Paleo Diet: Fad Diet or Life Style Change?

 Part 2 in the “Fad Diet or Lifestyle Change?” series is the Paleo Diet!

The paleo diet is when an individual eats foods that basically a caveman would eat, such as meat, fish, fruit, and veggies. This type of lifestyle has gotten a lot of publicity through popular sites like Pinterest and Facebook with in the past few years, although there are research articles dating back all the way to 1997 for the Paleo diet. There are also many celebrities who swear by it (such as Jack Osborne, Jessica Biel, Megan Fox, Matthew McConaughey, etc.) However, just because a celebrity endorses a product or diet/lifestyle doesn’t always mean you should hop onto the bandwagon.  Be smart and do your research first (which is what you’re about to read!)

The Paleo lifestyle is one that can be altered. Some individuals prefer to go extremely low carb (higher protein and fat diet), while others need those carbs in their diet such as potatoes, rice, or extra fruits and veggies. 

There are two main rules I found while doing my research with the paleo diet. 

First, eat whole and nutrient dense foods at all times. No, you do not have to act like a caveman, that’s just the “mascot”. You want to eat foods that are more healthful than harmful to your health. For example, your diet should consist of grass-fed meat and eggs, fresh veggies and fruit, as well as nuts and seeds in moderation.

Secondly, avoid all the processed and sugar added foods out there. Really try to stay out of the middle isles (however- I always like to get my beans, corn, and some other canned veggies that I just rinse under water).  You also want to avoid gluten, dairy, and other sugar or white carb type of grains while on this diet.

You may be thinking to yourself, this sounds great! Or you may be thinking, “this sounds terrible”… either way, here’s some of the benefits and consequences of going paleo.

Benefits:

•        Adapting an extremely clean lifestyle
•        Rich in nutrient-dense food
•        No calorie/macro counting, no grey area.
•   Paleo-style eating emphasizes whole foods, lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and other healthy fats, which is a massive improvement over the average Western diet.
•      You may end up losing weight, gaining clearer skin, and overall feeling better. This is simply because you are eating right and getting rid of processed foods. However, you may feel fatigued at first when you switch over to a Paleo Lifestyle. This is why I always recommend to switch SLOWLY! 
•        The paleo diet truly shows you how awful packaged and processed foods are

Consequences:

•       You eliminate entire food groups, making yo more likely to binge eat them or develop intolerance to it, as well as lacking in a certain mineral. For example, you cannot eat dairy. This may work well for some, however this means no yogurt, cottage cheese, or milk! These things that contain protein and calcium are vital to your diet, and you must find these nutrients elsewhere. Another example is that if you give up dairy for an entire year, you could develop intolerance to it.
•        It may be harder to eat out, although most of the time restaurants are more than willing to accommodate your needs.
•        This is not a “one-size-fits-all” diet. Some people need dairy and legumes in their diet more than others. Find what works for YOU! Personally, I need some type of starchy carb (sweet potato, quinoa, or couscous) in my lunch or else I will be a hangry monster looking to feast the rest of the day.

Overall, what do I think? I think this is your choice! Paleo is such a great way to get acclimated in the clean eating world, or it's a great way to spruce up your diet! However, I choose to just eat clean. I believe that there are no good or bad foods when it comes to legumes, quinoa, couscous, dairy, etc. The only “bad” foods I try to stay away from are processed junk food like chips, baked goods, candy, etc. Remember that if you do want to go on a paleo diet, you MUST start phasing out all your processed foods for at least a week! You need to slowly phase these bad foods out so you do not put your body into shock and develop headaches, stomachaches, fatigue, etc. And if you feel the Paleo Lifestyle isn’t right for you, adjust slowly. Start phasing foods back into your diet to avoid bloating, headaches, stomachaches, etc.

Tip: Although I am not following the paleo lifestyle, (I feel that other than eating dairy, I follow it loosely) I love to search paleo recipes. These will typically be the cleanest and easiest recipes! Below is a chart that I feel represents the way I eat vs. Paleo. Tell me what you think!