The paleo diet is a low carb diet which recommends consuming only the foods available more than 10,000 years ago, during the Paleolithic era. The assertion is simple: diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease are illnesses “of civilization” and so, to combat the ill effects of the modern diet, we should return to a pre-civilization, hunter-gatherer diet of meat, fish, fruits and vegetables. That means all gains from the agrarian revolution — grains, dairy, legumes, salt and sugars — are off the menu.
A study published in 2009 in the “European Journal of Clinical Nutrition” concluded that a Paleolithic-type diet improves blood pressure, glucose tolerance and lipid profiles — even without weight loss — and increases insulin sensitivity while decreasing insulin secretion. In 2010, “Nutrition & Metabolism” published a study stating that, per calorie, the Paleolithic diet is more satiating than the Mediterranean diet. A study published in 2009 in “Cardiovascular Diabetology” concluded that the Paleo diet improved glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factors in those with Type 2 diabetes.
So should you do it? Critics state that nutrients in legumes, whole grains, and dairy help to lower one’s risk of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, and maintain a healthy weight. Critics also state that the diets restrictive nature may result in initial weight loss followed by binge eating. I suggest utilizing the aspects of the paleo diet which work for you, eating colorful foods, eating foods which look like they did when they came from the earth, avoiding frequently eating high fat meats, and staying active all day, every day.
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