Paleo is an approach to eating that combines the following: meat (from grass-fed animals) and fresh organic vegetables. It was first introduced by Loren Cordain, a doctor and the author of the book “The Paleo Diet.” The diet uses an elimination diet, or weekly menu, of basic, healthy foods.
We are always looking for the ideal diet, the one with the lowest caloric count, the highest content of nutrient-rich food, and the least amount of unneeded weight. The problem is that the current emphasis is on low-fat, low-calorie diets, which have been shown to have a limited effect on weight loss.
Paleo was designed for health benefits. It emphasizes eating foods eaten thousands of years ago by our Paleolithic ancestors. The diet is not only low in calories, but it also tends to be high in fiber and protein.
Since it is almost impossible to get lean meat today, most of the meals are high in saturated fat. Grains and vegetables are low in calories but are extremely high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. Eliminating these fats from the diet makes up for the high caloric content of the food.
Some Paleo recipes are similar to the foods we eat today, such as pasta and baked goods, but the additions made to the recipes are wild and exotic. There are vegetables, herbs, nuts, and spices available in the Paleolithic era. There are few or no artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes, so the diet tends to taste better than what we are eating today.
The philosophy behind Paleo is to take meat off the table and replace it with healthy and nourishing plant-based foods. The diet includes the practice of using less meat in favor of beans, soy, nuts, and grains. While the menu is supposed to be at its most restrictive in the week leading up to a big event, the diet can also be adapted to accommodate any time.
Paleo has no solid boundaries. For example, the cookbook is designed to be used on a “macro” level with the vast majority of its recipes being “macro.” Because it is based on the “macro” principle, there is no restriction on how much, or how little, the menu can be.
Paleo doesn’t focus on one or two dietary areas. The diet is adaptable to different cultures, ethnicities, and lifestyles. For example, when trying to get into ketosis (or low-carb) using the Paleo diet, the last meal a person consumes is usually bread.
When following the Paleo approach, the nutritional value is not the main concern. Most Paleo menus will not serve any guests who do not meet the standard of eating for optimal health.
What is best about Paleo is that it is low fat, low calorie, and high in fiber. While it is not low-carb, it doesn’t set a person back in terms of calorie intake either. This is because the meal is less frequent and of lower quality, which means the dieter doesn’t have to burn more calories or lessen the quality of the food he or she eats.
Anyone who wants to eat healthy and still get the benefit of steak or pork chops will find Paleo is ideal. The diet will fit into the way a person thinks about food. Paleo is the kind of diet that can be easily adapted to the style of cooking that a person prefers.
