We as human beings have come a long way since our evolution into sophisticated social animals from what we used to be. As the 21st Century dawned upon us, the rapid advancements made our lives better, but there were some serious health implications. Our lifestyle is completely different from thousands of years ago, but the human body is still the same.
Many theories show why the health implications of our eating habits have been so critical in recent times. Many diet and healthcare professionals believe that eating like the cavemen can help us stay healthier. Paleo diet supporters agree that the secret of living a long, disease-free life lies in the diet followed by our ancestors living in the Palaeolithic era. The diet at that time used to be simple, and the humans would consume anything fit for eating that would occur naturally.
They used to hunt fish and gather plants in the wild, as they weren’t advanced enough to research the composition or enhance the nutritional value of the food they were consuming. Although it is neither possible nor recommended for everyone to follow that exact regime, you can incorporate key takeaways from the diet into modern-day dining.
What is the Paleo Diet in a modern context?
The Paleo diet of Cavemen-style eating is composed of paleo-approved foods like lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other naturally occurring whole, unprocessed foods. It is difficult to determine the exact types of food our ancestors consumed depending upon the location, climatic conditions, geographical conditions, etc. The focus should be more on consuming more naturally occurring foods in the region where we currently dwell.
There is an ongoing debate on the exclusions and inclusions of certain foods from the ideal paleo diet. It is attributed to certain factors that play a vital role in a modern context. For example, freezing fruits and vegetables is a very effective method of preserving the nutrient content while transporting over long distances or storage, but this is ‘food processing,’ which doesn’t agree with the concept of a paleo diet. Another example can be sweet potatoes that have been around for a long time but are highly glycemic, which again contradicts a paleo diet.
Exclusions and Inclusion
Paleo-approved foods have a low glycemic index, have high protein and fiber content, and preferably have mono-saturated fats (omega-3). Additionally, these foods must have low sodium content and refined sugars.
- Exclusions: Cereals, refined sugars, grains, whole grains, sweet potatoes (and related high starch-content vegetables), refined oils, legumes (peanuts, beans, etc.), caffeine-containing foods, alcohol, and other processed foods.
- Inclusions: Fish, eggs, naturally occurring edible seeds and nuts, fresh lean meats, honey in moderate amounts, olive oil, coconut oil, and other non-processed, non-frozen foods.
Interestingly, calorie counting and following a strict regime is not a part of a paleo diet. The idea is to consume the food in moderate amounts and lead an active lifestyle to help control the body weight and overall body health.
Supporters of the Paleo diet focus on grass-fed beef because of omega-3 in high quantities (as compared to grain-fed beef). Although, the quantity of omega-3 fats can vary from one cattle breed to another and depends heavily on the eating patterns and quality of grass being fed to them.
Benefits of Paleo Diet
Paleo diet basically refers to the inclusion of foods that were available before actual agriculture came into existence. The cultivation of plants for food eventually became quite sophisticated and highly controlled, which wasn’t the case with foods occurring before that time. The hunting-gathering system was far more productive as it maintained the regular activity of the human body. However, lack of shelter and other external factors didn’t allow our ancestors to live for long.
In the modern context, certain benefits are increasingly attracting people towards following this eating regime.
- Simple to Follow: Paleo diet doesn’t require one to follow a strict, planned regime. There was no method to count calories back in the Paleolithic age, and as such, there isn’t any calorie counting to be followed while following this diet. It focuses on enough eating and regular physical activity to stay healthy, that’s all!
- Gluten-free diet: One of the biggest advantages of a paleo diet is that it is gluten-free and excludes wheat from the paleo approved foods list. It allows gluten-intolerant individuals to eat healthily and stay fit. Even in normal people, the gluten found in wheat and related grains can cause problems in the digestive tract. Hence, while following a paleo diet, one is following a gluten-free diet too!
- Regulate blood sugar levels: Paleo diet focuses on the inclusion of foods low on the glycemic index. Low GI foods are the ones that have low carbohydrates, which means that the glucose released in the bloodstream after consuming the food is lesser than high GI foods. It is extremely beneficial for people with diabetes or people who want to prevent diabetes from affecting them!
- No processed food means healthy intake: Processed foods might taste good and convenient to consume, but the compromise on health can be alarming in some cases. Synthetic chemicals, coloring agents, preservatives, etc., can cause more harm than good if consumed regularly. The Paleo diet cuts down the possibility of ingesting harmful products entirely.
Conclusion
Research on a paleolithic diet or cavemen-eating style is still ongoing. Since 2014, this diet has garnered enough attention to make it a globally accepted eating regime for people conscious about their health and well-being. The simple and natural foods that make it to the paleo approved foods list are easy to consume and free from any artificial processing. It has allowed people to look for alternative eating habits that are healthy and don’t require much effort too!
You can find paleo-friendly products and food items on our website easily. You can also write to us for delivery options and other queries about the products.
Sources:
- https://paleogrubs.com/paleo-benefits
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/paleo-diet-meal-plan-and-menu#TOC_TITLE_HDR_3
- https://www.eatingwell.com/article/290612/the-complete-paleo-diet-food-list-what-to-eat-and-what-to-avoid/
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/paleo-diet/?fbclid=IwAR1STfyzyBaSsPAzbv4KJZWeXrWHHNCM5YxvtZ6C5UteOIQEy_n_O6Yi-bo
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2787021/?fbclid=IwAR0AlIvmaSYwWYEsufp_idYcTPwQxBrXjEMzQZfFpnzn2kOeF6f93kdRPqw
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/paleo-diet/art-20111182?fbclid=IwAR25S2a1dUd18d13l9kbTsK7bdbL5Xw5Nz_p5nDrKmjDqWIgVeMvseD_JC8
