Every person should strive to maintain their physical fitness. Extra pounds are not only unsightly. They negatively affect the course of many processes in the human body and can cause various diseases.
But you need to lose weight correctly. One of the most popular options today is the Paleolithic or Paleo diet.
The essence of the paleo nutrition method
The authors of the program are Americans L. Cordain and O. Garcia. It is based on the supposed menu of ancestors who lived in the Stone Age. This explains the fact that sometimes this technique is referred to as the diet of the ancients.
According to scientists, the human genetic code is constant and not subject to change, and the ideal diet is a diet based on natural products.
Ready-made food, food containing emulsifiers and flavor enhancers, as well as semi-finished products have a negative impact on health.
Therefore, the authors of the paleo program advise excluding these things from your diet for a while in order to improve your health. The main goal of the Paleolithic method is to restore health and only a secondary goal is to lose excess weight.What is the Paleo Diet?
The Paleo diet is a rejection of “modern” foods and a transition to traditional foods by limiting fast food, processed foods and other industrially produced foods. The name “Paleo” refers to the Paleolithic period, which lasted 2.5 million years and ended 13 thousand years BC. Essentially, it's trying to eat like a caveman.
The logic behind the diet is that most of the foods we are used to (from chips, chocolate bars, sugar and white flour, to juices and exotic fruits) have appeared literally in the last hundred years. At the same time, scientific research does confirm that simple carbohydrates disrupt not only metabolism, but also brain function.
Note that paleo is more of a lifestyle, and not at all a regular diet for maintaining body shape. Just as vegetarians avoid animal products, paleo followers avoid starch, sugar, lactose and various processed foods. Although the diet is in many ways close to keto, there are a number of fundamental differences - for example, the ban on high-protein soy products.
List of permitted and prohibited products
Foods strictly prohibited on the Paleo diet include sugar in all its forms (table sugar, soda, sweets), most modern grains (from wheat to rye), legumes (beans, lentils, soy) and a variety of dairy products (from butter to to cheese). In simple terms, Paleo only allows for eating meat and vegetables.
Such strict restrictions are due to the fact that all these products have not been grown for a long time, but are literally produced. Modern wheat has little in common with the plant that was known 500 years ago, and modern supermarket cheese is not a product fermented by lactic acid bacteria, but the result of the distillation of milk fat.
Buckwheat, quinoa and other pseudograins
As FitSeven mentioned above, the Paleo diet does not allow grains, legumes, or brown rice. You should forget about corn, wheat and rye in all their forms (bread, pasta, baked goods). Quinoa, buckwheat and buckwheat flour are also prohibited, because although these crops have not been cultivated by man for very long, they have been significantly modernized.
When it comes to white rice, nutritionists and paleo experts have differing opinions. Most of them recommend avoiding it completely, but some still allow the consumption of organically grown Basmati or Jasmine rice in minimal quantities, citing the fact that refined rice is just pure starch (4).
Advantages
As you can see in the photo of the paleo diet, its menu is rich in vitamins and minerals. It also has other advantages:
- It helps normalize hormonal levels.
- Has a preventive effect against heart and vascular diseases.
- Increases resistance to stress and improves mood.
- Eliminates excess fat reserves.
- Normalizes blood pressure.
- Reduces cholesterol and sugar levels.
- Improves the quality of sleep and the condition of the skin and teeth.
- Increases the effectiveness of physical training.
It should also be noted that the results of the paleo diet are visible almost immediately. Fat burning occurs quickly, within 1-3 weeks. At the same time, you will not feel hungry and will be able to control the calorie content of your diet yourself.
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Authorized products
The list of permitted foods for the Paleolithic diet, in accordance with the recommendations of nutritionists, is as follows:
- veal, rabbit, chicken, turkey;
- fruits;
- fermented milk products;
- chicken eggs;
- nuts and roots.
Fruits have antioxidant properties. They help lift your mood and normalize your immune system.
The basic part of the menu is nuts, fiber-rich vegetables and fruits, and seeds. Therefore, the diet has a preventive effect against diseases of the cardiovascular system.
It is preferable to stick to natural products, i.e. those that are of natural origin.
If you are unable to give up sweets, then you can consume honey and coconut sugar - they do not have a strong effect on insulin production.The best sources of non-animal protein are almonds and hazelnuts. Animal protein can be obtained from kefir, cottage cheese, sour cream, as well as from fish and meat.
Speaking of drinking, it is advisable to stick to clean, still water.
Application in medicine
There are cases where Paleolithic nutrition has helped people with autoimmune diseases put their diseases into remission. American doctor Sarah Ballantyne described her personal experience in the fight against the disease. One of her books about the nutrition of ancient people, “The Paleo Approach,” became a bestseller. Having personally tested the paleo diet on herself and adapted it to herself, making it more strict, Sarah lost weight and got rid of type 2 diabetes and lichen planus.
