The modern dietary regimen known as the Paleolithic diet (abbreviated paleo diet or paleodiet), also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various human species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic era—a period of about 2.5 million years duration that ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture. In common usage, such terms as the "Paleolithic diet" also refer to the actual ancestral human diet.[1][2] Centered on commonly available modern foods, the "contemporary" Paleolithic diet consists mainly of grass-fed pasture raised meats, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.
There are many versions of the Paleo/Primal diet around the internet. From months of reading blogs/articles/books, here is my best way to sum it up:
The Paleo Diet is not a diet, it is a lifestyle.
We are regular, everyday people that care about what we eat. We choose to eat whole foods that will nourish our body, rather than just to stop the hunger pains or satisfy a craving. By "whole foods," I mean we want the most bang-for-our-buck per calorie with an emphasis on foods high in proteins and fats:
- Meat (preferably) grass fed, wild caught or free range
- Vegetables and Fruit (hold the pesticides)
- Healthy Fats such as coconut oil/milk, nuts, avocados
- Minimal Dairy (Primal) if you can tolerate it such as heavy cream, butter and cheese (non-processed)
The most important thing you need to know about this lifestyle: one size does not fit all.
Many people can tolerate milk products, others can't. Some people can't tolerate as high of a carb load from the fruits and vegetables, so they eat more meat and fat. Experiment with your body to see what works best for you.
