Eat like a caveman- The Paleo Diet

A popular diet that has a lot of people convinced is the Paleo diet, which was popularized by the gastroenterologist Walter L. Voegtlin. This diet has been supported by many people in their books as well as in journals, helping it gain in acceptance.

What is the Paleo diet?

The Paleo diet is also called the caveman diet, Paleolithic diet or the hunter gatherer diet. This diet is based on the premise that the diet that humans consumed during the paleolithic age is the kind of food that would suit the body. Evolution, according to the paleo diet experts, has modified the human body to consume food that was available during that period and not food that was available after agriculture was discovered.

The food that was available during the paleolithic age consisted of meat, fish, nuts, vegetables, fruits and so on. Anything that the hunter gatherers had access to is what is considered to be the safest diet. This included anything that humans during that period could hunt or fish and food that they could gather like nuts, mushrooms, spices etc.

Though it seems basic and devoid of anything fancy, the Paleo diet offers quite interesting variations. The Paleo diet recipes could include a steamed steak with raw as well as cooked vegetables or include raw fish and fresh raw fruits.

The Paleo diet menu might not be completely appetising for all but there are numerous different Paleo diet recipes that are available for one to choose from. Many of the Paleo diet recipes on offer take into considerations time constraints as well as the taste buds of the modern day human.

The evidences or assumptions of the Palio diet

Evolutionary biologists claim that the human body had time to evolve to accept the food that was available during the paleolithic age as the period extended for more than a couple of million years. The time since the advent of agriculture is only 10,000 years, which experts say, is not enough for the human body to get accustomed to the change in the diet.

What is unique about the Paleo diet recipes?

The Paleo diet recipes are simple recipes that do not require too much time or great cooking practices. The food prepared is mostly raw or rare, with the vegetables and fruits almost always eaten raw or plain boiled. However, certain Paleo recipes include the use of a variety of spices and can be a delectable affair.

The food that was available during the paleolithic age was high in protein but low in carbohydrates. This is followed strictly in the Paleo diet menus.

What are the stated advantages of the Paleo diet?

  • Less stress on the body while digesting foods as the body will be provided with foods that it has been adapted to digest.
  • The diseases that have commonly plagued humans called the "diseases of civilization" are said to non-existent among people who follow this diet. This is based on the premise that these diseases were not present in humans during the Palaeolithic age.
  • This diet is a great way to lose weight and to stay healthy
  • Delicious Paleo diet recipes keep one interested in the diet plan
  • More a lifestyle change than a fad diet plan
  • By rejecting processed food, the nutritive value of the food consumed is high
The Paleo diet is a diet that aims at going back to the basics and consuming food that the body is accustomed to or that which it has evolved to digest and benefit from. The biggest argument in favour of this diet is that the diseases that were commonly seen among humans, after the discovery of agriculture, where non-existent among the hunter gatherers. This is what has guided many people to believe that the Paleo diet foods are what should be consumed even by modern day man.

As evolution takes many million years to bring about a change or an adaptation, the rampant evolution of food that one witnesses is considered unhealthy. Our system, according to Paleo experts, is not adapted to consume so much of processed food like refined sugar, refined vegetable oils, jams, sauce etc.

Criticism faced by the Paleo diet

  • Critics argue that 10,000 years is long enough to bring about changes in humans to adapt to the kind of food that is available. There are many known genetic adaptations that suggest that there have been changes in the system in order to accept the agrarian culture.
  • Different cultures had differing plants to animal ratio, depending upon the food availability. Therefore it is difficult to ascertain the exact ratio that would be suitable for modern day man.
The Paleo diet has been successful in bringing about immense interest in the diet plan that our ancestors followed. The Paleo diet is considered to be great to stay fit and healthy. The Paleo diet for athletes suggests that Paleolithic human ran more than 10 miles looking for food every day, indicating their extremely high fitness levels. This is considered to be due to the energy they obtained from eating meat. Therefore, there are exclusive books on Paleo diets for athletes that provide information on nutritional shakes that will greatly enhance the energy levels of athletes.

The Paleo diet is one of the diets that is backed by a certain group of evolutionary biologists and is considered to be very effective in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

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