We’ve all heard of it, but none of us really know what it is. It’s the Paleolithic diet, most commonly known as the Paleo diet or the caveman diet.
You know what I'm talking about; you have at least one friend that avoids grains like the plague, instead loading up on the veggies and meat. You pretend you understand what the newest fad diet is all about, but really you excuse yourself to go to the bathroom to do a panic Google search on the subject.
The famous Paleo diet is based on foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans; ‘cave men’, if you will. The diet consists chiefly of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit. There is some debate within the Paleo community about which starchy vegetables are Paleo-friendly, but most recommend limiting them, if not barring them entirely.
The diet also excludes dairy or grain products and processed food.
Ok, so the “no processed food” rule is obviously a good thing, but some question the lack of whole grains and they are great source of complex carbohydrates.
Paleo enthusiasts say the diet represents a very old form of eating, one confined to the sorts of food available in pre-agricultural days. The theory behind the very trendy diet is that we should mimic the diets of our Paleolithic ancestors, but like most things in life there are opposing opinions on the subject.
A new study in The Quarterly Review of Biology showed that the high-protein/low-carb interpretation of the Paleolithic menu is probably all wrong. Researchers insist that our cavemen and cavewomen ancestors loved – and needed – carbs as much as we do, even if they gathered them instead of cultivating them like we do today. During the Paleolithic period, people ate a wide variety of vegetables, fruit, nuts, roots, and meat. In today’s world, these have been mainly replaced with refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup, cereal, bread, potatoes, and pasteurized milk products, giving us a grim selection of fruits, veggies, roots and nuts (not too mention most of these are imported from foreign countries, which I’m pretty sure cavemen did not do).
Nutrition wise, the Paleo diet emphasizes the importance of real whole foods, so this is pretty awesome as it’s the way we should be shopping when choosing what we put in our bodies. But what can you actually eat on this diet?
· Unprocessed whole foods, raw or only lightly cooked
· Organic or grass-fed meat, free from additives, genetically-modified ingredients and from high-quality, local sources
· Carbohydrates primarily come from vegetables, however corn and potatoes should typically be avoided
So why are people trying to eat like simpler times when humans had to fight woolly mammoth and sleep on bed of rocks? Why does living like the Flintstones appeal to so many folks from all walks of life? The answer is health, well-being and sustainability. Here are some of the benefits the Paleo diet can have for you.
Good fats
The diet provides a great balance of fats in healthy amounts, while a lot of other diets limit them thinking it’s a great way to lose weight.
Less crap
Because the diet emphasizes on eliminating processed foods and replacing them with whole foods, this gives you the benefit of having a nutrient-dense diet that is lacking for so many of us.
Gut health
Processed junk crap causes inflammation within your intestinal tract, and when you add stress to that equation, you can develop what’s called “leaky gut syndrome” which is when your intestinal walls are breached and things that don’t normally leave the tunnel end up leaking out (hence the name). This causes all sorts of problems within your digestive tract/body that you don’t want. Because Paleo eliminates processed foods, it’s directly affecting your gut health in a positive way.
Recipe:
Yam fries
· 2 large yams
· 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
· Himalayan salt
· Freshly ground pepper
· ½ tsp dried rosemary
· ½ tsp Chili Powder
1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Peel yams and cut into fry size pieces, can be thin or thick depending on your preference.
3. In a bowl mix yams with oil, salt, pepper, rosemary and chili powder.
4. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for about 30 min, flipping halfway through.
6. When they are soft in the middle and brown around the edges, they are ready to go!
