The Paleo Diet

The Paleo Diet

"The non-vegetarian weight loss diet."

Let’s move to the next phase of diets and here the game begins. We will start with different diet plans and with considerations that which diet is suitable for which kind of purpose or population. 

For all you non-vegetarians out there hunting for methods to lose weight without compromising with the taste, this Paleo weight loss diet is the just diet JUST FOR YOU. Though general consideration is that eating non-veg food will increase body fat, but if you didn't know that you can lose weight by the fattiest diet, then you should read further and explore the benefits of the Paleo diet. Let us begin with the Paleo diet. And I will tell you everything you need to know about the Paleo. 

Origin and the Theory: The foundation of the Paleo Diet is in the roots of our foundation. It derives its name from its emphasis on the foods to eat which were available in the Paleolithic era. It asserts eating the foods that were available before agricultural practices evolved. The basic theory behind this diet plan is that the most lately known diseases can be associated with the diets that came during these times. As per the Discordance hypothesis, what we eat today does not match with our genes. And this discrepancy has brought the day’s maximum diseases; more certainly obesity, cardiovascular disorders, diabetes and cancer. The farming cultures and what is being produced to feed changed abruptly with the speed of the storm. And after agriculture, it was industrialization that completely revolutionized the whole civilization. But our body mechanisms could not adapt to these changes at the same pace. 

The whole emphasis of this diet program is on the whole foods, vegetables, seeds, nuts, fruits, fish and lean meat. People in the Paleolithic era used to gather these foods by hunting and hence this diet plan insists on using these foods. It is also known with the names of the caveman diet, Stone Age diet, primal diet and even hunter-gatherer diet. 

The purpose of creation of the Paleo diet was not weight loss, but it resulted in weight loss and hence it has made its way in this column. It was originally designed to fight the lifestyle diseases which seem to have entered our systems through civilization and sometimes also termed as civilization diseases a few of which are heart diseases, diabetes and cancer. 

Just like any other diet, you will learn about in your future reading, the same way the Paleo diet is completely against the processed foods and sugar. Discouraging the use of grains and dairy products is something different from other weight loss diet plans. And the Paleo diet restricts these diets for the reason they originated after the end of the Paleolithic era, i.e. approximately 10,000 years back. There is no focus on reducing calories in the Paleo diet. Instead, it focuses on high-protein intake and a fiber-rich diet. High protein intake brings a significant reduction in the appetite by making you feel fuller for longer. 

 What does it permit?

• Vegetables and Fruits: They provide natural sugar and suffice the daily carbohydrate requirements. You’ll get maximum multivitamins also from these two sources. Some of the vegetables are onions, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, kale, peppers, cucumber, spinach, mushrooms. And some of the permissible and nutritious fruits are Avocados (of course for their nutritive values), bananas, apples, oranges, pears, blueberries, strawberries; mostly the wild varieties.
• Nuts: The dried fruits comprise the portion of nuts and are luxurious sources of nutrition. Examples include walnuts, almonds, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts but not peanuts. 
• Seeds: Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds can provide energy as well as desired fat content and that too the good one. 
• Seafood: Seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are essential in keeping the heart functioning healthily. Some of the fish breeds which are rich in these goods fats are salmon, albacore tuna, trout, haddocks and mackerel. And if you can manage to get wild versions, you are on a real Paleo meal. You can also have shrimps.
• Lean meat: Lean meat is a rich source of lean protein. Paleo diet insists on eating the meat of either the grass-fed animals or the wild animals, the kind that can be hunted and gathered. Not just protein, it also contains good fats. So, reservoir requirements are also being met with. And examples that come in this category are beef, turkey, lamb, chicken and pork.
• Oils: Oils in just as much required quantities but derived from the fruit seeds and nuts. Major examples are Olive oil, Coconut oil, Avocado oil, almond butter and Walnut oil.
• Eggs: If you can get natural, wild eggs, it is best. Otherwise, you can also use omega-3 enriched ones. 
• Herbs and spices: You can use garlic, sea salt, turmeric, celery, rosemary, parsley. These will keep your digestive system in proper function and are also needed for increasing the immunity.
• Tubers: Tubers like yam, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips are permissible only with a flexible Paleo diet.
• Water: Enough hydration is achieved with vegetables and fruits, but when it comes to thirst, you can go for water. Being physically active, your water requirement may increase. So, you can also take green tea. It is also rich in antioxidants.

What it restricts?

