Our ancestors evolved in a period where human beings had access to only certain kinds of foods. These were typically vegetables or fruits, or a few types of meat (usually meat which is lean in fat). Back in our “caveman” days we were hunter-gatherers, which consumed the freshest meats, vegetables and fruits every day. As a result, modern researchers have designed a new diet called the “Paleo” diet which is designed to take people back to these more humble beginnings. The paleo diet is designed around what our ancestors typically would eat, and is specifically made to encourage people to eat healthy in order to be healthy. By switching the foods we eat back to what humans originally ate, we’re more likely to live longer and healthier than we otherwise would, according to research.
What is the Paleo Diet Based On?
Since this diet is based upon the foods ancestors of humans ate, basically all refined sugars, processed foods, and packaged foods are prohibited. Only foods which we have historically eaten for eons are permitted. For example, foods such as deli meats, chicken wings (fried), sausages, bacon, pepperoni, etc are not considered to be foods mankind had much previous access to before the modern era. The Paleo diet’s food list actually allows for most meats, just not many of these processed and bulk manufactured things. Foods such as fresh sirloin steaks, fish, or chicken are permitted because they’re more natural.
Farming was only developed some 10,000 years ago. Prior to that humans lived in groups of hunter-gatherers and were specifically as “scavenger” type of species. Certain types of whole grains, for example, are really not very good for us as a result. Many parts of the Paleo diet recommend a completely gluten-free daily intake as well as this is what is most natural. Beyond wheat, things like corn, barley, millet, rye, rice and oats are not permitted on the diet. You also wouldn’t be permitted to eat anything that’s made from these ingredients as well. A more natural thing that our ancestors had access to was food they could gather from plants, which includes hanging fruits, berries, other types of natural fruits that haven’t been cultivated and changed for centuries.
While there are limits to what you can eat on the Paleo diet, there’s also many foods which are permitted as well. Many vegetables, fruits and meats are allowed. Though our ancestors did not have access to dairy products typically, they did have access to eggs. Eggs are a great protein that you can eat as part of this diet. You can make omelets, for example, with freshly harvested vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers or mushrooms. Fruits such as berries, oranges, grapefruits, etc. are also all allowed on this diet. Carrots as well, whether cooked or uncooked, are also allowed. Really just about all vegetables of fruits are permitted. Our ancestors typically acquired their fats from meat, but most animals available for hunting are quite lean. Vension, and lean steaks are permitted, as well as rabbit, fish, and chicken. Previous generations of humans all had access to these types of foods in some abundance.
The best part about these types of food is that they give you extremely high levels of energy, but also aid in digestion. You not only feel full and satisfied for long periods after eating them, but your energy levels will rise considerably more than from carb heavy foods. Carbs were rare in humanity’s diet until the advent of farming some 10,000 years ago. Carbohydrates can be complex and can actually turn into fats without our body, which is why we crave them so much from an evolutionary perspective. However, carbs are also less natural than the lean meats and vegetables we would have commonly eaten in the past.
A majority benefit of the Mediterranean diet or the Paleo diet is the ability it has to offset a person’s insulin resistance, and can actually prevent diabetes. A person can develop diabetes through weight gain as well as excess sugar within your diet. However, if you cut out many of these foods not only will you lose weight but you will also achieve fantastic health benefits as well. These diets can even cut a person’s risks of heart disease, stroke or kidney failure. By eating healthy fats, proteins and fewer calories each day a person builds up their pancreatic health which helps them avoid many of these bad symptoms that often accompany diabetes. There’s even many studies that indicates a person’s risk of developing this disease later in life drops considerably if a person is on such a diet regimen. If you have high levels of blood sugar a lot, even if you’re not diabetic, your body responds by making excessive amounts of insulin. This has many negative long term results, such as sclerosis of the arteries in many patients.
The unfortunate reality of losing weight on any method, whether it’s been shown to work in studies or not, is that it takes some sacrifice. Individual sacrifices were minimized as best as possible on the HCG diet (at least at the time it was formed), though the modern method makes some key changes that make it even easier to stick to. However, regardless of the method used, the protocol is broken down into 3 phases to maximize the success of the user, and make the results stick.
There are a lot of natural weight loss methods, but most of them have never been tested clinically and proven to work. The African mango weight loss program uses a natural extract of a plant that has been shown to work in numerous studies at creating weight loss. Unlike Garcinia Cambogia, African Mango appears to be entirely appetite suppressing in its impact on the bottle. This extract comes from the family Irvingia Gabonensis, but is used orally to help treat obesity. This is now one of the most popular weight loss treatments in the world, both because of the fantastic results it offers without changing the person’s diet, but also because of its natural, side effect free nature.
As always, it’s advisable to discuss with a doctor before trying any new method of weight loss out for yourself. However, there are definitely methods out there which provide rapid weight loss naturally, without all of the health risks with prescription treatments. Though many are aware of the HCG diet program, this method does offer rapid weight loss, usually 20 to 30 pounds per month for most users. This is around 10 times higher than use with phentermine or other prescriptions. Additionally, HCG is completely natural and works well in nearly all users. However, the talk of the weight loss community is not HCG, nor is it diet or exercise, it’s Garcinia Cambogia. This natural weight loss aid has found huge support among physicians and researchers as studies have clearly shown it to be a powerful metabolic booster. Most users will lose the same high levels of weight as HCG, but they need only slightly modify their diet. Garcinia uses an extract from the Cambogia family of fruits, which have been clearly shown in numerous studies to not only boost metabolism and decrease appetite, but generate weight loss through a unique mechanism. This works so well, that many personalities have picked up on its use, including Doctor Oz on his television show.