The Paleo Diet; A Quick Guide

The Paleo Diet… Eat like a Caveman! Based on the foods that someone would have consumed during the Paleolithic Era (~2.5 million years ago), the Paleo Diet focuses on eating things that can be hunted and gathered, as opposed to produced and manufactured [1]. Here are a few tips & tricks:

Lower the Carbs

• Ditch the pasta, the bread, the pretzels and the cereal… they’re not allowed on this diet! For one, they did not exist millions of years ago during the Paleolithic Era. But also, they are processed carbohydrates that the body turns into sugar to use as fuel [2]. When overconsumed, they can negatively affect the body, so this diet cuts them right out!

“Eat Meat & Vegetables, Nuts & Seeds, Some Fruit, Little Starch and No Sugar”

• This is CrossFit’s recommended diet plan, and although it may be an oversimplification, it applies super well to the Paleo Diet. The idea being that the bulk of your calories should come from Meat & Vegetables (great sources of protein and carbs), Nuts & Seeds (great sources of fats), and Some Fruit (great sources of carbs and also a nice little sweet treat). Starches (like corn and potatoes) should only be had sparingly, and Processed Sugars (like candy, soda, and desserts) should be avoided whenever possible. This is a general guide, but a great place to start!

Where did it come from?

• One of the more unique things about the Paleo Diet that separates it from other diets out there, is that it pays specific attention to where the food actually came from. Did the eggs come from a free-range chicken? Did the beef come from a grass-fed cow? Was the salmon wild-caught? As a general guide, if it looks like it came from a factory, it probably isn’t allowed on the Paleo Diet. The idea being that the animals that were consumed back in the Paleolithic Era were hunted, not mass-produced. So, by eating animals that lived a life similar to those millions of years ago, there is a better chance we are able to get the nutrients our body needs naturally through the food that we eat. [1]

Just some Sunday Snacks :)

[1] https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/paleo-diet/art-20111182

[2] https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/carbohydrates#:~:text=When%20you%20eat%20carbs%2C%20your,as%20a%20source%20of%20energy.