The REAL Paleo Diet: What We Know, and Don't Know

he Paleo Diet is a hot topic these days. It's been featured in the New York Times and has its own bestselling book, but it still leaves many questions unanswered. What do we know about the diet? And what don't we know about it? This blog post will explore both of those topics!

What Is Paleo Diet?

The paleo diet is a diet that is based on the idea of eating like our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Its main focus is on eating foods that are thought to be most like the food of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, including meats, organic fruit, fresh vegetables, and nuts.

The paleo diet is often referred to as a "Paleo lifestyle" or "way of life." This diet began in the 1970s with the publication of "The Stone Age Diet."

The original idea of the paleo diet was to eliminate foods not available during what is known as the Paleolithic Era. This era lasted from about two million years ago up until 12,000 years ago, when farming began. For many people on this diet, it often means they eliminate grains and dairy products introduced after these periods in history.

The diet became popular in the 2000s, but it may also be classified as a low-carbohydrate or high protein diet that is based on eating meat and vegetables with few fruits and nuts.

Many of these foods are not readily available to hunter-gatherers because they need farming for them to grow; however, some people on this diet will include some non-paleo items like rice, oats, and potatoes.

How Do You Start Your Paleo Diet?

To begin your paleo diet, there are things you need to consider first.

The first thing you need to do is figure out how much weight you want to lose. Once you know this, then it's time for the fun part of shopping! When choosing what food items to purchase in your grocery store, take some time and read through their labels. If a certain product contains an ingredient that goes against paleo principles, then put it back.

The next thing to do is make a list of the staple foods you want in your kitchen. By doing this, it will be easier to quickly find them when you are in the grocery store. For meat, make sure that it is either pasture-fed or grass-fed meats only!

The last thing to consider before beginning your paleo diet is how much activity you think you'll be doing on a daily basis.

If you're going to be playing basketball for an hour and walking the rest of the time, you probably won't need to worry about eating more than 1800 calories per day.

If however, you're going to be sitting all day, then it's a good idea to eat 2400-2800 calories.

Paleo Diet Breakfast

paleo diet breakfast can be a healthy, easy way to get the nutrients you need. Breakfast is an integral part of paleo, so make sure that every morning starts with one! To make your paleo diet breakfast even more satisfying, add some hot sauce or salsa to the eggs. These condiments can be nice for a change of pace and provide extra flavor without compromising on any nutrients!

Many people find that they feel better when they have protein in their morning meal because it stabilizes blood sugar levels and prevents any wild ups and downs.

A paleo diet breakfast or any meal for that matter should consist of protein, vegetables (salad), hearty fat like avocado, nuts/seeds, some fruit if you want to splurge- it's all about balance!

Paleo Diet Lunch

Your lunch should be a balanced meal that includes vegetables, protein, and fat. You want to make sure you're giving your body the nutrients it needs without piling on too many heavy carbs like bread or pasta.

Lunch can either be eaten at home or packed for work/school in advance- this is up to you! An easy way to pack a lunch is to make a batch of hard-boiled eggs on the weekend, and then you'll have some protein for your midday meal. If this doesn't interest you, try packing leftovers from last night's dinner instead!

Paleo Diet Snack

Snacks are an important part of any diet because our bodies crave sugar to boost energy when we’re hungry. Snacks can be healthy and satisfying on a paleo diet, too!

The best snacks work because they provide nutrients that are lacking in your other meals. If you're feeling hungry between lunch and dinner, it might not hurt to grab some fresh fruits or vegetables. These options won't derail the progress of your paleo diet. The other option is to have a healthy, whole-food snack like an apple with almond butter or some celery and peanut butter!

Paleo Diet Dinner

Dinner should be the main meal of your day because it gives you energy for the next few hours and helps regulate digestion.

Dinner should also include a vegetable, protein, and healthy fat as well!

Paleo Diet Dessert

The whole point of the paleo diet is to stick with natural foods that are in their most basic form. This means no processed junk food or sugar-laden desserts, so you'll want to make sure dinner includes something sweet like some fresh and organic fruits or a nice glass of almond milk.

10 Paleo Diet Recipes

Your paleo diet will never gonna be boring again with this list of healthy, yummy recipes!

Paleo Potted Chicken Breast with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line a baking sheet with foil. Place the chicken breasts on top of the lined baking sheet. Season each breast with salt and pepper, then roast in an uncovered dish for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.

Paleo Egg Rolls

Mix ground pork, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil together in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk eggs with salt to taste and water. Spoon some egg mixture onto the wrappers; leave about an inch on either side uncovered so that it will seal when they are folded over. Place small pieces of green onion in each wrapper before folding them into a tight roll and securing with a toothpick.

Heat oil in the wok or deep fryer over medium heat, add egg rolls to the pan one at a time, and cook until golden brown on both sides.

Paleo Shrimp Scampi Pasta

Boil water for pasta and prepare shrimp according to package directions. Cook your favorite pasta in boiling water.

