Story by Morgan Gstalter
We live in a health-obsessed generation. There’s always some new workout routine with guaranteed results or a diet trend that promises to slim you.
But Dr. Loren Cordain is saying that the focus on health consciousness is exactly the reason millions of human beings struggle with their weight.
The Paleo diet rewinds one’s diet back to the food eaten by every person on the planet before the agricultural revolution sped up production and processing but caused a dramatic degrade in nutrition.
According to the website created by Dr. Cordian and his team of specialists behind the Paleo diet, “This program of eating was not designed by diet doctors, faddists or nutritionists, but rather by Mother Nature’s wisdom acting through evolution and natural selection. The Paleo Diet is based upon extensive scientific research examining the types and quantities of foods our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate.”
Often referred to as the “Caveman Diet,” the Paleo diet follows seven fundamental characteristics of Paleolithic diets that help optimize health, minimize the risk of chronic disease and lose weight.
Health beenfits include higher protein, potassium, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, plant phytochemicals and fiber intake, lower sodium and carbohydrate intake, lower glycemic index, moderate to higher fat intake dominated by monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats with balanced Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats and net dietary alkaline load that balances dietary acids.
Stripping back an entire diet is harder than it sounds.
Jacob Jensen, a member of the Drake men’s basketball team, said a trainer back home in Denmark recommended the program to him, but he had a tough time keeping up with the strict regime.
“I did it for about a month and a half, but it was really hard. I grew up eating carbohydrates and drinking milk,” Jensen said. “I noticed that in school, I felt better and I had more energy than before. But then I had my first game, and I had a really difficult time. I felt like I had no energy. In practice, all physical activity was hard. I don’t think it’s something for elite athletes, who need carbohydrates to perform.”
Getting rid of all the junk that has overloaded one’s body is a feature of the diet.
The Paleo movement claims to not only help lose weight, but also reduce risks for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, some autoimmune diseases and even acne.
Yes, this is so true. I love the basic principle of the Paleo diet. If it isn’t natural then don’t eat it simple as that. I recently purchased the Paleo Recipe Book to help me with cooking paleo meals and it has been great.
Reducing processed foods and eating healthy has help me improve my weight and overall energy. I’ve lost 20 pounds so far.
Often referred to as the “Caveman Diet,”
No one that follows the paleo diet refers to it as the Caveman Diet. No one. That is a term only used by the media. And yes, they often refer to is as the Caveman Diet. I guess the media thinks it is a cute term for the diet. But people following paleo do not.