What is the Paleo Diet all About?

The Paleo Diet History

There are so many healthy lifestyle diet choices available today that it is easy to get confused about what all the different diets are. There are vegan diets, vegetarian diets, flexitarian diets and the paleo diets, just to name a few.

This article will cover the basics of the paleolithic diet also known as the Paleo Diet, or the Caveman Diet. A Paleo diet is a diet based on the types of foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans. This consists mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit. The Paleo Diet also excludes dairy or grain products and processed food (which should be a no-brainer for any healthy diet).

The idea of a paleolithic diet was developed first in the 1970s by gastroenterologist Walter Voegtlin. The paleolithic idea was later developed by Stanley Boyd Eaton and Melvin Konner, and popularized by Loren Cordain in his book called The Paleo Diet.

Get this paleo cookbook for free!

We have been experimenting with the Bulletproof diet which is basically a paleolithic diet with a coffee kicker. The results have been interesting. I have felt stronger a bit more energetic and more focused that normal.

How to Start a Paleo Diet

The easiest way to start any diet is to know what it is about, what you can and can’t eat and the philosophy behind it.

Eat This

Basically a paleolithic diet is high in fats, moderate in protein from animals and moderate to low in carbs. High quality saturated fats like butter from grass-fed cows and coconut oil are a big part of this diet as are high protein and high quality meats like grass-fed beef, pastured pork, quality poultry, eggs and organ meats as well as fish and shellfish.

An equally important part of this diet is the generous amount of raw and cooked vegetables either fresh or frozen that can be consumed. A smaller amount of fruits and nuts is recommended as well.

Don’t Eat This

Cereal grains such as wheat, barley, corn, rye, oats and brown rice are not part of the diet and legumes such as soy, kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans,  peanuts and black eyed peas are forbidden. Most oils are not allowed in this diet with the exception of olive oil and avocado oil.

Added sugar like that found in soft drinks, candy and juices are to be avoided as well as most dairy products other than healthy butter.

Paleo Behavior

Another part of a successful diet is the adaptation of the lifestyle that the diet is based on. The paleo diet has some lifestyle guidelines that you should really incorporate if you want to succeed with this diet.

The behaviors for this diet are pretty straightforward.

• Eat when you are hungry
• Avoid stress
• Get plenty of sleep
• Exercise, but not too much
• Play in the sun

Overall this is a very healthy, balanced way to eat and live. Probably the hardest thing to get used to on this diet if you are switching from being a SAD (standard American diet) eater, is the elimination of grains. We love our wheat! I found that reading the book Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis was very motivational in my pursuit of eliminating wheat from my diet. Fascinating read!

If you like guidance with your lifestyle changes and decide that the Paleo Diet is for you then the Paleo Cookbook is a great way to go.