Meanwhile, melt butter and garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat, then add shrimp once they turn pink. Cook for about five minutes or until cooked through; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice if desired before cooking pasta so that it is ready when the noodles are done cooking, drain them quickly, and mix with the shrimp.

Paleo Sesame Crusted Salmon

Prep your favorite salmon filet by sprinkling salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder on both sides of the fish, then top it off with sesame seeds. Bake in an oven preheated to 350 for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through; serve alongside zucchini and tomatoes with lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper sauce.

Paleo Potato And Leek Soup

Dice potatoes and leeks. Boil in water with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender, then add chicken broth to a pot on medium heat. Add cooked vegetables that have been chopped into small pieces. Fill soup up with two cups of milk (can be almond, coconut, or regular milk) and let it simmer for about five minutes.

Paleo Salmon Cakes

Mix together salmon, mashed potatoes (or sweet potato), coconut flour, eggs, and seasonings of your choice. Shape into cakes about the size of an English muffin or hamburger bun and fry in a pan with olive oil for three minutes on each side. Serve alongside tomato slices drizzled with balsamic vinegar so that they have a little sweet taste.

Paleo Bacon And Egg Wraps

Fry bacon in a pan until crispy, then chop up into small pieces, mix with scrambled eggs that are prepared according to package directions. Wrap the mixture inside of two whole wheat tortillas on top of some spinach leaves; season with salt and pepper before serving for an easy breakfast that won't leave you hungry.

Paleo Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Cut up a chicken breast into small pieces. Cook the broccoli and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about five minutes, then add the chicken to cook through with salt and pepper to taste. Once done, mix together cream cheese, milk (or coconut milk), butter or ghee, and seasonings of your choice before heating until it becomes the consistency of a sauce.

Paleo Almond Butter And Banana Smoothie

Peel, cut up, and freeze two bananas ahead of time then use them in this recipe instead of ice cubes; add almond butter (or peanut butter) before blending with milk or coconut milk for an extra creamy smoothie that tastes like chocolate banana milkshake.

Paleo Quinoa Salad

Cook quinoa according to package instructions, then let cool (can be made ahead of time). Mix together diced tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and green onions with salt to taste. Prepare your favorite salad dressing or use one that is Paleo-friendly (i.e., cranberry vinaigrette) before adding the cooled quinoa then mix well until everything is evenly distributed in the bowl or pot of food.

Paleo Diet vs. Keto Diet

Paleo diet vs. Keto Diet is the most obvious difference. Paleo emphasizes choosing natural, unprocessed foods and includes a good amount of both animal and plant protein sources to remain nutritionally balanced. In contrast, keto relies on high-fat, low-carbohydrate intake, with a substantial portion coming from animal lean protein.

The two diets also differ in their opinion on how long the diet should be followed, with keto being strictly a short-term solution to weight loss for some people and Paleo allowing more flexibility as it can be used over the course of one's lifetime. In addition to these key differences, there are other features that distinguish the two diets.

Paleo does not allow grains, including wheat-based products like bread and pasta, legumes such as lentils or beans, refined sugars in the form of cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup (found in most processed food), potatoes, tomatoes with a few exceptions for tomatillos and eggplant, or dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt.

Paleo dieters are encouraged to limit their intake of tree nuts as well as coffee while the ketogenic diet allows for moderate consumption of both caffeine (preferably without sugar or artificial sweeteners) and all types of nuts in moderation.

Keto is not gluten-free, which makes it difficult for individuals with gluten sensitivities and Celiac Disease to follow.

The paleo diet originates from the idea that humans evolved as hunter-gatherers rather than agriculturalists, eating a food source based on what they hunted or gathered in their environment without any processing. The Keto Diet was created by Drs. Westman, Phinney, and Volek in the 1980s as a way to control insulin levels with an extremely low-carb diet.

Paleo dieters are encouraged to limit their intake of tree nuts as well as coffee while the ketogenic diet allows for moderate consumption of both caffeine (preferably without sugar or artificial sweeteners) and all types of nuts in moderation.

Paleo Diet Rules

Rules of the paleo diet:

1. Eat real food 
2. Eat meat, fish, vegetables, and eggs. 
3. Sweet potatoes are root vegetables that should be consumed moderately
4. No processed or refined foods.
5. The only grains allowed are oats and rice because they have been proven to be more easily digestible by humans than other grains such as wheat that may contain gluten. 
6. Dairy is not a necessity but if you do eat dairy, stick with raw and unprocessed.
7. Be mindful of the amount that you eat because overeating is not good for your health.
8. Avoid foods that have high concentrations of sugars, such as cakes, candy bars, and soft drinks.
9. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.
10. Avoid all soybean products because they are a processed food substitute that has been proven to contain many unhealthy additives

It is always exciting whenever we try a new kind of diet, one supposed to be better than the other and finally solve all our problems. But truthfully, when it comes to weight loss diets in general, there are plenty of pros and cons for each type.

Don't forget to get advice from your health care provider before starting any kind of diet. You must speak with a doctor first and see what they can recommend regarding supplements or additional advice on healthy eating habits.