In the present times, a large stratum of our population is becoming more and more aware about their health, benefits of healthy lifestyles and are more likely to make amendments in their life-style to become a better version of themselves. In this endeavor, they keep looking for options which will help them in leading a healthier and happier life. Nowadays, Paleo program has taken pretty much all the health forums by storm and everyone want to understand is it “The” solution everyone has been seeking for long? So, let us look at what really it means and what are the pro-cons of this program (if any)
Paleo diet is also known as Ancestor Diet, Caveman Diet, Primal Diet and it draws its fundamentals from our Paleolithic ancestor’s lifestyles and combines it with our modern scientific research. Although it’s called as Caveman Diet, so the general assumption is if a caveman could do it why can’t we do it with all the modern facilities available to us. But it is not that simple. We are not just talking a short-term change in your diet but rather a lifetime change in your eating style. If you are thinking about healthy diet from Paleo lenses, you are looking at whole unprocessed food, wild caught fish, leafy greens, vegetables, grass-fed meat and some nuts and seeds. Grains, Sugar, dairy products, legumes are food products which are typically avoided under this diet. Along with making changes in the diet, Paleo way of living also needs you to continuously keep moving our body. There is no specific set of workouts suggested as part of Paleo, but the idea is to constantly have varying functional movements. The third aspect of Paleo program is to be mindful and minimize stress level in our life.
By introducing the Paleo diet in our day-to-day life, we are replacing processed, high-carb food with whole and clean feed. Thus, trying to go back to eat how we are biologically designed to eat. Remember its premises lies in the statement “If a caveman didn’t eat it, so shouldn’t you.” Obviously, pasta, sugary candies, ice creams must find a way out of your menu for paleo diet to kick in. Basically, by minimizing the carb intake, eliminating processed food and sugar from our diet, Paleo diet recommends removing food which is odd with our health and increases intake of food which is rich in protein, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Now, is it feasible for everyone to start paleo diet? As mentioned earlier, it’s not a short-term change in our diet but must be sustained on a long run which may not be easy considering a whole section of food is avoided as per the paleo diet plan. What about the Vegetarian section, since this diet is high in meat and fish, may not be recommended plan to follow for this section. Completely taking out a section of foods such as grains, legumes, the dairy product may lead to a deficiency of necessary dietary fiber, calcium in our body too. Also, the entire premises of the paleo diet are built on following the food pattern which was followed by our Paleolithic ancestors may not have 100% relevance in our times as our bodies have evolved over these hundreds of years.
So, is it safe to say the ultimate solution to many of our health woes has arrived with Paleo? It could be yes for some and no for others because we are talking about humans and one size doesn’t fit all. This program comes with its benefits and disadvantages, so instead of blindly following it, you may want to consult your physician or nutritionist.
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