Table of contents:
- What is the paleo diet?
- What are the benefits of having a paleo diet?
- How do I go on the paleo diet?
- Sample menu from paleo diet
- For breakfast
- For lunch
- Dinner
- Is it true that paleo diet is healthier?
Have you heard of the paleo diet? Maybe you often hear about various types of diets whose main purpose is to improve body health and lose weight. One of the well-known types of diet is the paleo diet. How is it different from other diets? To find out, please refer to the following explanation regarding the paleo diet.
What is the paleo diet?
Paleo diet or also known as the ancient human diet (cavemandiet) is a diet that adapts the eating habits of our ancestors in ancient times. As the name paleo suggests, this diet follows the dietary habits of people in the Paleolithic period (about 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago).
The purpose of this diet is to restore human eating habits like ancient humans. The Paleo diet believes that the human body is better suited to a diet like the ancient people (who ate food from hunting and gathering) than the modern diet, which saw changes to a more sophisticated agricultural system.
What are the benefits of having a paleo diet?
Due to the incompatibility with changes in the way humans get food, diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are common in humans today. This agrees with what Loren Cordain, PhD, who wrote the book, said The Paleo Diet, that by eating foods like your ancestors in prehistoric times, you will be slimmer and less at risk for diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and other health problems, reported by WebMD.
Cordain also says that by adopting the paleo diet, you can reduce your body's glycemic load, have a healthier ratio of saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids, increase your consumption of vitamins, and have a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates. You may also be able to lose weight without cutting calories by adopting the paleo diet, as it is rich in protein and fiber.
How do I go on the paleo diet?
If you want to stick to the paleo diet, you should eat “natural” (not artificial) foods, such as:
- Lean meat
- Fish, especially fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids, such as salmon, mackerel and tuna
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Egg
- Nuts
- Whole grains
- Oils from fruit and nuts, such as olive oil, coconut oil, or walnut oil
You are prohibited from consuming any type of processed food, processed food, or packaged food. Also, you are prohibited from consuming:
- Milk and dairy products
- Wheat, oats and barley
- Legumes, such as beans, lentils, peanuts, and peas
- Fine granulated sugar
- Salt
- Potato
- Oil that has undergone a lot of processing, such as canola oil
You don't have to calculate how many calories you should eat or how many calories you should limit while on the paleo diet. Fruits, vegetables, and lean meats should be enough to meet the calories you need.
Early on on this diet must be tough for you. Therefore, you are given freedom when you are on this diet for the first time. You are free to eat whatever you want for 3 days a week. Or if you are adjusting to the paleo diet right away, you can challenge yourself to eat freely just one day a week. Looks easier right?
To get more benefits during the paleo diet, of course you are advised to keep doing sports. Exercise can help you lose weight faster, maintain weight, and maintain your overall health.
Sample menu from paleo diet
Changing your eating habits can be difficult. However, if you want to try the paleo diet, you can start with the sample menu below.
For breakfast
You can start your breakfast with an easy-to-make dish, namely omelette. Sauté the onions, peppers, mushrooms and broccoli in olive oil. Then add the eggs enriched with omega 3 and pieces of chicken breast.
For lunch
For the first time, you can try to make a salad with a composition of various ingredients that you like. You can make it from a mixture:
- Vegetables and fruit, such as spinach, turnip greens, peppers, cucumbers, carrots, avocados, almonds, apples and pears.
- Food sources of protein, such as lean meat, chicken, or seafood, such as salmon, tuna, shrimp.
- Olive oil and lemon juice.
Dinner
You can make food from salmon or fillet grilled fish together with asparagus, broccoli, and spinach, add the garlic and olive oil to make it taste more delicious. Remember, you shouldn't add salt! You can eat a variety of fruits as a dessert from your dinner.
Is it true that paleo diet is healthier?
By consuming healthy food ingredients, such as fruits and vegetables, and avoiding processed and packaged foods, of course you will be healthier after undergoing the paleo diet. A study that lasted 12 weeks or less in several groups on the paleo diet, found that the paleo diet can reduce weight, improve glucose tolerance, control blood pressure better, and improve appetite regulation.
The absence of salt and processed foods makes this diet low in sodium, making it beneficial for those of you who have high blood pressure. However, the absence of wheat, legumes, and milk in this diet may increase your risk of osteoporosis and heart disease. Milk is a source of calcium and vitamin D in modern dietary habits, where these two nutrients are important for preventing osteoporosis, especially in women.
More and greater research into the long-term health benefits and risks of the paleo diet may be needed.