Why Eating The Paleo Way Works

There are any number of books on the market that will explain to you the Paleo (or Caveman as it's known) diet. In effect it shouldn't really be called a diet, rather an eating for life plan. The word diet normally conjures up eating to lose weight and then going back to your old way of eating.

This usually results in the weight coming back with a vengeance and more. Before you go buying any books on the subject, some of which are quite technical, let me explain in very simple terms what the Paleo way of eating is and why it works.

For the last 50 years or so we have been bombarded with information that fat causes high cholesterol which in turn increases your chances of heart disease and heart attack. Your advice has been to eat a low fat diet to stay healthy. Now ask yourself this question.
If low fat diets are the answer to good health, why is it that obesity and diabetes is on the increase year after year, even amongst young people in the westernised world.

The problem with low fat foods is that to make them taste good, they are usually loaded with sugar, and to ensure that they keep for a while they are loaded with trans fats and chemicals. Trans fats are made by using hydrogen to make liquid oils into solid. Do you really want to eat foods with that unnatural stuff? Look at any packaged meal in your freezer and see if you can even pronounce some of the chemicals that they contain.

The story continues. Most western diets are loaded with sugar. Bread, bagels white rice white flour should all be avoided if you want to lose weight. Why? Here's a simple explanation. When you eat foods high in sugar, your body reacts by producing insulin. This hormone (insulin) is responsible for stabilising the amount of sugar in your blood. This it does by transporting the sugar (Glucose) to your body cells and into your liver for energy.
When your cells and liver reach saturation point, the insulin transports the remaining glucose to your fat cells for storage.

Now, this is where the interesting stuff starts. When you cut out sugary foods, your body has to get its energy from somewhere. Where does it get it from? You've guessed it, from your fat stores. Therefore, weight loss is the result.

Think about this for a moment. Do you have cereal or toast for breakfast? Are you feeling hungry 2-3 hours later. And does that hunger pang make you reach for some chocolate or a cake or other forms of sugar? The reason is that when you eat that breakfast your glucose level in your blood shot up sharply. Your body responded by producing insulin to stabilise the glucose in your blood.

So your blood glucose dropped sharply fooling your body into wanting a sugar rush. The cycle continues when you eat foods loaded with sugar.

Make no mistake about it. Your body needs FAT. Vitamins A, E, D and K can only be absorbed into your body with fat. They are fat soluble vitamins. You can take as many of these vitamins as you like, if you don't eat fat they cannot be absorbed. The fat is best from grass fed animals like cattle or sheep.


Oh, and don't even dream about starving yourself. This is completely counter productive. Your body will go into famine mode, and instead of losing weight, it will hang onto any fat you have, in case it needs it for energy later.

Please read on for lots more information and my story. I would love to hear your views, your successes or even failures. So please make comments for others to read.

Here are some recommended reading for those of you that want to research the subject more fully. So please come back here often by bookmarking my blog.
To your Success.
Robert.

Just watch this video by Jack Lalanne. Amazingly produced in the 1950's.

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If You want more proof, watch this video made by model and TV presenter Zoe Salmon,

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The Paleo Diet and The Dangers of Processed Foods

By J. Wheeler

 

For every food that is not allowed in the Paleo diet, there is a reason that can back it up, aside from a simple "because it's not good for your health". The number one enemy of the Paleo diet is processed foods. The reason being is because they have unnatural additives that are not healthy at all.
Listed below are the dangerous additives that you will want to look out for:

Sodium Nitrite - to increase the shelf life of products, sodium nitrite is added. This is the reason why storing food has become quite convenient for us. Food is no longer easily spoiled or grows mold. The problem here though, is that by adding chemicals to make food storage convenient, we risk our own health. Sodium nitrite is added to our food, but it is known to increase the risks of pancreatic cancer and leukemia and also increases the risk of brain tumor in infants.

Sodium nitrite is especially used in processed meats that you can keep for months in the pantry or refrigerator. Examples are hotdogs, bacon, ham, beef jerky, and lunch meat. This is why the Paleo diet restricts eating anything that is canned or packaged.
Salt - you probably didn't expect to find salt in this list because it's natural and essential in cooking, but the sad truth is that we're abusing our salt intake which is why we need to slow down in using it. Most people will argue that they only use a very minimal amount of salt when they cook, and this is good because you don't really need all that much to flavor the food.

