The Paleo Diet, also known as the “Caveman Diet” has become hugely popular over the last few years. It is considered by many diet experts as the healthiest diet in the world.

And the best thing is: this is a diet where you don’t need to count! You can eat until full…

The amazing benefits that can be obtained by following the Paleo Diet are easy to explain.

“Paleo”, short for “Paleolithic” refers to the period where we human beings were still cavemen. At this time, we were hunter-gatherers, with no access to diary or to grain. These only came into the picture about 10,000 years ago, while we were hunter-gatherers for more than a million years before that.

Basically, our bodies were genetically coded to function optimally on a nutrition that comes from a hunter gatherer lifestyle. In the last 10,000 years however, the human genome has only changed by 0.01%

A lot of the foods we have been consuming are simply not suitable for our bodies, the main culprit being grains.

Grains, potatoes, beans, these foods were eaten by man after the rise of agriculture. Although they have allowed to “feed the masses”(which is why this planet is now completely overpopulated), they are simply not suitable for our 99.99% hunter-gatherer genome.

Cultures which still observe the paleolithic form of nutrition today are often complemented on their astonishing health.

Our western diets typically show that We consume too many Omega-6 fats and not enough Omega-3 fats. The Omega-6/Omega-3 ratio in western diets averages about 12:1. High dietary Omega-6/Omega-3 ratios are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, some types of cancer, and tend to harm many inflammatory disease responses.

The extreme level of carbohydrates we are encouraged to eat nowadays is way to high!

The Paleo diet, by paying attention to these basic truths and by selecting foods that were available to paleolithic man, addresses these issues with tremendous results.

Followers of the paleo diet have reported increased energy and quicker recovery even after as little as two weeks.

Succeeding with paleo diet depends a lot on your own personal organization.

First of all, there are the foods that can be eaten: (see the site mentioned below for a comprehensive list):

Game Meats and Fish, Fruits, Nuts, Berries

And secondly, there are the foods that should be avoided:

Grains, Beans, Potatoes, Dairy

There are no calories or carbs to be counted, the idea is simply to eat until full.

Why not give this a try for a couple of weeks? You’ll be enjoying the benefits in no time.

Apart from the aforementioned reason, excessive weight certainly affects one’s self-esteem. It can result in two different decisions: eat too much of unhealthy foods because of a distorted view of self-image and low self-confidence or working out and succeeding in achieving the desired body weight and thus dissipating any and all sense of insecurity.

If a person decides to reach for the latter, then proper diet is the answer. However, deciding to have a diet doesn’t mean that all problems are solved. The keyword is ‘proper’ and this is where we get confused. One of the many concerns in a diet regimen is the food. What foodstuff should you eat and what should you avoid? Whatever diet you choose, if you are not well-informed about the dos and don’ts, everything could go downhill.

One of the many distinguished diets today is the Paleolithic Diet, or better known as Paleo diet. From the term itself, it is clearly understood that this diet plan is created to imitate the way our ancestors ate around thousands of years ago. Despite the many criticisms it has faced, Paleo diet has become well-acclaimed by many.

Some say that it’s restrictive, because one cannot be satisfied by the limited food sources that can be eaten. But if you put past the notion about how narrow the list of food our ancestors consumed during the past, you’ll realize that healthy foods won’t be detrimental to one’s fitness.

Moreover, eating meat is one of the reasons why paleo diet is highly distinctive from others. Its principle is to consume large amounts of protein and less carbohydrate. And admit it, who wouldn’t want to eat unlimited amounts of meat? When choosing meat, look for the naturally fed and steroid free meat.

When it comes to fruits and vegetables, make sure to eat at least nine servings or 4 ½ cups per day. They’re absolutely healthy, will provide all the vital vitamins and nutrients and also provide excellent amounts of natural fiber. When choosing your fruits and veggies, go for the greens. Orange, red and yellow colored ones are also permissible and will give your body a nice blend of vitamins and anti-oxidants too.

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There are a few ingredients which should never be present in meals while on this diet. These include refined sugars, grains, potatoes, legumes, and dairy. Dark meats and those with additives and nitrites should be avoided such as bacon, lunch meats, sausage and hot dogs. Oils from cottonseed, peanuts, soybeans, rice bran and wheat germ should also not be consumed.

A sample breakfast includes an ounce of combined almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts. Another option is eating an ounce of unsweetened carob, coconut oil and pecan meal. A third possibility consists of a salad, an egg, and an apple. A good salad dressing is made with key wholesome ingredients. Combine one tablespoon of honey, a third a cup lemon juice, pepper, one teaspoon tarragon and two thirds cup olive oil. This recipe is enough to use for several salads.

Appropriate snacks include an ounce of raw nuts or of unsweetened dry coconut. Dried plums, pears, dates or figs are also allowed. Almonds, shredded coconut, almond extract and pitted dates are combined in a blender and dehydrated to make macaroons. Other calorie free snack ideas are herbal tea such as licorice or burdock.

Lunches consist of a large salad with lettuce, celery, and avocado. Additional vegetables worth adding are carrot, tomato, radish, and cucumber. Around four ounces of meat in the form of pork, lamb, chicken or turkey is sliced on top. Meats can marinate in lime, lemon and orange juice mixed with olive oil, garlic, pepper, bay leaves and cilantro. Afterwards, it is broiled, grilled or barbequed, depending on personal preference. Another choice for meat would be sardines in olive oil.