Dr. Ballantyne's approach is called the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). It has been tested by people with the following autoimmune diseases:
- skin (scleroderma, lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, Sjogren's syndrome, vitiligo);
- arthritis;
- scleroderma;
- Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis;
- multiple sclerosis;
- autoimmune thyroiditis;
- insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus type 1;
- primary biliary cirrhosis and many others.
What new did Sarah offer? The AIP diet has become more restrictive. She forbade:
- eggs;
- nuts;
- any grains and cereals (including cocoa, coffee, spices);
- nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, sweet peppers, chili peppers, eggplants, pepper-based spices);
- foods containing gluten;
- alcohol;
- sugar and any sweeteners;
- fructose;
- semi-finished products, chemically processed food;
- NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen, aspirin, etc.
Permitted for use:
1. Vegetables:
- Green (due to their content of vitamins B, A, C and K).
- Colored (due to their content of flavonoids and polyphenols). It is recommended to consume vegetables, at least 3 colors, per day. You can add bright berries.
- High in sulfur (cruciferous vegetables, mushrooms, asparagus). Cruciferous vegetables include cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, red cabbage, broccoli, radishes, radishes, and turnips.
- High in iodine (seaweed, sea kale).
It is recommended to consume three hundred grams of each type of vegetable daily and at least a bowl of any iodine-containing algae with the exception of spirulina, since it is an immunomodulator.
2. Meat from free-range (or wild) animals. It is organic, so it is recommended at least 5 times a week.
3. Fish (at least three times a week):
- caught in water bodies, not industrially grown;
- fatty cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, anchovies, tuna, carp).
4. Bone broth (due to its high glycine content, which is good for bones).
5. Coconut oil.
6. Probiotics. These could be dietary supplements or homemade cottage cheese made from coconut milk.
AIP is prescribed and monitored only by the attending physician after undergoing an examination. It is not recommended to choose it yourself!
Seventh day
- Meal 1 – pancakes with almond-banana filling.
- Meal 2 – steamed herring and vegetable salad.
- Meal 3 – nuts or a glass of apple and celery juice.
- Meal 4 – grilled meat, avocado and salad.
In conclusion, it must be said that the choice of diet must be agreed with your doctor. This will help avoid unwanted results.
Recipes
Ingredients:
- cherry tomatoes – 8-10 pieces;
- 100 g spinach;
- several sprigs of basil;
- 30 g pine nuts;
- 2-3 tbsp. olive oil;
- 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar;
Preparation: in a bowl, mix chopped cherry tomatoes, spinach leaves and chopped basil, sprinkle with nuts. Prepare the olive oil and balsamic dressing by whisking them together in a small bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad.
You need to take 4 servings:
- 1 red onion;
- 2 carrots;
- 2 stalks of celery;
- 1-2 medium potatoes;
- 2 cloves of garlic;
- 1 can of tomatoes in their own juice;
- 1.5 liters of water;
- 1 chicken breast;
- salt, pepper and seasonings to taste.
Preparation:
- In a saucepan, fry finely chopped onion and garlic for about 3 minutes until golden brown.
- Fry the chicken fillet, cut into cubes.
- Add chopped carrots, celery, potatoes and simmer a little for another 3 minutes.
- Then add tomatoes, water, salt and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the soup is ready. Add seasonings to taste.
Ingredients:
- 6-8 chicken legs or thighs;
- 1 onion;
- 1 lemon;
- 1 orange;
- dried thyme and rosemary (you can use fresh);
For the marinade:
- 5 tbsp. olive oil;
- 4-5 cloves of garlic;
- juice of 1 lemon;
- juice of 1 orange;
- salt, pepper and seasonings.
Preparation:
- Mix the ingredients for the marinade and put the chicken in it. It’s better to marinate in advance: at least an hour, or you can leave it overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the chicken in a baking dish, top with onion, cut into rings, and orange and lemon slices. Sprinkle everything with herbs and marinade on top, cover with foil.
- Place the pan in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes.
The main principle of nutrition is simplicity of preparation, dishes are prepared quickly, the number of ingredients is limited.
Ingredients:
- chicken breast – 150-200 g;
- grapefruit fruit – 1 pc.;
- lemon – 1 pc.;
- honey – 1 tsp;
- vegetable oil – 1 tsp;
- sunflower seeds - a handful;
- leaf lettuce - 5-6 leaves.
Preparation:
- Grill a piece of chicken breast, cool, and cut into cubes.
- Peel the grapefruit, remove the membranes from the segments, and divide into pieces.
- Tear the salad with your hands.
- Mix the ingredients.
- Add lemon juice, honey, beat butter with a mixer. Pour dressing over salad and garnish with sunflower seeds.
Pumpkin soup
Ingredients
- beef broth - 1 cup;
- pumpkin pieces – 200 grams;
- carrot – 1 pc.;
- bell pepper – 1 pc.;
- olive oil – 1 tbsp. l.
- basil, garlic - to taste.
Preparation:
- Place pieces of raw pumpkin in beef broth, vegetables stewed in olive oil, and boil.
- At the end of cooking, add finely chopped basil and crushed garlic.
- Beat into a homogeneous mass.
Paleo diet menu photo
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