Natural and unspoiled are the words that describe the essence of the Paleolithic diet, which are the secrets that made this set of food choices your best bet for a healthy, disease-free life. The early human ancestors populated the planet for over 2 million years hunting and gathering their foods practically with their bare hands. Anthropologists say it is precisely this food hunting and gathering lifestyle that enabled the cavemen to live healthy.
It was when the Iron Age supplanted the Paleolithic period as precursor of civilization that the diet of the savage then gradually gave way to the modern diet which is prone to what many call the "diseases of civilization."
The Paleo diet was basically responsible for a way of living that has now been held in the modern world as the most biologically ideal for humans. As a hunter-gathered diet, it consisted of foods that came from the wilderness and eaten either raw or cooked shortly after they were gathered. This met most of the nutritional needs of the human body.
Meat choices
Meat is an important part of the Paleo diet, which in fact rejects the notion prevalent in today's world that meat is to be avoided. This even gave rise to foods processed to serve as meat substitutes. Based on the Paleo diet, meat is a good source of protein and energy if you trim off the fat and you cook it as simply as possible.
Anthropology records show that the Stone Age humans consumed as much meat as they could hunt, having it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The meat they obtained from game animals apparently did not cause any rise in blood pressure and cholesterol levels because they threw away all the fat and cooked the meat in the simplest way possible. The lean cuts of animal meat available today that could approximate the meat in the Paleo diet include T-bone steak, flank steaks, chunk steak, sirloin, venison and veal. The Paleo diet also made use of the meat from goat, rabbit, buffalo, bison, bear, alligator, etc.
When it comes to poultry meat, the Paleo diet specified the breast portion of chicken, turkey, duck and goose with the skin plucked out. Eggs from these domesticated fowls are also good to eat because of their high Omega 3 content. However, consumption of more than six eggs a week is not recommended.
Fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables come next in importance to the lean cuts of meat in the Paleo diet. The caveman had his meat when the hunting was good and so there could be no-meat days for him when the hunt was hard. Not with fruits and vegetables that can be gathered anytime from stationary plants in the wilds.
Fruits and vegetables have roughly the same mineral contents and both are low in calories. Thus, any approximation of the Paleo diet today must have a lot of fruits like apples, grapes, oranges, pears, watermelons, pineapples, papayas and bananas. The vegetables may include nuts, roots and seeds apart from the all-important leafy types.
The foods to avoid are those that have been processed to prolong their shelf-life. Sweets and beverages may be consumed sparingly but not cereals and grains, legumes, ice cream and powdered milk which are all fattening.
