No matter where you live, Louisville, KY, or other city, you probably have heard of a variety of different diets, including the Paleo Diet. If you don’t know what it is, it’s a diet based on what man probably ate during the Paleolithic era. It’s also called the caveman diet for the same reason. Why would you go back to that type of menu? Those who practice it and follow the diet say it’s more like eating what the body is matched to genetically, before the era of farming.
What food is in the Paleo diet?
Most Paleo diets consist of fish, fruit, vegetables, lean meat, nuts and seeds. That would have been the menu of the hunter/gatherer before farming developed and dairy, legumes and grains were added to the diet. The foods allowed that proponents say we’re genetically programmed to eat are listed and those that aren’t healthy, besides dairy, legumes and grains, include salt, vegetable oil, processed food and refined sugar.
Some of the choices are commendable and a top priority for healthy eating.
Laying off added sugar and extra salt definitely won’t hurt anyone in normal circumstance, with the added exception of someone that has sweat to the point of depletion of electrolytes from salt. Here, we’re talking about the tons of extra salt added to each meal. Giving up processed food is also part of eating healthy and will get no objection on my part.
Where a Paleolithic diet might be bad.
The Paleo diet includes consuming a higher amount of fatty meat and red meat. That can lead to a higher level of LDL—the bad cholesterol. It also increases the risk for bowel cancer and can be as much as four times more saturated fat than recommended by the American Heart Association. If your diet is too low in carbs, it can also cause quicker exhaustion if you’re participating in rigorous and long duration aerobic workouts. Finally, the exclusion of both grains and dairy can lead to less fiber, calcium, B-vitamins, iron, selenium and magnesium.
- In the short term clinical trials, a Paleo diet proved superior over other dieting styles, such as the Mediterranean diet when it came to controlling blood pressure, glucose tolerance, lowering triglycerides, weight loss and appetite management.
- While you might lose more weight in six months with a Paleolithic diet, studies on obese women show that the benefits weren’t the same at the two-year mark, where weight loss was about the same.
- Even though weight loss was approximately the same at 24 months, the study also showed the Paleo group lost more fat, had a reduced circumference, indicating less visceral fat and improvement to triglyceride levels.
- The best way to lose weight and remain healthy is still through a balanced diet of healthy food. We can help you with a diet that includes meal plans, recipes and even grocery lists to help make weight loss easier.
For more information, contact us today at Body Sculptors Personal Training