Dinners can be a salad or a cooked vegetable dish. Vegetables such a as zucchini, cauliflower, onion, broccoli tossed with olive oil and herbs work well. Pair vegetables with another 4 oz serving of meat. Pork, beef, lamb, chicken, rabbit, chicken, turkey and salmon are possibilities. Cod may be poached with tomatoes, olive oil, calamata olives, lime juice, chopped zucchini and parsley.

Dessert consists of berries, an apple, a pear, or a few plums. Any of these may be slightly sweetened with the addition of a bit of honey. Nuts are also an acceptable choice. A more inventive dessert is created using homemade applesauce blended with apple juice, honey, and lemon juice. Freeze the mixture and then scoop out and serve in bowls. Variations of this use blueberries, strawberries, peaches, kiwi or raspberries instead as the main fruit.

Paleo meal plans contain a lot of vegetables, fruits, and meat. Additives are avoided and all ingredients are fresh, dried, or naturally preserved. Breakfast usually consist of nuts, fruits or salad. Lunches are also often salads with an accompanying source of meat. Dinner combines vegetables with meat and finishes with a dessert of different fruits or nuts.

In order that your transition to the Paleo plan goes smoothly here are some ideas and tips to creating your Paleo diet meal planner. The following are the basic requirements for a successful Paleo meal plan. Where possible, and do not be lazy in this regard, shop around and source suppliers but try to buy organic, natural, free range or wild products:

Paleo meal planner allowed foods:

Protein from lean beef, lamb, pork, game, skinned poultry, eggs and seafoods (full range);
Fruit – all varieties particularly plenty of berries (very good anti-oxidants)
Vegetables – all varieties. Root vegetables however are generally a no-no however the young leaves of carrots, beet etc are allowed and further than that I suggest you use your discretion here. However if your main aim is to shed extra weight then perhaps you should leave the root vegetables out.
Most nuts and seeds.
Fats and oils such as avocado oil, olive oil and nut oils – unprocessed oils.

Paleo meal planner excluded foods:

All grain and grain products ie breads, pastry, pasta, crackers etc.
All dairy and dairy products ie milk, yoghurt, cheeses, butter etc.

Your initial impression maybe one of concern that excluding grain and dairy a problem will arise with regard to variety. Rest assured that this is not so. The Paleo diet plan includes an incredible variety of foods. This is the ideal opportunity to be creative and use your foodie imagination. Family and friends will be in awe of the wonderful flavoursome and wholesome meals you are able to serve with the Paleo Diet meal planner foods.

There is no reason to fear having to find recipes and making meals for breakfast, lunch, supper, dessert, snacks, celebratory meals and barbecues. You will never have reason to feel deprived, excluded or cheated. The purpose of the Paleo diet plan is to introduce a lifestyle of correct eating to best ensure general wellbeing, increased vitality and consistent weight loss.

The Paleo Diet Meal Plan is the beginning of the rest of your healthy, slim and energetic new life!

Make a Paleo diet meal plan

My least favorite part about adopting a new healthy eating regiment is that invariably the cookbooks will list out recipes which require ingredients I don’t have. Since you can’t buy 1 tablespoon of paprica, I end up buying a whole bottle… and more than I need of countless other ingredients. Meal plans are tedious, boring, and rigid. “I’ll just go with the flow,” I tell myself. The problem is that going with the flow requires a mastery which I do not yet posses. I need a Paleo diet meal plan because if I don’t have one, I’ll end up eating unseasoned chicken breast and apples for every meal of every day. That is not sustainable.

You can make a plan yourself or find one online but you need a plan. A goal without a plan is only a fantasy. Map out what you’ll eat for the next 1 – 4 weeks. You don’t need an exact meal by meal “I have to eat this Tuesday for lunch” but you should have enough meals to get you through. You should also make sure you have enough breakfasts, enough lunches, enough dinners, and enough snacks. Never underestimate snacking. If you don’t plan for snacks, you’ll either ditch your Paleo diet meal plan immediately and opt for a non-Paleo snack or you’ll be so hungry when meal time comes around that you don’t stick to the Paleo diet meal plan. You don’t want that. Include a variety of foods in case you’re just not in the mood for something and make sure you, at least in the beginning, stick with what you know. If you can’t prepare, or don’t really like, the food you’re eating, you won’t stick to your Paleo diet meal plan.

Evolve: if humans did it, so can you.

Start with foods you know and like but don’t stay there. Gradually introduce new foods into your Paleo diet meal plan over time. Your first week should be only foods you know and love. Your second week, try to eat something new once per day. After that, try to incorporate something new and unusual into every meal. A key component to the Paleo diet is variety. Hunter-Gatherers didn’t have the luxury of a grocery store, or even a Paleo diet meal plan; they ate what was available. You need to intentionally branch out in the beginning because we have been conditioned to only eat certain types of food (cereal, bacon, eggs, and toast for breakfast; a turkey sandwich for lunch, pasta or casserole for dinner).

Ultimately, a written meal plan and specific commitment are crucial for your success in converting to a Paleo diet. Hey, if humans could do it before the invention of indoor plumbing, I think you can handle it too.