What’s The Difference Between Paleo And Primal Lifestyles?

As you are already aware I am a big advocate of following the Paleo lifestyle.  As I have experienced the benefits associated with following this way of eating it is easy for me to champion it.    If you have carried out any kind of research into it at some point you know come across the term Primal.

In fact, maybe you have heard Paleo and Primal lifestyles being used in the same context.   They base both these lifestyles upon evolutionary science that states that the diets we follow in the Western hemisphere are nothing like those that our ancestors followed thousands of years ago.   The change in our diets is because of an agricultural revolution that occurred around 10,000 years ago, and as a result, we began to eat foods that our bodies weren’t able to digest properly.

Paleo And Primal Lifestyles Similarities

Both the Paleo and Primal lifestyles say that if we were to eat as our ancestors did then we would be a great deal healthier.

There are certain similarities between these two lifestyles including:

1.  They require you to eat lots of vegetables

2.  They require you to eat lots of protein

3.  You should avoid all sorts of grains

4.  You should eliminate gluten from your diet

5.  Both the Paleo and Primal lifestyles require you to do away with corn

6.  You must avoid consuming corn syrup, as it is high in fructose

7.  You must avoid sugar

8.  Avoid eating any kind of processed foods

9.  Allows you to enjoy the occasional glass of wine or beer

10.  You must exercise regularly

Even though these lifestyles are very similar there are certain rules that need to be followed with these that are different.

Differences Between Paleo And Primal Lifestyles

The differences between both the Paleo and Primal lifestyle philosophies include:

1.  True Paleoistas will avoid dairy (although some make an exception and will allow for grass-fed butter in their diet). Whereas those who follow the Primal lifestyle will include raw fermented dairy into their diet occasionally.

2.  Quite a few people who follow the Paleo lifestyle choose to avoid saturated fats and also limit how much fatty meat, butter and eggs (6 a day is normal) they consume.   However I am not one of these people, and I still eat plenty of butter, coconut oil, and grass-fed beef.   But those who follow the Primal lifestyle aren’t afraid of including saturated fats in their diet and will not restrict their intake of eggs.

3.  Those who follow the Primal lifestyle include fermented soy products and organic edamame into their diet.   As for those following the Paleo lifestyle they avoid soy at all costs.

4.  Finally, when following the Primal lifestyle it allows a person to occasionally include legumes into their diet.  However, for those following the Paleo lifestyle consuming legumes is prohibited.

Now before you have your say, and start sending me some nasty messages suggesting I am wrong regarding the Paleo lifestyle, remember that the differences I have discussed above are ones based on the philosophies behind these two diets.

I believe that over the past few years the Paleo diet has evolved and seems to have adopted some of the aspects relating to the Primal lifestyle.   For example, many following the Paleo lifestyle now eat Greek yogurt and fermented dairy products. I like to include Kefir in my diet wherever possible.   I also have quite a few friends who also follow the Paleo diet and have chosen not to limit any many eggs they eat.  Further more quite a few followers of the Paleo diet have chosen not to limit the amount of bacon they include in their diet. I am one among those who eat eggs and bacon when I want.

Today there is a wealth of information available relating to what is Primal and what is Paleo.   However, you may find that the information being provided may be contradictory, dependent on which expert you choose to follow.

But in my experience what I have found is anyone who eats in this way will have their own variation of this diet that they like to follow, and which is fine by me.  However, there is one thing that all people who follow the Paleo or Primal lifestyles do agree upon and that is that real food should be eaten at all times.

It doesn’t matter what you call this way of eating, I would strongly recommend that you incorporate the philosophies that are common in both diets into your new lifestyle.  In fact, if we were all to do this then as far as I am concerned the whole world would be a lot healthier.

Are you yourself following a Paleo or Primal Lifestyle?  If you are, what have you found to be your biggest challenges and/or benefits of following either Paleo or Primal lifestyles?

Please let me know on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/letsgopaleotoday