A Brief Intro
When on the topic of fad diets you’re likely to find that proponents of any one of the fad diets I’m planning on covering are likely to be convinced that the diet they follow is by far and away the best way to eat for everyone. They tend to view those of us not convinced of the purity and divine perfection of their diet as ignorant, uneducated or flat-out stupid.
There is no need for the average everyday person to follow some special diet. Obviously this excludes those with pre-existing conditions or food allergies. You’re likely to find that most of the fad diets I’m covering will work when done correctly, but also tend to be needlessly restrictive. If these diets will work for you and are something you will enjoy then that’s great! My goal is to show you what they are, what they aren’t and that they will work, but aren’t the best or only way to be healthy
The Paleo Diet
The Paleo Diet is essentially trying to come close to replicating what are distant ancestors ate. This means a diet high in not only meats and fish, but also plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. The idea that a lot of people throw around is that our ancestors were very healthy so we should try and replicate them. This diet is heavily based on meat,vegetables, nuts, and eggs. The The Paleo diet recommends cutting out processed carbohydrates and cooking oils.
Alright this is sounding alright we’re off to a good start
Now this is where Paleo loses it’s appeal for me. Paleo recommends cutting out legumes (like peanuts) Dairy, and Grains as well as Potatoes. Now you could definitely get by without eating these foods it just doesn’t make any real sense to cut out these things. It would be very difficult to consume enough carbs through exclusively veggies and fruit to function with high energy throughout the day. This would likely result in weight loss from eating fewer calories, but at a cost I personally am not willing to pay.
Misconceptions
I will be eating mostly meat in my diet
- A true paleo diet contains a lot of fruit and veggies on top of meat which is definitely a positive for this diet.
The caveman were healthier than us from eating this diet
- For the most part this is just nonsense to make this diet sound better
Cutting out carbs is the reason this diet works
- In reality carbs are just fine and even beneficial for your health and well-being. This is one reason I would never use this diet. Needless restriction of carbs is my least favorite diet characteristic.
This diet is high in saturated fat which is bad for me
- Saturated fat has been shown to increase risk for heart disease when chronically excessively over consumed. Most people won’t eat the amount necessary for this to apply so they don’t really need to worry about this.
Summary
A Paleo diet can work and be beneficial for plenty of people, but like I’ve said before it is absolutely not the best or only way to improve your health. It’s far from perfect and can be needlessly restrictive. The Paleo Diet would be good for those who don’t mind consuming a low-carb meat and veggie rich diet.
I know it’s not the best diet for me, but is it the best diet for you?
Let me know down below in the comments
Research/Further Reading
http://rustikmagazine.com/diet-trends/#.WWes29MrJsM
http://thepaleodiet.com/what-to-eat-on-the-paleo-diet-paul-vandyken/