A Beginner’s Guide to the Paleo Diet

If you are here you may be wondering what the Paleo diet is? Well, it is a way of eating modeled after Palaeolithic era when cave men used to “hunt and gather” to get their food. Scientist argue that during the Stone Age, humans did not suffer from diseases like we do now. The Paleo Diet encourages us to go back to eating how we were biologically designed to eat, allowing us to tap into our genetic potential and start living a healthier life.

The first book explaining The Paleo Diet (with the same title) was published in 2002 by Lorn Cordain. Ten years later in 2012, the Paleo diet was one of the biggest diet trends. Still today the Paleo Diet is considered one of the best lifestyle eating options for health and one of the best diets for serious weight loss. 

Foods that are NOT allowed on the Paleo Diet: 

  • grains (bread, pasta, cereal, rice, etc.)
  • beans
  • legumes
  • soy
  • dairy
  • certain vegetable oils
  • refined sugar
  • coffee
  • processed foods of any kind
  • added salt and pepper

Foods that ARE Allowed on the Paleo Diet:

  • vegetables & roots
  • fruits
  • (fruits and veggies should be organic and locally grown)
  • meats & eggs  (that were grass fed/free range and pasture raised)
  • fish (that are wild caught)
  • certain fats
  • nuts
  • seeds
  • distilled liqueurs

The Paleo diet may seems strict, however once you have your food lists in order, you simply eat when you are hungry and don’t necessarily stick to timed means. You don’t have to count your calorie intake either because your diet should be by its nature, healthy and balanced.

How Does the Paleo Diet Promote Weight Loss?

Unlike other healthy diets, you cannot have cereals, grains, dairy products, processed food or legumes. The Paleo diet argues that the human body doesn’t need carbohydrates to live well. Grains are touted as being filling and healthy, but for Paleo eaters, a meal with fruits and vegetables and a portion of meat can keep them full for hours, while eating carbohydrate foods can result in their being hungry sooner. This is one of the ways that the Paleo diet causes weight loss…eating less and healthier.

Another way that Paleo supporters believe that the diet promotes weight loss is that the human body is designed to operate a low level of carbohydrates. When there is an absence of carbohydrates, the body will burn the fat stored in the body to produce energy.

Mistakes That Beginners Can Avoid

Two important beginner mistakes you must avoid is an overload of protein intake and not enough fat. This is a common issue with Paleo Diet followers. Eating too much protein to feel full when cutting out carbs is easy to do. Rather than going into the details of the protein needs of adults, I will refer you to an incredible site and article at Paleo Leap that has all the info you need.  As far as fats go, there are certain fats that are and are not allowed on the diet, so make sure that you do not remove these “allowed” fats from your foods.

Eating natural foods with no chemicals is what Paleo diet all about. While you will lose weight, it is much more than a weight loss plan, but is a lifestyle that promotes health and wellness. It involves eating real food, unlike the processed foods we eat everyday that contain artificial ingredients that are unnatural and harmful to our bodies. Practice eating the Paleo diet and reach your body’s optimal level of health.

Are you going to give it a try?

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