While your diet for beginners can be summarized in a very simple sentence

If a caveman did not eat it, neither should you.

However, it is just a use idea about the Paleo diet. There are so many things that you can eat which include meats, fish, leafy greens, nuts, vegetables and seeds.

How does the Paleo diet work?

Paleo diet is one of the most time-tested diets ever and so it is quite different from other fad diets. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors thrived as hunter gatherers. Whatever they could eat, we can need now in Paleo diet.

If you take a look at the ancestors, you will find that they were muscular, athletic, agile and incredibly versatile. But an average person now is overweight, stressed out, out of shape, sleep deprived, unhappy and has so many medical problems. Most of that is because of the lifestyle and diet. The Paleo diet focuses on eating how we are biologically designed to eat so that we can tap into our genetic potential and certainly living a healthier life.

Paleo diet

If we consume greens regularly, our bodies will take the carbohydrates present in the grains and then turn them into sugar. The sugar is burned in the body as energy or stored as fat. Most Paleo experts believe that the grains are the main culprits behind the reason why you are overweight.

These grains also contain gluten and lectins. Gluten is a protein which is present in wheat, rye and barley. It is believed that much of our population may be gluten intolerant. If you keep consuming gluten but you are gluten intolerant, after a long period of time you will start suffering from different medical conditions, which include the dermatitis, reproductive problems, joint pain, acid reflux and others. Lectins are natural toxins, which are believed to be present within grains to defend against consumption. These lectins are not very good for our gastrointestinal tract and may prevent it from repairing itself. Think about the problems that can cause to you.

Since our bodies do not process grains well and they are causing so many different problems, you need to avoid them. The Paleo diet almost completely eliminates sugar. If you are getting the sugar from a fruit, it’s okay, but you’re not getting sugar from any other sources.

So, no grains, no sugar and no processed foods.

If you are not getting the energy from the carbohydrates, from where do you get your energy? You will need to retrain your body to process the food you are eating. Our body can operate on a lower amount of carbohydrate. If you can retrain your body to process the food that you are now consuming, you don’t need to eat so much of carbohydrate to get the energy. If you reduce your carbohydrate intake, your body will start to use the stored fat and burn that fat for energy through a process known as ketogenesis. It will decrease your fat storage and body fat percentage.

Carbs are not essential but you can still have some carbs in your diet. Those carbs will come from vegetables, fruits and sweet potatoes. Most of the people who go for paelo diet also tend to stay away from dairy products.

What do you eat?

You will eat grass fed meat, chicken, duck, hand, turkey, wild fish, eggs, vegetables, olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil, fruits, nuts and tubers like sweet potatoes and yams. There are hundreds of Paleo diet recipes available which will help you to decide what you want to eat and taste the delicious foods while getting all the benefits of Paleo diet.

References

1. Featured On Abc! Paleo Cookbook – Fat-burning Chef By Abel James
2. The Beneficial Effects of a Paleolithic Diet on Type 2 Diabetes and Other Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease
3. Is the paleo diet safe?