Depending on whose opinion you're following, the Paleo diet is loosely defined as eating the same foods available to our pre-historic ancestors. Paleolithic cavemen were hunter-gatherers. They either killed, scavenged or picked whatever meats/seafood's, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds they could find. All diets have food lists of approved and non-approved foods and the Paleo diet is no different. Sticking to the "Paleo" approved list can lead you to excellent health and happiness.
The single biggest theory to understand is avoiding any and all packaged and processed foods. The caveman didn't have access to them and neither should you. There are some meat products that are also on the no-go list. Meat and meat products with high fat levels should be avoided. Things like chicken wings, deli meats, pork sausage, cold cuts, bacon, lamb chops with lots of fat attached and processed meats like spam. Our ancestors didn't hunt for spam so why do we even consider eating it?
Agriculture as we know has only been around for about the last 10,000 years. Because of this and as strange as it may sound to most of us, modern man should avoid eating grains and cereals. Even the dreaded "gluten-free" grains are to be ignored. Products made from the grains and cereals include many of our so-called staple foods. Food items like pizza, cakes, muffins and cookies, doughnuts, pasta, oatmeal, rice pudding, and tacos are all on the list of foods to avoid.
Until now, we've focused on foods to avoid but now let's talk about all the delicious foods on the good list. Experienced "Paleo" followers have found an incredible amount of delicious ingredients available to make incredible meals. While dairy products like milk and cheese are not included, eggs are an excellent choice. Why not have an omelet for breakfast, lunch or dinner. My personal favorite is made with mushrooms, peppers and diced tomatoes. Fruits and vegetables eaten raw make great between-meal snacks. If you like a dipping sauce with your veggies, that's fine but, stay away from dairy-based dips. It's way healthier without the dairy and you quickly get used to actually tasting the vegetables. When choosing meats go for pasture raised or grain fed animals - they're better for you. If they're not available then at least buy the lean healthier stuff.
Here's one of the greatest benefits of the Paleo diet. Over time (and not long), it will slow down your bodies digestion. This is great, as you start to feel fuller for longer periods of time, meaning you'll eat less. You'll get used to only eating when you're hungry. If you skip the odd meal, it's no big deal. Your new metabolism will let you know when to be hungry.
To your health!
