The Paleo Diet: Getting Eaten by a Lion and Losing Weight

ByJeremy Hendon

It's gone by a variety of names (the Paleolithic diet, the Caveman diet, or simply the Paleo diet). By any name and in any of its forms, though, the Paleo diet has become increasingly popular and also increasingly ridiculed.

It's not uncommon to hear critics say that the Paleolithic diet is a "fad" or simply weird or ridiculous. However, despite all of the criticism, more and more people are adopting the diet. In addition, a growing body scientific research supports and underpins the core principles that make up the Paleo diet.

What, then, are the core principles of the Paleo diet and lifestyle? And why have so many people chosen to adopt it?

A. The Food (the Diet)

Although many experts emphasize the need for change in various aspects of the modern lifestyle (stress, sleep, exercise, etc.), Paleo is first and foremost a diet centered around food choices.

The core dietary principle of Paleo is that modern humans should attempt to eat more like our 'cavemen' ancestors. No matter where your ancestors originated from, it wasn't until pretty recently that humans were able to eat certain foods. For most of human existence, foods such as processed sugar, as well as wheat, rice, and other grains were not able to be eaten by humans.

The primary problem with eating these foods is that the human body never evolved to digest these foods very well. And because we can't digest the foods very well, they can cause a lot of problems in our body, especially if we eat these foods for a long time. Prolonged ingestion of these foods can often lead to long term illnesses, such as heart disease, Alzheimer's, and diabetes. Highly processed grains and sugars (such as cakes, cookies, breads, and sodas) are particularly bad and are highly discouraged by experts.

What should someone eat if they want to adopt a Paleo diet?

Basically, most experts encourage us to eat a lot of unprocessed meats and vegetables (especially green leafy ones), along with small amount of fruit and nuts. If you think about it, these recommendations are not all that surprising - after all, how many people really think that cakes, cookies, breads, and sodas are particularly healthy? Very few of our mothers or grandmothers would have encouraged us to eat our bread and soda at every meal.

One of the main complaints about the Paleolithic diet is that preparing unprocessed meats and vegetables can take a lot of time. After all, we don't actually live in the Paleolithic area, where our primary concerns would be hunting and gathering food and escaping predators. We all have high-stress jobs and kids to take to soccer practice.

That's why many Paleo diet practitioners adopt a more flexible diet. If you're able to cook your own food every day, then kudos! However, if you don't have the time, then there are more and more ready-made "Paleo" products being made available for purchase. These products range from cereals to diet drinks. As the diet grows in popularity, more and more of these products are becoming available.

B. Exercise (and Movement)

Besides the dietary aspect of Paleo, most experts recommend also trying to be more like our ancient ancestors in terms of exercise.

In particular, our ancestors rarely sat in one place for very long - very unlike we modern humans do for 8 or 10 hours in our office jobs. When possible, Paleo practitioners try to move around more during the day, rather than sitting for a prolonged period of time. Unfortunately, this is one of the aspects of the Paleolithic lifestyle that is the most difficult to actually implement, since most of our bosses wouldn't appreciate us getting up from our desk every half-hour to stretch, walk around, and do a few squats.

Although many of us can't adopt that aspect of the lifestyle, there is another aspect that is easier to fit in. If you picture life in the Paleolithic Era, then it probably involves images of running from lions and bears and also images of chasing and hunting deer and wild boar (or similar animals). The common theme to these activities is that they required our ancestors to exert a lot of energy and strength in a short period of time. These activities didn't require our ancestors to run for an hour or to be continuously exercising all day.

Many Paleo dieters seek to replicate this sporadically but intensely active aspect of our ancestors' lifestyle. One way that this is done is through a program known as "CrossFit." CrossFit is a brief, high intensity workout involving a lot of strength training and emphasizing "natural" movements. Many of the movements involved in CrossFit workouts seek to imitate the movements often performed by humans in a natural environment (i.e., not sitting in an office chair!).

