One of the most common questions about the Paleo Diet is whether or not it is a low carb diet. The fast answer is yes and no. There are different variations of the Paleo Diet. However, they are all based on the idea of eating like a “caveman”. The diet plan is based on scientific evidence showing that humans evolved to eat certain types of foods, and just because certain vegetation is eatable does not make it is good to eat. Does that make sense to you?
The data shows that many diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, were almost nonexistent before humans began widespread farming and the domestication of plants. Our biology developed based on the foods we ate as hunter-gatherers, not the foods we started eating after becoming farmers. Therefore, a Paleo Diet consists of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, eggs, fish, and meat. The plan cuts out all processed foods, plus dairy, wheat and other grains, legumes, salt, and refined oils.
On the other hand, a low carb diet is one that is also called a high protein diet. With these plans, you lose weight by restricting the consumption of carbohydrates from between 100 and 40 grams (in the case of a very low-carb ketogenic diet). A low carb plan works based primarily on the fact, carbohydrates digest much faster than protein and fats. Therefore, these foods provide fuel for energy faster. However, if you don’t immediately burn that fuel, it gets stored as fat.
Overall, the Paleo Diet tends to naturally have fewer carbohydrates, but it is not necessarily a low carb diet. Though, it can be. Ultimately, the focus is on eating real and whole foods, and eliminating processed foods, refined sugar, and artificial ingredients. Moreover, the Paleo Diet excludes non-human foods such as dairy, grains, and legumes. Nonetheless, the Paleo Diet understands that humans are omnivores and the ratio of carbohydrates, proteins and fats varied from place to place, and culture to culture. So, there is no one-size-fits-all food ratio.
What haven’t we covered yet that is important to you? If you would like to talk about the Paleo Diet or going Low Carn, or need more information, please contact Teri on Twitter at @TeriSelstrom.
Teri
Latest posts by Teri (see all)
- Sleep Is a Necessary Part of Wellness - February 1, 2018
- Nutrition on the go - January 25, 2018
- Home Workouts: Lower Body - January 18, 2018