Paleo Diet

1. Is Paleo Right For You? By Carol Chuang Paleo has received a great deal of media attention in the last few years. Proponents claim that by eating like our hunter- gatherer ancestors, we can lose excess weight, lower blood sugar, triglyceride (a blood fat), blood pressure, as well as risks of heart disease and cancer. With more than two-thirds of Americans being either obese or overweight and growing rates of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer, can eating Paleo be the panacea for our health problems? The following explains how paleo came about, what it entails, and whether the paleo way of eating is right for your body.

2. What Changed From Paleo To Now? The paleo diet is based on the idea of eating only foods that our bodies were designed for over the last 2.6 millions years of evolution. During the Paleolithic period, our early ancestors started using primitive tools (made of stone, bone, and wood) and fire. They led a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and ate varying proportions of wild animals, fish, shellfish, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables, depending on season and availability. Such foods were nutrient-dense, toxin-free, whole foods. Agriculture did not come about until 10,000-13,000 years ago. Humans began eating domesticated animals, cereal grains, beans, potato, and drinking wine. Then dramatic changes came about in the last 50-100 years. Advances in technology have made many new forms of food available for human consumption. We are eating substantially more commercially packaged and prepared foods laden with chemicals, preservatives, and additives. Nutritionally speaking, these foods are a far cry from the unprocessed, natural, whole foods that humans used to eat. What's worse, we spray herbicides and pesticides (which are toxic chemicals) on our crops, feed our animals and seafood antibiotics and growth hormones, and genetically manipulated the plants that we eat. Well, it is true that we are living longer now but is our quality of health much better than the Paleolithic humans? These days, we are inflicted by a myriad of chronic and debilitating diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. All these inflammatory diseases have only become common in the last 50-100 years. There is little doubt that our modern day food choices have a major role to play in the development of such diseases. So the next question is: can we remedy our current health problems by going back to a hunter-gather diet? But before going into that, let's first look at what a paleo diet calls for. Paleo Practices The Paleolithic diet was first popularized by Loren Cordain in his best-selling 2002 book named The Paleo Diet. Since then, there have been many other paleo-based diet books which are usually variations of Cordain's original book. These authors argue that human genome has not changed that much from the Paleolithic times millions of years ago. Hence, modern humans have been unable to properly metabolize the relatively new types of foods, resulting in modern-day health problems. As a result, in order to enjoy a longer, healthier, and more active life, the authors suggest following a diet that is as nutritionally close to that of our Paleolithic ancestors as possible. What to eat: More protein from meat and seafood. Most take on a whole animal approach, including organs, bone marrow, and cartilage. Animal products, such as eggs. Moderate to higher fat intake, like butter, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. Fewer carbohydrates with the main source coming from non-starchy vegetables and fruits. Sweet potato, yam, plantain, and taro root are allowed. Raw honey and maple syrup What to avoid: Dairy All grains Potatoes (allowed by some versions of Paleo) Legumes, like beans and peanuts. Trans fats and processed oils, such as from canola, soybean, and corn. Refined sugar Processed foods Salt Coffee Alcohol

3. The Pros Of The Paleo Diet The foods emphasized in the paleo diet are, indeed, loaded with nutrients our bodies need. The most nutrient-dense foods are organ meats from pastured animals, grass-fed beef, lamb, wild game, seafood, pastured eggs, fresh vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, and herbs and spices. Our modern western diet focuses too much on grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, etc.), yeast breads, deep-fried foods, pizza, sweetened beverages, and alcoholic drinks. By eating less of these nutritionally inferior foods, we can make room for more healthier choices. In contrast to high-carbohydrate, low-fat diets that have led to skyrocketing rates of diabetes, obesity, and other inflammatory diseases, people who go on a paleo diet generally report lower blood sugar, triglyceride, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and blood pressure levels. They also tend to lose weight as well as belly fat. Since paleo is a grain-free diet, it is suitable for people who have Celiac disease or non-Celiac gluten sensitivity. For such individuals, they need to strictly avoid gluten-containing grains like wheat, rye, and barley. The Cons Of The Paleo Diet The paleo diet is a single approach that may not work for everyone. As a matter of fact, studies show that there were tremendous variations in what our ancestors ate depending on which part of the world they lived in. Case in point, some people clearly feel better on a higher protein and fat intake, but others seem to do well when they eat a lesser amount. Many metabolically healthy individuals feel more energetic and vibrant when they increase their carbohydrate intake. Some may even find that moderate carbohydrate intake can help break through a weight loss plateau. Hence, the key is to personalize your own approach to meet your own unique needs rather than blindly adhering to a specific template. Seafood is no longer an ideal choice of protein. Most ocean fish are contaminated with mercury, PCBs, and toxins from pollution. Farmed fish and shrimp are fed antibiotics, growth hormones, and drugs. Therefore, one needs to be very selective when buying seafood. The better choices are wild Alaskan salmon, sardines, anchovies, herrings, and squid. Full-fat dairy from grass-fed animals can be a very healthy food if it is well tolerated by your body. For people with digestive problems, autoimmune conditions, and leaky gut, it is probably not a good idea. However, for those who have intact intestinal barrier and who are otherwise healthy, there is no need to eliminate dairy. For example, kefir, yogurt, and raw cheese are full of healthy microbes that are extremely beneficial to your intestinal health. Grains and legumes are nutritious as long as they are properly prepared (to remove anti-nutrients like lectins and phytic acid) and your body can tolerate them. If you are gluten sensitive, you should always avoid wheat, rye, and barley. If you are diabetic or suffering from metabolic syndrome, you should be on a lower carbohydrate diet anyway. Otherwise, most anti- nutrients in grains and legumes can be substantially reduced by properly soaking, sprouting, or fermenting them. For example, the slowly fermented sourdough bread is much healthier and more nutritious than the common bread made from white flour and commercial yeast. Sugar is not toxic, nor is it a replacement for real food. Small amounts of it can fit into a whole food and nutrient-dense diet as long as you do not have blood sugar issues and that it is used for what it is supposed to be - an occasional treat. It is true that natural sweeteners like raw honey and maple syrup are more nutritious than refined sugars. However, those who are eating paleo should make sure that they do not consume these "allowed" foods excessively.

