The Diet Deets: PALEO – All You Should Know Before You Cave In

They say, you are what your ancestors used to eat. Or at least, this is what the Paleo Diet supports, when it draws inspiration from the hunter-gatherers of the Paleolithic era – that came roughly 10,000 years before any of us did. While the cavemen shaped how we eat, this era precedes the coming of agriculture, which changed how we eat possibly forever. The believers of the Paleo diet have often questioned if these advancements have outpaced our body’s natural metabolic processes and made us victims to many diet-related diseases. When Tom Hanks in Sleepless in Seattle once said “…these are questions I’m willing to get to the bottom of,’ he was curious about dating; I am curious about (carbon) dating your food choices, too. So, let’s dig deeper to find out!

HIGHLIGHTS

• The question you have to ask yourself each time you eat under the strict guidelines of Paleo is, ‘Did the cave people eat this?’ If the answer is no, you can’t either. Simple as that.

• The dominant source of protein here is meat. Fats can be obtained through meat, as well. Good carbohydrates can be found in fibrous vegetables.

• While cutting out certain food groups and “processed foods” boasts of short-term benefits, there is no solid basis in the assumption that it brings with it sustainable long-term weight loss or a reduction in health risks.

THE CATCH

• First and foremost, the Paleo diet may not be easy to follow for people who cook their meals at home, since there is a huge shift in the food sources one is required to eat from.

• It is also rather unadvisable to meet a major portion of your energy needs with meat, alone. An overindulgence in saturated fats is as bad for your heart as a post-breakup cheesy rom-com binge is. Consumption of meats like red meat should never be over the top. Otherwise, it can have negative metabolic effects, which is dangerous for your kidneys; and with an increase in the body’s blood cholesterol – you are more likely to be susceptible to heart diseases, as well.

• Paleo can be significantly restrictive in its nature, for many. With regard to other factors like time, cost and convenience – it becomes all the more limiting in the longer run as the expense:efforts:results proportion is off balance.

• The Paleolithic approach can go a little too hard on the body’s regular functioning, too. The elimination of entire food groups may make room for various nutritional deficiencies, that pose as a high risk factor. For example, you may develop a severe calcium deficiency by swearing off of dairy & dairy products if you are unable to make up for the recommended calcium intake via other sources.

• Patients who are diabetic may be at a higher risk for hypoglycaemia if proper adjustments are not made to their insulin levels after consultation from health professionals, as there is a monumental reduction in the intake of sugar and carbohydrates.

• While being hardly conducive to a dynamic lifestyle, Paleo also falls short in terms of providing the body with a little variety while striking a balance in their diets. Legumes and whole grains have proven health benefits and may even be rich in thiamine, riboflavin, and iron. If your bodily systems lack important nutrient profiles, it runs high risk of inflammation, which again is counterproductive despite initial weight loss.

What we have ‘gathered’ from this

There is no one way of eating the ‘Paleo’ way, because we possibly cannot know what the real Paleolithic diet could have been. It may help you to lose a few inches, but not without making you lose things that matter more. Any and every diet aiming to help you stay healthy, should be balanced and must cater to modern-day food requirements. The improvements that adopting Paleo make to your body are not conclusively long-term. It holds great potential to be valid and healthy, if the restrictions and nutritional replacements are more flexible. The bottom line, as always, is to stick to healthy eating patterns that your body recognises and is receptive to. So, don’t be a FOMO-sapien and stick to the two S’s of staying fit – sustainability and strength.

Written and designed by Vaishnavi Sarda

Cover Credit: Shria Bellalcheroo