This is an update on a post I published here on the blog long long time ago. Paleo diet was a hit at that time, it was the most followed fad diet for 2013! It has started in mid 1970s by the gastroenterologist Walter L. Voegtlin. It focuses on meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, eggs, but not dairy products, legumes, or grains.
Here how is how Paleo diet really looks like:
The list has red meat, chicken, eggs, fish, nuts and seeds ,veggies, and fruits. Some fruit and vegetables are not allowed; like the night shade family (such as tomato, and eggplant). Also it promotes eating grass-fed beef, free- cage chicken, free-range eggs, and organic fruits and vegetables. . The prohibited food list is long, but focuses on avoidance of caffeine, alcohol, processed food, and no refined sugar.
Is Paleo diet for weight loss?
Yes and no! This diet would be optimal at first for weight loss. You are cutting sugars, alcohol, and coffee drink, that are are high in calories. And you cut dairy, which has full fat So you will see a drop in your weight. Also, following a high protein diet , means your are burning more calories for the digestion of protein process .
So you are consuming lower calories and you are burning more calories. Hooray, it seems you got it! But is it sustainable?
However, it’s hard to maintain paleo diet for many reasons :
- Not getting enough veggies, and relying on starch food for fulfilling like sweet potato and white potato (some restrict Paleo followers, don’t allow it for the high starch content and high glycemic index value) can slows the weight loss process
- To maintain weight loss, you need to exercise regularly to burn calories, and keep a negative energy balance. But, It will be very heard to exercise, while you follow paleo, since we depend on carbs as fuel after and during exercise. So following a v low carbohydrate diet will cause a Lack of energy. And it will make you feel fatigue easier and faster. And it would be impossible to continue exercising on the long run.
Paleo diet and diseases
Diabetes and insulin resistance : There is a high debate among scientists about this matter. High carbs and sugary cereals and fatty pasta, increase insulin resistance and the risk of diabetes. when you are on paleo, you avoid all sugars except natural ones. this may help reduce insulin resistance levels and also A1C. However the studies that shown these result are not very reliable and were short term ones with low number or participants.
Heart diseases and cancer: Paleo focuses on high intake of protein , and Many studies shows that over consumption of red meat is associated with the increasing the risk of developing cancer and heart diseases.
Gut flora: the drastic changes in paleo diet, may affect your gut flora, means the number and the species of beneficial bacteria may be got affected. One good side of paleo diet, is that you eat lots of vegetables and fruit that helps keeping the good bacterial. on the other hand high protein intake affect the gut bacteria in a harmful way. Also the avoidance of food that are high in proboitics, like yogurt, kefir, oats and lentils will again has a big impact on the gut flora composition.
Nutrition deficiency : There is a possible deficiency some nutrients , vitamins and minerals due to the lack of dairy and whole grains consumption like Calcium, vitamin D, and B complex vitamins like B1, B2, b3 and B6 .
Is Paleo diet for everyone?
There are no studies shows that paleo diet is safe for children, pregnant women, and elderly.
Paleo diet and the environment
The amount of protein needed in paleo diet will affect the environment in a bad way. You may ask how? Well, to produce more livestock, a bigger number of animals, you need more spaces to feed the cattle and lambs. This is not sustainable for the environment , you need more resources to do that, water, grass and land, we can’t afford that. especially if people are looking for grass fed meat.
Is Paleo diet safe on the long run ?
We still don’t know that. We need long term studies, to know the effects of paleo diet on the long run and if we can recommend it or not.
What to take from Paleo diet?
The encouragement of increasing the intake of fruits and vegetables is on the best nutrition advice you can follow. Moreover, the policy of avoidance of all processed food, no caffeine, no sugar , no alcohol, is the best thing that you would do take from paleo diet without being fully committed to it .
For further reading:
Paleo diet still lacks evidence
Combating insulin resistance with the paleo diet
