The paleo diet is designed to mimic the diets of early humans that lived in the Paleolithic era. It's impossible to know exactly what early human ancestors ate in different regions of the world, but it is safe to assume that their diets mostly consisted of unprocessed whole foods. By following this diet of whole foods and maintaining physically active lives, hunter-gatherers presumably had lower rates of lifestyle disorders. Furthermore, several research studies have demonstrated that the paleo diet may lead to considerable weight loss (without calorie counting) and improved health. This article covers everything you need to know about the diet, with some easy-to-make recipes to boot.
The 1890s saw a plethora of diet books flood both American and European markets, all based on demonizing certain foods and food groups. Most of these books zone in on processed carbohydrates, or carbohydrates in general. Although the diets and claims stated in these books were interesting and highly marketable, the public response was underwhelming, in large part due to the political and economic unrest most of these countries were experiencing at the time. It would take over eighty years for the phenomenon to occur again; the 1970s saw a similar movement against processed foods, spearheaded by gastroenterologist Walter L. Voegtlin. In his 1975 book, The Stone Age Diet, Voegtlin claimed that the human body was predisposed to optimally function on whole foods, primarily meat. He would further go on to claim that humans were "exclusively flesh-eaters" up until the Mesolithic period.
These books proved to be extremely popular, garnering rave reviews, and cult followings. This trend would continue well into the 21st century, which was when a concrete description of the paleo diet and the term itself were first penned by Dr. Loren Cordain in his 2002 book, The Paleo Diet. Cordain, an American scientist specializing in nutrition and exercise, wrote about how consuming unprocessed foods such as lean meats, nuts, seeds, fruit, and low- or non-starchy vegetables can significantly lower the risk and onset of several diseases and health conditions, such as osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, gut inflammation, et al. Cordain has trademarked the term "The Paleo Diet" and built a company around the brand.
The Paleo Diet website sells several books centered around the diet and its philosophies and also features a multitude of articles that aim to help people make informed nutrition choices in accordance with the diet's several tenets. Cordain and his team continue to improve upon the diet, actively curating lists of approved foods and making other changes to the diet's principles in accordance with new findings. The company also offers product certifications for F&B conglomerates, namely Paleo True and Paleo Flex. Paleo True certification implies that the product is completely in accordance with the diet's principles; Paleo Flex allows some non-Paleo ingredients to be used in the product. Foods such as dairy and some seed oils are to be avoided since these items were first consumed after the Paleolithic age. The company has been subject to severe criticism over the years since their claims regarding disease prevention have little quality research backing them, especially with regard to gut inflammation and heart disease.
Critics also point out that the diet has been extensively commercialized and that it has approved the consumption of several food items such as coffee and ghee that weren't originally consumed by humans in the Paleolithic era. The company has yet to comment on these accusations. Just like the carnivore diet, the paleo diet may be misguided in its principles, but it makes for a broad-spectrum weight loss tool that is far more accessible to the general population in contrast to its meat-based counterpart. We've listed five delectable recipes for you that are in tune with the diet’s principles.
Egg, spinach, and tomato scramble
● Dice about 100 gms of ripe cherry tomatoes. Pan-fry with olive oil; add 100 gms of cleaned spinach once the tomatoes start to shrivel.
● Reduce heat, and add three beaten eggs; stir until cooked, adding salt when almost done. Serve with baked sweet potatoes.
Salmon filet with salad greens
● Pan-sear a 100 gms skinless salmon filet with olive oil, season with salt and black pepper. Serve on a bed of salad greens, with a wedge of lime.
Butternut Squash Soup
● Sautee 1 kg of diced butternut squash with olive oil and ghee until soft. Add a little bit of water and blend using a hand blender. Add salt, pepper, and rosemary to taste, and cook on low for ten minutes. Serve hot with a garnish of rosemary.
Pan seared pork chops with blond sauce
● Sear 500 grams of pork chops on high heat with butter. Transfer to a wire rack once both sides have browned.
● In the same pan, cook 100 gms of red onion until caramelized. Follow with half a cup each of coconut cream and chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce to mixture, and add in the pork chops, completely coat and cook for one minute on high. Garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with boiled asparagus.
Paleo Fruit Salad
● Dice 100 gms of muskmelon, toss with almond flakes, olive oil, and mint leaves. Serve cold, with more almond flakes and a mint sprig to garnish.