Paleo Diet For Weight Loss: Know How And Why It Works!

What is the Paleo Diet?

So to begin with, what exactly is this new fad in the health and fitness world? How does Paleo diet work? What is Paleo diet?

Paleo essentially means geologically old.

Now when our noble ancestors first came into existence, agriculture hadn’t quite been established as a general practice. So food usually came to the tables as fresh meat, wholesome, needless to say, purely organic vegetables(unless you have some sort of blasphemous theory stating that early man used pesticides to grow fruits), fruits, fish, nuts and natural oils. It would be an organic food freak’s Utopia to practice the paleo diet.

Of course, since humanity has apparently evolved from the savageries of our respected ancestors, we no longer eat natural foods. You see, the agricultural revolution brought about the popularisation of grains as food, but before that, our species had learnt to thrive without it. Which essentially proves that the human body is entirely equipped to survive in a healthy manner without grains. And by grains I’m referring to the all time favourites of breads, pastas, bagels, and so on and so forth. So there, now that we have established the premise of the paleo diet, let’s delve into the main course.

Read More: Keto Diet

Efficacy of the Paleo Diet- Why and how the Paleo diet works?

Now there seems to a lot of ambiguity with respect to the results this diet shows. So the first thing we would like to get across to all the pseudo fitness freaks is that a diet will only show results if you stick with it for long periods of time. We cannot stress on that statement enough. 

So the entire premise of this diet lies on the process of ketogenesis. When the body goes from the fed to the fasted state the liver switches from an organ of carbohydrate utilization and fatty acid synthesis to one of fatty acid oxidation and ketone body production. In layman’s terms, your body starts using the fat in your body instead of the carbs for energy, thereby resulting in weight loss. Rapid weight loss.

If you are looking for quick weight loss and these 15 tips can explain how to lose belly fat in 1 week.

How does Paleo promote weight loss?

It’s very simple really. You can easily know how to lose weight using Paleo diet. When you’re following the paleo regime, you are satiating your body’s nutritional and hunger needs while abstaining from a buttload of carbs and unhealthy fats (That’s right. There are healthy fats too). There’s no room for any junk food and thereby no room for unhealthy calories. The only calories your body receives are in the form of organic meat, organic veggies and organic fruits, which are excellent for your body. Basically, the paleo diet ensures that only healthy calories enter your body while keeping it well fed and nourished. And there’s no particular need to measure your calorie intake because all the calories are healthy and beneficial!

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Paleo for Beginners

The first thing you need to remember before resolving to undertake this diet plan is that you have to maintain patience to see the wonders of this diet unfurl.

Before covering the foods which must be eaten in this diet, I think it’s more important to cover what’s not to be eaten. In a nutshell, avoid junk food. And if you’re the kind who looks for sly ways around your diet plan, I have defined pretty much everything that falls under the ambit of junk food.

• Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup: Soft drinks, fruit juices(natural fruit is always preferable), table sugar, candy, pastries, ice cream and many other things which are voluminous in sugar.
• Grains: Like I said, the introduction of grains is what led to the decline of this diet in the first place. Therefore we need to eliminate them to go back to the basics. Breads and pastas, wheat, spelt, rye, barley, etc are all grains to be avoided.
• Dairy: This is a tricky one. Some experts say it’s best to avoid them since today, most are highly processed foods. But if you have a natural and purely organic source it serves an excellent source for healthy fats. Avoid highly processed dairy, especially low-fat (some versions of paleo do include full-fat dairy like butter and cheese).
• Trans Fats: Found in margarine and various processed foods. Usually referred to as "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils.
• Artificial Sweeteners: Today has ushered in a new era of going “sugar free”. However these artificial sweeteners honestly do more harm to your body than good. Aspartame, Sucralose, Cyclamates, Saccharin, Acesulfame Potassium are the ones to be avoided. Use natural sweeteners like honey instead.
• Highly Processed Foods: Everything labelled "diet" or "low-fat" or has many weird ingredients. Includes artificial meal replacements.

Read More: Mayo Clinic Diet Foods List

Now that we’ve knocked off all your favourite snacks and foods off the table, let’s dig into the actual good(subjectively) stuff.

• Meats: Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork and others.
• Fish and Seafood: Salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, shellfish, etc. Choose wild-caught if you can.
• Eggs: Choose free-range, pastured or omega-3 enriched eggs.
• Vegetables: Broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, etc.(Any amount of veggies is healthy).
• Fruits: Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, avocados, strawberries, blueberries, avocados and more.(These are great in sufficient modicum. Too much would mean too much carbs and sugars)
• Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, etc.
• Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and more.(These are excellent sources of protein and healthy fats).
• Healthy Fats and Oils: Extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil and others.
• Salt and Spices: Sea salt, himalayan salt, garlic, turmeric, rosemary, etc.

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You have to stick to now processed, organic food. If it gets too expensive, then stick to the lowest processed option.

For beginners, we have taken the liberty to put together a sample diet plan which can be altered over due course of time, with the help of a nutritionist.

A Week’s Paleo Diet Plan

Now if you’re a vegan, simply substitute meat with protein rich veggies like broccoli or spinach and all the dairy with soy milk and vegan cheese. The market is vast so just pick a product of your choice. Of course, going all natural and organic is kind of tough is you want to abstain from natural sources of healthy fats, but it’s doable.

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Paleo recipes

Here are two Paleo diet recipes including a Chicken Paleo diet recipe and a vegan Paleo diet recipe!

Chicken Stir Fry:

This is one of the simplest paleo dishes to make for chicken eaters. And there’s no compromise on the taste! All you need to do is cut up a few veggies and stir fry it with chicken in coconut oil over a medium flame.

Also read: 11 High Protein Foods To Eat For Quick Weight Loss

Keto Broccoli Salad:

For a vegan high protein salad, this is one of the best options. You just need to whisk paleo mayonnaise and a few other spices as per choice and then marinate the broccoli well with the mayo.

So there it is! Your guide to a paleo diet. Just remember to stick with the regime.

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