
You don’t eat any grains or dairy which can be good for health and energy.
This diet can be difficult for vegetarians, especially since it excludes beans.
Most athletes need between 3 to 6 grams of carbs per pound of their body weight, per day. This would be very hard to do with just fruits and vegetables.
Alternative
Paleo Diet Alternatives If you want to “health up” your diet, by all means do. But rather than going paleo, you may consider:
Eat three meals a day.
Include some protein at every meal and snack.
Include foods with color at every meal or snack.
Include some grains at every meal and snack, such as cereal, whole grain bread, rice, or pasta.
Include a little fat at each meal, such as nuts, butter, salad dressing, oil , or a little mayonnaise.
Be selective with some of the less healthy foods.
Make an attempt & you will not regret it!
