Paleo Lifestyle 101
The acclaimed Paleo diet, based on the healthy lifestyle our caveman ancestors followed, is proving an increasingly effective alternative to unhealthy western eating habits. Here we present the five key things to do to benefit from the Paleo lifestyle quickly and effectively. Enjoy the read! Cheers too great for living!
Tip 1 – Following Paleo Lifestyle & Diet Basics
The Paleo lifestyle should embrace the basics rather than centering on the shopping experience itself. Following an inflexible regime can make the experience overly complicated and unnecessarily confusing, apart from adding hugely to our monthly food bill.
Instead, we should rather focus on gaining the right local foods in season from a farmer’s market while enjoying a balance of organic protein served with healthy portions of vegetables, and all topped up with a good measure of healthy fats. Obvious traps to avoid are genetically modified (GMO) food products – these are all too common in our food markets these days and refined and processed foods.
This is essentially what the Paleo diet Lifestyle is all about, and the approach announced by the man who led us back to caveman dietary ways, Dr. Loren Cordain, Ph.D. Millions of healthier people around the world have discovered that following this simple back-to-eating-basics really works, and should be easy enough to adopt.
Following the Paleo Lifestyle diligently over a decent period – two years for example – should lead to improved levels of blood triglycerides. Other health benefits accruing include lower blood pressure, vanishing autoimmune disease symptoms and reduction, if not the elimination of allergies. The ‘cherry on top’ is the reduced risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, a priceless prize.
Tip 2 – Unpacking The Paleo Diet
The modern Paleo Lifestyle incorporates foods mirroring the selection available to our hunter-gatherer ancestors during their pre-agricultural existence. Adhering to the fundamentals of the hunter-gatherer diet will lead us to better health, lessen the risk of chronic disease developing, and help us lose weight. Let us review the seven pillars of the Paleo diet:
Increased Protein Intake
We should aim to more than double the 15% average protein content of our typical western diets. Modern Paleo/Caveman diets encourage the regular consumption of meat, seafood, and other animal products.
Improved Fibre Intake
We should focus on non-starchy fruits and vegetables over grains to achieve the dietary fiber levels vital for good health.
More Potassium, Less Sodium
We must focus on unprocessed fresh foods when eating Paleo foods, which naturally contain up to 10 times more potassium over sodium levels.
Better Balanced Alkaline To Acid Levels
Meats, fish, and grains all produce higher acid levels. Eating fresh fruit and vegetables helps produce more alkaline in our digestive system.
Less Carbohydrate Intake
This may state the obvious, but concentrating on fresh fruit and vegetables (non-starchy types) provides up to 45% of your daily calorie needs.
Increased Levels Of The Right Fats
It is all down to the fat rather than the amount we absorb that leads to increased cholesterol readings. Stick with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats when preparing any Paleo recipes, with a balanced intake of Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids.
Adjusted Vitamin And Mineral Consumption
Always choose grass-fed meats over the grain-fed equivalent because this helps us avoid genetically modified food for humans.
Tip 3 – Foods To Include & Avoid On The Paleo Diet
As with any eating program, the Paleolithic Lifestyle Diet promotes many food types while excluding others. This is not rocket science and soon stocking up with these food types will become routine:
Paleo Diet Good Buys
- Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, and Seeds
- Grass-reared Meats
- Fish and Seafood
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Natural Oils, including Olive, Flaxseed, Avocado, and Coconut
Paleo Diet “Goodbyes!”
- Refined Sugars – Especially White
- Salt
- Dairy Produce
- Cereal Grains
- Potatoes
- Legumes
- Processed Foods
- Junk Food – No List Needed!
- Sweets and Candy
- Refined Vegetable Oil
Tip 4 – Costs Of The Paleo Lifestyle Menu
If you want to make good with this diet, you will need to buy the best ingredients from tried and trusted sources, so finding and maintaining reliable suppliers is important. If you plan to shop at your local supermarket, try to focus on the fresh produce counters for your meats, fish, poultry, fruit, and vegetables. Avoid the pre-packaged, frozen, and processed food aisles at all costs. Fresh need not increase your food budget if you are a smart shopper.
Every food store runs specials and these can include top quality foods too. Weigh up the extra cost of premium quality over false savings realized from buying budget food. Buying and eating cheaper foods could end up costing you dearly in terms of health issues down the track. While loading up your shopping cart, consider that buying cheaper, low-quality foods could mean increasing your intake of artificial ingredients, chemicals, and pesticides.
The additional cost of following the Paleo shopping list should not be overly burdensome. Sure, organic fruit and vegetables may cost a little more, but sticking to what is on your Paleo food list means you will cut out a lot of expensive low-quality foods too.
Tip 5 – The Cave Culture And Grain Routine
There are arguments for and against on both sides of the “grain fence”. Paleo supporters are convinced that grains and refined sugar are harmful. Paleo dieters exclude grains from their menu because our cave-dwelling ancestors during the Paleolithic era never ate them, and we should not do so either if we want to share their healthy lifestyle.
Our systems are not well disposed to a grain diet in any form, which makes digesting this both pointless and potentially even hazardous. Just consider the after-effects of fried chips and doughy bread, and most will confess that however, filling they may seem, these are not ideal foods as they load weight in unwanted places. HEALTH ADVISORY: Continuing with such diets can definitely lead to health issues.
Our cavemen-ancestors were not concerned about dietary issues; they were in basic survival mode. Modern living seems to have come unstuck when it comes to grain consumption, particularly refined grains. There is a world of difference between having some natural whole grains in your diet and eating white bread regularly as so many of us do. The problem is the excess of flour in so many foods. This causes many health issues, ranging from obesity to diabetes and even cardiac problems.
The Facts Speak For Themselves
The word “diet” suggests taking in less food and weight loss. So where does the Paleo Lifestyle enter the debate? What we really need to do is to change our mindset. Stop thinking in terms of what you cannot eat. This makes dieting the traditional way too difficult because it uses deprivation as the main driver.
Adhering to the Paleo or Caveman Lifestyle is fundamental. It follows the caveman diet, which worked so well for our predecessors before we became modern humanoids. What worked for them should work well for us too, but somewhere along the way we got side-tracked with our modern culinary trends.
The Paleo Challenge – Why It Works
Getting back to fundamentals, our Palaeolithic ancestors had no shops where they could buy unhealthy processed foods with sell-by-dates because they were busy going off. Instead, they ate ‘catch of the day’ protein, which as good as you can get. They supplemented this with fresh fruit and nuts plucked from growing plants and trees. There was no possibility of decay because they hunted and gathered on demand.
Our Paleo ancestors were also fit and active. To maximise the benefits of this lifestyle, we need to adhere to this by exercising responsibly, cutting back on alcohol, and stopping smoking completely. You may never look back once you receive the benefits the Paleo lifestyle beings. Chances are you will soon encourage your friends to ‘sign up’ too. Welcome to a healthier you as we join you on your journey.