« Articles

The Paleolithic Diet

By Tess Thompson

Related Products:

EcoSlim - Helps maintain a healthy weight & balanced metabolism, plus assists slimming programs

From a careful study of various races and ethnicities across the world, we know that there are some races that are relatively healthier than others. These races have probably not been touched by lifestyle conditions like diabetes, heart diseases, hypertension and the like. This fact has led certain people to believe that there are certain aspects of their diet that helps in healthier living.

The Paleolithic diet is also known by various other names such as the ‘Stone Age diet’, ‘Cave Man diet’, ‘Paleo diet’ and ‘Hunter-Gatherer diet’, to name a few. The diet is based on a holistic theory that details all the practices that need to be followed. The basic premise is that as man evolved and participated in the agricultural, industrial and technological revolution, the genetic structure of man did not really keep pace. In other words, the plan suggests that sticking to the diet that was followed by the pre-agricultural man can ensure better health and natural weight loss.

The diet covers all food components like proteins, carbohydrates, fat, antioxidants and phytosterols. It includes meat, fish, and poultry, along with fruits and plants that are edible in their raw state. The diet does not recommend consuming grains, beans and potatoes because these categories of foods are not edible in their raw state, and therefore it was believed that they were never meant to be consumed by humans in the first place.

Foods like grains, beans and potatoes entered the diet because they could be stored for longer period of time without refrigeration, they were packed with calories, and they could also be used as seeds to sow the next crop, thus making farming easier. Logical as these reasons may sound, they are not linked to the overall capability of man to digest and process these foods.

Over time, there were other foods that got added to the repertoire. These were added when man realized that toxins in some foods could be removed by merely cooking them over heat. Man also started extending the gains that could be extracted from cattle by using dairy products for human consumption. With time, salt, sugar and other additives like coloring and preservatives made their way into our diet. There is therefore no doubt why we people need to detoxify themselves from time to time and take nutrient supplements to stay healthy.

The Paleolithic diet encourages consumption of meat, chicken, fish, fruits, vegetables, and berries, and suggests that salt, sugar, grains, beans, potatoes and dairy products be avoided at all cost. Though the diet does not claim to be a weight loss program, returning to the basics can help you in losing weight naturally. Problems like indigestion, acidity, bloating and other lifestyle-related conditions can all be avoided if you stick to the Paleolithic diet over an extended period of time.