Lots of meat, fruit, vegetables, and a few seeds: this is what the Paleo diet looks like. That is based on the people’s diet in the Stone Age – and they had no heart disease or were overweight. We’ll tell you how the Paleo diet works.
The people in the Stone Age did not know about ready-made products such as pizza, pasta, or ice cream. Maybe that’s the reason why there weren’t any diseases back when the food was conditional. These diseases exist today – and that must be mainly due to all the processed products. That is at least the basic idea behind the Paleo diet. We’ll tell you what the paleo diet is and how it works.
What’s The Paleo Diet?
The term paleo diet is a bit misleading because, strictly speaking, it is not a diet that is meant to help you lose weight. The Paleo diet is more of a change in diet to eat healthier and more genetically fairer. At that time, there were no processed foods such as ice cream, croissants, or pizza. And that’s probably a good thing because these foods contain many substances that are unhealthy for the body and make you fat in the long term and make you sick. Therefore, changing your diet during the Paleo diet should primarily benefit your health. Illnesses such as diabetes, rheumatism, cancer, or inflammatory bowel diseases – all this should be the Stone Age nourishment reduced.
How Does The Paleo Diet Work?
Fortunately, you don’t have to count calories on the Paleo diet. Because as I said: it is primarily about health. Of course, you will lose a few pounds with this change in diet because the main foods are vegetables, fruit, seeds, meat, and fish – and they contain almost no calories. The food should be eaten raw and processed as little as possible. Vegetarians have a harder time because there are only eggs left to meet the protein requirement. Dairy products, legumes, whole grain bread, and tofu are prohibited in the paleo diet.
Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Paleo Diet
The great advantage of the Paleo diet is that it does not use processed foods such as sweets or finished products. A whole range of healthy foods, such as dairy products or grains, are also eliminated. The problem: All of these foods contain important minerals and fiber, such as calcium.
In the Paleo diet, you should also have a protein content of 72 percent, which is significantly higher than the recommended value of 20 percent. However, it has not been scientifically proven whether too high a protein intake can be harmful in the long term.
These Foods Are Allowed:
Lean Meat
Meat is your main staple diet during the Paleo Diet. Whether chicken, beef, or game – you can eat any meat with a low-fat value with confidence.
Fish And Seafood
Fish and seafood are also allowed. Would you mind not breading or deep-frying these? It is ideal if you steam fish and seafood in oil or cook them in the oven.
Fruits & Vegetables
You can eat as much fruit and vegetables as you want during the Paleo diet. Make sure that it is as fresh and seasonal as possible. It would be ideal if you grow and harvest it yourself.
Nuts & Seeds
The Stone Age people also diligently collected nuts and seeds. You can either eat them straight or sprinkle them over your dishes. Nuts and seeds are a good source of protein and contain high-quality fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals.
These Foods Are Prohibited:
Cereal Products
All types of grain products are prohibited in the paleo diet. Means: bread, pasta, muesli, or rice are taboo. We doubt whether this is that good because grain products are an important source of dietary fiber and contain important ones Vitamins and minerals.
Milk And Dairy Products
Milk, cheese, yogurt – that too is taboo. But the same applies here: Milk and milk products are valuable calcium suppliers that the body needs. So if you want to go on this diet, you’ll need to balance your intake with other foods, such as mineral water and vegetables. And it’s not that easy at all.
Candy
Sweets, cakes, and ice cream are mainly sugar, which didn’t exist in the Stone Age. That’s why sweets are also forbidden. Sweets usually only provide extra calories, sugar, and fat, but no vitamins or minerals. That is why we think: simply leaving them out cannot hurt!
Fast Food
Yes, your ancestors didn’t know pizza, sandwiches, French fries or burgers, and ketchup either. That’s why they’re banned. Sure – just like sweets, they taste good, but they are not good for the body. Because fast food, in particular, has a lot of calories and fat – and your body can do without them without any problems.
Important:
Before starting the Paleo diet, you should get a doctor’s examination and advice. Since you completely dispense with grain and dairy products, you are missing very important dietary fibers, which have to be reabsorbed in any case through other foods. We generally recommend avoiding radical diets! If you want to lose weight in the long term, you should eat a healthy and balanced diet and do sport.