The Paleo Primal Diet: Primal Vs Paleo

The paleo primal diet is not a single dietary plan but a combination of two diets. Both the primal and the paleo diet are what we call ‘’caveman diets’’, based on the eating habits of our distant ancestors. People in the Paleolithic era had access only to all-natural foods that fueled them with enough energy to lead an extremely energetic lifestyle.

 

Long before the advent of agriculture and modern food processing methods, their meals were free of preservatives and additives that burden our health nowadays. Caveman diets seek to revive exactly these eating habits of our ancestors and incorporate them to our modern food culture.

The primal and the paleo diet therefore both restrict the consumption of food items to only those natural foods that can be eaten without heating. Almost each type of food we consume nowadays is either cooked, preserved, pickled, sweetened, etc. But in the primal paleo diet, you shouldn’t consume products that have undergone processing.

All-natural fruits, vegetables, meat, and nuts are the only foods we’re allowed to eat when following these diets. But even though both are caveman diets, they differ from one another in certain details. The specifics regarding the paleo primal diet are detailed below.

What are the similarities between the two diets?

Some foods that are allowed in both the primal and the paleo diet are similar. Most food items for the primal paleo diet are rich in animal protein, contain fat, and are nutrient-dense products. Both these diets are considered healthier than what we normally eat nowadays. The only difference between these two diets is the inclusion of dairy products in the primal diet, whereas they are strictly avoided in the paleo diet.

The paleo primal diet also avoids foods such as whole grains. Whole grains are avoided here, and the diet is hence considered deficient in whole fiber. The fiber content of our body is reduced because of this restriction. This results in reduced efficiency of the digestive and the nervous system. Whole fiber is responsible for building and maintaining strong muscle, and when it is reduced in our body we may end up facing health problems such as fatigue and other disorders. The exclusion of fiber is what most experts are against following; apart from that, the paleo primal diet is a fit diet for any person.

What are the differences between the primal and the paleo diet?

Subscribing immediately to the diet is easy when it comes to the paleo diet, but for the primal diet this doesn’t hold true. As the primal diet includes dairy products, we have to consume only the good quality, full-fat dairy products along with other allowed foods. This is where the two diets differ in approach. Make sure you’re following the right diet by checking out your intake of dairy items.

There are many pros and cons in regard to the paleo primal diet. Some critics say that the diet is fully dependent on the foods which nature has given to us, while some contend that the paleo primal diet is of no use and constitutes an illogical dietary plan.

This debate could only be resolved if the person undergoing the diet gets the preferred results. Experts believe that it is better to follow the primal diet rather than the paleo diet as you can still have some dairy products, which are needed to enhance bone strength.

Furthermore, and in order to give you a more general sense of direction, the primal diet prescribes an entire way of living, not just eating habits. It suggests a holistic plan of wise supplementation, needed to fight the toxins and the stressors that feature nowadays in our live and which our caveman ancestors surely didn’t have to face.

The paleo diet, instead, revolves around the eating habits of an individual, and by improving them and turning them organic, seeks to overally improve their health and well-being.