As a clean eating enthusiast, I love learning about different approaches to eating healthy. I have ulcerative colitis and while researching the disease I came across the paleo diet. Many colitis suffers found relief with this lifestyle, so I had to learn more.

The paleo diet also goes by the names paleolithic diet and caveman diet. The foundation of this lifestyle is based on claims that as humans our metabolism has not adapted to handling the large selection of food available to us thanks to agriculture. This causes most of our modern sicknesses and issues. This idea was first explored by a gastroenterologist named Walter Voegtlin in the 1970s. Stanley Boyd Eaten and Melvin Konner later developed this foundation. It wasn’t until 2002 that the paleo diet was popularized thanks to Loren Cardin’s book The Paleo Diet.

Approved Foods

Grass-feed meats, seafood, eggs, fruits and vegetables (fresh), nuts, seeds, oils (olive, flaxseed, avocado, coconut, etc).

Unapproved Foods

Cereal grains, legumes (including peanuts), potatoes, dairy, salt, processed foods, refined sugar, refined vegetable oils.

The paleo lifestyle has plenty of benefits such as the reduction of bloating and gas. Due to the elimination of starchy, high carb foods from the diet, weight loss and maintenance is possible. The paleo diet is high in nutrients like protein, iron, and omega-3s. Eating paleo also helps tame inflammation in the body.

While researching I found a few criticisms of the paleo diet. I noticed some interesting points and want to show both sides, so I thought I’d share. The paleo lifestyle is said to reduce the risk of disease and improve insulin sensitivity. Critics of the paleo diet say that whole grains and legumes have been found to have the same benefits. There is no way to know with certainty what our paleolithic ancestors ate. We also don’t know at what ratios they ate different foods.

After reading through tons of articles and blog posts my opinion is to give paleo a shot if it can work for you. Personally, I don’t like the idea of completely eliminating food groups from my diet unless that food group is giving me trouble. If whole grains, dairy, and legumes are giving you grief drop them. If they aren’t, keep eating them. The biggest benefit of the paleo diet is the removal of processed foods, refined sugar, and refined vegetable oils from one’s diet. Not eating these things will improve the health of anyone. Rather they are eating whole grains, dairy, and legumes or not.

With that this quick guide is complete. If you enjoyed and learned something new please like this post and share it with a friend. Don’t forget to subscribe for more informational posts!