What is the paleo diet?
The paleo diet (also known as the caveman diet) takes eating back to basics. It incorporates lean proteins into your diet along with fruits, vegetables and healthy fats, in order to jumpstart a clean, sugar-free approach to nutrition. Studies have shown that our modern diet can trigger diseases including obesity, cancer, diabetes and heart disease, due to its increased sugar and trans-fat intake. By taking food back to basics with the paleo diet, we can easily nourish and fuel our body with nutrient-rich foods, promoting optimal health.
What to eat
- Fruits – i.e. apples, bananas, grapefruit
- Vegetables – i.e. broccoli, leafy greens, carrots (go light on the starchy veggies such as potatoes)
- Lean meats – i.e. lamb, beef, chicken
- Seafood – i.e. salmon, tuna, barramundi
- Nuts and seeds – i.e. sunflower seeds, pecans, cashews
- Healthy fats – i.e. avocado, olive oil, almonds
What to avoid
- Dairy – i.e. milk, butter, yoghurt
- Grains – i.e. oats, buckwheat, rice
- Processed food – i.e chips, hotdogs, fast-food
- Sugar – i.e. lollies, honey, chocolate
- Legumes – i.e. chickpeas, beans, peanuts
- Starches – i.e. pasta, white bread, white rice
- Alcohol – i.e. beer, wine, spirits
Some experts suggest that the paleo diet can benefit our health by reducing inflammation in the body, improving immune function, increasing muscle growth and insulin sensitivity, and creating sustainable weight loss. This is because the diet promotes food that is:
100% real
Because you steer completely away from unprocessed foods, everything you consume is 100% real (natural produce). This eliminates a whole range of nasties from our diet, including preservatives, hidden sugars, additives and food colourings, that are often jam-packed into pre-packaged and processed foods.
High in healthy fats
Say goodbye to unsaturated fats and hello to rich healthy fats. Food such as grass-fed meat and seafood as well as olive oil, nuts and seeds, are all crucial to achieving a healthy and balanced diet. Consuming a healthy ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats, are essential to maintaining healthy arteries, skin, and brain function, as well as decreasing inflammation.
Rich in nutrients
The paleo diet replaces processed food and saturated fats, with an abundance of vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and healthy fats. By eliminating foods that can cause bloating—such as grains and legumes—the paleo diet promotes improved gut health and increased nutrient absolution to achieve a healthy, vitamin-rich diet.
Possible health benefits include:
- Increased energy
- Improved sleep
- Anti-inflammatory
- Muscle growth and sustained weight loss
- Clear skin and healthy, shiny hair
- Stable blood sugar levels
- Reduced allergies
- Improved mood and mental clarity
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