Paleolithic Diet

The paleolithic diet, also popularly known as the caveman diet or stone age diet, is a diet that is based on what is believe to be the diet of those belonging to the paleolithic era. The paleolithic era existed about 2.5 million years ago. This diet includes meat, live food, such as wild fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. It has no room for processed and packaged foods, and foods that were not naturally available in those times. Even grains and legumes are not included. As such, it is a great diet for those who are aiming for weight loss, athletes, and even those who wish to control conditions such as blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Here, we explain the details of the paleolithic diet, that tells what you can eat and what you must exclude from it.

Foods Permitted in the Paleolithic Diet

The foods mentioned in this list may be cooked and eaten. Though certain staunch followers believe that all these foods must be eaten in their raw forms to get maximum nutrition and that it is a trait of a true paleolithic diet, others believe that cooking is almost as old as civilization and should be allowed. In any case, the food should be lightly cooked to retain its nutritional value. Avoid frying food. Stick to steaming, grilling or baking food.

• All the meat consumed in the paleolithic diet should be free-range or organic. This means the animal from which the meat is taken, should be bred on an open farm, where it is allowed graze and find its feed freely. This is believed to reduce the chances of an infection such as E.coli or salmonella from consuming meat in its raw and cooked form. Meats cannot be cooked by breading them. Bread is forbidden in this diet. The meats consumed in this diet should be lean and low fat. One may even resort to the raw meat diet, that believes that meat should not be eaten cooked as it causes a loss of all the vital nutrients present in meat. Free-range eggs may be included, and one may also take to eating raw eggs if necessary.
• The rule regarding vegetables in the paleolithic diet is that it should be able to be consumed raw. Legumes are not allowed and therefore peas and green beans are out of the list here. Kale is a very popular vegetable consumed by those on this diet. Apart from it, all other vegetables may be included. Potatoes are not allowed on this diet, neither are any other starchy vegetables. Among fruits, almost every fruit is allowed. However, if your aim is to lose weight, then fruits that have a high sugar content should be avoided. This includes mangoes and grapes, and in some cases, bananas. The propagators of this diet also believe that consuming fruit juices and the dried versions of fruits such as dried plums, dried apricots, etc. should be avoided.
• All nuts and seeds are allowed, except peanuts which are legumes. Some propagators of the diet also believe that cashews cannot be eaten, as they are rarely ever consumed in their raw form.
• Unprocessed oils in the form of olive oil, oil from nuts and seeds, and canola oil are allowed. Steer clear of processed vegetable and hydrogenated oils.
• Water, tea without milk, and fruit and vegetable juices are allowed in moderate quantities. Keep away from coffee and alcohol. Every once in a while you may have a glass of wine to accompany your meals.

Those of you looking for a paleolithic diet for athletes should remember to specifically exclude sodium (though it is not allowed on the paleo diet) from your diet. Avoid tea and alcohol completely. Moreover, try to consume food in its raw form to gain maximum strength. This includes eating raw meat. You can definitely whip up some delicious recipes using the above-mentioned foods. But before you go ahead, take a look at what you are not allowed to add to your food while whipping up those recipes.

• Grains: Rice, Wheat and its products, Corn
• Legumes: Beans, Peas, Peanuts
• Dairy Products: Milk, Cheese, Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Butter, Ice Cream
• Salt
• Refined Sugar
• Processed Oils: Corn oil, Peanut oil, Rice Bran oil, Wheat Germ oil, Soybean oil, Cottonseed oil
• Starchy Foods: Potatoes, Yams, Beets, Cassava, Sweet Potato, Manioc
• Processed Meats: Bacon, Salami, Sausages, Red Meat, Meat with Fats or Skin
• Pickled Products
• Yeast

If you find the paleolithic diet to be too harsh, start by gradually cutting out a few items, and once you get used to it, then go on to cutting out the rest. This way you will be able to benefit from it without giving up on it. See how you feel after you have resorted to this diet completely. Those who have, swear by its benefits, and the general feel good factor it provides. Moreover, we are all aware that eating natural and light food is the key to a healthy diet and lifestyle. If that is what you are looking for, give the paleolithic diet a shot, and see the benefits for yourself.

Disclaimer: This Buzzle article is for informative purposes only, and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.