What is the Paleo Diet?

At Your Lean Life, it is our job to keep our clients educated while introducing new innovative ways to lose weight. This can include both exercise and diet, but nutrition remains your biggest priority in order to see results. Every weight-loss journey is different, and finding what personally works best for you is the first step. 

If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ve probably heard of the Paleo diet — also known as “The Stone Age Diet.” The Paleo diet was practiced during the Paleolithic Era, which dates back roughly 2.5 million years ago. Caveman spent their time hunting and gathering food, and taking it for what it was. The diet consisted of fruits, vegetables, lean meat, fish, nuts, and seeds — all things beneficial for us then and now, but does not include foods such grains, legumes, most dairy, foods with added sugars, and artificially sweetened products.

The main purpose of the Paleo diet is to exclude any foods that are products of modern farming practices. It is believed that our bodies were never meant to consume and digest anything that you couldn’t scavenge without the use of factory processes. Today, we live with the ease of going to a grocery store and finding the food we want, which is not always the food we need. Modern farmed foods greatly contribute to obesity, heart disease, and diabetes because of their unfortunate lack of nutrition. 

Learning and educating yourself on what to eat can help you develop a sustainable diet plan that supports your body and its goals. You may be surprised to see that there are a variety of Paleo-approved foods you eat daily, which will encourage you to continue including them in your diet in new, creative ways.

• Lean Meats (Grass-Fed)
• Fish (Rich in Omega Fatty Acids)
• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Eggs
• Nuts & Seeds
• Healthy Oils (Olive Oil or Avocado Oil)
• Drinks: Herbal Tea and Black Coffee (In Moderation)

Similar to other diet plans, there may be several food items you’re hesitant to give up. It’s important to remember that you can learn to live without them with the use of healthy alternatives. The health goals you set for yourself may require some sacrifice, but clean eating is what will bring you closer to them. 

• Highly Refined, Processed Foods: (Candy, Chips, Cookies, Etc.)
• Legumes: (Beans & Lentils)
• Dairy: (Milk, Cheese, Etc.)
• Starchy Vegetables: (Corn, Potatoes, Peas, Ect.)
• Sugary Carbohydrates: (Soda, Fruit Juices, Bread, Pasta, Etc.)

The Paleo Diet can be intimidating because of its exclusions, but dieting in general can be a challenge in itself. The goal is to find a middle ground and to discover what works best for you during your weight-loss journey. It could be the Paleo Diet or it could be a variety of different healthy eating habits; the goal remains the same either way. It can be difficult to cut back on the foods we love and that are so easily accessible, but it is important to remember that even though we aren’t cavemen, we are ultimately the ones in control of our own health. Interested in learning more about what the Paleo diet can do for you? Contact Your Lean Life today!