The Paleolithic diet consists of foods that can be hunted and fished, such as meat, offal and seafood, and can be gathered, such as eggs, insects, fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs and spices (paleo food list).[1][3] Some sources advise eating only lean cuts of meat, free of food additives, preferably wild game meats and grass-fed beef since they contain high levels of omega-3 fats compared with grain-produced domestic meats.[1][3][54][59] Food groups that advocates claim were rarely or never consumed by humans before the Neolithic (agricultural) revolution are excluded from the diet, mainly grains, legumes (e.g. beans and peanuts), dairy products, salt, refined sugar and processed oils,[1][3] although some advocates consider the use of oils with low omega-6/omega-3 ratios, such as olive oil and canola oil, to be healthy and advisable.[54] Practitioners are permitted to drink mainly water, and some advocates recommend tea as a healthy drink,[54] but alcoholic and fermented beverages are restricted from the diet.[3][54] Furthermore, eating a wide variety of plant foods is recommended to avoid high intakes of potentially harmful bioactive substances, such as goitrogens, which are present in certain roots, vegetables and seeds.[1][55][60] Unlike raw food diets, all foods may be cooked, without restrictions.[1][61] However, there are also raw, paleolithic dieters who believe that humans have not adapted to cooked foods, and so they eat only foods which are both raw and paleolithic.[62][63]
According to certain proponents of the Paleolithic diet, practitioners should derive about 56–65% of their food energy from animal foods and 36–45% from plant foods. They recommend a diet high in protein (19–35% energy) and relatively low in carbohydrates (22–40% energy), with a fat intake (28–58% energy) similar to or higher than that found in Western diets.[54][64][65] Furthermore, some proponents exclude from the diet foods which exhibit high glycemic indices, such as potatoes.[3] Staffan Lindeberg advocates a Paleolithic diet, but does not recommend any particular proportions of plants versus meat or macronutrient ratios.[1][55] According to Lindeberg, calcium supplementation may be considered when the intake of green leafy vegetables and other dietary sources of calcium is limited.[1] More moderately, Dr. Kurt G. Harris recommends avoiding fructose, linoleic acid, and gluten grains as the primary neolithic agents responsible for modern diseases, and "the rest is just tinkering around the edges." [66][67]
Yea I don't do raw paleo, or 100% pure paleo for that matter since I still eat cheese, butter, and 85% dark chocolate. It's more of a framework for deciding what to eat and what not to eat based on evolution and genetic adaptation, its not a religion or anything like vegetarianism.
For me it was getting off bread, sugar and refined foods that made the biggest difference in feeling and looking better. I no longer eat any vegetable oil and only use butter and coconut oil and olive oil. Grass-fed meat whenever possible. I eat Low-carb most of the time with those carbs coming from veggies like broccoli and cauliflower. Occasionally I eat sweet potatoes when I feel particularly depleted.
I'm not a nut about it, but try to follow it 90% of the time. Has worked wonders for my wife as well from everything from IBS to improved mood etc. Low-Fat diets are proven to cause depression, yet countless bodybuilders eat super lean skinless chicken breast and fish almost exclusively. The body and brain need fat to thrive. Without getting into a whole thing on different types of fat, the main thing about paleo with regards to fat is that it regards modern, industrially processed seed oils like canola, corn, soybean etc as toxic due to huge Omega 6 levels and rapidly oxidizing polyunsaturated carbon chains. Such oils are extracted with Hexane solvent and only about 50 years old. disgusting.
Again.. cant speak for everyone, but adding tons of saturated fat and and removing wheat/sugar boosted my quality of life immensely and the lbs dropped off effortlessly. No more insane hunger cravings once blood sugar stabilized on a high-fat. low-carb diet. Forget to eat sometimes.. that never ever happened before. I've fasted for 20+ hours no problem at all. When I lived on rice and breads as carb sources, my mind focused on one meal to the next.
A high carb/high insulin diet may be great for building muscle, but that doesn't mean its best for your health. LOL not that "real" bodybuilders ever gave a shit about health/aging. But then again posing in thongs is not my source of income so health matters more to me than it does them.
