What Is the Paleo Diet?
You have most likely heard that those on the paleo diet are trying to “eat like a caveman would have eaten.” But seriously . . . who knows what a caveman would have eaten? Though there is a technical answer to that question, the paleo diet is a bit different than what actual science suggests cavemen would have eaten (so we will not go there). The paleo diet, at a most basic level, eliminates anything that is bagged, canned, or processed in any way, or contains any ingredient that is bagged, canned, or processed. After you remove these items, your diet consists heavily of meats, vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts. You can think of it as anything that is “raw” in a sense. But are we expecting you to eat raw onions and chicken every night? Of course not. You are absolutely allowed to cook your foods, but under the paleo diet, you are supposed to avoid any modern cooking methods as well--frying, breading, or anything that involves non-paleo oils (paleo oils include olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, and coconut). If you could make it yourself from the land (in theory, you don't actually have to), then you can eat it, but if it requires any machine or technological processing, then it is out!Exceptions
There are a few exceptions to this basic rule of thumb for the Caveman Diet. Paleo dieters are not supposed to eat anything that our ancestors “could not” eat as described above, but you are also expected to avoid any foods they “would not” have eaten. This is where the science part comes in. For instance, legumes and starches like peanuts and potatoes were both around during the Paleolithic Era. However, evidence suggests that humans did not eat either of these at that time, so neither is acceptable on the paleo diet. Also, a few foods have been taken off the paleo diet due simply to health reasons. The main purpose of the diet is to restore humans to their natural or evolutionary health standards, which many believe were far superior to our typical standard today. Most foods on the paleo list have certain things in common:- High in protein
- Low in carbohydrates
- Low score on the glycemic index
- High in fiber
- Moderate to high in fat intake (mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats)
- High in potassium and low in sodium
- Net dietary alkaline load that balances dietary acid
- High in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and plant phytochemicals
How to Still Maintain a Balanced Diet
Anytime you adopt a new eating plan, certain foods are added to your daily intake and certain foods are removed. It is important to pay attention to which nutrients you add and subtract to ensure you are maintaining a balanced diet on your new plan. With the paleo diet, you will have a lot of protein and fiber, so take that into account. Increasing fiber content significantly in a short period can disrupt your digestive system, so increase your fiber gradually. Too much protein can also have negative health consequences, so just remember to ease into the new diet so as not to disrupt your system with drastic changes.
On paleo, you will notice that there are fewer grains and carbohydrates. This is typically okay as vegetables can be a good source of healthier carbs anyway, but make sure you do not eat too much of one type of vegetable, as you will need a more balanced nutrient profile overall. We always love the tip of making sure your plate has three or more colors on it. This keeps you from only eating greens or eating too much meat and ignoring the other important food groups.
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