4. Is Paleo The Right Diet For You? Paleo-style eating has a lot of good qualities. It emphasizes whole natural foods, protein from grass-fed animals, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. It is, without doubt, far superior than the standard American diet. Yet, the paleo diet has some flaws too. Not everyone needs to exclude dairy, grains, and legumes as they can be healthy foods if your body does not have a sensitivity towards them. The biggest problem with paleo is that it is a one-size-fits-all approach that will not work for everyone. As discussed earlier, some people need more protein and fat, while others require more carbohydrates to function optimally. Moreover, most people will not be able to follow a strict diet for a long period of time. Once they go off, they go back to their old habits and routine. Therefore, instead of being fixated on following a strict hunter-gatherer diet template, think about making small changes in your modern lifestyle that support your genetic needs. Eat more freshly cooked foods prepared with organic, toxin-free, chemical-free ingredients. Think about variety, balance, and moderation. Know that the fewer kinds of foods consumed, the greater the chance of nutrient deficiencies. Buy less commercially packaged or prepared foods that you might normally eat. Reduce your sugar intake, be it natural or refined. Drink less alcohol. Don't sit so much. Get moving, go outside for a walk. Aim to have 30 minutes of activity every day. Go to bed earlier and get a good night's sleep. Carol Chuang is a Certified Nutrition Specialist and a Metabolic Typing Advisor. She has a Masters degree in Nutrition and is the founder of CC Health Counseling, LLC. Her passion in life is to stay healthy and to help others become healthy. She believes that a key ingredient to optimal health is to eat a diet that is right for one's specific body type. Eating organic or eating healthy is not enough to guarantee good health. The truth is that there is no one diet that is right for everyone. Our metabolisms are different, so should our diets. Carol specializes in Metabolic Typing, helping her clients find the right diet for their Metabolic Type. To learn more about Metabolic Typing, her nutrition counseling practice, and how to get a complimentary phone consultation, please go to http://cchealthcounseling.com/ Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Carol_Chuang/545843

