It’s not just diet; what else goes with the Paleo Diet?
Now that we know what our ancestors ate more than 10,000 years ago, we must know how they lived. The lifestyles they promoted were also part of the success and benefits of this diet, and these were characterized by two main factors that you have to take into account today as well:
Be physically active
Before, humans went from one place to another looking for food, doing activities, hunting, etc. Our life was not sedentary, and that may have been key to maintaining good health.
Drinking water
There were no soft drinks, alcohol, or any other drink other than water. In this way, they are already removed from drinking all the drinks that do not do our body any good.
The benefits of this diet
The Paleodiet is considered quite effective as long as we follow the steps we explain in this post. Based on studies of the bones of our ancestors and observational studies of contemporary societies that follow this hunter-gatherer lifestyle, we can observe that their life expectancy was quite high, and the prevalence of cardiovascular problems was five times lower than in humans. Current.
In addition, other diseases are less present such as tooth decay, diabetes, myopia, hypertension, cancer, insomnia, arthritis, depression, allergies, back pain, or dementia. For them, these diseases would be rare. But this diet offers us a lower risk of diseases and provides certain benefits such as better glucose control, better results in weight loss, and less liver fat in women, among others.
What are these benefits due to?
They are mainly because little processed foods are eaten, which by themselves produce improvements. These foods are very satisfying; they can easily cause weight loss since you have to take a lot of calories to get a lot of energy, unlike diets rich in ultra-processed foods. We have been adapted to hunter-gatherer lifestyles for many more years than farmers and sedentary lifestyles. That is why we have better health with foods and lifestyles that resemble that time.
To conclude, we can sign that the paleo diet has become a very healthy option, but, in our current lifestyle, eating meat is very unsustainable. In addition, a large intake of nuts can become quite expensive, and our diet would be increased in costs. However, our final advice is to achieve the same or very similar results by having an active life and basing your diet on fruits and vegetables.
So far, today’s post-Cocinacas! We hope you have been interested in this diet. Suppose you are one of those people who care about your health, body, and mind. In that case, you cannot miss our Healthy Weekly Menu, which we prepare together with a team of nutritionists, in which we advise you balanced and healthy dishes to incorporate into your lunches and dinners and enjoy while you take care of yourself. Do not miss it!
The paleolithic or paleo diet is a dietary proposal that promotes healthy eating based on how our ancestors ate when there were no sophisticated ways of cooking food, and the diet was based on collected fruits and vegetables and game meat, consumed in the most natural way possible.
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Origins of the Paleo diet
Although this term in Spain is quite new to us, this food philosophy began 25 years ago in the United States, and They were alarmed by the increase in obesity and the diseases that derive from it; they were looking for a more natural and healthy way to eat. Soon, many athletes decided to adapt it to contribute to the improvement of sports performance.
This diet is based on the theory of the “thrifty genotype,” which says that man has genes that manage energy efficiently and adapt over the years to survive even in adverse conditions. According to this theory, man has not always had an abundance of food, so in homo sapiens, large meals were alternated, which obtained enough energy for the body for daily activities (hunting, gathering …) with long periods of fasting.
On the Paleolithic diet, very few meals are eaten a day, but very abundant, and then spend about 10 or 12 hours fasting. Thus the body depletes all energy reserves of glycogen and begins to use r fats. This controls the weight and moderates the appetite.
The benefits of this diet are:
Food is more natural because all refined and processed products are left out.
It consumes a lot of water.
Animal and vegetable proteins are consumed.
The animal meat consumed must be game, so it has less saturated fat.
Nuts, fish, and seeds are consumed with healthy fats.
A sedentary lifestyle is avoided because it is necessary to increase caloric expenditure.
And does it have any downsides?
Getting only "natural" foods is not as easy as it sounds and can be expensive.
It isn't easy to eat out without skipping some food.
Avoid the consumption of cereals and legumes, which are essential in all diets, especially in times of growth and for athletes.
Dairy products are not consumed, so there may be a calcium deficit necessary for children, adolescents, and pregnant women.
Experts recommend many meals a day in smaller quantities since our digestive system does not work as it used to, and we can have discomfort and indigestion.
Prolonged fasts are not recommended for all types of people.
Food it contains
Are allowed:
Game meats, red and white, from organic livestock if possible.
White or bluefish, not farmed.
Fresh and seasonal fruit.
Fresh and seasonal vegetables.
Nuts
Seeds, tubers, and roots.
Food must be indigenous and seasonal. It is eaten more in spring and summer and less in cold seasons. Food is mostly eaten raw, grilled, or boiled.
The following are not allowed:
Sausages, cold cuts.
Stews or sauces.
Cooked in the microwave or oven.
Precooked, processed, and frozen foods.
Milk and derivatives.
Salt and sugar.
Cereals, flour, bread, pasta or rice, or legumes.
Alcohol or carbonated or sugary drinks.
It is a diet that tries a cleaner and healthier diet, but it is deficient in some nutrients, like all strict diets. It is good to reduce the consumption of processed foods, which contain a lot of salt, fat, or sugar, but perhaps today’s type of life is too demanding for this type of diet. If it is done in a more relaxed way, the idea can be very interesting.
Remember that if you do sports, you should eat foods rich in carbohydrates such as pasta or rice that give you the necessary energy and proteins for your muscles, but it is also true that fresh fruits and vegetables and nuts are essential for any physical activity.