You may have heard about or even followed the Paleo diet; it is a diet that encourages individuals to eat as their ancestors did. Its main concept is that humans evolved on different diets compared to today’s diets. Diets back then ensued that one is leaner, fitter, stronger and healthier; these are the qualities Paleo diet aims at restoring in the lives of any individual who uses it. The Paleo diet has quite an appeal since it has numerous promises, from clearer skin to more energy and fat loss. When eating from a Paleo food list, people often consume:
- More fiber
- More unsaturated fat
- More protein
- More minerals and vitamins
- More Omega 3 fatty acids
- Less sodium and saturated fat
This diet is effectively a modern world ancestor’s diet since it focuses on food that one can easily gather or hunt: fruit, eggs, seeds, vegetables, grass-fed meat, and poultry. As much as the Paleo diet focuses on a healthy generation, it has its own pros and cons as follows.
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Pros of the Paleo Diet
- High Nutrition Value
Current day diets are, in most cases, processed foods that are often nutritionally empty. On the other hand, the Paleo diet contains vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, soluble fiber and so much more that make it quite nutritious. You also get to eat lots of vegetables and healthy foods, for instance, root vegetables and berries. These are foods that are quite high in nutrients and fiber. As such, they help in reducing cholesterol as well as preventing heart disease, cancer and diabetes risks. You also get to eat lots of omega-3 fats and less saturated and omega-6 fats.
This diet only permits specific kinds of meat (grass-fed farm animals or wild game and fish wildly caught fish); these are meats that contain only healthy fats. This change in fats ensures that your body is in a position to fight inflammation that contributes to chronic illnesses. It also avoids added flour or sugars, and this is a useful restriction, especially for carb-craving or carb-sensitive individuals. You don’t have to be concerned about how many carbs you consume since, with Paleo diet, the only carbs you consume are those from vegetables and fruits.
Cons of the Paleo Diet
- The Paleo diet tends to omit essential foods and demands huge adjustments
Legumes and beans are not part of the diet. As much as these grains contain high levels of carbohydrates, they are also high-protein and high-fiber and should be part of anyone’s plate. The diet also lacks dairy products. Despite the fact that dairy products offer vitamin D and calcium, you end up lacking these two essential nutrients since they are not part of the diet.
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This diet requires one to make a huge adjustment when it comes to eating. Most people prefer diets that offer gradual adjustments. It also does not give guidance required for personal and individual adjustments. While the diet insists you should avoid high sugar and dried fruits if you are trying to lose weight, quite a portion of the diet assumes that the Paleo food lists provided are good for every individual.
- Challenging to keep up with
Since the Paleo diet entails a strict list of foods you should consume and others you shouldn’t, following such as strict diet plan can become quite a challenge for most individuals. While many people may follow it for weeks, months, and others years, it is quite unlikely for someone to follow it for decades. However, you should know that you need to be consistent to attain the desired results. The Paleo diet can also be quite challenging to keep up with due to the fact that it is quite time-consuming; the Paleo diet tends to take more time to prepare than most people take to prepare meals. The Paleo diet is also quite costly since some of the ingredients can be expensive and rare to find. This results to the diet being beyond average budgets limits.
Final Note
You do not have to sign up to a strict modern lifestyle if you can simply complement your day-to-day diet with what your “prehistoric” self may demand. For instance, you can consider adding more fresh food (vegetable or fruits) to your diet, reducing processed foods consumption, and get enough night’s sleep. As much these actions may seem negligible, if done consistently, they can give spectacular results.
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