Tangled in a hassle with weight loss tips? Looking for something to change your whole life and to look more beautiful? A Paleo diet plan is something you have been seeking for.
Newbies to the paleo lifestyle don’t have any idea where to head from. And above all, commencing a whole new lifestyle can be quiet daunting, but this comprehensive guide to paleo meal plan will assist you to move on the right track.
Do you know why our ancestors were so fit? There’s a paleo secret behind their health and that is why the paleo diet is also often termed as “the caveman diet”.
Although no one knows completely what exactly our ancestors’ diet was, several researches have proved that they used to eat whole foods. By following such diet and leading a physically active life, the cavemen were far away from lifestyle diseases say diabetes, obesity and other heart diseases.
In fact, several reports have claimed that these sorts of diet plans can assist you in losing weight without paying much attention to the calories consumed.
Continue further reading the article to know more about Paleo.
So what basically paleo is?
The word paleo has been emerged from the “Paleolithic era”, which says that human DNA has not changed since ages, so a diet that our ancestors followed to lead a healthy life can do wonders for us- in this hustling life.
While no one can exactly predict the food our ancients used to eat thousands of years ago, there is a surety that their diet was not filled with fast foods, bread, sugars, refined foods, and all the ones that have very less or zero nutritional value.
Instead, our ancestors were focused on naturally available diets like nuts, fruits, veggies, proteins, and all the things that have tons of nutritional factors.
The main objective behind having a paleo meal plan is nourishing our bodies with the foods which we are designed to eat.
You must have thought that most of the consumables that were available thousands of years ago are extinct or do not retain the same shape? Yes, that’s right! But one can still make good choices and decide to eat real, rather than canned and packed foods.
Below are the following sections that will take you on a tour of what to eat and what to avoid while following the paleo menu.
Let us first find out – How does a paleo diet works?
Ever wondered how humans managed their life thousands of years ago without even knowing what a calorie is? In natural habitats, their bodies were capable of regulating their own weight, appetite, and hunger.
Nowadays, lab-created canned foods are processed to overwhelm our body’s fullness signals. Most of these processed foods are unhygienic for your gut and generate an inflammatory feeling in your entire stomach, resulting in chronic diseases and finally failure of the body elements.
Paleo diet plan is all about getting rid of these sorts of foods, without even bothering to remain on a liquid diet. You can still eat well while following your diet plan as paleo diet menu is enriched with whole foods.
Wondering about what foods you should keep yourself distant from, in order to obey all the paleo diet rules?
Here are some foods you should avoid on a paleo diet:
You will be overwhelmed to know that the foods that aren’t incorporated in the paleo diet menu are actually the ones that many individuals have allergic reactions to. This term makes good sense as our bodies were not designed to consume those types of foods.
- Sugar
Are you aware that sugar and its derivatives are the most responsible elements for your weight gain? It has been proved that sugar does not have any nutritional value and only appends calories to your diet, causing various heart and liver problems. Despite eating sugar, you should switch to natural sweetening things like honey and natural fruits and veggies.
- Trans-Fats:
You should keep yourself at par from highly processed and refined foods like canola oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil along with all other homogeneous victuals.
- Legumes:
Eatables that are loaded with lectins and phytates should be prevented from eating. These eatables include peas, lentils and beans. Many people have reported inflammatory disease inside their stomach after consuming these. So while following a paleo meal plan, you should get rid of them.
- Alcohol:
Alcoholic drinks and items that are filled with gluten are also prohibited. If you are an occasional drinker you should opt for wine, tequila and gluten-free drinks. Also, the digestion of alcohol takes up time and is another factor for weight gain.
- Grains
All the grains are rich in lectins and gluten and can cause an inflammatory sensation or digestive problems. You should bid adieu to bread, pasta, rice, corn, wheat flour, tortillas, and all the things that satisfy the grain category.
- Processed foods:
This incorporates the candies, soft drinks, chemical-filled snacks, and packed foods. These foods are contained with harsh chemicals that aren’t safe to consume.
- Dairy
Do you know lactose can cause havoc on your stomach? Most of the dairy products contain tons of lactose which result in digestive problems. If your body doesn’t react negatively when fed with dairy products, you can choose to consume grass-fed dairy products if possible.
- Energy drinks and soda:
Soda and energy drinks are reported to have 80-90% sugars in them and we previously mentioned that sugar is a bad element. So, one should also avoid consuming these as per paleo diet rules.
What can you eat then?
You might have thought that all the eatables are not included in a paleo diet plan, so what should one consume? Below mentioned are the foods that satisfy the paleo diet criteria that will enrich your body with nutrients and vitamins.
Paleo diet is not about eating only vegetables, there are tons of delicious items and paleo diet recipes that you can try. Check out your paleo grocery list and head to the market to buy these.
- Eggs
Eggs nowadays are hatched through machines and the natural element in them remains missing. You can include pastured eggs in your paleo diet menu. Don’t know what pastured eggs are? Pastured eggs are derived from the chickens that are freely roaming in their natural habitat and are fed with a natural diet. This allows the eggs to grow fully with all the natural proteins intact. You can look for various hatcheries that are supplying pastured eggs.
