Paleo Diet and Exercise

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

The Paleo Diet is a throwback to our roots. It involves some pretty in depth research and science by multiple doctors at Colorado State University. Their research indicates that the human body hasn't evolved to properly digest many of the modern foods we eat.

Human beings lived as hunter/gatherers for most of their existence. It hasn't been until recent times, within the last 10,000 years or so, that we've begun eating many foods that are modern staples. The foods our bodies haven't adapted to are grains, legumes, dairy and salt. There are probably other foods we haven't adapted to as well.

The basic principle of the Paleo Diet is stop poisoning your body with foods you're not adapted to eat. Mankind had many generations to adapt to eating meat, fish, fowl, vegetables, fruits, root tubers and nuts. By sticking to a diet that contains these foods primarily, you'll live a healthier, happier life.

If we look at diseases that commonly plague modern man, we find that many of them are caused by the foods we eat. Some examples of diseases that are claimed to be caused by our current diet include coronary heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, epithelial cell cancers and autoimmune disease as well as others. Many people who commonly suffer from these diseases who have tried the Paleo Diet find relief while on the diet. Other diseases that have been mentioned include Celiac disease and lactose intolerance. As a matter of fact it is estimated that up to 75% of the adult population of the world is lactose intolerant.

The Paleo Lifestyle also included much more exercise than is commonly the case in modern society. It is believed that our ancestors walked around 8.5 miles per day. Other common tasks were shelter building, gathering wood, carrying various heavy objects, digging, dancing and tool construction. These activities were done at various intervals and any form of exercise we can adopt which involves intervals of intense activity seems to help our overall physical wellbeing.

Another thing advocates of the Paleo Diet commonly call for is a balance between Omega-3 and Omega-6 acids as a key to good health. Eating more fatty fish such as Salmon can help with this balance. People who are trying this diet are also encouraged to eat meat from grass fed animals and eggs from free range grass fed chickens.

Switching to the Paleo Diet is typically not easy. People who attempt to switch often go through withdrawal like symptoms and can become irritable. Once a person has been on this diet for a week or two, these symptoms should subside.

There are many good resources for learning more about this diet on the internet. I would encourage anyone who wants to learn more to read some of Dr. Loren Cordain's writings. Robb Wolf also has written a good deal about it. I would also encourage anyone who see's some common sense in the science behind this diet to just give the diet a try. You may be glad you did!

For more information on the Paleo Diet and to see first hand my experiment with this diet please visit my blog. My URL is http://www.paleodietandexercise.com/.

Thanks!
Joe