If you are researching diets that you can follow for a more balanced nutritional intake, the paleo diet is something that many organizations have recommended. It is basically a whole food-based diet that is inspired and designed to mimic what our hunter-gatherer ancestors used to eat in the past.
Before you get started, it is important to note that there is no perfect way to go about a paleo diet. After all, the paleolithic humans would have had diets that varied depending on what was available and what they could hunt. This meant that it would have been greatly influenced by the region of the world that they lived in and the season. This means sometimes having a high-carb diet with gathered vegetables or a low-carb diet with animal products.
For beginners, this might feel really overwhelming to get started with such wide parameters. To help, here is a simple guide as to what you should eat and what to avoid when on a paleo diet.
Foods to Consume
These are generally whole foods that are unprocessed. They can include meats like beef, lamb, chicken, pork, fish, and seafood. Where possible, opt for wild-caught animals to minimize the number of inorganic additives. This applies as well to eggs where free-range or pastured eggs are generally preferred. In terms of produce, there is a really wide variety of different vegetables, fruits, tubers, nuts, and seeds that you can opt for. Where possible, opt for the locally sourced or organic versions of produce that is naturally in season.
The general guide to purchasing food that you can eat on a paleo diet is to opt for the least processed and most natural option. This means opting for grass-fed and organic options wherever you can afford them.
Foods to Avoid
Foods that you should avoid would be refined sugar, high fructose corn syrups, and artificial sweeteners. This means cutting out sodas, ice cream, candy, pastries, and many others. It is also expected that grains and legumes should also be avoided on the paleo diet. The paleo diet community is generally split on whether or not full-fat dairy should be avoided but where possible try to keep from low-fat options. In essence, anything that seems like it was made in a factory should be avoided where possible.
Modified Paleo Diets
For many people who live in the city, opting for a full paleo diet can be really costly or just somewhat impractical. This is why there are many variations that have included modern foods that science has repeatedly established to be healthy for humans.
One such option is cold pressed juices where organic fruits and vegetables go through high-pressure processing into convenient juice form. In fact, PUR Cold Pressed’s juice cleanse programs are a great way to experience a modified paleo diet. Each juice is made of carefully curated fruits and vegetables to ensure that you have a nutrient-rich diet during your program.
