Why Go Paleo? (Infographic)
The Paleo diet a.k.a. caveman diet continues to be a hot topic of conversation and debate among the LIVESTRONG.COM audience. Let's investigate.
The Paleo diet a.k.a. caveman diet continues to be a hot topic of conversation and debate among the LIVESTRONG.COM audience. (Simply read the comments at the bottom of this 2013 blog post.) Experts such as Loren Cordain and LIVESTRONG.COM readers swear by Paleo, while others such as Marlene Zuk Ph.D, have voiced their criticisms.
Regardless, many LIVESTRONG.COM users are passionate about Paleo.
They've entered over 1,000 Paleo recipes into MyPlate, our food tracking app which provides calories, fats, carbs, and protein info for all your recipes. (This article has instructions on how to enter your recipes into MyPlate to see the caloric, protein, carb and fat info.)
As site reader Thomas Ratcliffe commented,"If you understand the underlying concepts of the [Paleo] diet, it is absurd to suggest it would be a bad idea. You would basically have to say that processed high-carb food is good for you, and better for you than nutrient-dense, well-sourced natural foods."
Nonetheless, many readers still have questions about Paleo. To help address (and answer) some of those questions, the editorial team created the infographic below.
Check it out and print it and/or pin it and share it on Pinterest.
Most importantly, leave a comment below and let us know what you think about the Paleo diet and whether or not the infographic was helpful to try to explain it.
The cavemen appear to have gotten a few things right — art and their diet — and it is the latter which is the basis for the Paleo diet. It is an animal protein, low-carb lifestyle like that of our pre-tech ancestors. Foods shunned for their inflammatory qualities include dairy, grains, refined sugars and legumes.
The Premise of the Paleo Diet
Since our genetics, anatomy and nutritional requirements have changed very little since the start of agriculture 10,000 years ago, eating and exercising in the same way our Paleolithic-era ancestors did can help control weight and help prevent diseases like obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer that our contemporary way of eating may cause (or at the very least contribute to).
What Do You Think?
Have you tried the Paleo Diet? Did it give you good health and fitness results? Let us know if you are in favor of it or not by leaving a comment below. Also, please feel free to share your favorite paleo snacks and/or recipes in the comments as well. Check out the recipe for my 2-Minute Paleo Pumpkin Microwave Muffins.