Paleo Diet Coaches Near Me

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FAQs:

What is Paleo Diet?

A paleo diet is an eating plan based on foods humans might have eaten during the Paleolithic Era. The Paleolithic Era dates from around 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. A modern paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. These are foods that in the past people could get by hunting and gathering. It doesn't include foods that became more common when small-scale farming began about 10,000 years ago. These foods include grains, legumes and dairy products. Other names for a paleo diet include Paleolithic diet, Stone Age diet, hunter-gatherer diet and cave man diet.

Who Created the Paleo Diet?

Newly popular in health circles, the Paleo diet was created back in the 1970s by gastroenterologist Walter Voegtlin. He was the first to suggest that eating like our Paleolithic ancestors could make modern humans healthier. A return to the diet of our forebears, according to Voegtlin and scores of other doctors and nutritionists after him, could sharply reduce incidences of Crohn’s disease, diabetes, obesity and indigestion, among other ailments.

How Does the Paleo Diet Work?

- Stick to unprocessed foods.

- Eat plant-based foods.

- Try a vegetable omelet without cheese for breakfast rather than a bowl of cereal.

- Consume lean proteins, like meat, chicken and fish.

- Invest in a spiralizer to create vegetable noodles that can be paired with meatballs or a fish filet.

- Have your burger without the bun.

- Use lettuce instead of tortillas to create “wraps” out of sandwich meat for lunch.

- Don’t eat foods with added sugars, such as cakes, cookies, pies and candies.

- Snack on nuts, but not peanuts, which are technically legumes and therefore not allowed under the paleo regimen.

Who Should Not Try the Paleo Diet?

Do not try this diet if you have:

1. A history of disordered eating, such as orthorexia because of the paleo diet's restrictive nature.

2. A higher risk of osteoporosis because the diet eliminates dairy.

3. Heart disease because of the high meat consumption.

Is the Paleo Diet Healthy?

Long-term studies don’t offer much information on how the paleo diet affects health. However, the diet has the potential to be a healthy way of eating. The typical paleo diet focuses on naturally raised meat and fish, as well as vegetables and fruits. It promotes avoiding dairy products and grains. This diet can put you at risk for deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, which are critical to bone health. At the same time, you may consume saturated fat and protein far above recommended levels due to eating so much meat. This can cause an increased risk of kidney and heart disease and certain cancers.

What is the Paleo Diet Good For?

The researchers found that the paleo diet was linked to lower heart disease, or cardiovascular, risk factors. The lower risk mostly came from avoiding highly processed foods, such as chips and candy, and eating lots of fruits and vegetables.

Is the Paleo Diet Safe?

The ideal ratio of meat and carbohydrates seems to vary between individuals. It is important when implementing any diet to pay attention to how you feel and to talk with your doctor about tracking cholesterol and blood sugar changes, in order to make sure the Paleo Diet is right for your body. Since Paleolithic diets would have varied greatly between hunter-gatherers depending on their geography some people may need further individualization from the modern version of the Paleo Diet to find benefit.

An unfortunately popular misconception of the Paleo Diet is that it means you just eat as much meat as you want, such as bacon. Emerging evidence indicates that eating primarily meat is not beneficial for long-term health outcomes for most individuals. Instead, the Paleo Diet emphasizes eating a wide variety of plenty of vegetables – which research shows is important for good health. Additionally, foods such as snack bars, which technically don’t have cane sugar, grains, or legumes but are still highly processed, do not truly fit in a non-processed, whole-food dietary pattern, regardless of the label.

The Paleo Diet requires time and resources to buy fresh, local products and to prepare food at home, as well as the time and energy to be physically active. This can be a barrier. It is also nearly impossible for vegetarians or vegans to do well, as legumes are an important protein source for them.

What is the Difference Between the Paleo Diet and the Keto Diet?

Keto and paleo are both great alternatives to the standard diet with each offering health and lifestyle benefits. While keto supports a high-fat and low-carb diet, paleo centers on meal plans based in whole and unprocessed foods. Although both diets avoid grains, beans, and sugars, there are distinct restrictions that each diet exclusively follow that the other does not. While paleo integrates high sugar fruits and starchy vegetables, keto offers dairy options.

Is the Paleo Diet a Fad Diet?

Yes, it’s considered a fad diet, and it currently has the largest following of any diet on the market. Paleo followers eat like our paleolithic ancestors ate because of the belief that our human body hasn’t evolved enough to digest and absorb the anti-nutrients in legumes, grains and dairy. These foods are believed to lead to modern disease.

Paleo focuses on eating quality vegetables, seafood, fruits, spices, berries, nuts and seeds, and meat, and drinking plenty of water, while enjoying your daily “bullet-proof” coffee. This diet removes dairy, sugar, grains, alcohol, processed foods and starches. Paleo is classified as a fad diet in the industry as it restricts many whole-food, health-building food groups.

Is Paleo Diet Good for Diabetics?

While there’s no perfect diabetes diet, some research suggests that the paleo diet’s focus on whole foods may help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar, lower their blood pressure, and lose weight. Critics argue that the unlimited amount of red meat that the paleo diet allows may have an adverse effect on heart health in people with diabetes, since research links eating red meat in excess to poor heart health. If you have diabetes and don’t moderate your intake of red meat, this could be a big problem, as people with diabetes are twice as likely to die of heart disease as people who do not have diabetes.

