A Beginner's Guide To Paleo Diet - What Is It And Why Is It Becoming So Popular

A paleo diet is not just some ordinary diet but is actually based on history. In this diet, the eating plan is based on foods humans might have eaten during the Paleolithic era. For the unversed, the Paleolithic era dates from around 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. The Paleolithic diet is also known as the stone Age diet, hunter-gatherer diet and caveman diet.

A modern paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. It does not include foods that became more common when small-scale farming gained momentum nearly 10,000 years ago. These foods are grains, legumes and dairy products.

What to eat and what to avoid 

According to reports, paleo diets follow these rules.

What to eat

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Eggs
• Lean meats, especially grass-fed animals or wild game
• Fish, especially those rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel and albacore tuna
• Oils from fruits and nuts, such as olive oil or walnut oil

What to avoid

• Grains
• Legumes
• Dairy products
• Refined and added sugar
• Added salt
• Starchy vegetables
• Highly processed foods

Purpose of paleo diet 

The main purpose is to eat foods which were consumed by early humans. The main idea is that the genes are not well adjusted for modern diets. The paleo diet revolves around the idea that recent changes in diet outpaced the human body's ability to change, or adapt. This is why people these days are more prone to obesity, and diseases like diabetes and heart issues. 

Although this diet has proved to be useful for many, the main concern surrounding this is the lack of whole grains and legumes. These food items are considered to be good sources of fiber, vitamins, proteins and other nutrients. One major risk of being involved in a paleo diet is that you may not get all the required nutrients.

Also, the potential benefits of a paleo diet may not outweigh the benefits of other healthy diets.