The paleo diet, also known as the caveman diet, the stone age diet and in full the paleolithic diet is a nutritional regimen based on the supposed diet of human beings in the paleolithic era. This diet is based on the idea that the genetics of humans have not changed since pre-agricultural times which was the paleolithic era. It asserts that present humans are still adapted to the diet of that era.
This diet is predominantly composed of grass-fed animal meat, fish, vegetables, eggs, fungi, nuts, fruit and roots. It discourages dairy products, processed oils, refined sugar, refined salt, legumes, potatoes and grains. People who stick to this diet are reported to be free of most lifestyle diseases. This diet seeks to copy what pre-agricultural foragers ate. It uses present day cultivated plants and reared animals as a substitute to the original wild paleolithic diet. This diet is drawn from historical studies, archeological finds and anthropological evidence. It mainly consists of foods that can be fished or hunted. These foods have to be prepared without using any food additives. Followers of this diet are only allowed to drink water, however, tea is also recommended as a healthy drink in some quarters. This diet permits cheating, especially at the beginning where users are allowed to eat whatever they want for up to three meals in a week. This diet does not help much in losing weight, it is more recommended for maintaining lost weight and general health.
For vegetarians, the paleo diet can be hard to adhere to because it lays emphasis on the consumption of meat and fish. Recommended protein sources for vegetarians like legumes which include beans among others are not permitted. This is because they are believed to have adhesive sugar binding proteins which are harmful to the gut, they also contain gluten, which causes inflammation in the brain and gut. Dairy products are believed to cause constipation, amongst other gut problems. The paleo diet may feel boring, plain and restrictive at first, but those who are converts claim the improvements it brings over the course of time make it worth the effort.