We may limit and control how much salt we put in the food that we are preparing, but what we cannot limit is the amount of salt that companies put in our packaged and easy to prepare foods. Salt also makes a foods' shelf life longer and enhances the flavor of the processed food, which is why there is so much used in processed convenience foods. But it is important to cut back, because too much salt (more than a teaspoon daily) is directly linked to fatal strokes and many heart diseases.

Aspartame - aspartame is an artificial sweetener and is commonly found in diet and sugar free foods. People are becoming more aware of the unhealthy amounts of sugar that they consume and in an attempt to have a healthier diet, they opt for diet sodas and sugar free ice cream. What they don't know is that by opting for a supposedly low sugar diet, they are risking their health because aspartame is actually a toxic substance when consumed too much.

Half of aspartame is made up of a substance called phenylalanine. Some people will say that it is a natural substance so what could possibly be wrong? It IS a natural substance but the problem is consuming it in large quantities. Phenylalanine is only meant to be consumed in extremely small amounts because once our bodies get too much of it, one of the disturbing side effects is that our threshold for seizure becomes lower.

Aspartame contains two more substances that are known to risk a person's health: aspartic acid which is linked to lesions in the brain and methanol which is a known contributor of brain tumors.
Now you know why processed foods are a big no-no in the Paleo diet. They contain ingredients that are known to be very harmful to us humans and even though they have made our lives more convenient, we should still let go of them. Our lives can still be just as convenient even without them. Learn how to prepare or prep meals in advance so when the busy work week comes, you will have an easier time cooking your meal.
 

John Wheeler can help you answer the question of what is the paleo diet? Feel free to get his email course on the basics of the Paleo Diet at http://paleodietlearningcenter.com.

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Paleo Diet Weight Loss - A Healthy Method of Losing Weight

By Kristen Michele

 

Paleo Diet weight loss is an effective way for anyone to lose weight and keep it off. The diet is based on what people for millions of years consumed. It's a low carbohydrate diet, but is based on what people historically ate before all the heavily processed foods we eat today were ever invented. The diet relies less on processed carbohydrates, refined sugar, starches, breads, and grains, and more heavily on protein.

Most of the diseases and problems with excess weight are the cause of our diet.
The Paleo Diet weight loss program is sometimes referred to as the healthiest diet in the world, or the Caveman Diet. The diet is based on meat, fish, poultry, leaves, roots, and fruits of plants. The foods that are recommended for the Paleo Diet are meat, fish, and poultry. According to some people who have been on the diet, 65 percent of all the foods that are on the diet should be made up of meats and fish. Eggs may also be eaten on the diet. The remaining 35 percent of food on the diet should be made up of fruits and certain vegetables.

While on the Paleo Diet weight loss regimen, you may eat root vegetables including turnips, carrots, and beets, but potatoes and yams are strictly out. When choosing fruits on the diet, all types of berries may be included in the diet. Some people don't eat fruit from trees since they have a problem with the natural sugar contained in these fruits. Lectins are contained in fruits which is why some people won't eat them. However, some people still eat bananas, melons, peaches, plums, apples, and other fruits on the diet.

The Paleo Diet weight loss program also allows you to eat most types of nuts, with the exception of peanuts and cashews, which are beans. Most people who go on the Paleo Diet eat all kinds of tree nuts including macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans, walnuts, and pine nuts. The reason the diet seems to work so well for so many people, is that they eat what our ancestors ate, but without consuming foods that are harder to digest like potatoes, legumes, grains, and processed foods. It's common for many people on the diet to eat 3 or 4 times a day, but some divide the food they eat over the course of the day into 5 or 6 smaller meals.
 

Kristen Michele is a writer that specializes in health, fitness and weight loss. For more tips and information on the Paleo Diet visit her website at www.easypaleorecipes.co If you'd like more information on how the Paleo Diet can aid with weight loss, click here.

