The Paleo Diet

What does it mean to be Paleo?
     Paleo is short for Paleolithic, which refers to the prehistoric time period about 2.6 million years ago where our ancestors developed the most primitive stone tools. The Paleo diet is based on the types of foods our ancestors would have eaten during this time consisting of meat, fish, vegetables and fruit. The diet restricts the consumption of grains, dairy and all processed foods.

The theory behind it...
     During the "caveman" days humans ate very differently than we do today. Our ancestors were hunters and gathers and only ate what they could hunt or find. According to nerdfitness.com, "The average [human] back then [was] tall, muscular, agile, athletic and incredibly versatile. The average [human] now [is] overweight, out of shape, stressed out, unhappy, sleep deprived and dying from a myriad of preventable diseases....66% of us are overweight 33% are considered obese and those numbers are only getting worse." The thing that changed was agriculture. Our bodies have not yet adapted to all of the grains we are farming. Our bodies are still adapted to being hunter-gatherers. The Paleo diet attempts to get the body back to our biological blueprint in order to eat and live healthier.

What not to eat.
     All grain products, dairy products, starches, legumes and processed foods or sugars.

What to eat. 

     Robbwolf.com details what to eat on the Paleo diet:

LEAN PROTEINS

Lean proteins support strong muscles, healthy bones and optimal immune function. Protein also makes you feel satisfied between meals.

FRUITS AND VEGETABLES

Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that have been shown to decrease the likelihood of developing a number of degenerative diseases including cancer, diabetes and neurological decline.

Okay To Eat	Avoid
Fruits	Dairy
Vegetables	Grains
Lean Meats	Processed Food & Sugars
Seafood	Legumes
Nuts & Seeds	Starches
Healthy Fats	Alcohol

HEALTHY FATS FROM NUTS, SEEDS, AVOCADOS, OLIVE OIL, FISH OIL AND GRASS-FED MEAT

Scientific research and epidemiological studies show that diets rich in Monounsaturated and Omega-3 fats dramatically reduce the instances of obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and cognitive decline.

Saturated fat has been demonized by our health authorities and media. What is the basis for this position on Saturated fat? Are current recommendations for VERY low saturated fat intake justified? How much saturated fat (and what types), if any should one eat? Without a historical and scientific perspective these questions can be nearly impossible to answer. In this paper Prof. Cordain looks at the amounts and types of saturated fats found in the ancestral diet: Saturated fat consumption in ancestral human diets: implications for contemporary intakes.

One of the greatest deviations away from our ancestral diet is the amounts and types of fat found in modern grain feed animals vs. the amounts and types of fats found in grass fed or wild meat, fowl and fish. What we observe is wild meat is remarkably lean, and has relatively low amounts of saturated fats, while supplying significant amounts of beneficial omega-3 fats such as EPA and DHA. In this paper Prof. Cordain and his team analyze the complete fatty acid profile from several species of wild deer and elk. The take home message is that free range meat is far healthier than conventional meat: Fatty acid analysis of wild ruminant tissues: Evolutionary implications for reducing diet-related chronic disease.