Paleo.. Hunter Gatherer Meals

A Paleo diet simply means eating only what people would have had available during the stone age. Effectively cutting out all processed foods, carbohydrates and dairy items.

Paleo is designed to mimic what humans were thought to have been eating around the Paleoithic era, which dates from approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 BC years ago. The diet cuts out dairy produce, beans, pulses and grains and encourages a lot of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit and nuts.

What are the benefits?

The idea behind the Paleo diet is that the human body isn’t adapted for the modern diet we have now. After rapid developments in farming and food production, the industry established the likes of dairy and processed foods. Our bodies really haven’t had the chance to adapt, as we can see in today's obese inflicted society. Therefore, the Paleo diet is said to be a way of being kinder to our bodies.

In terms of the tangible benefits, ‘the Paleo diet is another way to cut out carbs, so if you’re able to stick to it, it will probably help you to lose some weight. It is also high in protein which is an excellent food source that benefits your bones, muscles and skin.

What do I get to eat on the Paleo diet?

Okay, so if we cut out the grains, almost all processed foods, and dairy, you’re left with only things that occur naturally:

Meat – GRASS-FED*, not grain-fed when possible. Grain can cause the same problem in animals as they do in humans.

Fowl – Chicken, duck, hen, turkey…things with wings that (try to) fly.

Fish – Wild fish, as mercury and other toxins can be an issue in farmed fish

Eggs – Look for omega-3 enriched cage free eggs. Vegetables – As long as they’re not deep-fried, eat as many as you want.

Oils – Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil – think natural.

Fruit – Have natural sugar, and can be higher in calories, so limit if you’re trying to lose weight.

Nuts – High in calories, so they’re good for a snack, but don’t eat bags and bags of them.

Tubers – Sweet potatoes and yams. Higher in calories and carbs, so these are good for right after a workout to replenish your glycogen levels.

If you can only afford grain-fed meat, that’s still better than grains. Do the best you can with your situation! Steak with asparagus and sweet potato fries, grilled chicken salad, massive omelettes that will fill you up for the whole morning, apples dipped in almond butter (one of my favourite snack ever), and so on. Pick any of the things from that list, and eat as much as you want of them. You’ll feel better and be healthier.

So what can you not eat on the Paleo diet?

If you are looking to strictly follow the paleo diet, then you cannot consume grains. Why? Because – as advocates of the diet points out – cavemen didn’t eat grains! But on a deeper physiological level, we have a tendency to overeat grains, which are calorically dense, nutrient deficient, and they can wreak havoc on our blood sugar levels. Which can lead to more overeating…and so the process starts again.

What's wrong with eating grains you may ask?

Let’s get into some more reasons Paleo advocates suggest avoiding grains: most contain gluten and lectins.

What are they and what’s wrong with them?

• Gluten is a protein found in things like rye, wheat, and barley. It’s now being said that much of our population may be gluten-intolerant (hence all the new “gluten-free!” items popping up everywhere). Over time, those who are gluten intolerant can develop a dismal array of medical conditions from consuming gluten: dermatitis, joint pain, reproductive problems, acid reflux, and more.[2]

• Lectins are natural toxins that exist in grains to defend against consumption! Yup. Grains have evolved to keep themselves from being eaten by us. These lectins are not a fan of our gastrointestinal tract, and they prevent the tract from repairing itself from normal wear and tear. This can cause all kinds of damage. Long story short: our bodies don’t process grains well, and they are causing a boatload of problems.

The Paleo Diet also almost completely eliminates sugar outside of fruit. No candy. No soda... Oh.. And NO powdered donuts))

So we’ve eliminated 1) grains 2) sugar, and 3) processed foods. Now, whether you’re talking about the paleo diet or not, many studies have shown that an incredible number of diseases and lifestyle issues can be reversed with these three simple changes.

The reason the Paleo Diet works is primarily due to the fact that you’re eliminating all of the high calorie, low energy, junk foods from your diet.

Which means you’re going to, on average, eat fewer calories than you’ve been eating in the past. Which will lead to weight loss over time!

It removes calorie counting and practically ensures you ONLY eat food that fill you up but aren’t loaded up with calories.

But where do I get my energy from on the Paleo Diet?

Our bodies can operate on a lower number of carbohydrates than what we’re used to eating, so fewer carbs isn’t an issue once you re-train your body to process the food you’re eating. .... Because you are NOW consuming fewer calories than you were on average, your body is in a caloric deficit. Which means it needs to get its energy from somewhere – how about the fat stores you already have? This is the goal with weight loss. What I’m trying to tell you is that our bodies are pretty effin’ efficient. So, fewer carbs = less glucose in your system, which means your body will can start burning fat as your fuel source. Which means… decreased fat storage and decreased body fat percentage and increased fabulous looking body.

Win!

Do I need to avoid Carbs on the Paleo Diet

The answer is No.

Carbs still serve a purpose in our diets, but large quantity is are not required for a regular diet

Carbs aren’t evil – they’re just…carbs.

The challenge is that carbs tend to be calorically dense (lots of calories) without being satiating (meaning you tend to eat way more than you intended).

I try to get my carbs from vegetables, sweet potatoes, and fruit.

Why is that?

These foods are naturally occurring in the wild and don’t need to be processed in any way (unlike grains) in order to be consumed.

The other great thing about vegetables is that they’re incredibly nutrient dense and calorie light – six full servings of broccoli (and who would eat 6 servings at once?) has 180 calories and 36 grams of carbs.

A serving of pasta has 200 calories and 42 grams of carbs.

And does this look like YOUR normal portion of pasta? Or is your normal serving like 3-5x the size of this? Mine would be!! ... Anyway... some food for thought... pardon the pun ;-)