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Basics of Paleo Foods

By J. Wheeler

 

Paleo foods are high protein, low sodium and low sugar. While there are lists regarding which foods are accepted in the Paleo diet and which are not, we will discuss below the basic guidelines on what makes a food a "Paleo food".

High protein - our bodies need protein for growth, maintenance and the repair of our cells. Protein is mostly what makes up our muscles, organs and tissues which is why it is very important in every single process that occurs in our bodies. It is also what makes our bones strong as well as our nails and hair. Protein is important in the production of antibodies, which fight off illnesses and infections.

Good sources of protein are meat, poultry, dairy and fish but since the Paleo diet restricts eating of dairy products, it makes up for it by being a high protein diet and requires protein in about every meal.

Low sodium - salt is not something that one would think of when considering what's harmful to the body and it really isn't. It can only be harmful when it is being taken in amounts not tolerable by the body. Unfortunately though, the majority of us take too much of it. Too much is more than one teaspoon. Too much salt accounts for almost half of fatal strokes and many cases of heart disease.

You may have tried to limit the amount of salt that you add when flavoring your meal, but the salt that is dangerous is the salt that you are not aware of. We are all unconsciously consuming excessive amounts of salt from processed foods, canned goods, and even from condiments. There are even loads of salt in tomato sauces, canned soups and just about everything else that is pre-mixed and ready to cook that you find in the grocery store.
Low sugar - The average American consumes two to three pounds of sugar every week. This is just way too much for our bodies to handle.

We all know that too much sugar can cause diabetes but this isn't the only disease that can stem from excessive intake of sugar. Basically, we can become very unhealthy when we consume too much sugar and this can lead to a lot of complications and malfunctions in the body.
This is why the Paleo diet is a low sugar diet. As much as possible, one should only get the sugar that the body needs from fruits. This way, the sugar that goes into the body is all natural. In the effort of people to lower sugar intake, they opt for sugar-free foods but this can be harmful to the health, because artificial sugar is of no good and cannot be processed by the body in a healthy way.

Reading labels is another conscious effort of people to control what they eat and when looking for sugar in food labels, you may not see exactly what you are looking for because sugar is labeled as sucralose, agave syrup, stevia and so on which can be quite deceiving but they are all just different forms of sugar.
This is why the Paleo diet is a low-sugar diet, to eliminate as much as possible the intake of sugar whether it is artificial or natural sugar.
These are the reasons why the Paleo diet is what it

 is and following it will lessen your risks of the many illnesses that come with an uncontrolled diet. These rules are established based on facts and with the best intentions of providing optimal health to those who follow it. Now that you have a better understanding of the restrictions and freedom of the diet, you will find it easier to stick to the diet and enjoy the process of becoming healthier.
 

Author John Wheeler can help you get more out of your Paleo foods. There is an email course on the essentials of the Paleo Diet available at http://paleodietlearningcenter.com

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Where Does The Paleo Diet Menu Come From?

By Oliver R. James

 

Diets of every type and description are now a huge part of modern society. Given all the choices, it's to your best interest to have a working knowledge of any diet you choose to follow. A lot of the currently popular diets suggest limiting the amounts of meat you eat. Cutting back on carbohydrates and focusing primarily on fruits and vegetables is also a common theme. What makes the Paleo diet different from any other diet is what it's based on, the eating habits of the very first human beings.

Paleo stands for Paleolithic or the time period we now refer to as the Stone Age. Another way to understand the Paleo diet is to call it the "Hunter Gatherer Diet" as it's made up of foods that could be hunted (meats and seafood) and gathered (fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds). At its' most common level, the Paleo diet is based on eating foods available to our ancient ancestors before the start of agriculture and animal husbandry.

The founding principle of the Paleo diet is that modern humans are hereditarily suited to match the diet eaten by ancient man - fresh unprocessed food. The Paleo diet is full of foods with a high nutritional value. Lean meats and seafood, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds make up your menu list. Foods created after the start of agriculture such as grains, dairy, sugar and salt and any processed combination of this list are to be avoided as they lead towards weight gain and a variety of health problems such as high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes.

