The main principle behind Paleo diet is eating like our ancestors did in the Paleolithic era, which lasted for over 2 million years and ended about 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture – relatively recently in evolutionary terms. The diet is sometimes also referred to as caveman diet, or Stone Age diet.
There are several different books and diet plans based on this same basic principle. The focus of the diet is on health and well-being rather than just weight loss. Although this diet does not specifically aim to be low in carbohydrates, cutting out grains and sugar will by definition result in consuming fewer carbs than one would otherwise.
In a nutshell
The advocates of the diet argue that human body has not yet had the time to evolve to properly digest foods made available by agriculture, such as grains, legumes and dairy. Any refined foods that are processed using modern technology are even further from the diet’s principles – this includes sugar, sweeteners and any artificial additives or preservatives. Exclusion of grains and legumes also stretches to livestock used in meat production, for example, corn-fed beef would not be suitable. Staple foods on paleo diet would be vegetables, animal proteins (meat, fish, poultry and eggs) and nuts and seeds. Small amounts of fruit are permitted on some plans, as is honey and agave nectar.
- The rules are very simple to follow, as all that’s required is the exclusion of certain foods. You don’t need to count calories, or worry about carb content or glycemic index of foods.
- The diet cuts out sugar, refined flour and artificial ingredients, which may have health benefits beyond fat loss.
- The diet is very popular, with millions of followers around the world, so there is a wealth of information available on the internet, and multiple support communities.
- Although many people report losing weight on Paleo, this is not guaranteed as there are no specific calorie restrictions in place and the rules are flexible. It is possible to consume a lot of calories while following this diet, and so not lose any weight.
- As legumes and dairy are out, it would be difficult for a vegetarian to follow this diet and get sufficient protein.
- Fresh organic food that is free of all chemicals and additives can be quite expensive, and harder to source in standard supermarkets, so you may have to rely on finding suppliers online.
Paleo diet is quite varied so getting sufficient amount of vitamins should not be a problem. However, as is the case with any other low-carb diet, it is likely that you will drink a lot more, and so might need to replenish electrolytes. Check out our multivitamin/multimineral formula, designed to support low-carb diets.
There is no single author who “owns” this type of diet – the term Paleo is used to describe the approach in general. The most well-known author is probably Dr Loren Cordain, but there are many other authors and evangelists who published their own versions of the plan. Here are some websites and books for further information:
Dr Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet
Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution
Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint