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Merry Christmas to all my readers! I hope you’re spending quality time with quality people. Today I’m here to talk about the Paleo diet. I’m sure you’ve heard of it before. It’s a massive phenomenon that has taken the US and Australia by storm. What is it exactly and is it right for me? Let’s find out. What Is The Paleo Diet? The word Paleo comes from the Paleolithic period also known as the Old Stone Age. The Paleo diet, also referred to as the caveman diet or hunter gatherer diet, is based on the idea of eating food that our ancestors used to eat. Here’s a run down of what is considered Paleo and what’s not. Paleo Not Paleo All organic vegetables Grains. E.g. all flour, rice, corn products All organic fruits Dairy products Grass fed/pasture raised meats. E.g. beef, chicken, pork, turkey, lamb, game meats Beans/Legumes including peanuts Eggs Meat with preservatives or flavour enhancers Fish, shellfish All processed foods Nuts and seeds Refined sweeteners Sea vegetables Refined salt Fats/Oils Sugar As with any diet or health regime, the Paleo diet shouldn’t be implemented without judging it’s pros and cons. Benefits Of The Paleo Diet With everyone consuming so many processed foods as their primary diet we’re seeing more health issues of epidemic proportions. So a big positive for the Paleo diet is that you can’t eat anything processed including the biggest killer: sugar. Processed food is highly likely to contain GM ingredients, lots of sugar and salt and your body doesn’t even recognise it as food. Another massive plus is that the diet consists of lots of raw, organic fruit, vegetables. Most of your nutrition should coming from these food groups and should be a part of everyone’s diet. The Paleo diet also advocates organic or grass fed meats and this I like. A study conducted by the California University included out of shape volunteers to eat the Paleo diet for two weeks. The results? Their blood pressure was lowered and their cholesterol levels dropped 30 points. These are the same results you would achieve after taking statins for six months. Another reason to eat the Paleo diet is weight loss. With the reduction of processed foods, sugar, and carbohydrates many avid dieters have shed kilos eating the caveman way. Pitfalls Of The Paleo Diet If you think about the way most people eat these days the Paleo diet is a great step in the right direction but it’s not without it’s flaws. One of those is that there’s a strong emphasis on high protein consumption. Even if this wasn’t the intended outcome, many people who start the diet will end up consuming too much protein due to lack of choice. You need around 40-70 grams of protein a day depending on your weight. Consuming more than the recommend amount of protein turns those calories into sugar then fat. Increased blood sugar levels can also feed pathogenic bacteria and yeast, such as candida as well as fueling cancer cell growth. Excluding grains entirely isn’t a very healthy move either. Although refined grains such as flour and rice are highly processed, other grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, oats and brown rice are full of essential minerals, antioxidants and fibre. Legumes are also a great source of these goodies and they’re not included. The Paleo diet doesn’t include dairy. I’m not in favour of pasteurised milk but I do see the health benefits of yoghurt and kefir in your diet. Kefir in particular is an excellent source of probiotics and supports your immune system. A Better Approach What if you can take the positives from the Paleo diet and ease them into your daily routine? It’s a good idea to reduce the protein and replace them with healthy fats such as avocados, coconut oil, nuts and free range organic eggs. Do your best to get most of your nutrients from organic vegetables but include some that are high in carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, beans and peas. There’s no need to go on a strict Paleo diet when there are readily available sources of wholesome nutrients so include them in your diet! For more natural health tips visit our blog at: http://www.alkalife.com.au/blog
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