This is how the Paleo diet works – these foods are taboo

Defrosting a frozen ready-made meal from the supermarket in the microwave or going hunting in the forest and picking berries – there is no need to discuss which lifestyle is better for the human body.

The “Paleo” nutritional philosophy, also known as the “Stone Age diet”, recommends a menu that is more in line with that of a hunter-gatherer than that of a sedentary person who grows crops and raises livestock. But that doesn’t mean that today’s people should go into the wilderness to find their own food. How the idea fits with today’s oversupply of food, why it’s not just about losing weight and what critics say about it.

The “Stone Age Diet”, as it is also known, is not about banishing today’s people from their heat-insulated apartments and supermarkets to a cave in the forest to hunt and gather. Rather, it is a matter of selecting from the modern food supply that which corresponds to the presumed (not fully reconstructable) diet in the Palaeolithic Age.

Food should be as natural as possible

So even if the Stone Age ancestor knew neither bananas nor tomatoes, today they can be on the menu alongside other types of fruit and vegetables. Above all, Paleo means that the food should be as natural as possible and ideally come from organic farming.

Paleo also does not mean that food is eaten raw and unseasoned. Seasoning, roasting and generally the preparation according to all the rules of today’s culinary art are fine.

Fats should also be consumed in sufficient quantities

Fat is not frowned upon in Paleo cuisine, on the contrary. What is considered “healthy” fat is actually welcome. Paleo-compliant dishes are prepared with coconut, olive, walnut or sesame oil, for example, or with ghee.

Calorie counting doesn’t matter in Paleo. This is also proven by the dried fruits, nuts and seeds on the nutrition plan.

After the foods listed so far can be summarized under the keyword “gathering”, fish and seafood as important sources of nutrients correspond to the Paleo concept under the keyword “hunting”. Provided they were caught under ecologically acceptable conditions.

Such standards also apply to eggs, which are a regular part of the Paleo menu, and especially to meat. This is a main part of the nutritional concept. From the point of view of sustainability and health, this easily becomes the primary criticism of Paleo.

Also read: Eat healthy and delicious – three simple recipes prevent inflammation

Consuming meat from factory farms goes against the Paleo idea. Buying only organic meat or game often and often can put a strain on the budget sooner or later. A tip from the Paleo community to counteract this dilemma: grab when organic meat is on sale (because it’s about to expire, for example) and keep it in the freezer.

Processed foods should be avoided

The “forbidden” foods in the Paleo concept primarily include industrially intensively processed products such as sweets, convenience foods, fast food, chips and the like.

This should not necessarily lead to a dreary existence without nibbles and sweets. There are numerous paleo recipes for snacks and sweet pastries, just without flour, sugar, butter and other additives frowned upon in this diet. Baking also works with ground nuts, coconut oil, and honey.

The period known as the “Neolithic Revolution,” during which people converted to agriculture, animal husbandry, and a sedentary lifestyle, ended the Paleolithic Age about 10,000 years ago. Grain products therefore do not appear in Paleo cuisine, and potatoes rarely.

That doesn’t have to mean that Paleo isn’t an option for pasta fans. Alternatives to conventional pasta can be made from chestnut flour, for example. In a simple and healthy way, you can also replace spaghetti with courgettes that have been twisted through a spiralizer.

Also read:

Dairy products are omitted

Dairy products are also usually not included in the Paleo diet. They are replaced by coconut milk, almond milk or the like, among other things.

Refined sugar is taboo for Paleoans. However, there are numerous sweetening options that are permitted within the nutritional concept. These include honey or maple syrup and various fruits such as bananas or dried dates.

Even if, for example, the latter foods contain a relatively large number of calories, a change in diet to Paleo usually causes a noticeable reduction in body weight. If you also do sports at the same time, it may be that muscle mass is built up faster at the same time.

Get fitter with the Paleo diet

Often, after a while, new Paleo believers feel fitter, more energetic, and generally better both mentally and in the rest of their bodies after making changes to their diet.

The fact that you almost automatically become more concerned with the functioning and needs of the human body can also lead to changing other elements of your lifestyle towards healthier ones: for example sleeping habits or exercise in the fresh air as well as sport.

Losing weight and getting fitter aren’t the only goals to achieve through a Paleo diet. Proponents of the concept assume that lifestyle diseases such as obesity, high blood pressure or diabetes can be traced back to diet and can therefore be alleviated or even avoided by making appropriate changes.

Few long-term studies on the Paleo diet

In order to scientifically confirm these theses, however, only a small number of long-term studies have been carried out so far. The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) mentions, among other things, a study on the effects of the paleo diet on type II diabetes mellitus. A positive effect on the fat mass of the patients and on their insulin metabolism was observed here.

Critics of the Paleo philosophy note that there is no evidence that human genes are in fact adapted to Palaeolithic diets. Different eating habits with different main components that have developed regionally could rather speak against it.

Also read: Fast to new strength – fit and healthy: The best whey protein brands in the expert check

In addition to the high proportion of meat, the Paleo concept is also criticized for the fact that certain groups of foods are completely excluded. As with any diet that completely avoids certain foods, a possible nutrient deficiency is warned.

On the other hand, doing without fast food, ready meals and other foods with many additives is viewed positively. The beneficial effect on cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well as on body fat should be undisputed.