What is Paleo Diet?

To answer this question: have you ever heard of the Paleolithic era. This is the era that man used stones do his work. It is interesting to know that Paleolithic era occurred at the same time as late Stone Age. The difference was that Stone Age is associated with Africa according to archeological findings, while Paleolithic era is associated with Europe. Still, Paleolithic era happened during late Stone Age.

Nevertheless, the people at that Age have got a lot to teach us. Probably, we think that we are good because we are not using stones. We have computers, guns, bulldozers, cranes, ships, aircrafts etc. Name any type of machine and the people of the Paleolithic era would not have dreamed to have. However, there is one thing they had, healthy bodies, which we all hope to attain.

During that period, the people were hunters and gatherers. They hunted for their food with pick axes. I am tempted to mention that, currently, if any one goes hunting, he would not go with anything less than an AK47. However, this people used pick axes! I am not promoting the use of pick axes, but I want to show how brave they were in their hunting.

Moreover, they were very healthy, yet their diet was meat and grains from what they gathered. They did not have any processed food. Though they did not have a choice to their diet, whatever they had, was good for them. So let us do a mathematical equation here.

If what the Paleolithic had equals good for them, (Paleolithic food = good for Paleolithic man), then;

The Paleolithic people are the same as the current man, (Paleolithic man = Modern Man), then;

In conclusion Paleolithic food = Good for modern man.

The mathematical equation was simple and it came up with a simple conclusion. It shows that we should look to copy after our ancestors.  They have got a lot to teach us. They lived according to nature and we should emulate them and have our strategies in place. We need to take more of natural foods such as grains, fruits, meat, potatoes etc.

However, what is happening currently? People are taking a lot of processed foods. How many burgers have you taken today not to mention the whole week. Yet the processed oils that are being used to prepare this processed foods is killing you. This is where I advise you, bring the Paleolithic times to your time, have a Paleo diet.

Keeping Fit With Paleo

Do you want to become fit? I have been coming up with better and better methods of staying fit. I do not advocate that staying fit is staying thin, but it is staying strong. Thinness is not fitness but you are likely to be fit when you are thin. Therefore, I am going to give several ways that you can stay fit.

First, I advocate the use of Paleo diet, which I have been using for my nutrition. Secondly, I want to show how this diet is important and can be mixed with exercises to produce a fit body. Finally, I want any person touched to join me in this campaign.

• Paleo Nutrition

You shall take wild foods. It does not mean that you shall go out of your way, going to the forest, to get the foods. These foods are available in the market. You can also grow them in your garden or kitchen garden in the backyard of your house. If you are thinking of going on with this kind plan, the wild foods refers to vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, potatoes etc. Buy them in their raw form and cook them with vegetable oils.

For proteins, there are beans, peas, and other natural foods, which can be acquired from the market. You are probably wondering whether I am advocating for you to become a vegetarian. No, there is also meat involved. What we are trying to avoid is the processed foods and other unnatural types of food that we find. The meat, as long as it is from an animal that was bred by grazing with natural fodder, should be bought. You can also have fish or eggs to make your diet complete.

• Work-Out

Of course, with this diet, you can still grow fat. What I need from you is to be able to keep fit and your body strong. This kind of diet has the chance of making you leave a healthy life. Choose some time during your busy day schedule and decide on a hobby that introduces exercises. Go jog, play basketball, play football, work out in the gym, or just anything like taking a stroll. If you decide to take a stroll, walk fast with a purpose of opening up your muscles.

With this two combined together, be sure of having a healthy body. The body is supported by a good diet then it is allowed to exercise. The muscles become well-toned.

What is Considered a Paleo Diet

A paleo diet is something that we should all decide on taking. Since the advent of refining of foods, we have had several small changes in nutrients that affect us in ways that we are not aware of. These small changes include the change of fatty acids, micronutrient composition and many other changes that it would take a nutrition specialist or a doctor to explain. It has, therefore, been considered that such refined foods have introduced the diseases of civilization.

Therefore, we are going to back to the Paleolithic time and bringing it to the modern times. Let us look at what we can eat to avoid these civilization diseases.

• Vegetables

Look at the natural occurring vegetable available in your area. These vegetables will include anything, which introduces vitamins and others proteins to your body. Others will introduce micronutrients such as potassium, calcium in our bodies. Vegetables such as legumes; peas, beans, peanuts, and other pods that come from plants are rich in proteins. They are very healthy and keep the body fit. However, we require taking greens. Therefore, we go shopping for spinach, cabbage, and other greens. Do not go for the dried material that can be considered as refined. Go for fresh produce straight from the garden.

• Fruits

After the main course of every meal, it is always advisable to finish the meal with a proper fruit. Many fruits are fresh. Many fruits are not perishable and they can be exported from far of lands for you to taste. Fruits such as apples, oranges, mangoes, pineapples, water melon, and any other fruit that you know of is important in your diet. Go for the unprocessed foods.

• Meat

Meat is one of those things that people find controversial when talking about keeping fit. Some people think that taking meat is not good for your health. However, anything that you take that is too much to your body is unhealthy. If you take the required portions of meat, it is healthy. Nevertheless, this meat has to be from an animal that was bred with natural fodder.

Chicken bred through free range grazing are good for consumption. However, some are bred through manufactured foods, they are considered unhealthy in our paleo diet. Take eggs and cook them using vegetable oil. Fish meat is also considered nutritious for its micronutrients. Especially fish from the wild waters is advocated for.

Expert Opinion on Paleo

Paleo is a nutrition method that began in the 1970’s. Walter L. Voegtlin advocated for it; he proposed that this diet is important because we shall be eating what our bodies were used to taking. Since then, many experts have taken up the idea and are recruiting more and more people into the idea.

However, sharp contrasts have come up from other specialists. They try to give many other reasons, which show that the theory is wrong. Such arguments include, those that argue out the very basic fact of Paleo. Some arguments say that it is not true that we have developed a pattern of what we can eat through evolution. It says that a man can adapt to anything including what is currently being manufactured.

What I would like to point out is that every person is entitled to an opinion. I am of the view that Paleo helps and I hope that I will not be subjective in my observations. In analyzing the expert’s opinions, we come up with a conclusion that every person is trying to advocate for what they believe in.

Other experts consider that this diet is good for particular people. Because the diet does not reduce on carbohydrates, or proteins, or vitamins, it is considered to be beneficial to people going to the gym. I think that the notion is misguided because the diet involves a lot of reduction of taking fatty oils especially from manufactured or refined products. Junk food introduces many things that are unfavorable to the body and this is avoided. However, exercise is important in everybody, it does not matter what you use as your diet. If you want to have good health, exercise should be a part of the regime.

In addition, there have been reviews from several researches done to check proper dieting methods. Paleo has not been favorably ranked although many other experts individually advocate for it. It does not matter who you are; athlete, senior citizen, young, a person going to the gym, or anything that you do, Paleo is good for you.

There are experts for Paleo, and those against Paleo. At the end of the day, it becomes your choice in what you shall choose. I once heard a saying that interested me, ‘you can take a cow to the river, but you cannot force it to drink.’ I do not mean to be rude but I just want to show that Paleo is a river, drink from it.