• Grains: Grains like wheat, barley, rye, spelt since all these evolved as farming products. Not just the whole grains but even the foods made from them like bread, pizzas, pasta.
• Legumes: Legumes like pulses, beans, peanuts and peas, again because they too evolved with agriculture. These are rich sources of protein as on today. To suffice the protein requirements, the Paleo diet uses lean meat instead.
• Dairy products: The classic paleo diet restricts the use of any dairy product like milk, cheese, butter, curd. Still, modern-day Paleo diet gets flexible here and we have sample diets that do permit the use of dairy products.
• Refined foods: Anything that has been refined like refined vegetable oils or even refined sugar. To meet with the immediate carbohydrate requirements, the Paleo diet employs fruits as they contain natural sugars.
• Processed foods: Anything that has been processed from its raw form should not be taken with the Paleo diet. And this is something every weight loss diet restricts.
• Sugar and sugar-based beverages: Soft drinks or candies, ice-creams, pastries, doughnuts and even high-fructose corn syrups contain high content of sugars and while on a weight loss diet, they are just a “NO”.
• Artificial sweeteners: Though they are low on calories, the Paleo diet is purely eating the hunter-gatherer kind of foods and does not permit the use of anything artificial. Examples of available artificial sweeteners are Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose, Cyclamates, Acesulfame potassium. I am bringing you the names to you so that you can know when to say No.
• Trans fats: These are the unsaturated fats which undergo chemical treatment to enhance their shelf-life. The paleo diet consists of meat which already has enough natural fat. So, extra consumption can only be harmful and should be completely cut-off. Even these are not good for the heart. 

Example Paleo Menu for a week: The menu has been designed keeping in consideration that the numbers of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, trace elements are all covered in the balanced amount. What we have designed is for anyone weighing between 50-60kg trying to lose approximately 4-5kg. Some alterations can be done according to individual weights.

Let’s get started.

Day 1:

Breakfast: 2 eggs and a bowl of vegetables fried in half teaspoon of olive oil (or any other oil mentioned as permissible). Add 2 slices of any fruit.

Lunch: 10 mixed nuts (any, but not just anyone type, they should be mixed) and Chicken salad sauté in any oil but different from the one used in breakfast.

Dinner: Some fish and vegetables cooked in a teaspoon of any oil. 

Snacks: A few slices of any fruit and carrot sticks

Day 2:

Breakfast: Broiled salmon and cantaloupe with 2 slices of any fruit not used yesterday.

Lunch: Broiled lean meat/pork cooked slowly with cucumber salad.

Dinner: Steamed vegetables, some blueberries or strawberries.

Snacks: 10 mixed nuts and some celery sticks

Day 3:

Breakfast: Bacon and an omelette of 2 eggs, 5 nuts of any one type

Lunch: Lean beef slow-cooked, mixed vegetable salad in lemon water dressing.

Dinner: Salmon or any other seafood cooked in a teaspoon of oil.

Snacks: 1 complete fruit (any)

Day 4: 

Breakfast: 2 eggs and a bowl of vegetables fried in half teaspoon of olive oil (or any other oil mentioned as permissible). Add 2 slices of any fruit.

Lunch: Stir-fried ground beef with some cucumber salad

Dinner: Steak with vegetables and a small portion of any fish or some shrimps.

Snacks: Carrot sticks and 7 mixed nuts.

Day 5:

Breakfast: Lean meat with 5 nuts of any type.

Lunch: Stir-fried vegetables with some berries.

Dinner: Chicken salad and a small portion of salmon.

Snacks: 2 pieces of any fruit and carrot sticks

Day 6:

Breakfast: Harissa-baked Chicken wings, 1 poached egg and 2 slices of any fruit.

Lunch: Steak and vegetables and a portion of lamb.

Dinner: Baked salmon, a whole fruit

Snacks: 10 mixed nuts

Day 7: 

Breakfast: Bacon and 2 boiled eggs, 5 nuts of any one type

Lunch: Stir-fried ground beef with some cucumber salad

Dinner: A small portion of broiled pork with 2-3 strawberries

Snacks: 2 pieces of any fruit and 5 mixed nuts.

Points to remember:

• Replace the nuts with fruits in case of weight loss is needed soon enough. And then snacks portion is absolutely optional in case you’re hungry or you have done a lot of physical activity.
• The point of using whole foods is that they are free of any other ingredient which is not required. During processing, at each step, something is added and that something is not necessary. So, only whole foods.
• Try to eat the wilder varieties because the Stone Age people were not served the platters. Instead, they hunted in the wild and they ate the wild.

Flexible Paleo Diet: Every diet plan is versatile and it should be the so. Even during the Paleolithic era, our ancestors must have eaten different foods at different times based on their geographical distribution and also the seasonal availability. (Read more: https://fitnesswayofliving.blogspot.com/2020/01/going-local.html) And as per today’s need, a little allowance of customization based on individual dietary needs is always welcome. Another flexibility issue can arise because of its availability. Not every edible item is available at all places, at all seasons and at all times. So, we need to substitute certain fragments with the available ones but with the understanding that the nutritional requirements it caters to should not suffer. The classic Paleo diet restricted the use of dairy products in the routine, but the flexible version allows the use of certain dairy products like butter and cheese to enhance the metabolism of fats. And even the use of potatoes and sweet potatoes to meet with the carbohydrate requirements. Modern-day paleo diets have also included certain grains like rice which are gluten-free. Tea and coffee as beverages were also not included in the traditional paleo diet but can be introduced for their nutritional values and the luxurious sources of antioxidants. 

