What is the Paleo Diet?
Understanding the Paleo Diet
The definition of a diet is “the kinds of food a person, animal, or community habitually eats”.
By definition, the paleo diet should be known as the “human diet” because it’s the diet humans have thrived off for the last 200,000 years.
The paleo diet encourages you to get back to your roots and gives you an easy template to choose nutrient dense foods. To better understand the paleo diet, you only need to remember these two statements;
It’s important to understand these two statements and not take them too far as many paleo enthusiasts do.
By definition, the paleo diet should be known as the “human diet” because it’s the diet humans have thrived off for the last 200,000 years.
The paleo diet encourages you to get back to your roots and gives you an easy template to choose nutrient dense foods. To better understand the paleo diet, you only need to remember these two statements;
- Eat the types of food our ancestors would have eaten before agricultural times
- Eliminate foods (both processed and natural) that were introduced to the human diet so rapidly (due to agriculture and civilization) that you may have trouble properly digesting and absorbing the nutrients
It’s important to understand these two statements and not take them too far as many paleo enthusiasts do.
The Better Approach to the Paleo Diet | Paleo [Evolved]
First, notice that I said eat the types of food our ancestors would have eaten. Our paleo ancestors enjoyed flesh from wild game rather than beef, the occasional egg from wild birds rather than from hens, and simple vegetables and tubers compared to the broccoli and potatoes we enjoy today.
Make sure you understand this before you start the paleo diet and go around telling people Neolithic foods are unhealthy. We were foragers with a varied diet highly dependent on geography.
Your goal is to mimic these dietary habits with the paleo diet. Unlike other silly diets out there, the paleo diet won’t suggest you eliminate an entire food group or restrict yourself until the point of famine. Those diets won't help you lose weight.
The Paleo diet is a protein-rich diet but that doesn't mean you will remove fat or carbs entirely. Understand that protein is used for building, while fat and carbohydrates are used for energy. What you need to understand is how and when to use these two fuels which is as follows;
Make sure you understand this before you start the paleo diet and go around telling people Neolithic foods are unhealthy. We were foragers with a varied diet highly dependent on geography.
Your goal is to mimic these dietary habits with the paleo diet. Unlike other silly diets out there, the paleo diet won’t suggest you eliminate an entire food group or restrict yourself until the point of famine. Those diets won't help you lose weight.
The Paleo diet is a protein-rich diet but that doesn't mean you will remove fat or carbs entirely. Understand that protein is used for building, while fat and carbohydrates are used for energy. What you need to understand is how and when to use these two fuels which is as follows;
- Carbohydrates are for quick energy. Remember, excess energy will be stored as fat!
- You need fat to burn fat; fat is slower to be digested and is used for as a more sustainable energy source. Fats are also important for your hormones and nutrient absorption.
Removing Sub-Par Neolithic Foods
The second aspect of the paleo diet (arguably more important) is to eliminate both processed and natural foods that your body doesn't efficiently digest and absorb. It’s really that simple. On the internet, you’ll hear things like;
All these statements have something in common; they are faulty. Whether they know it or not, when people make blanket-statements like this they paint a foolish picture of the paleo diet. If you look at the paleo diet with these statements in mind, the paleo diet comes across like a fad diet rather than the realistic diet it is.
Here at Paleo Diet [Evolved] we understand that humans are an ever-evolving beast that is perfectly capable of adapting to his or her surroundings. Am I telling you to go around eating whole wheat bread? Hell no, I hate bread. What I’m saying is that while some people may not be able to tolerate gluten and other anti-nutrients found in grain, some people can! That’s a fact.
Paleo [Evolved] is about using the paleo diet as a blueprint for a near-perfect diet. Listen, at the end of the day all food is bad for you. The simple act of digestion does wear and tear on your body; we are all going to die one day.
The paleo diet suggests you choose the best foods available for whatever your goals are. You won’t be eating for taste, but for fuel and to build your body the way you see fit.
These are just a few of the benefits you’ll see when you switch to the paleo diet;
- Only eat foods that pre-date agricultural times to avoid disease
- Avoid dairy because we are the only animal who drinks the milk from other animals
- Avoid seeds because humans have yet to adapt the ability to digest them
- Avoid certain plants due to toxicity and anti-nutrient content
All these statements have something in common; they are faulty. Whether they know it or not, when people make blanket-statements like this they paint a foolish picture of the paleo diet. If you look at the paleo diet with these statements in mind, the paleo diet comes across like a fad diet rather than the realistic diet it is.
Here at Paleo Diet [Evolved] we understand that humans are an ever-evolving beast that is perfectly capable of adapting to his or her surroundings. Am I telling you to go around eating whole wheat bread? Hell no, I hate bread. What I’m saying is that while some people may not be able to tolerate gluten and other anti-nutrients found in grain, some people can! That’s a fact.
Paleo [Evolved] is about using the paleo diet as a blueprint for a near-perfect diet. Listen, at the end of the day all food is bad for you. The simple act of digestion does wear and tear on your body; we are all going to die one day.
The paleo diet suggests you choose the best foods available for whatever your goals are. You won’t be eating for taste, but for fuel and to build your body the way you see fit.
These are just a few of the benefits you’ll see when you switch to the paleo diet;
- Balance your hormones and effortlessly lose weight for good
- Increase your sex drive
- Reduce inflammation
- Build lean muscle due to healthy animal protein
- Reduce your risk of cancer due to anti-oxidants from fruit and vegetables
- Increase omega 3 content for a smarter brain and increased fat loss
- Healthier immune system to fight of sickness and disease
Moving Forward with Paleo [Evolved] and the Rule of 3
Look around you; the sad truth (due to the SAD Diet) is that despite medical advances your friends and family (probably even you) are more obese and unhealthy than EVER before.
Paleo [Evolved] is a call-to-action.
Obviously what professionals are suggesting is not working. It's time for you to start eating the way you were built to eat - nutrient dense paleo-style foods.
After you get rid of the crap and start nourishing your body I promise you will love the way you feel and your friends will start asking about what you've been doing!
If you're ready to make the jump and don't know where to start, consider the rule of 3;
This will help you avoid the common question; "is this paleo"?
Paleo [Evolved] is a call-to-action.
Obviously what professionals are suggesting is not working. It's time for you to start eating the way you were built to eat - nutrient dense paleo-style foods.
After you get rid of the crap and start nourishing your body I promise you will love the way you feel and your friends will start asking about what you've been doing!
If you're ready to make the jump and don't know where to start, consider the rule of 3;
- Avoid foods that have to go through more than 3 steps before the food is packaged
This will help you avoid the common question; "is this paleo"?