Meet the Paleo Diet

Pulling through the memory of books and movies that showed the lives of men in prehistory, we can hardly remember ever seeing an obese caveman. This is not just because they are nomadic and live moving around, have to run to protect themselves from predators, and climb trees to get food and capture their prey, but mainly for their food.

How did it come about?

In the early days, the diet of men and women was based on wild plants and animals, for it was only possible to eat anything that was fishing, hunting and, with the advent of agriculture in the Paleolithic period, planting and harvesting.

Based on these precepts, the Paleo Diet, also known as the Paleolithic Diet, was popularized in the 1970s through gastroenterologist Walter L. Voegtlin, widely studied by different researchers over the years and once again surfaced. Popular in the United States and Europe, the paleolithic diet is slowly gaining adherents in Brazil.

Built on the principles of Darwinian medicine, this new concept of healthy eating assumes that humans are historically and genetically adapted to the diet of their paleolithic ancestors, since on an evolutionary scale there was not enough time for any change, Therefore, for the health and well-being of humans it is necessary to follow the dietary example of their ancestors.

What is it based on?

The explanation for the theory is that the human body has not changed as much as its eating habits and the ease of purchasing food and treats in supermarkets has no benefit to the body.

In the book "The New Evolution Diet," a diet-adept American economist Arthur De Vany proposes a regime whereby you should eat only what you could hunt, kill, harvest, or take from the earth, just as it is. A caveman.

About two decades ago, De Vany follows a similar menu to those followed 40,000 years ago, consisting of plenty of meat, fruits and vegetables. For him, as for most dietary followers, the time men live today is longer than that experienced in Paleolithic, however, today is much more sick than before which causes people to spend much of it. of life patients with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and obesity, which could easily be prevented with proper nutrition.

Another researcher who shares De Vany's ideas is the Portuguese Pedro Carrera Bastos, from Lund University in Sweden. According to him, dietary needs are genetically determined. Are the environmental, social and cultural changes of the last 10,000 years recent on an evolutionary scale? According to their research, 70 percent of the calories Americans currently eat come from foods that did not exist in traditional societies.

One of the greatest advocates of diet, health science researcher at the University of Colorados, Loren Cordain, launched in 202 the book? The Paleo Diet? which teaches recipes to lose weight and gain health. At the beginning of the book, he argues that he was not the inventor of the diet, as it is present in our genes.

How is it made?

The Paleo diet recommends alternating fasting periods with hearty meals. The only carbs allowed are fruits and cereals are totally prohibited, especially soy and wheat.

As the number of adherents increases among doctors and nutritionists, the issue is controversial, as the new diet deconstructs the recommended food pyramid by international standards and attempts to impose new standards. For most doctors, all components of the pyramid play a specific role in the body, and a total and definitive restriction of sugars or carbohydrates, for example, can cause health damage. Another problem is skipping meals in order to stimulate caloric burning, which according to research has the opposite effect.

What are the benefits of the Paleo diet?

There are many reports of benefits from the Paleo Diet, but among the most common are:

• Estimated weight loss in the first 21 days from 2 to 8 kg.
• Energy boost.
• Reduction in stress levels.
• Strengthening of the digestive system.
• Cure of diseases, including autoimmune.
• Improves sleep quality.
• Increased life expectancy due to reduced food intake with preservatives.
• Improved strength and fitness.

In fact, choosing to change habits and stick to healthier eating is always a valid and welcome option, however, radical changes have consequences, so if you want to stick to this new diet, don't do it without looking a doctor and a nutritionist who can alert you to the risks and benefits. Take care!

The Paleo Diet: Does It Work? | UCLA Center for Human Nutrition (April 2024)