The Paleo Diet Benefits – Top 5

Maybe you came here because a friend told you about it or a co-worker. Or you heard it on the news. You could also be someone who has been doing it for a while and wants to ensure you are doing it correctly. Either way, I will break down The Paleo diet benefits and what it is.

Have I tried it?

Yes, I have, and this is my favorite diet. Should you try it? Read on and find out!

WHAT DOES THE PALEO DIET CONSIST OF

What a great question because I know a few people who have tried the paleo diet but didn’t do it correctly. They basically were 80% correct but cheated some! I want you to be 100% correct, so you take some pictures and see your paleo diet before and after the results.

Also known as the Paleolithic diet, stone age diet, or caveman diet, the Paleolithic diet is basically a diet consisting of foods eaten during the paleolithic era. So what the heck is the Paleolithic era, you may be wondering.

Paleolithic era: Around 2.5 million years ago, humans lived in caves, huts, or teepees.  Also known as the stone age because all their tools are made of stone.

So what were they eating that long ago for you to be considered on their diet and not cheating?  Most importantly, you need to avoid processed foods. It makes sense, doesn’t it?

Because I doubt 2.5 million years ago, they had high-tech machines to alter foods as we do nowadays.  An easy way to remember what the Paleo diet is to think of it like this…

Foods that could be obtained by either hunting or gathering only.

The typical Paleolithic diet would include:

• Fish
• Lean Meats (Caveman only ate grass-fed and wild game)
• Nuts & Seeds
• Vegetables
• Fruits

How about what to drink?

Well, it should be pretty obvious what a Caveman was drinking back then. Water!  Are you like me and want to do everything 100%? Then I recommend you stick to water as your Paleo liquid to be caveman or cavewoman-like to reap the health benefits.

I wrote a separate article on how much water you should be drinking that can help with weight loss. You can check it out here Drinking Water.

If you can’t stand boring water, you have some options. Either spice up your water with squeezed lime or lemon. You still don’t like water this way and want a completely different option.  Coconut water is a great alternative with so many health benefits.

Tea is also acceptable. Now I’m not saying that is what they drank millions of years ago. This is just what the creator of the Paleo diet says is ok. Specifically, Green tea. The creator of the Paleo diet Loren Cordain says and is who started the Paleo diet.

Green tea is allowed because of the low amount of caffeine.   This is also why you are recommended to skip coffee on this diet. Suppose this is something you absolutely cannot do without. I would say try decaffeinated coffee, and I promise not to tell on you.

What is not allowed?

This will most likely be the biggest challenge for some of you. However, this is probably the most important for weight loss. Anything with added sugar is not allowed.

Yes, I know, how dare you say that!   Bye-bye, sodas and energy drinks.  Diet sodas as well, I should add before you try and be sneaky or think you may have found a loophole. Extremely challenging, but the Caveman did not drink sodas.

Orange juice and other juices can be a little tricky. If you are squeezing your juices at home, that would be considered ok. However, going to the grocery store and buying juice is not acceptable.

The thing is, some of these juices are loaded with artificial sugars. Now you can see what I mean by people cheating and not going 100%. A few extra steps require more effort, and some people are just not willing to do it.

Dairy is also not allowed if you are strict. The cavemen did not milk cows back in the day. So bye-bye to cheese, milk, butter, and yogurt! Now there is one exception, and it’s not exactly sticking strictly to the diet. Some dieters allow dairy if it is grass-fed only.

This one was pretty tough for me, and I’m guilty of breaking the rules a few times. Alcohol is not allowed if you are being strict. Those liquor drinks your order at the bar contain Gluten.  Beer is made from grains making it unacceptable and also making me upset!

Here I am trying to bend the rules or find something alcoholic for you. Most hard ciders are gluten-free and acceptable!

IS THE PALEO DIET GOOD FOR YOU

My short answer is yes! What could be better than eating clean food that has never been altered? While staying away from artificial sweeteners, refined sugars, and processed foods.

Nowadays, we really don’t know what has been added to our food by the time it gets to our plates.  This was not the case with cavemen. They only ate things that were 100% natural and not altered.

Often people ask me, does paleo help with weight loss?  The answer is yes, but only if you are being strict and not eating 5000 calories daily. Most importantly, with any diet is how many calories you are consuming.

In general, though, if you are eating 2000 calories a day on a strict paleo diet vs. 2000 calories a day of crap food.  What do you think is your best chance of weight loss?

Answer: THE PALEO DIET!!!!

Do you remember me mentioning in the beginning how this diet is my favorite? Give it a try, and I believe you will see why. Now I’m not saying that everything about this is 100% perfect for you. This is because many healthy foods turn into not-so-healthy if taken in excess.

If I had to find something negative about the paleo diet, it would be Vitamin D and calcium deficiency. Spend some time in the sunlight or take a few supplements, and problem solved!

 

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE PALEO DIET?

There are many different benefits, but I find these 5 to be the most important.

1. Balances blood glucose levels. I preach to my clients all the time about how important it is to keep your sugar levels low. With the paleo diet, you are avoiding these refined sugar foods. This will keep you from getting spikes in your blood glucose levels.

