Paleo diet: what it really is and what foods to eat

The paleo diet is a diet based on the conscious choice of untreated or unprocessed foods: they are consumed only pure raw materials, which could also be found by primitive men at the dawn of humanity.

The diet of our prehistoric ancestors has become one of the major food trends of the moment: the reason for this success is due to a desire to return to nature and origins, perhaps taken a little to the extreme.

The idea behind this type of nutrition is that if it didn't exist then, it can't be consumed today: no snacks or snacks, but not even simple pasta, for example.

The Paleolithic diet between fashion and “fit” culture

However, a distinction must be made between what thepaleo dietshould actually be, if applied in a serious manner based on the historical evidence of primitive nutrition, and what has instead been misrepresented and reworked by a certain "fit" culture.

According to fashion and a superficial interpretation of this diet, the diktat would be: lots of pure meat and fish, practically absent or at least very limited carbohydrates of all kinds. This is because, obviously,a high-protein, sugar-free dietenables rapid weight loss, but could lead to negative health consequences and deficiencies in terms of micronutrients.

Paleo diet, how the "prehistoric" diet really works

On the contrary, scholars, nutritionists and biologists agree that eating like prehistoric man means something completely different: in fact, the diet of the ancient inhabitants of the Planet was 70% of vegetal origin, practically a plant based diet.

This is because it was based on the collection of spontaneous fruits from the earth, mainly fruit for those who lived in tropical and subtropical areas, while above all roots, tubers and berries for the inhabitants of temperate and colder zones. Vegetables, therefore fibers and carbohydrates, essentially rich in vitamins and minerals.

Theanimal proteins were in a smaller percentage: the game that could be caught, as well as the fish caught with rudimentary tools and the eggs "stolen" from the nests unattended.

It even exists a study by the University of Bologna, which analyzed the finds of the primitive Hazda community, which lived in Tanzania in the Paleolothic, precisely to reconstruct their "dining" habits.

Paleo diet, which foods to eat and how

But so, what foods should we eat to follow the Paleolithic diet nowadays?

The concept of consuming only pure foods, not treated or processed in any way is certainly very healthy. Green light for fresh fruit, vegetables and tubers in quantity, but also nuts and berries.

Foods and condiments not allowed in the paleo diet

Cereals and all their derivatives banned – from flour to pasta: as they are the fruit of agriculture, they do not fall within the paleo diet.

Refined foods banned, sugars, everything chemical - from sweeteners to flavourings.

Even foods considered normal and beneficial are not consumed by purists:olive oil, to give a concrete example, being the result of subsequent processing, based on cultivation and the ability to transform raw materials, should not be consumed.

The dishes are not seasoned at all, therefore, given that even salt entered into common use only in later periods.

Benefits and contraindications of the primitive diet

Like any other type of diet with somewhat "strong" choices, flexibility and awareness are everything.

The benefits of the paleo diet

The benefits are those deriving from the fact of not consuming too much sugar or refined and industrial foods. The absence of preservatives, colorings and chemical additives and the abundance of fresh foods, lightly seasoned and untreated, is certainly positive for the body, which in the early stages you will feel a boost of energy and "detox".

Contraindications of the paleo diet

However, there are several gray areas of this diet: the first is linked to the issue we mentioned at the beginning of the article, that is, a mystified interpretation of the paleo diet, seen only as a high-protein diet based on animal products. This is not the case, and exaggerating with meat to the detriment of carbohydrates and fibre can lead to malnutrition and negative consequences for the entire metabolism, especially because you do not get enough vitamins and minerals.

The second lies in the fact that, in the long term,it could be an unsustainable diet within a "normal" life: thinking about any episode of social life, finding the right paleo alternative on the menu of a pizzeria or canteen could be really difficult.