Are you a health freak on a mission of finding a suitable diet? Then the Paleo lifestyle may not be entirely foreign to you. The word Paleo was coined from a Greek word which means ‘ancient’. Followers of this diet are said to adopt a Paleolithic lifestyle, which means adopting the food habits of prehistoric humans as closely as possible. The positive aspect of this diet, which is also known as the ‘caveman’ diet or Paleolithic diet, is that it excludes the consumption of preserved and processed food items and dairy products. Chemical additives are also strongly opposed.
The Paleo lifestyle advocates consumption of meats, nuts and plant foods with as little preparation as possible. Followers of this diet claim that the human body requires only the types of foods that was eaten by humans during the Paleolithic period. In fact, for more than 2 million years, the human race managed to survive only on natural foods that were rich in protein and low in carbohydrates. During the Paleolithic period, humans only ate what they hunted or foraged. Grains were also not part of their diet since there was no way to grind it into particles. Thus, wild game which consisted of meat from all vertebrates and fish were considered staple food.
With every passing day, our society is becoming increasingly health conscious and have come to shun products rich in saturated fats. Those who adopt the Paleo lifestyle find themselves consuming an alarming quantity of meats, thus taking in immense amount of protein. Followers of the Paleo diet also try not to consume dairy products, preferring organic alternatives. This keeps the diet as natural as possible. While foods containing sugar are shirked, Paleo dieters are encouraged to have as many fruits, berries and vegetables as possible. The result is that they end up eating only what is available or grown in a particular season.
The Paleo lifestyle enables man to arrive at harmony with nature and return to the foods that have helped mankind evolve into a superior species. Paleo lifestyle followers are of the opinion that diseases and conditions such as Osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes and hypertension have affected human bodies due to unhealthy eating practices prevalent today. Many people in modern society consume large quantities of foods that were once alien to their body’s metabolism and genetic makeup.
The followers of the Paleo lifestyle also condemn governments of various countries who advocate the consumption of ‘dead foods’ such as grains, legumes and vegetable oils. These foods are often subsidized to make them easily available to the masses. Followers of the Paleo lifestyle firmly believe that adopting a diet based on objective scientific finding will enable them to live a longer lifespan, complete with vibrant health.