Everything You Need To Know About Paleo Diet

Paleo diet is one of those diets which have been gaining widespread popularity in the recent times. It has been touted by its supporters as the natural diet for human beings and also the diet that our ancestors used to consume. There is a lot of debate on its efficacy and it has its own set of advantages and disadvantages alike.

What exactly is a paleo diet?

The Paleo diet gets its name from the Paleolithic period of human civilization, thousands of years ago, where the availability and choices of food were varied and limited according to seasons. Most foods included lean meat, fruits, nuts, vegetables and were very different from the fast food, high sugar and saturated fat-based diet that humans are having now. This diet aims to go back to the basics to correct nutritional deficiencies as well as to try out to correct excesses of the modern diet.

Advantages of Paleo diet

• Huge decrease in consumption of processed sugar
• Normalization of blood pressure levels
• Decreases in the level of bad cholesterol in the blood
• Balance of protein intake due to limited and lean meat consumption
• Increase in the consumption of vegetables and natural foods with less processed chemicals
• Optimization of insulin within the body

Disadvantages of Paleo diet

• Far too restrictive - Many believe that although it is a good diet, it loses out on the balance and becomes too restrictive with certain food groups being cut out completely, which may cause imbalances.
• Excess of protein - Although Paleo diet cuts down on unhealthy fats, some of its ingredients may cause the consumption of too much protein which may not be good for health either.
• Lacks of carbohydrates - Some believe that Paleo diet lacks carbohydrates and may not be a good source of energy. When working throughout the day, carbs provide energy but a low carb diet may cause energy-related problems. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Dietitian/Nutritionist.