Is Paleo Diet Low Carb?

The caveman-eating style focuses on eating fat and protein with fewer carbs. That said, just because you cut out grains, legumes, beans, sweets, and dairy doesn’t make it automatically low-carb, as you can still eat starchy veggies and fruits, which can add up. A paleo diet can contain a number of carbs ranging from keto to normal carb levels. A benefit of a paleo eating plan is it emphasizes whole, unprocessed foods, she says. It can feel meat-heavy if you normally prefer a more plant-based diet. To make sure it stays low-carb, focus on vegetables that fall naturally lower on the carb spectrum, like cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, and peppers.

Does the Paleo Diet Work? 

While there are clear nutrition benefits to following a well-balanced paleo meal plan full of nutritious whole foods, there is no research suggesting that all modern foods are harmful to our health and need to be avoided. Additionally, eliminating nutritious options like beans, legumes, whole grains, potatoes, and low-fat dairy might put you at a nutritional disadvantage since you are eliminating easy sources of essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, vitamin D, thiamine, folate, niacin, and riboflavin.

Can You Lose Weight on the Paleo Diet?

It’s well known that following a paleo diet can help you lose weight. It’s high in protein, low in carbs, may reduce appetite and eliminates highly processed foods and added sugar. If you don’t like counting calories, evidence suggests the paleo diet could be a great option. However, it’s important to note that the paleo diet may not be for everyone. For example, those who struggle with food restriction may find it difficult adapting to the choices on the paleo diet.

Benefits of Paleo Diet

Supporters of the paleo diet believe that the change from a hunter-gatherer style diet to an agricultural diet has increased the worldwide prevalence of chronic diseases, including heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

They believe that the human body is not genetically equipped to consume the modern day foods that farming practices have introduced. As a result, they think that our overall health will improve by following a diet similar to that of our ancestors.

The claimed benefits of a paleo diet include:

1. improved cholesterol

2. reduced blood pressure

3. improved glycemic control

4. reduced waist circumference and weight loss

5. improved satiety

6. improved gut health

7. reduced all-cause mortality

Shifting from a Western diet rich in processed, sodium-rich foods to a paleo diet will lead to the inclusion of more fresh fruits and vegetables, which can undoubtedly benefit overall health.

Many people also report improvements in inflammation, focus, and sleep. They also report weight loss, which is likely due to eating more whole foods while cutting out major food groups.

Foods to Avoid on the Paleo Diet

The paleo diet discourages consumption of certain foods, including:

1. Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup: soft drinks, fruit juices, table sugar, candy, pastries, ice cream, and many others

2. Grains: breads, pastas, wheat, cereal, spelt, rye, barley, etc.

3. Legumes: beans, lentils, and many more

4. Dairy: most dairy, especially low fat dairy (some versions of paleo do include full-fat dairy like butter and cheese)

5. Some vegetable oils: soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, and others

6. Artificial sweeteners: aspartame, sucralose, cyclamates, saccharin, acesulfame potassium (use natural sweeteners instead)

7. Highly processed foods: everything labeled “diet” or “low fat” or that has many additives, including artificial meal replacements

A simple guideline for the paleo diet is, if it looks like it was made in a factory, don’t eat it.

If you want to avoid these ingredients, you must read ingredients lists and nutrition labels, even on foods that are labeled as “health foods.”

Foods to Eat on the Paleo Diet

There’s a variety of whole, unprocessed foods you can eat on the paleo diet. This includes:

1. Meat: Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork, and others

2. Fish and seafood: salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, shellfish, etc (choose wild-caught if you can)

3. Eggs: may be free-range, pastured, or omega-3 enriched

4. Vegetables: broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, etc.

5. Fruits: apples, bananas, oranges, pears, avocados, strawberries, blueberries, and more.

6. Tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, etc.

7. Nuts and seeds: almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and more

8. Healthy fats and oils: extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, and others

9. Salt and spices: sea salt, garlic, turmeric, rosemary, etc.

Many people prefer to choose grass-fed meats, pastured eggs, and organic produce while following a paleo diet. However, this is not required.

A Sample Paleo Menu for 1 Week

This sample menu contains a balanced amount of paleo-friendly foods.

By all means, adjust this menu based on your own preferences.

