What is the Paleo Diet??

Originating a mere 2.5 million years ago from our stone age ancestors, the Paleo diet, also known as the caveman diet, embraces foods consumed by individuals prior to the introduction of farming agriculture (Klonoff, 2009). Driven by the idea of “our genes determine our nutritional needs”, the Paleo diet, consisting of lean meats and fresh fruits and vegetables from natural sources, is “the way that we were genetically programmed to eat” (Eaton & Konner, 1985; Cordain, 2010).

Through the combination of scientific evidence and common sense, a number of core principles have been developed to guide individuals in living the caveman way (Macri, 2016-a). It has been proven that following these principles improve overall health, reduce risk of disease and promote weight loss. They include:

• Consume a moderately high quantity of animal protein
• Reduce the number of carbohydrate intake and replace them with fruits and vegetables
• Ensure that adequate fibre consumption is met, but it is derived from non-starchy sources.
• Regulate the amounts of fat consumed that are not monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Also, include an appropriate amount of omega-3 and omega-6.
• Foods should contain less sodium content and higher potassium instead.
• A net alkaline load is also needed.
• Foods that are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, minerals and phytochemicals should be consumed (Cordain, 2010).