2. Avoids processed foods. There are so many chemicals in foods nowadays. Have trouble pronouncing some of the ingredients on the back labels? Yes, me too! I really like to know what I’m eating, and avoiding these crazy processed foods is the way to do it.

3. Increases the number of vegetables and fruits you eat.  We are all guilty of this. Not getting enough vegetables is common because they don’t taste delicious. Although on the paleo diet, you are basically forced to eat them. They play a much bigger part in this diet.

4. Increases your Healthy Fats intake. In general, most people seem to be afraid of fats. I don’t blame them, but some are good for you. They become a big part of the paleo diet. To make things simple. You can check out which are good and which are bad fats in an article I wrote here Healthy Fats.

5. Leaner Muscles. Cavemen were pretty dependent on meat. Therefore you are getting a significant amount of protein in the paleo diet. Protein helps build muscle and gives you that lean and fit body.

FOODS FOR PALEO DIET

Up top, I mentioned the typical foods, but there are many more. So you are not limited to just five different foods total. The key is to be very creative, and you will not get bored with the paleo diet.

LEAN MEAT is a great source of protein and is included in the paleo diet. Just be careful with some of these meats when buying. For example, look for chicken that has been raised naturally and not pumped full of antibiotics.

• Turkey
• Pork
• Bacon
• Beef
• Chicken
• Lamb

SEAFOOD & FISH must have been very popular with these cavemen. Imagine catching a nice freshwater wild salmon! Always choose wild-caught when it comes to Seafood & Fish.

• Salmon
• Tuna
• Cod
• Trout
• Haddock
• Shrimp

EGGS are by far one of the best sources of protein. But don’t be afraid of the yolks. I personally do two egg whites to 1 egg yolk ratio.

PLEASE spend the extra 1 or 2 dollars for eggs that the chickens are not caged. These are the ones where the chickens roam free and are not injected with anything.

I have compared many yolks under the light, and you can see a big difference and a healthier golden look with Free Range. Here is a great example of a photo taken by a website called Chicken Scratch.

SEEDS & NUTS Almonds, Pecans, Cashews, Walnuts, Pine nuts, Pistachios, Macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, Flax Seeds, Chia seeds, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds.

VEGETABLES Tomatoes, Carrots, Broccoli, Kale, Onions, Peppers, Cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, Cabbage, Spinach, and Arugula.

FRUITS Bananas, Kiwi, Apples, Peaches, Grapes, Watermelon, Strawberries, Oranges, Blueberries, Plums.

PALEO DIET VERSUS KETO

These two diets, from what I have seen, are the most popular. When I have clients inquire about them, the goal is usually weight loss. Common questions are how they are different and which is better.

Although there are some similarities and some differences, there is one BIG difference. The Paleo diet allows for whole-food carbohydrates.  Keto is based on the idea of little to no carbs.

I also wrote a separate article on the Keto diet. If you care to read it, you can find it HERE.

WHAT ABOUT THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET

When it comes to both the paleo diet and the Mediterranean diet, they keep processed food levels to low level.

Included in both diets:

• Fruit
• Fish
• Vegetables
• Seeds and Nuts

The main difference between the paleo diet and the Mediterranean diet is that the paleo diet is more strict. You can’t have dairy, grains, or legumes with paleo.

COULD PALEO BE A GOOD DIABETES DIET

I have read some good success stories from people with type 2 diabetes that have tried the paleo diet. Some say this is a great diabetes diet because their cholesterol and blood pressure levels are lowered.

There have been some studies showing good results.

 

FINAL WORD

Hopefully, now you have a great idea of the health benefits of the Paleo diet. If this is a diet you are going to try or have tried, please leave me a comment below and let me know how it’s going.

In my opinion, the paleo diet is the best diet for the general population because processed foods and sugary foods are not good for your overall health.

Even though I love this diet and recommend it, there are no long-term studies done. I’m not saying that is a bad or a good thing, there just aren’t many studies specifically done on the Paleo diet.

Personally, my go-to meal is Grilled Chicken with steamed vegetables, fruit, and avocado.  Pretty simple to make and has everything you need to be Paleo-strong!!

 

 

“I’m kind of like a middle mix between a warrior diet and a Paleo diet, so I only eat once a day, and it’s at night- so kind of like interval fasting. But I eat until I’m full, I eat as much as I want, and I really don’t eat anything that you couldn’t find, you know, 10,000 years ago.”

-Ronda Rousey

 

FAQ’s

Q: Does the typical paleo diet help with heart disease?

A: In a study with men and women paleo increased the HDL cholesterol which is known as your good cholesterol and can remove other forms of cholesterol. This is linked to heart disease being a lower risk.

 

Q: Does Paleo cure any chronic diseases?

A: Yes it can but does not always. Research has shown this modern diet to help with these chronic diseases.

• Thyroid health
• Adrenal health
• Blood sugar and diabetes
• Heart Health
• Cardiovascular disease

 

Q: With Paleolithic nutrition and a healthy diet can your blood pressure be lowered?

A: Yes, the European journal of clinical nutrition did a study on this.  Sensitivity and blood pressure were lowered according to the clinical nutrition study.