Paleo Diet 101: How It Works, What To Eat - Good Food Made Simple
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Paleo Diet 101: How It Works, What To Eat

Aug 07, 2019
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Out of all the various food diets and trends, the paleo diet has stuck around for quite some time. But what exactly is it, how can you follow it properly, and is it even really that good for you? We’ll provide a paleo diet 101 so all of your answers can be answered.

Essentially, the paleo diet was created to mimic what our long-ago ancestors ate. (So yep, no Cheetos or boxes of cereal!) While it’s impossible to know exactly what our human ancestors consumed, scientists suggest that their diets consisted of whole foods, meat, nuts, and seeds. On the flip side, our ancient ancestors probably didn’t munch on much with carbs or sugar. We’ll get into all the details of what you can eat and what should be avoided below.

Scientists also believe that hunter-gatherers were much healthier much of the population today. Those who follow the diet are hopeful they will have a lower rate for certain diseases, like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. A handful of research has found that in the short-term, following a Paleo diet can lead to losing weight without cutting calories. However, since this diet is still pretty new, the long-term potential benefits are unknown.

 

How To Do Paleo Right

While there are strict things you can and can’t eat on a paleo diet, that doesn’t mean there is only one way to do it right. Instead of thinking in terms of what is off-limits, the success of any diet comes from focusing on what you can enjoy.

In short, paleo-friendly foods include meat, fish, eggs, seeds, nuts, certain veggies, and healthy oils. We’ll expand upon these now.

Foods to Eat on a Paleo Diet

Your diet should be based on these whole, unprocessed foods:

 

Foods to Avoid on a Paleo Diet

Part of the paleo diet 101 is understanding what is off limits.

Avoid these foods and ingredients:

Artificial sweeteners: With sugar off the table, some think they can satisfy their sweet tooth with an artificial sweetener. Alas, paleo diet 101 is all about natural and whole foods. So skip the aspartame, sucralose, cyclamates, saccharin, and others, and use natural sweeteners like raw, organic honey instead.

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