CrossFit exercises are very diverse, but some examples include pull-ups, squats, and deadlifts. In each case, our ancestors probably didn't do these exact exercises, but the exercises approximate movements that they did do. If our ancestor wanted an apple or coconut high in a tree, they probably had to pull themselves up the tree to get it. If they wanted to move a big rock or create a temporary shelter, they needed to be able to push heavy objects around to do it. Likewise, if they killed an antelope and actually wanted to get it back to where the rest of their tribe was, they were going to have to lift it off the ground in order to carry it.

Conversely, although our ancestors were in pretty good shape and could probably jog for quite a while, it's unlikely that they did so particularly often. One doesn't "jog" away from a dangerous animal or after a fast-moving meal. In addition, continuous work-outs that take several hours and occur several times a week can cause severe inflammation in our bodies and often lead to overuse injuries.

C. Stress

Weren't our ancient ancestors stressed? Surely when a hungry lion wandered by, our ancestors got a little worried, right?

Of course our ancestors got stressed. However, it was most often what's called "acute" stress. In other words, the stress was severe, but it was very short-lived. Either you got away from the lion or it ate you. Either way, you weren't stressed for very long.

Experts emphasize that the modern human faces a lot more "chronic" stress. We may not be quite as worried about our job or our bills as we would be about seeing a hungry lion, but the stress our jobs and bills cause never ends. Having this sort of chronic stress actually does physical damage to our bodies because of the hormones that constantly get released as a result. Like the dietary advice, this is not particularly surprising, since most of us know that we feel much worse physically during times when we're constantly stressed.

Getting rid of the chronic stress is the hardest part, but many Paleolithic practitioners find that eating better, exercising well, and just paying attention to what stresses them help to begin relieving some of that chronic stress.

D. Sleep

Most cavemen slept a healthy 9 hours while the sun was down. After all, it's pretty dangerous in the dark.

Experts suggest that we should all sleep when the sun sets and wake when the sun rises, perhaps by using thick curtains to ensure that street lights don't disturb our sleep. This is not controversial for the most part, but many people don't know just how much lack of sleep can affect their lives. From heart disease to weight loss, lack of sleep has been scientifically shown to negatively affect almost all aspect of our health.

Weird, Ridiculous, or Mostly Common Sense?

Now that you know all about the Paleolithic diet and lifestyle, what do you think? Is eating more vegetables and fewer cookies ridiculous? How weird is it to suggest sleeping for 9 hours every night? Does it really defy common sense to exercise in ways that mirror movements we might need to use in our every-day lives?

Perhaps mirroring some aspects of the caveman lifestyle isn't so crazy after all. Cavemen may have died early due to a lack of medicines and many natural dangers, but they didn't die very often from cancers or diabetes-related illnesses. Many of our modern-day foods, exercises, and stresses combine to put our minds and bodies into situations that we simply were not designed to handle. Perhaps one day we will evolve to easily digest grains and work for 72 hours straight without sleeping, but sadly(?), that day has not yet come.

Jeremy is one of the founders of Flax Gold, which produces food products designed to make it easier to adhere to a healthy diet. In particular, Flax Gold produces a healthy and delicious breakfast cereal designed for anyone trying to stick to a Paleo or Low-Carb diet.

Jeremy also regularly blogs about health and nutrition issues and how to more easily stick to a healthy diet. You can find his blog at simplehealth.co.

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Everyone can lose weight, so long as they take the right steps. You will find some good tips here to help you along your way. While losing weight can be difficult sometimes, perseverance and hard work will get you through.

Avoiding red meats will help you lose weight. There are high levels of fat and cholesterol in red meat that can be detrimental to your health. You should swap good lean cuts of meats like fish or poultry for red meat cuts.



Immerse yourself in the color blue. Research has shown that blue colors tend to suppress one's appetite. It is especially effective on a table. Stay away from red, yellow, and orange, as they increase appetite. The link between what we look at and what we eat is subtle, but real. Try this as an interesting experiment when choosing new food plates or clothing to wear out to dinner.



You can improve your health by eating smaller portions of food. Research has revealed that eating smaller meals enables you to reach and keep a body weight that is healthy. The evidence will be how much better you look and feel. When you maintain a healthy eating style you will increase your energy and suffer fewer health problems.