Monday

Breakfast: eggs and vegetables fried in olive oil, one piece of fruit

Lunch: chicken salad with olive oil, a handful of nuts

Dinner: burgers (no bun) fried in butter, vegetables, salsa

Tuesday

Breakfast: bacon, eggs, one piece of fruit

Lunch: leftover burgers from the night before

Dinner: baked salmon with vegetables

Wednesday

Breakfast: leftover salmon and vegetables from the night before

Lunch: sandwich in a lettuce leaf, with meat and fresh vegetables

Dinner: ground beef stir-fry with vegetables, berries

Thursday

Breakfast: eggs, one piece of fruit

Lunch: leftover stir-fry from the night before, a handful of nuts

Dinner: fried pork, vegetables

Friday

Breakfast: eggs and vegetables fried in olive oil, one piece of fruit

Lunch: chicken salad with olive oil, a handful of nuts

Dinner: steak, vegetables, sweet potatoes

Saturday

Breakfast: bacon, eggs, one piece of fruit

Lunch: leftover steak and vegetables from the night before

Dinner: baked tilapia, vegetables, avocado

Sunday

Breakfast: leftover salmon and vegetables from the night before

Lunch: sandwich in a lettuce leaf, with meat and fresh vegetables

Dinner: grilled chicken wings, vegetables, salsa

Disadvantages of Paleo Diet

Here are the disadvantages of a paleo diet:

1. The food portions allowed by the diet exceed the recommended daily allowances s for those foods.

2. Eliminating entire food groups can mean essential nutrients and vitamins are not included in the diet.

3. People in the West often obtain their calcium from milk, cheese and yoghurt and those following the paleo diet are at risk of inadequate calcium consumption and therefore low bone and tooth density.

4. The elimination of whole grains may mean a decreased intake of fiber, which is beneficial to gut health.

5. The diet does not allow the consumption of legumes, which are highly beneficial to gut health and rich in magnesium, selenium and manganese.

6. Humans today are not genetically identical to ancestors from the Paleolithic period, as the paleo diet assumes. We have evolved in order to adapt to our changing environment.

7. The diet does not account for the wide range of foods that were available during the Palaeolithic period and there is inadequate evidence available for it to be established exactly what amount and proportions of foods were eaten during that period.

8. It is not possible to fully adopt the same diet as people did in the Palaeolithic periods, simply because animals and plants have evolved since then and are different compared to what they would have been 10,000 years ago.

Side Effects of a Paleo Diet

The paleo diet, like any significant dietary change, can lead to side effects as the body adapts to a new way of eating.

When going on a paleo diet you have to exclude certain food groups, and this combined with a lower carbohydrate intake can take time for the body to get used to. This can result in any of the following side effects:

1. Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) – if taking certain glucose lowering medications

2. Low-carb flu

3. Cravings

4. Lack of energy initially

5. Bad breath

6. Change in bowel habits

These side effects are usually temporary and can be minimised by taking certain precautions.

It is important to speak with your doctor before adopting the paleo diet, and you should consult them if you think any side effects you are experiencing are abnormal or have been going on for too long.

How to Follow a Healthy Paleo Diet

Even though some studies have found that the paleo diet may lead to a few side effects, most studies have found that the diet is generally well-tolerated and isn’t associated with adverse health effects.

In fact, one study showed that the paleo diet may even be a better choice for psychological health compared with other popular diets. The study analyzed the psychological effects of five dietary patterns, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, paleo, and weight loss diets.

People following paleo dietary patterns reported the lowest levels of disordered eating symptoms, food cravings, emotional eating, and negative emotions. Interestingly, the paleo diet was associated with more positive psychological characteristics even when compared with a normal, unrestricted diet group.

Plus, the paleo diet may positively influence other aspects of health, including metabolic health. So, how do you follow a balanced and nutritious paleo diet that’s unlikely to cause side effects?

Here are a few helpful tips:

1. Consider a modified paleo diet. It’s less restrictive and allows a limited consumption of grains, legumes, and dairy. Findings from one study suggest that a modified paleo diet may be a better choice for gut health than the unmodified version.

2. Make sure you’re consuming enough fiber. Some people don’t eat enough fiber when following a paleo dietary pattern. Adding in plenty of vegetables, fruits, and fiber rich products like chia seeds and flax seeds can help you increase your fiber intake.

3. Eat regular, balanced meals. Consuming regular and balanced meals appropriate for your activity levels, body size, age, and weight goals is important for energy levels, blood sugar regulation, digestion, and more.

4. Remember that the paleo diet is not a low carb diet. The paleo diet is not necessarily a low carb diet. It can be designed to be low carb, but you can also increase your intake of fruits and starchy vegetables to bump up your carb intake if needed.

5. Work with a registered dietitian. If you’re interested in following a paleo diet but aren’t sure where to start, consider working with a registered dietitian. They can help you plan a paleo diet that covers your nutrient needs and helps you feel your best.

Additionally, any dietary pattern — including an unrestricted dietary pattern — has the potential to lead to low or deficient nutrient intakes. Cutting out food groups like legumes, all grains, and dairy could increase your risk of underconsuming certain nutrients. However, studies show that paleo diets and modified paleo diets are of minimal nutritional risk compared with a standard eating pattern. Still, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on your nutrients. For example, a person following a strict paleo diet should focus on getting enough calcium through nondairy sources, like leafy greens, seeds, sardines, and nuts. Also, certain nutrient deficiencies are common no matter the type of diet you’re consuming. For example, vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies worldwide. Whatever diet you follow, consider having your vitamin D levels tested, and take vitamin D3 if your levels are low.

Sources:

Mayo Clinic

History

UC Davis Health

Treyzon Med

Durango Herald

Healthline

Everyday Health

Trifecta Nutrition

US News

Medical News Today

NUNM

News Medical

Diabetes

 

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