What is The Paleo Diet Plan?

The paleo diet plan, alternatively known as ‘’the caveman diet’’, has been patterned after the eating habits of our distant ancestors – in specific, those who lived during the Paleolithic Age. Long before the advent of agriculture, they had to rely on only natural foods to survive, following a diet that supplied them with a lot of energy for the day and kept them fit and healthy for long periods of time. The paleo diet seeks to bring the healthy effects of those eating habits back to our modern lifestyle.

When asked, most people in the world express their wish to be healthy and lead a fit and long life, though their food cultures may vary. The paleo diet aims to return to natural lifestyle that anyone can follow. By subscribing to this diet plan, as its advocates argue, one can live like a caveman in terms of health and strength. The paleo diet is a natural approach that is based on obtaining raw nutrition for the body. Its focus lies on the intake of less processed food items, which are rich in proteins and vitamins.

At the same time, the caveman diet also excludes a list of food items from its menu. The reason for this is that it aims for balance, variety, and moderation in one’s eating habits. Therefore natural herbs and spices are one of the main components of the paleo diet, as they are used to substitute the condiments that burden our health nowadays such as salt and sugar.

The upside to this diet is that there is no definite limit to the quantity of food you’re allowed to eat. There are also no strict requirements on when you are allowed to eat. You may simply eat until your stomach is full, and you can eat whenever you feel hungry, since the food products it recommends aren’t harmful in any way to your health and overall well-being.

Carbohydrates:

In the paleo diet plan, nearly all our carbohydrate needs are supplied for by fruit and vegetables. The carbohydrates present in fresh vegetables and fruit are responsible for providing the energy needed in order to perform our day-to-day activities efficiently. Vegetables and fruit also contain fiber that acts as an energy source and helps maintain body functions. Here we provide a list of the fruit highly recommended by the paleo diet:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Berries
• Oranges
• Grapes
• Pomegranates
• Pineapples

Below are some of the fresh vegetables that are also highly recommended by the caveman diet for one to maintain a healthy body balance:

• Bell Peppers
• Spinach
• Asparagus
• Tomatos
• Carrots
• Broccoli

Foods to Be Avoided in the Paleo Diet:

The important thing to remember in the paleo diet plan is to avoid consuming certain food items. These are the food items that didn’t exist during the Paleolithic Era. Grains and gluten from bread, noodles, pasta, and cereals are major food items that should be avoided in the paleo diet plan, on the principle that these are the result of advances in agricultural technology.

They weren’t part of a ‘‘caveman’s diet’’. Furthermore, grains have been associated with causing many problems in the gut lining, immune system, and other organs of the body, while they’re suspected of being responsible for many heart-related ailments.

In addition, peas, beans, and other root vegetables such as potatos should also be banned from one’s paleo menu, because these vegetables can’t be consumed in their raw form and have to be processed. Additives, flavorings and preservatives used in modern food processing methods are frowned upon by the caveman diet, since they have a damaging effect to our health.

The paleo diet plan also excludes dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yoghurt. All of the aforementioned items are food products that should be strictly eradicated from your diet plan if you choose to follow the paleo food culture.

On another note however, it’s recommended that these dos and don’ts are followed to the letter in order to reap the benefits of the paleo diet and to be able to approximate the caveman’s long and healthy life. At first it may be difficult to quit certain foods that nowadays compose a huge percent of our meals, but in the long run the effects of following the paleo diet are bound to make you leaner, stronger and fitter. The choice lies with you!