5. Benefits Of Following The Paleo Diet Lifestyle By Nick Simpson The paleo diet really is more of a lifestyle than a true diet. Its main goal is a healthy living, not direct weight loss. However, this is for many, a side effect of making the required eating habit changes to one's daily diet. There are many benefits to living the paleo way and we will discuss that further in this very article. If you are interested in living a happier, more mentally alert and healthier life, then please keep reading. The automatic result of changing eating habits to the foods our Paleolithic ancestors ate is, we no longer get bombarded with the complex and dangerous chemicals that are commonly added to the most popular foods in today's grocery stores. It is believed that our bodies have not evolved to properly process many of these chemicals. On the other hand, many of these chemical are plain old Dangerous to our bodies and mental capacity. Eating real food, not processed foods, will make a noticeable and positive change to your mental and physical health. As stated earlier, this is not technically a diet plan, more of a lifestyle based around making healthy choices to fuel your body with the best wholesome foods possible. The results for many do include weight loss, but please consider the points below when considering what the paleo diet really has to offer to you and anybody who takes the proper steps to make changes in their own life. Food Coloring May Be Pretty, But… Did you know many of the most common foods (not found on the paleo diet food list) have food coloring added to them to make them look appetizing? This alone does not sound dangerous, but the actual chemicals to obtain these colors are very problematic. In the 1970's the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) banned red dye no. 2 because it was found that in high doses it would actually cause cancer in laboratory rats. The yellow no. 5 dye was found to increase hyperactivity in children by a British study in 2007 and to worsen asthma symptoms by studies that go back to the 1950's. Naturally Sweet, Just Makes Sense High fructose corn syrup has received a lot of negative media in the past few years and for good reason. This sweetener that is derived from corn, an alternative to natural sugar from sugar cane, has some major health concerns connected to it. This sweetener is found in soft drinks, junk food and just about anything that is sweet and carries a decent shelf like at the grocery store. It has been connected to the raise of obesity in America and the body does not metabolize it in the same way as sugar based sweeteners. Mercury contaminants are found in it and this has yet to be regulated by the FDA. The companies that use this in their foods have spent millions to "educate" the public on its safety, yet the extraction process is still secret and unknown to all. This additive is almost exclusively used in poor quality "food like substances", so that should be enough for you to know you need to stay away from it. Salty &Healthy Don't Belong In The Same Sentence Americans love salt. There I said it. Many people love to put extra salt on foods that are already doused with butter (which normally already contains salt) to bring out this familiar taste. There are many dangers of high sodium diets. The most apparent is the hypertension or high blood pressure (that leads to heart issues) that is associated with too much salt in one's diet. In mature adults, high salt intake can lead to premature cognitive decline. Salt also changes the way your kidneys function, not allowing it to regulate the release of water to the body as normal and can lead to kidney stones. Salt can even lead to a skin condition called edema. This condition causes swelling of the extremities.

6. Living The Paleo Life There are many other reasons that the paleo diet has become one of the most popular ways to change your health. The reasons discussed here are just the tip of the iceberg. The real magic starts when you realize that removing the things that have a negative impact on your health are magnified by adding more of the healthy vitamins and nutrients found in the foods that are paleo approved. Changing your lifestyle takes time and of course some work, but hopefully you have found enough reasons here that you find the determination to move forward with some healthy changes starting today! Many people have already realized the benefits of making healthier choices to change the way they look and feel. If you want to be leaner and more mentally tough, it may be time to make some changes in your own lifestyle. Learn more about healthy paleo diet recipes that work and begin your journey to a healthier you! Want to get started? Grab these free paleo recipes every week and start empowering your body with true health now! Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nick_Simpson/287801

7. 5 Paleo Diet Tips To Help You Succeed Easier By Nick Simpson If you are new to the Paleo diet, don't worry, there is plenty of help available. This is one of the most popular diets in the world and there are plenty of great resources available to make sure you succeed. Understanding how to make the right choices to help your body take full advantage of this simple and realistic diet is a great place to start. This article will explore 5 simple tips to help anybody who is new to the Paleo lifestyle. Let's dig in and start living healthy and clean from today on. 5 Simple Tips To Launch Your Paleo Lifestyle Right 1. Do Not Rely On Willpower Yes this is probably a confusing statement at first. However, the concept is both simple and powerful. Removing the foods from your home that are not part of diet will make them inaccessible will make your willpower to stay on track a breeze. 2. Motion Is Your Friend Exercising regularly definitely assists with any weight loss program, but this does not have to be main focus if you are active through the day. Motion = Exercise to a caveman! Increasing your activity through the day is much easier than taking on a full exercise regiment. Lean to park further away, go grab the things you used to have the kids get for you and do more outside. This will help more than you think. 3. Calories Are Not Everything Most diets will look at calories and make you a mathematician before it's all over and done with. Calories do affect your weight, but by no means are they a main ingredient in living healthier and happier in this lifestyle. You may want to pay attention to them, but don't lose your mind counting them. 4. Losing Weight Does Not Mean Starving To Death OK so yes, running a deficit on caloric intake will cause weight loss, but let's make sure we are performing a sustainable daily diet. Eating healthy does not mean you have to eat two spoonfuls. Eat, get full, stop. Paleo foods will allow your body to process food easier and will help your metabolism do more of the work for you. 5. Simpler Really Is Better One thing that many people notice when they start with this healthy lifestyle, is that there are not 15 different ingredients with 2 sauces and sprinkles on top. This is because most recent foodies over complicate good things. This can also be done within the restraints of the Paleo diet. Keeping things simple means, simpler to digest, easier to cook, faster meals and appetite suppression. So here more than anywhere else the KISS theory does apply. It is important to have the right resources on hand with any new diet. If you just now starting out on the paleo diet, get started with these free paleo recipes delivered to your inbox every week. No catch, just register and we will send you new chef approved paleo diet recipes each week so you can get off on the right foot! You can also find more free paleo resources on our main site. We love to share relevant information to bring you the success you deserve. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Nick_Simpson/287801

