The way its followers see it, the paleo diet means eating what our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate — the food people had before agriculture came along.The theory is that excess weight and most modern diseases can be traced back to grains, dairy and processed food in the daily menu. A fair question does arise: does this diet really give us the same foods that our ancestors ate — the benefits of this approach for weight loss and better health are beyond dispute.
How does it work?
The paleo diet puts whole foods, lean protein, vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds at the centre of the plate, and asks you to give up anything processed, plus sugar, dairy and grains.
Some of the more flexible versions do allow dairy — cheese and butter, for instance — as well as tubers such as potatoes and sweet potatoes.
Research has shown that the paleo diet leads to significant weight loss and a smaller waistline.
Source: "Effects of a short-term intervention with a paleolithic diet in healthy volunteers"
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17522610
On a paleo diet you automatically eat far fewer carbohydrates and more protein, and your overall energy intake drops by roughly 300 to 900 calories a day.
The diet does the whole body good: it lowers blood pressure and, generally, the risk of cardiovascular disease, and it improves markers such as cholesterol and blood sugar.
Reliable source: "Beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes: a randomized cross-over pilot study"
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19604407/
The downside of the paleo diet
The downside of the paleo diet is that it rules out whole grains, pulses and dairy altogether — foods that are not only nourishing but also carry a range of vitamins and minerals the body needs..
Take care and stay healthy!
