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History of the Paleo Diet

The history of the Paleo Diet is also referred to as the Paleolithic Diet or Caveman Diet. This concept of eating natural, raw food is not new when it comes to diet books. Back in the 1970′s this theory was discussed by Walter Voegtlin in his book, The Stone Age Diet. His idea was similar to the popular Atkins diet of that time period.

This caveman theory was based on the fact that people were hunters and simply ate what they found in the wild. This included meats, fruits and vegetables. Animals were not domesticated at that time and so there was no milk, butter and cheese available. Only natural foods in their raw state, this is the basis of the Paleo Diet today.

The Paleo or Caveman concept was overshadowed by popular diets such as the South Beach Diet, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and other dieting methods.

The History of the Paleo Diet

The modern history of the Paleo diet began in 2005 with a new book published by Loren Cordain’s The Paleo Diet for Athletes: A Nutritional Formula for Peak Athletic Performance. This book caught the attention of many professional athletes who began to follow the methods described. They began publicly endorsing the concepts and the Paleo Diet came to the forefront of the diet revolution.

Today the Paleo Diet is based upon what we assume cavemen ate. This is based solely upon research done by scientists. Cavemen ate any animal which they could hunt and they foraged for fruits and vegetables. These three things became the staples of their diet.

If you do any research on the Paleo diet you will find that there are different versions available. Some versions state that you must only eat grass fed animals while other versions allow you to have dairy products. One thing that you must take into account is that our farming methods have evolved over the centuries.

Humans raise their animals to be eaten not to be hunted. They are fed chemicals and nutrients to improve the quality of the meat. Milk and other foods are pasteurized so they stay fresh longer. So it can be difficult to truly eat a Paleo Diet.

However you can eat on the notion of the Paleo Diet and include whatever foods you are comfortable eating. If you want to include milk and cheese do so, but remember that they contain fat and are high in calories.

Foods that might have been available to cavemen were potatoes, hard grains and certain legumes. The reason why these foods were not eaten was because they did not know how to cook them. Most of these foods are inedible in their raw state and so were never used.

As cavemen evolved it can be assumed that these foods were added to their diet. The problem with eating foods like potatoes and grains is that they are not a food that man is accustomed to eating. In fact grains can be linked to a whole slew of health issues including digestive problems. Scientists have shown that whole grains are extremely difficult to digest and many people have sensitivities to this food group.

Looking back over history and watching how diets changed, the introduction of not just potatoes and grains, but sugars and oils have caused major health problems. As these foods became available more instances of medical concerns were seen. People began to become overweight, they started having heart attacks and strokes. Even cancer could possibly be linked to the introduction of unnatural foods into our diets.

Another consideration is that cavemen would eat different foods depending upon where in the world they lived. Certain fruits and vegetables would only be available in certain areas. So knowing exclusively what you should and should not eat on the Paleo Diet can be a little challenging.

So What Should You Eat on the Paleo Diet?

History of the Paleo Diet

How strictly you follow the Paleo Diet concept is up to you. It would be best to choose as many natural and organic raw foods as possible. If you want to add foods like potatoes and milk then do so carefully. These foods tend to have lots of carbohydrates and calories in them. It may be best to lose weight first and then slowly incorporate them back into your diet.

Health wise you can’t go wrong with eating lots of fresh fruits and vegetables along with lean protein choices. You should see and feel improvements in your health very quickly.

There are many Paleo Diet books and resources available so choose one that fits into your way of thinking and stick with it. Remember if it works and you are comfortable with it then use it. You can see from the the history of the Paleo Diet that these ideas are not new but are very natural

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Low Carb Diet Plan Right For You?



I would assert that without a doubt, the low carb diet plan is the most heavily debated weight loss program ever created. In fact, the intensity with which both sides of the argument are expressed is truly incredible. This article will discuss the pros and cons of the low carb diet lifestyle, weighing in on both sides of the argument and helping you determine if this is the best way for you to reach your goals.