8. 3 Great Paleo Diet Recipes For Men By Idd Aziz The Paleo diet is one of the most popular diets in the world. While the diet has very simple requirements where it simply requires you to eat whole, unprocessed foods that won't cause systemic inflammation or wreck your gut, many people don't know the right foods that they should take. If you are a man, here are some of the best Paleo diet recipes that you should take: Sweet potato mash To make sweet potato mash for one person you need 4 large sweet potatoes, coconut or olive oil, and 120 ml of unsweetened almond milk. You should start by placing the sweet potatoes in boiling water and then let them boil for 20 minutes or until they are soft. You should then drain and mash them while gradually adding oil and almond milk. You should continue mashing until you attain your desired consistency. The cool thing with this recipe is that it's easy to prepare as it doesn't have many ingredients to prepare. Kale chips Kale chips are not only very beneficial to the body, they are also very easy to prepare. While you can use any kale variety, one of the best to use is Lacianto kale. The cool thing with this kale is that it's large and rigid. When preparing it you should ensure that you remove the large stems to allow even roasting. In addition to the kales, you need other ingredients such as paprika, salt, olive oil, cayenne, and toasted ground cumin. You should start by preheating the kales to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. You should then mix salt, oil and spices in a medium bowl and stir them to dissolve. You should then add the kales in the mixture and toss in order to coat the kales with the mixture. Once fully coated you should remove the leaves and spread them in a single layer on two baking sheets. For optimum crispness you should flatten any pieces that might have folded-over. You should then bake the leaves until the tips are slightly crispy. This should take you about 10 minutes. Chicken lettuce fajitas To make this meal you need red pepper, yellow pepper, diced chicken breasts, black pepper, paprika, onion, sea salt, oil, and lettuce head. You should start by chopping the onion and peppers and then heat the coconut oil in a pan on a medium heat. You should then add your chicken and vegetables and then cook until the chicken is cooked throughout. Once cooked you should add paprika, salt and pepper, and then using lettuce leaves as wraps, serve the chicken on the leaves. Conclusion These are just a few of the best Paleo diet recipes that you can take as a man. For the meals to be of value to you, you should prepare them while strictly following the recipe instructions. We have thousands of paleo diet recipes ideal for all people. If you are wondering which are the best foods to take at different stages of the diet, we have a large paleo diet food list to guide you through. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Idd_Aziz/2148367

9. Asian Inspired Paleo Chicken And Bok Choy Soup Recipe By Michael P Anderson Cool days in the fall definitely require something warm and for many soup is the answer. If you are following the paleo diet lifestyle, some of the old favorites like chili or chicken noodle soup are definitely out. So what kind of soup should you look for to keep your body on track with the paleo lifestyle? We think checking out this Asian inspired paleo chicken and bok choy soup is going to be a winner. If you are interested in trying new things, the bold and different flavors found here will be a nice way to warm your belly and keep the tradition of soup alive! Chicken & Bok Choy Soup For The Soul? There are many ways to feel better about yourself. Some people feel better by cozying up on their couch with a warm blanket and hot soup. This is a great way to spend the cool days of fall especially if you have loved one to cuddle with. If you can do this by a warm fireplace or watch a special movie you love, this can be a real touch of magic after a hard days work. However, some people find just as much satisfaction in exercising or doing something to help them be a stronger or healthier person. That is exactly why we think this recipe is perfect and combines personal wellness with personal happiness. What a great combination. How To Prepare Paleo Chicken & Bok Choy Soup This ones simple folks. Halve or cube your chicken, cut the ends and split your Bok Choy in half. You may prefer to cut your Bok Choy into smaller pieces but either will suffice. Heat a small pot with your coconut oil at a medium heat. Next lightly brown your chicken. Once the chicken is browned add all other ingredients. Cook at a medium heat for 30 minutes. For a more tender and flavorful soup cook for one hour on low heat. If you decide not to use the fish sauce replace it with an additional 1/4 cup vegetable stock. Ingredients 2tsp coconut oil 2 chicken breast halved or cubed 1 tbl grated ginger 1/4 cup fish sauce (red boat gluten free fish sauce) optional 1 tsp honey 1 cup vegetable stock 1 star anise 1 cinnamon stick 3 bunches baby Bok Choy Sea salt and cracked black pepper We really hope you enjoy this recipe, many have found it to be tasty, healthy and a great way to mix up soup night in their homes. Don't be afraid to play with the recipe and make it your own! I share all sorts of healthy ideas on my blog and if you are looking for more great paleo diet recipes, I send out new ones each week. Make sure to grab your spot on our free paleo recipes mailing and start getting more yummy recipes like this one in your inbox every week! Want to keep in touch? You can also follow me the Paleo Recipes Guy on Twitter. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Michael_P_Anderson/2188820