What Exactly Is the Paleo Diet?
A lot of people are talking about the Paleo diet, or Paliolithic diet.
Some people call it the caveman diet because it is based on the ancient nutritional habits of early humans.
The premise of the Paleo diet is that human genetics have not changed that much in the last few thousand years and, therefore, their diets should not have changed either.
But our diets have changed dramatically with the advent of agriculture and the various grains it has brought into the human diet.
The period of agriculture is called the Neolithic period, and this is the time when humans began consuming drastically different foods than they had been consuming in the past.
Paleo eaters try to recreate the early human diet by eliminating modern foods that are foreign to human genetics and focusing on eating foods familiar to the caveman, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats and nuts.
Paleos are not afraid to consume natural fats from animal meats and cook with unprocessed oils.
They prefer grass-fed beef and wild game meats because they have higher omega-3 fats than found in grain-fed meats.
The Paleo diet includes foods that can be hunted or gathered, just like they have been for a very long time.
Seafood and meats can be hunted, for instance, and mushrooms, seeds, vegetables, and eggs can be gathered.
The diet excludes foods and additives that did not appear in the early human diet.
This includes grains, legumes, processed oils and dairy products.
Perhaps the most foreign substance the modern human diet is prescription drugs.
Paleos tend to only consume drugs in emergencies and otherwise eliminate them from their everyday diet.
Paleos aim to mimic the ancient lifestyle in more ways than just the diet, although the diet is the most important way.
They also walk barefoot to develop stronger feet; give their bodies plenty of time to rest during both night and day; spend lots of time outdoors - anything they can think of that would conform their lifestyles to that of a prehistoric caveman.
The Paleo diet is growing rapidly in the United States today.
Consumers are looking for ways to combat the relentless weight gain that happens to American adults starting around age 25.
Paleo is gaining popularity because it offers a full lifestyle plan in addition to its basic diet recommendations.
The Paleo diet allows consumers to get back in touch with natural tastes that humans have been enjoying for thousands of years.
Some people call it the caveman diet because it is based on the ancient nutritional habits of early humans.
The premise of the Paleo diet is that human genetics have not changed that much in the last few thousand years and, therefore, their diets should not have changed either.
But our diets have changed dramatically with the advent of agriculture and the various grains it has brought into the human diet.
The period of agriculture is called the Neolithic period, and this is the time when humans began consuming drastically different foods than they had been consuming in the past.
Paleo eaters try to recreate the early human diet by eliminating modern foods that are foreign to human genetics and focusing on eating foods familiar to the caveman, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats and nuts.
Paleos are not afraid to consume natural fats from animal meats and cook with unprocessed oils.
They prefer grass-fed beef and wild game meats because they have higher omega-3 fats than found in grain-fed meats.
The Paleo diet includes foods that can be hunted or gathered, just like they have been for a very long time.
Seafood and meats can be hunted, for instance, and mushrooms, seeds, vegetables, and eggs can be gathered.
The diet excludes foods and additives that did not appear in the early human diet.
This includes grains, legumes, processed oils and dairy products.
Perhaps the most foreign substance the modern human diet is prescription drugs.
Paleos tend to only consume drugs in emergencies and otherwise eliminate them from their everyday diet.
Paleos aim to mimic the ancient lifestyle in more ways than just the diet, although the diet is the most important way.
They also walk barefoot to develop stronger feet; give their bodies plenty of time to rest during both night and day; spend lots of time outdoors - anything they can think of that would conform their lifestyles to that of a prehistoric caveman.
The Paleo diet is growing rapidly in the United States today.
Consumers are looking for ways to combat the relentless weight gain that happens to American adults starting around age 25.
Paleo is gaining popularity because it offers a full lifestyle plan in addition to its basic diet recommendations.
The Paleo diet allows consumers to get back in touch with natural tastes that humans have been enjoying for thousands of years.