What is  Low Carb Diet?

As most of us are well aware, the “king” of this type of eating plan is the Atkins Diet. On this diet, you go through a series of three phases that gradually increase the amount of carbohydrates you are permitted to include in your diet on a daily basis. The first of these phases is called induction, which limits you to virtually no carbs whatsoever. You are permitted to eat all the animal protein you care to consume, but no bread, pasta, potatoes, sweets, or anything else containing carbs are allowed to pass your lips.

Low Carb Diet Plan Right For You?

low carb diet

Supporters of this program claim that the induction phase is where the magic happens, while its opponents will tell you that it’s suicidal insanity. This phase is dependent upon your body being thrown into a state of ketosis, where ketones are being expelled in the urine, indicating that your body’s fat is now being used as its preferred source of energy. The result of this is extremely rapid weight loss, healthy or not.

I can tell you from personal experience that this diet is effective. I lost 18 pounds my first 14 days on this program. And I experienced both the positive and negative effects that both sides of the issue continually argue.

Despite what some people may say, I found that my energy levels and overall sense of well-being were improved. I was eating steak, eggs, cheese, and bunless burgers constantly… and my feelings were not those of death that opponents of the low carb diet try to scare you with. I felt good. But I was really bored with my diet, which I thought was a fair trade-off given the weight loss results I was enjoying.

They also say that carbohydrates are the primary fuel source used by the brain, yet I felt no mental or emotional consequences of this diet. What I didn’t enjoy about the diet was the heaviness of the food. Meat, cheese, eggs, cheese, and meat. It was enough to bring a PETA representative to tears! I guess in my soul, it didn’t feel like the right thing to do.

So here’s my conclusion. If you want to lose a crazy amount of weight in a very short period of time, keep yourself energized, and don’t mind being a straight up carnivore in every sense of the word, then a low carb diet may be right up your alley. There are more lenient variations a person can consider, as well. The South Beach Diet is another popular low carb diet that may be easier for you to stick with. If you are interested in a low carb diet then try it out first for a week and see how you like it.

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Carbohydrates for Energy


There are essentially three types of diets these days. There is the Atkins diet which stresses low to zero carbs. There is the low fat diet which stresses no fats and there is a vegetarian diet which stresses low fat and low protein but allows higher carbohydrates.

Today I would like to demystify the need for carbs. And then in the future we can deal with fats and protein as well as what diet is best.

Where to find Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main component of grains, rice, fruits and vegetables. You essentially need carbohydrates for energy and fibre. When your body is looking for a source of energy it tends to use the simplest form available. The very simplest form of energy is glucose and although this is pure table sugar its next closest form is found in fruits as sucrose. These carbohydrates are called simple carbs because they are easy for your body to break down into energy.

If your body can not find one of these sources of sugar for energy it will move down the food chain and try one of the next most easily available carbs next would be grain based or what we look at as ‘white’ carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, or rice. (Chocolate bars although not an official food group are closer to sugar than veggies or other carbs). Your body will use any of the complex carbs as well as vegetables for fuel before moving to fats or proteins.

Now that we can see where our carbs site in the energy chain it is a good idea to see what happens when we eat one and what happens to our energy from them. When you eat a sugar it immediately increases your blood sugar otherwise known as your insulin level.

What happens when you rely on sugar?

When you blood sugar spikes from sugar, chocolate, or pop you will get a bit of a euphoric feeling from this extra unneeded energy but because it is quick pickup it is also a quick drop for energy and thus you will get a sugar crash 30-45 minutes after the initial energy peak, this is very bad and bad for your body. If on the other hand you only had potatoes or bread or rice for your carbs you would have no nice spikes but no crashes either and would feel after a couple days on a very more even keel, you would feel like you energy is pretty good all the time but never to low or to high. This is the key that we are looking for.

Tomorrow I will write more about bad foods just for a nice way to start minimizing them not to scare people away from them. But now you know energy wise why you would rather get you energy from more complex carbs than simple carbs.

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