Going Paleo

   Lately it seems that all the cool kids are going paleo. 

With today’s rapid advances of modern civilization, taking a step back to reevaluate our eating patterns sounds like a great idea to me.  So when someone says they are “going paleo” what they are doing is rejecting any and all foods that have come about through the advent of agriculture. 

This means no bread, beans, dairy, oil, alcohol, tea, or coffee *gasp* because these foods must be processed from their original sources before being consumed.  The paleo diet is essentially modeled after the food ways of our ancient ancestors of the Stone Age.  These guys ate various meats, eggs, seafood, non-starchy vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds – things they could kill with a spear and pick off a bush to eat raw.  They lived a hunter-gatherer type lifestyle in a time where farms had not yet been established!  So they really had no way of making bread or toting a cow with them as they roamed around in search of their next meal. 

Now I’m thinking, “Why would anyone want to go paleo?!” Well, followers of this diet have some pretty persuasive health claims associated to having their plates piled with meat and veggies.  There are many articles online about these claims, but it’s always good to think about what the cons to a diet might be.  

·       A diet heavy with meat comes with quite a bit of cholesterol and saturated fat – neither of which is healthy for a diet to have in abundance. 

·       A diet without grains runs the risk of being low in fiber content and lacking in nutrients. 

The big plus I see in going paleo is increasing your consumption of veggies! Low in calories and full of vitamins and minerals, veggies are considered nutrient dense foods and are a great source of nourishment for the body. 

So, will I be going paleo? No, but I will continue to do my research and will go paleo only if I find compelling science-based evidence supporting paleo diet health claims.  Here and there a paleo meal wouldn’t hurt me, and I’ve even found some paleo recipes out there that sound mouthwatering. 

My advice? Do some research yourself. Talk to a dietitian. Do what feels right for your body. And always load your plate with veggies ;)