What is the Paleo Diet?

Because I often get questions like “What is the Paleo Diet?”, I’ll be spending some time posting here more often about different diets, or ways of eating. I believe that no one diet works for everyone because we all have different biochemical make-ups. That said, the more you’re informed, the better you can piece together a way of eating that works best for you. The only way to know what works for your body is to experiment and listen to what it says to you.

The Paleolithic Diet, also called the paleo diet, caveman diet or primal diet, is rooted in the belief that our highly-processed, carb-heavy eating habits are to blame for the proliferation of modern disease and obesity. The premise of the diet, which was ranked #36 in US News’ Best Diets of 2017, is that by only eating foods a caveman would have eaten we can achieve optimal health. This means eliminating processed and packaged foods as well as grains and legumes, all of which hadn’t been cultivated by hunter-gatherers in the pre-agricultural era.

The diet’s staples are meat, fish, vegetables, some fruit, eggs and nuts. It’s highly focused on animal protein, vegetables and naturally-occuring fat like coconut oil, ghee, olives and avacodo rendering it relatively low in carbohydrates. Organic and grass-fed animal proteins are emphasized and fruit is limited since it wasn’t abundant during paleolithic times.

Paleo dieters avoid sugar and often exercise vigorously with crossfit workouts or similar.

Should you follow a Paleo Diet? 

Many people who do report quick weight loss and more energy. The whole and organic foods approach is a healthy one, though it can be expensive and some people need more carbohydrates in the form of whole grains than the diet can provide especially with intense exercise.

It’s high in fiber and potassium, low in sodium and the low glycemic nature of this way of eating can stabilize blood sugar and reduce cravings, but eliminating entire food groups can be challenging for some people.

Have you tried the Paleo Diet? What was your experience like?