One task that will help keep extra pounds at bay is the daily cleaning of your house. When you clean up your house, those calories stack onto your weight loss. Listening to music can pump you up, making you dance or do more work efficiently which can cause you to lose more calories.



Record your progress when you are trying to lose weight. Keep track of your weight on a daily basis and it will remind you of your goals. Regular weigh ins will help motivate you to achieve your goals quickly.



Substitute regular noodles for noodles with whole wheat in them when you eat pasta. You will get more health benefits from eating whole wheat noodles, and they will fill you up quicker than various other pastas. Even when you are eating whole wheat pasta you should avoid eating pasta too often and avoid all sauces that rich in fat.



A pedometer is a great investment when you are planning on walking or running. A pedometer is a small, electronic tool that will count the number of steps you take throughout the day. This can help you walk more during the day. You should make a goal to walk an average of 10,000 steps a day. Walk more if you are under that amount.



Food nutrition labels are a great source of helpful information when you are trying to lose weight. The calories is something that you should pay special attention to. Nevertheless, remember that food packages often contain a lot of servings, so be sure you count the calories for each serving you consume. Also, pay attention to the carbohydrates and sugar counts.



Don't give into your cravings. This takes considerable willpower. Do not give attention to your cravings, find another focus instead. Brushing your teeth and gargling with mouthwash can help deter you from giving into your cravings. Appetite suppression can be accomplished psychologically as well; reminding yourself of memories or images that deter your cravings is one example.



A lot of people who embark on a weight loss program try to do it alone. A good support group should be used as an advantage for motivation and encouragement if you let them in on your weight loss goals. By knowing your goals they will not give you fattening foods that they normally would.



Preparing your own food rather than eating out can aid you in achieving your weight loss goals. People who eat at home more often tend to make healthier decisions about what to eat. While dining out is quite unhealthy, it is also quite expensive. Thus, eating at home will save you a lot of money.



Keeping track of your weight can help encourage you to continue losing the pounds. This can change from person to person. Check your weight weekly at least. It is best to be done daily.



You can alter your favorite foods so that they contain less calories. Try your next pizza with fewer high-fat meat toppings or less cheese. Many flavors of ice cream are also available in low-fat or sugar-free varieties. When it comes to beverages like soda or beer, there are light versions.



Weight fluctuates naturally for everyone, so don't worry. It is more important to pay attention to your weight's overall trend than to its day to day shifts. As long as that number shrinks, you are on the right track.



When you are trying to lose weight, it is imperative you treat high-calorie foods differently from other, better foods. If you eat something forbidden, supplement it with healthy food so that the forbidden food seems like something special. Every small nibble of cake should be eaten with a serving of fruit; this will leave you satisfied.



Before you start obsessing over calories, work to cut down your portion sizes. Many diets now a days are focusing on the ingredients and the chemistry of the food. This is not the right thing to be looking at. How much you eat at each meal obviously affects your weight, yet nobody talks about portion control. You can lose weight and improve your health just by eating less.



Having handy packets of healthy food can fight those urges that can damage your weight loss. Ziplock bags filled with nuts or fruit are great, healthy snacks.



Potato fans on a diet can substitute the starchy potato with cauliflower, a much healthier, low calorie alternative. Simmer the cauliflower in a tightly covered pot with chicken broth and chopped onion. When it's tender, puree it and add spices to your liking. You can enjoy a delicious and satisfying side dish without the carbohydrate overload.



Once you finish shopping for groceries, take time to divide food portions into containers. Use containers and baggies to weigh and portion your food properly. When you have your portions in separate containers, it is easier to avoid overeating.



Don't forget to include exercise in any weight loss plan. Weight loss happens when you burn more calories than you take in. Exercise will help this to go faster. Biking and jogging are no-cost, simple ways for you to burn calories, while resistance training helps build up muscle and speed up your metabolism.



Once you begin to notice your weight loss, donate clothes that have become too large for you to local charities. This will build your confidence, and help you reflect on your success. It also gives you further motivation to maintain the size you currently are.



If you are trying to lose weight or get in better shape, this article can help you out. By following the information presented above, you can start positively changing how you look and feel about yourself.

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