Follow the Paleo Diet

The "Paleolithic" or "Paleo" diet (also sometimes referred to as the "Caveman Diet") is based on the idea that our bodies are better adapted to what our human ancestors ate during the Paleolithic era. While we don't have the predators, caves, and short lifespan of the caveman to contend with, the reality is that many of the foods we consume today aren't very healthy for us. For some, a return to eating like cavemen is a way of restoring a balance. When done well, the paleo diet involves a change in lifestyle that can help you lose weight and become more active.

Check Follow-the-Paleo-Diet to learn more about when following the paleo diet might be beneficial.

Steps

Getting Ready

1. Set your paleo goals. Supporters of the paleo diet believe that by recreating the way humans ate during the Stone Age, they can recreate a healthy lifestyle. Following the paleo diet can help you lose weight, control blood pressure, and manage your appetite. If you have different dietary or health concerns, the paleo diet may not be for you.
   • A change in lifestyle, even something as simple as your diet, can mean a major shift in your personal life. Knowing what you want to accomplish can help keep you motivated and on track.
2. Prepare your kitchen. The paleo diet involves eating more fresh meats and vegetables, so you'll need somewhere suitable to store them. Make sure you have ample freezer space for meat, and a refrigerator to keep vegetables cool.
   • Cooking paleo meals does not require specialized equipment, so you should not need to purchase additional pots, pans, or appliances beyond what you already own.
   • Equip yourself with a comprehensive cooking or recipe book specifically for the paleo diet.
3. Base your diet on meats. These can be red meat, pork, poultry, venison, eggs, or any other kind of meat. Meat for a paleo diet should be grass-fed, not corn-fed. This distinction is more important than the particular type of meat you choose. It better re-creates the conditions cavemen would have found their food, and avoids the sugars found in modern animal feed.
   • Fish and other seafood are also good meats to include. These contain healthy Omega 3 oils. Fish for the paleo diet should be wild, and not farm-raised.
   • For each meal, a serving size of protein should be 4 – 8 ounces, or approximately one to two palm-sized pieces. You can eat a little more or a little less depending on factors such as your own weight or hunger level, but each meal should stay in that range.
4. Incorporate vegetables, especially leafy green ones, and fruits. Vegetables provide most of the fiber and carbohydrates that you will get on the paleo diet. Fruits will provide the natural sugars your body needs. These should be fresh, not dried, fruits. Most fruits that fit with the ethos of the paleo diet (that is, eaten by cavemen) contain much less sugar than most fruits available today.
   • If you are diabetic, or have other restrictions on sugar intake, it may be better to avoid sweeter fruits including grapes, bananas, mangos, sweet cherries, apples, pineapples, pears and kiwi fruit, especially early in the diet.
   • Your daily intake of fruits and vegetables should be at least nine servings (about 4 1/2 cups). You can spread these over your daily meals to best suit your appetite and menu.
5. Use nuts and seeds for snacking or garnish on recipes. Remember that peanuts are not nuts (they are legumes), so instead focus on actual nuts like almonds, cashews, pine nuts, pecans, and walnuts. Unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds are also good. These make good snacks, but make sure you avoid salted and processed nuts. It is better to avoid snacking altogether, but nuts are the best choice.
   • You can also use almond flour or coconut flours for many recipes.
6. Use natural oils when cooking. These should be natural, such as olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, and coconut oils, all of which are sources of good fat. They are great for marinating meat, or providing a base for frying meats and vegetables.
   • Each meal should include approximately one to two thumb-sized servings of fat, and oils are a good source of that.
7. Limit dairy intake. Dairy products are a gray area for paleo practitioners. Most paleo diets restrict dairy completely, as the introduction of regular dairy came much later in human history, and consuming dairy involves a large dose of carbohydrates in the form of lactose. In addition, modern dairy products come from cows fed with corn and other hormones, and are heavily pasteurized to remove fat. If you want to consume more of a "primal" diet, include dairy products such as full fat dairy like yogurt and butter from grass-fed cows.