- Fruits
Each and every fruit is allowed to eat while on a paleo diet. But the best to consume are strawberries, blueberries and blackberries, if available. If you are into losing weight, you should avoid fruits like banana and the ones that help in gaining weight.
- Animal fats:
You can eat tallow, lard and duck fat that nourishes you with omega-3 and saturated fats. Also, these fats are stable at high heat cooking and better than chemically filled processed foods.
- Meats:
The tastiest thing about paleo diet is meat. You can have whatever you like but in the natural form. You can eat chicken, pork, turkey and much more. While choosing meat, try to opt for grass-fed and pasture-raised meats as they are best to consume.
- Seafood:
Wild-caught seafood is your best inmate in paleo menu. You can look for lobster, shrimp, crab, fish, clams, and all the sea occurring foods.
- Seeds and nuts:
If you eat them in moderation, nuts are the best thing you can consume on your paleo diet. Always keep in mind that you should avoid eating peanuts and peanut butter products as the peanut isn’t included in the nuts category.
- Healthy oil:
Olive oil, avocado oil, sesame seed oil and the oils that are available in the virgin form and are minimally processed are safe to use in your paleo diet.
Note: Most of the people are allergic to seafood, nuts, and eggs. So you can tailor your diet according to your body type.
Now that you are well aware of what to eat and what to avoid, let’s have a look at the health benefits of a paleo diet.
Health benefits:
A paleo diet bestows you with several health benefits along with reducing your body weight. Here are some of the health benefits it offers you.
Enhanced insulin sensitivity:
Taking a paleo diet helps your body with insulin/glucose tolerance, which means that you are less prone to falling prey to diseases like diabetes and obesity. Also, your body dissolves the intake of sugar much faster and efficiently bumps you towards a healthy life.
Better bone and periodontal health:
As you have stopped consuming gluten and phytates by opting for a paleo diet, it will impact your mineral bioavailability. Everyone desires to have strong bones and whiter teeth and a paleo diet plan makes it possible. A paleo diet is filled with nutrients and elements like iron, zinc, calcium that helps you in more mineral absorption, and better oral and bone health.
Improved blood lipids and EFA balance:
Scientifically it has been proved that a paleo diet is more balanced and contains subtle amounts of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. This in returns helps your body to improve the blood lipids and healthy life.
Having trouble creating your paleo diet menu? Stick to the article and get a comprehensive diet plan:
Paleo Diet Sample Plan
This is just a sample diet plan you can add or adjust it as per your needs and requirements.
Day 1:
- Breakfast: One fruit of your choice and veggies lightly fried in coconut oil, along with eggs.
- Lunch: A handful of essential nuts and chicken salad with virgin olive oil.
- Dinner: Some vegetables with salsa and ground bison.
Day 2:
- Breakfast: Eggs and bacon along with one fruit.
- Lunch: Cauliflower, broccoli, and grilled shrimp or chicken.
- Dinner: Ground chicken with some Thai wraps.
Day 3:
- Breakfast: Paleo pancakes cooked with coconut flour and garnished with berries.
- Lunch: Crumbled chicken and beacon with roasted sweet potatoes.
- Dinner: Stir-fried broccoli and other veggies
Day 4:
- Breakfast: Chorizo breakfast with scrambled eggs sprinkled with herbs and veggies.
- Lunch: Paleo-friendly veg. soup
- Dinner: Lemon chicken with asparagus and garlic.
Day 5:
- Breakfast: Italian spaghetti with olive eggs and salami
- Lunch: Cashew cream cheese and paleo pinwheels.
- Dinner: Hawaiian shredded chicken with citrus and avocado.
There are some of the delectable paleo diet recipes that you can look upon the internet and try for. You will definitely get positive results visible internally and externally.
Do you know most of the people fail to follow the right paleo diet plan? Molding your diet plan according to you is a good thing, but taking it in the wrong direction is not. Here is a myriad of things you should avoid while following a paleo diet:
- Eating too many fruits is of no benefit. Your body will be overwhelmed with fiber and it is not your motto.
- Most of the people take carbs for granted when they are on a diet. Paleo is not about limiting carbs, it’s about eating healthy carbs.
- Yes, we agree that consuming enough salt isn’t good for your health, but taking it in lesser quantity also does the same. You should intake enough amount of salt for your daily requirements.
- Eating nutritious foods completely satisfies paleo. Focus on these for the best results.
Conclusion
Going paleo and sacrificing grains, soy, and dairy might turn out to be a stepping stone towards a healthy and fit life. The habit of eating healthy and no processed foods can retain your health in the long run.
You can check out various paleo dinner recipes online that are healthy and are mouth-watering too. Luckily the internet and the markets are flooded with paleo recipe books, so you don’t have to bother to take advice from an expert.
You can be your expert yourself in paleo diet foods while maintaining your weight and a healthy lifestyle.
