These days, everyone seems to be reverting back to their primal roots, with hundreds of products donning the shelves of Wholefoods helping you to reconnect with your inner caveman and it’s now totally acceptable to interrogate the waiter over the grain content of your starter.
So what is the Paleo Diet?
The Paleo diet, also known as the primal or caveman diet, is centered on the foundations that if your cavemen ancestors wouldn’t have eaten it, then neither should you.
Paleo Diet followers believe that going back to our roots is the true path to optimal health as it’s only since we began straying from our ‘natural’ diet that we started to develop modern health problems such as diabetes, intolerances and obesity. This diet is generally high in fat and protein, with just a small amount of carbohydrates.
The Paleo Diet isn’t just about the food you eat, it’s also about your lifestyle. Those following the diet are encouraged to do frequent (often high intensity) exercise as well as managing stress and ensuring you get lots of sleep.
Try this if….
You want to make a lifestyle change rather then a quick fix diet, followers believe in balance so you are encouraged to follow the diet 80% and then you can use the remaining 20% to enjoy meals that don’t fit within the Paleo guidelines.
Some of the health benefits that have been connected to the Paleo Diet are improved energy levels, sleep, digestion, clearer skin and even better mood and mental clarity.
Paleo Foods…
With food, if it was hunted, scavenged or prepared by cavemen then you are onto a winner:
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An abundance of seasonal vegetables, including root and starchy ones
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Grass fed meat, as well as organ meats
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Healthy fats such as coconut oil, avocado, ghee and olive oil
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Seafood and shellfish
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Eggs
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Fermented foods
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A small amount of nuts and seeds
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A small amount of fruit
Foods To Avoid When Going Paleo…
There is a fairly extensive list of things you can’t consume on this diet, the main categories are:
Grains
You’ll not only have to say goodbye to your morning slice of toast, but also all other grains such as rice and oats.
**Legumes **
Another commonly perceived ‘healthy’ food that is a big no-no on the Paleo diet, that means no beans, soy or chickpeas (no hummus!)
Dairy
Apart from butter, dairy is not advised on this diet and should instead be replaced with nut milks.
Processed Foods
Unsurprisingly there weren’t many of these around in caveman days, you’ll have to ditch the ready meals, processed sugars, vegetable seed oils and fizzy drinks.
Potatoes
A slightly random one, but potatoes are one of the only vegetables not allowed on the diet so although you may be encouraged to have a steak, the obligatory side of chips won’t make the cut.
Who to follow
Start by following the Paleo Diet’s biggest celeb, Mark Sisson, author of the Primal Blueprint, then work your way through Paleo hashtags to find bloggers who can show you how to put the diet into action, such as London Paleo Girl.