Living Like a Caveman

1. Control your intake. The paleo diet does not require you to eat meals on a set schedule. Instead, you eat when you are hungry. You certainly can eat three regular meals a day. If you are not hungry, though, you do not need to eat simply because it is time for a meal.
   • Some paleo followers like to fast for extended periods between meals to better simulate the irregular eating schedule Stone Age humans would have followed. This is certainly not a necessary part of the diet, and being paleo does not have to mean fasting. The most important thing is eating the proper foods.
2. Start a paleo recipe collection. When you first start out, it's likely you'll still be able to use some of your cookbooks for basics such as salads and roasting. However, you'll be confronted fairly quickly by all the elements you can't use, such as salt and processed items. Expand your repertoire of caveman recipes and explore the many possibilities by building on the basics.
   • Go through your existing cookbooks and adapt the recipes. You might like to compile a single book in a folder or in digital form to make it easier to refer to daily.
   • Search online for caveman food websites and blogs. There are also books available for purchase about the caveman diet – take a visit to your local bookstore. Popular websites include: Nom Nom Paleo, PaleoOMG, and RobbWolf.com.
3. Don't be completely tied to the scheduled diet. Cutting out grains and processed foods can be very difficult in the modern world, especially at first. Eating a slice of bread will not ruin your diet, and doesn't make you a failure. That being said, if you are not seeing results, you may want to reevaluate your diet and see if you are cheating a bit too much.
   • Some paleo dieters set aside a day during the week to eat whatever they want. This can help create better discipline throughout the rest of the week.
   • If you're going to add a cheat food as a treat, use something filling and nutritious, such as a teaspoon of peanut butter on a banana, rather than grabbing a handful of cookies.
4. Drink lots of water. Water is really the only approved paleo drink, and it can be especially helpful to keep your body functioning, especially given you will likely consuming additional protein. If water isn't enough, you can include an occasional cup of herbal tea or freshly squeezed fruit juice. Avoid sodas and processed fruit juices.
5. Supplement your diet with occasional vitamins. While the modern paleo diet can supply most of the necessary nutrients, there are some potential weaknesses. If you are not getting all of these proper nutrients, consider additional supplements.
   • Vitamin D. Unless your diet is rich in wild fish, and you get plenty of sunlight, you may need a Vitamin D supplement.
   • Omega-3 Fish Oil. In general, you will want to maintain balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils. Unless you are fully paleo, 1 to 2 grams of high quality fish oil daily, containing Omega-3 oil, is a good supplement.
   • Probiotics. Western or vegetarian diets can sometimes damage the necessary bacteria in your stomach. When starting the diet, you may need to supplement what you eat with strains of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium.
6. Exercise. At its core, the paleo diet is about changing your lifestyle, not just your meals. Even something as simple as walking as much as possible can be helpful to losing weight and getting the most out of your diet. Paleo exercise involves natural movements (preferably without too much gym equipment) and occasional strength training.
   • Avoid extensive cardio workouts. These put extra pressure on your body, and require more carbohydrates.
   • Crossfit is a common exercise program for paleo dieters, and can be helpful for people looking for a more intense workout. Crossfit gyms are also a good place to meet other paleo dieters.

When Should You Try This?

1. Consider a paleo diet if you're generally healthy. Under most circumstances, the paleo diet presents very few health risks and is generally safe for most people to follow. It relies heavily on good sources of nutrients, including lean meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts.
   • The absence of whole grains, legumes, and dairy products will deprive you of some nutrients found in traditionally balanced diets, however, so a paleo diet may not be best for you if you have special requirements for fiber, calcium, or other vitamins and minerals.
   • Additionally, a paleo diet will be unsafe to follow if you have a vegetarian or vegan diet since soy and legumes--important sources of vegetarian protein--are not allowed.
   • If you have any previously known medical conditions, you should consult your doctor before attempting a paleo diet or any other major dietary change. In particular, those with heart, kidney, liver, or pancreatic disease may risk worsening their conditions by following a paleo diet.
2. Try a paleo diet after consulting with your doctor. Even though a paleo diet will generally be safe for most people who do not have previously known medical concerns, it's always advisable to consult with a doctor or nutritionist before making a major change to your diet like this.
   • Your doctor can work with you to determine if a paleo diet is right for your medical needs. Additionally, your doctor or nutritionist can help track the progress you make while following a paleo diet.
3. Follow a paleo diet for short-term weight management. Several clinical trials lasting 12 weeks or less suggest that following a paleo diet may make it easier to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. Additionally, these studies also suggest better short-term glucose tolerance and blood pressure control.
   • Note that longer clinical trials are still needed to assess the long-term risks and benefits.
   • There are some concerns that following a paleo diet long-term may result in higher levels of LDL cholesterol. The lack of calcium may also increase your osteoporosis risk, and the reduction of carbohydrates may result in ketosis.
   • Additionally, following a restrictive diet like the paleo diet can be difficult to do for prolonged periods of time.
4. Plan on paying more for your food. While a paleo diet can be beneficial, it can also be more expensive since it largely promotes organic, grass-fed meats and other less accessible foods. If you plan on following a paleo diet, do so when your finances are balanced and budgeted for the extra expense.
5. Remain willing to adapt. The scientific community still questions many of the underlying beliefs forming the basis of the paleo diet. While many of the foods restricted in this diet have been tied to health problems, many researchers still argue that the paleo diet could oversimplify dietary needs.
   • Try the paleo diet for several months and evaluate your health both during and after. If the diet improves your health and your doctor concludes that it's safe for you to continue, it might be worth continuing. On the other hand, if you experience health concerns while following a paleo diet, be prepared to adapt or abandon it altogether for something more suited to your own needs.

Tips

• Try this diet for about one or two months to see whether or not it works for you.
• If you have a prior health condition, consult with your doctor before changing your diet, especially in such a drastic manner.
• You will not be able to follow the paleo diet if you are a vegetarian or vegan. A significant portion of the diet includes consuming meat, and the usual source of proteins for vegetarians (soy and legumes) are not allowed.

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