The Cheat Code: Even the weight loss diets have cheat codes. But, indulge in them only to the level that you can stay connected with the motive with a little bit of healthy cheating. Yes, red wine and high-quality dark chocolate are the things you can indulge in but keep a check on the quantity and the frequency. At least do not take before a week of the diet plan. If you plan to take the Paleo diet for a longer duration, then you can introduce these as a part of weekly vacation; but mind it just a short trip.

Since our hunter-gatherer ancestors used to have food either only when they felt hungry or when they could find something to eat. There was no method of keeping the foods for very long. They hunted, they cooked, and they ate. But, today’s paleo diet comprises of multiple meals. So, while on an original Paleo diet, having meals more than once a day is also cheating. 

Results: The weight loss comes with additional benefits with the Paleo diet.

• Many users have witnessed a remarkable reduction in waist circumference with this diet. As per most users, the waist size just shrinks and the jeans sizes you cannot have imagined to get in with large bellies become the part of your wardrobe soon enough.
• Improved heart functioning and better lipid profiles with an increase in High-density lipids also known as the good lipids and reduced levels of triglycerides. Increase in good lipids also enhances the metabolic rate and hence burn calories. Additionally, improved insulin activity can also be associated with increased good lipids. Improvement in systolic blood pressure is significant.
• Reduction in diabetes. Research and trials have resulted that the Paleo diet improves glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and reduces insulin resistance. And the weight loss achieved removes the risk of getting diabetic even for the ones standing at the borderline.
• Reduction in Body Mass Index has also been seen in many findings. 
• Eating natural and mostly organic foods have resulted in a reduction in acne.
• Some studies have shown a reduction in inflammation and this has been found a contributing factor in the reduction of cancer cases.

Who can follow? 

Well, weight loss diets cannot delight every tooth or shrink down every waist. My recommendation on using the Paleo diet is for the ones:

• with large belly sizes and want a reduction in waist size.
• people who are diabetics or at the borderline.
• People who are heart patients or the ones with cardiovascular complications.
• who is doing this for a short-term but can live it as a lifestyle later on.
• If you have your taste buds craving for non-vegetarian food and still want to reduce weight by weight management but no compromise on meat meals, then the Paleo is for you.

Who should not follow?

• Paleo diet is not for Vegetarian people. Since it consists of a lot of seafood and lean meat, without these vegetarian people will not get sufficient proteins. The richest sources of proteins in any vegetarian diet are the legumes and dairy and both these are restricted in the paleo diet.
• Since following the paleo diet involves a lot of home-cooking, it can be very time-consuming and if you’re short of time or have no one else to do the cooking part for you, this diet is surely not for you.
• If you have a tight pocket, then I recommend going for some other diet. Either you do the hunting yourself or if you got to buy a lot of lean meat and seafood, the Paleo ingredients are going to weigh heavily on your pocket. Remember, it is not an economical or pocket-friendly diet. 

The Support Group: There are many member groups, both online forums and communities as well as real-world public groups. Meeting, joining and talking to the people who either were on the Paleo diet, are on it or are looking forward to starting the same can keep you motivated along the way. If you choose to plunge in the paleo diet, you’ll have plenty of support from other paleo eaters.

The Difficulty: The paleo lifestyle is difficult to achieve completely. You cannot impersonate your ancestors completely. They lived a wild lifestyle that involved moving and hunting and gathering and eating. There were no money, there was no worry. And then, our genes cannot reverse back. We have what we already have but with a paleo lifestyle, not just a diet plan for a short-term, but for a longer run, you’ll have a healthy heart and better glycemic profile. 

My Recommendation for weight loss: Since the Paleo diet was not originally meant to be a weight loss diet, it may lack certain essential elements. There is no uncertainty in the fact that you can achieve a considerable amount of weight loss with the Paleo diet. But, I strongly recommend not sticking to the original diet plan if you plan to continue for more than 6 months. In my personal opinion, eating frequently but in small quantities, never full to the satiety can also not be met with a classic Paleo meal. For an increased metabolic rate, you will have to increase the number of meals and decrease the portion of what you eat. This will stay as “My Rule” for all the weight loss meals.

Whatever region, country, the climate you choose to start your weight loss, the available sources and the ones that will work will always vary. For a customized weight loss diet plan following the Paleo, do write to us in the comments section and do not forget to subscribe. You follow us, we will follow your requirements. Give us your reason and the region and we will work out the best meal plan for you because we believe healthy living revolves around healthy eating and local eating is the most easily adaptable eating.