Because it promotes high protein consumption, the Paleo diet is popular with athletes of many different sports. Basic components of the diet are chicken, turkey, beef, pork, game meats, lamb, fish and shell fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds. Root vegetables are super popular but try to avoid the starchy ones such as potatoes and sweet potatoes. All of these foods should be free of additives. Something we all should avoid for good health!
So now you know the theory behind the Paleo diet, you might be asking yourself why you should give it a try.

 There are many compelling reasons about living the "Paleo" lifestyle. A Paleo menu is naturally low in carbohydrates and in calories. A diet low in carbohydrates has been shown to lower the risk of developing coronary heart disease. The diet is also high in fiber - a good thing. A good level of fiber in your diet helps lessen the chances of contracting coronary heart disease or diabetes. Another plus for high fiber is the potential for weight loss.
If you're an allergy sufferer, the Paleo diet is a great choice. A huge number of processed foods made by humans contain gluten and/or casein. Gluten and casein are common ingredients in developing allergies.

 If you follow the Paleo diet, you will not be eaten any of these ingredients so that part of the allergy problem is removed from the equation. "Paleo" approved foods are based on the menu available to ancient man before agriculture came about. That means no salt, sugar or additives. It also means on trans fats or hydrogenated oils. Consumption of trans fats and hydrogenated oils is linked to serious weight gain and a whole host of other weight problems. With the Paleo diet, you're giving yourself an excellent chance to improve or restore your health. What could be better. Here's to your health.
 

To find out exactly how I discovered a Paleo diet menu [http://www.recipesforpaleodiet.org/the-paleo-diet-menu/] that's easy to follow, visit my website about
essential guidelines for the Paleo diet [http://www.recipesforpaleodiet.org/essential-guidelines-to-recipes-for-a-paleo-diet/].

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An Introduction to the Paleo Diet

By Kimberley D Gray

Whenever I tell someone that I'm a paleo dieter, nine times out of ten, I'm met with a blank stare. Those two words tend to mean next to nothing for most people. In all honesty, the diet idea has been around for literally thousands of years, but it's only in the last couple that it's really been examined and implemented, and that paleo cookbooks and paleo reference books have begun to appear on bookstore shelves.

"So, what is the paleo diet?" "Paleo" is short for paleolithic, and it refers to diet of the cavemen living during the paleolithic era. These early humans were hunter-gatherers, and their diets were limited to what could be killed or collected, things like meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts and eggs.

Foods like grain products and dairy products were not available to these hunter-gatherers, therefore, they are restricted from the paleo diet, as are anything processed or unnatural.
There are also a few things that paleo purists will tell you are not allowed, but that the average follower of the diet has some leniency to. These are things like salt or oils made from nuts or fruits. No, cavemen did not have access to these things, but only because they lacked the knowledge to harvest them. Both do technically exists in a natural state. They only need a small amount of outside intervention to be made, and the choice to consume them is completely up to the paleo-ite.

"What are the benefits of a paleo diet?" Early proponants of this diet claimed that the human body was not created to digest or process anything that does not exist in the wild. Others argue that we have evolved to match our diets. Whether you agree with either one, everyone can see benefits from a paleo lifestyle.

Two of the most common food allergies today are wheat and milk. The number of cases of gluten allergies are on the rise and according to an article in USAToday, 60% of adults are lactose intolerant. By eliminating grain and dairy products from our diets, we eliminate the symptoms associated with these allergies.

There are also other benefits to this low-carb high-protein lifestyle. Many studies have shown a corolation between high-carb diets and obesity. By not consuming as many carbohydrates, paleo dieters are better able to maintain a healthy weight.

Athletes see great gains in both physique and performance through a low-carb high-protein diet. Protein is essential for muscle growth, and by consuming relatively high amounts of protein and healthy fats, they have increased growth as well as more energy and focus.
I hope I've peaked your interest in the paleo diet enough to convince you to give it a shot, or at the very least to check out a few reference books or paleo cookbooks. It's not just a diet, but a viable lifestyle for anyone who wants to feel better, look better or just live better.

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