Tagged with 'Paleo Diet'

Dieting is something of a fad these days. Everyone from your university friend to your neighbour is on some kind of diet. Some of the popular ones are keto, intermittent fasting, Mediterranean, raw food, and vegan. People follow different diets for a variety of reasons. While some want to lose weight, others simply want to lead a healthy life. Many people’s food choices are based on ethical and environmental considerations.  One popular diet that many are getting on board with is the paleo diet. Based on the foods that early humans ate thousands of years ago, the paleo diet plan is diverse in nature. Let’s look at it in detail to see how.  What Is a Paleo Diet and How Does It Work? Do you know what early humans ate? Some might say they ate plant-based foods like fruits and nuts, while others believe that they ate a lot of meat. Although it’s difficult to determine an exact answer to this question, a general understanding of Stone Age eating habits is the basis of the paleo diet.  Also called the caveman diet, paleo is designed to reflect what hunters and gatherers ate ages ago. It emulates the eating habits of humans of the Paleolithic period (2.5 million to 10,000 years ago). Following a paleo diet plan means returning to the way these early humans ate.  As you may have guessed by now, a paleo diet plan usually consists of foods that are obtained from nature by hunting and gathering. They include fresh, whole foods derived directly from nature and various types of meats obtained by hunting. The Foundation of the Paleo Diet About 44% of adults in Canada have at least one of the common chronic diseases. They include hypertension, diabetes, cancer, heart ailments, osteoporosis, and anxiety disorders.  Cancer remains the leading cause of death in Canada, followed by heart diseases and stroke. Like many other countries, the nation is also facing alarming rates of obesity, which is a leading factor in several health issues.  A report from 2017 places Canada amongst the most overweight countries, with 25.8% of the population 15 years and over being considered overweight.  Unhealthy eating habits, along with sedentary lifestyles and high stress levels, can contribute to health issues. The food you eat impacts the health of your mind and body. Maintaining a healthy diet is known to have positive mental and emotional effects. Reducing stress and anxiety also results in better health.  Paleo diet proponents believe that the emergence of farming changed the way people ate. It added dairy, grains, legumes, and other foods to their menu. These advances led to the modern diet, which is loaded with sugary and processed foods. These foods aren’t compatible with the natural system of our body and lead to an increase in health problems.  The paleo diet emphasizes whole foods - nutrition in its purest form - as a solution to various modern health problems. By eating these foods, you’ll get more nutrients, improve your energy level, boost your immunity, lose weight, decrease inflammation, stabilize your blood sugar levels, and keep chronic conditions at bay. Taking in a high volume of nutrients in their natural forms and reducing the intake of unhealthy, processed foods, sugar, and salt is a sound practice. The paleo diet goes the extra mile to cut out grains, legumes, and dairy items, which came into the picture as a result of farming. Foods to Eat and Avoid While on a Paleo Diet People of the Paleolithic period ate what they could find in the region they lived in, so there’s no one way to follow a paleo diet; however, paleo focuses on healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals in their purest forms. This rules out any processed, sugary, or farmed foods. Under such restrictions, it might be difficult to figure out your paleo meals.  The key to a paleo diet plan is to include foods that can be easily hunted or gathered. Here’s what you can eat if you’re on a paleo diet. Fresh Meat and Seafood The humans who existed in the Stone Age hunted animals to fill their stomachs. Therefore, most paleo diet plans include meat and seafood.  Proteins are the building blocks of your body, and meat is a great source of this nutrient. Considering the premise of this diet, grass-fed meat is ideal. It’s leaner and rich in omega-3 fatty acids and healthy fats that promote heart health. Similarly, wild seafood - preferably caught sustainably - is high in omega-3 fatty acids.  Some common choices of meat and seafood are chicken, tuna, salmon, beef, turkey, cod, pork, and bacon. If you’re not a meat-eater, you can find vegan paleo protein in a variety of flavors to supply your daily requirement of this nutrient. Whole Fruits and Vegetables   Fresh fruits and veggies are colorful foods, full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, that offer numerous health benefits. These foods are know ...