A lot of health specialists believe that modern civilization’s rate of diseases like heart attacks, diabetes, cancer etc. stem from adopting a diet that is rich in processed foods, further exacerbated by sedentary lifestyle and eating habits. But by adopting healthy ways of eating, one can enjoy having a healthy body.
The two popular diets that follow the early times of eating and living include the Paleo diet and the Primal Diet. Paleo or the Caveman diet was introduced by Loren Cordain in the year 2002 and it follows the plan that dates back to the times when people ate meals that were there with freshly caught fish, grass fed game, seeds, berries, vegetables, nuts and fruits.
Created by Mark Sisson in the year 2009, the Primal Blueprint is in a way similar to Paleo diet to certain extent. For instance, as you follow primal diet, you can easily consume the healthy meats, fats, vegetables, fruits and even dark chocolate. The main concept behind this is that such foods are mainly made up of fats and proteins.
Linda Larsen, the popular author as well as follower of The Big Book Of Paleo Recipes says that both the diets focus mainly on the way the ancestors ate. The main goal is to stay away from the grains and processed foods which are manipulated differently when compared with the cavemen period. She further said that the main difference between the diets is respective attitude of them towards saturated fats.
People who follow the Paleo diet avoid saturated fats. On the other hand, the Primal blueprint followers consume fatty meats etc. Also, primal diet lays emphasis on your whole lifestyle like there is emphasis on immunity and fitness. There is much stress on taking the antioxidants and supplements. The Paleo diet focuses more on the diet over exercise.
How to follow the diets? What to keep in mind
Eating more of healthy fat and less foods which spike the insulin level is the very first step towards primal diet. It is also important to avoid the industrial oils such as corn and soy that are rich in omega 6s and trans fat. As you eliminate taking refined carbs, industrial oils and sugar, you eliminate all the convenience food items.
It is observed that these days there are toxins almost everywhere and some pollutants cannot be avoided at any cost. However you can avoid some. It is good if you eat the organic foodstuffs whenever possible, use the natural cleansers etc. In fact, primal living is more than just a diet. It is a kind of lifestyle that you follow. As you eat in the way that is optimal for your body, you don’t have to look back again.
Also if you are thinking if treats and cheats are allowed on these diets, then don’t fear. Both the diets have many options for desserts and other treats. An easy dessert on Primal diet can be coconut macadamia bars with coconut oil, unsweetened coconut, macadamia nuts, salt and chia seeds. And what can be your favourite Paleo dessert? The blueberry coconut crisp can be made from honey, lemon juice, coconut, blueberries, vanilla, butter, coconut flour and salt.
Primal diet is the latest buzz all around as it offers great results without following any fad diet. The diet has become a lifestyle. It originated in the year 2009 when Mark Sisson created the Primal Blueprint. Since that time, the diet has grown to be a lifestyle.
More and more Mark studied about the ancestors, more he got to know that not just the lifestyle behaviour but even diet contributes to a healthy life. Food that our ancestors consumed, the direct sunlight they received and the type of free movement they were engaged in helped them to develop their genome. While there has been a change in the world in the past 10,000 years, human genome has altered very less. In simple words, if you wish to have a good future, it is important to listen to and relate with the past. And this is where Primal Blueprint comes into limelight. They tell you not just how to eat in the way that it helps the genes and body to become efficient but even how to increase longevity of your life by saying goodbye to illness and diseases.
A typical primal diet
So, when it comes to knowing what to eat when on the primal diet, your typical day can start with a cup of black coffee with some scrambled egg, zucchini and spinach. Then you can have mid morning meal as some almonds and coconut. Later, your lunch can include mixed greens with olives, chicken, apples, sunflower seeds dressed with vinegar and olive oil. Your evening snack can be celery with almond butter or chopped cashews on it. At last, your typical primal dinner can have steak or broiled fish with sautéed broccoli and baked sweet potato.
While a lot of people have the notion in their mind that Primal eating is all about eating huge amounts of raw meat, it is not the case. Plants were also a big part of this diet just like they were a part of the ancestor’s diet.
Usually the darker green vegetables are denser when it comes to nutrient level. A nice example is kale and spinach, the two things that are packed with antioxidants and vitamins. As you lightly cook or steam these two veggies, you basically increase absorbability of minerals and nutrients.
Primal diet is not just following a diet, it even includes some physical activity. You can indulge yourself in some low level aerobic exercises for 2-4 hours every week. These may include hiking, walking, swimming or bike riding. Indeed low level activity is important in every way. Ideally, whenever possible, find some time and go out for some activity. The mixed effect of this will be a sort of increase when it comes to fat burning and capillary perfusion as well as integration of muscle flexibility and strength.
So following such a diet is surely a great addition to one’s lifestyle. It not just lets you be fit, it helps a great deal in being healthy and happy.
Following the primal diet and choosing foods that are natural and organic is in fact the best approach towards optimum health. Going Primal means that you eat and exercise just the way our ancestors did before the agricultural dawn. This approach is indeed the best that we can do in 21st century where life has become so fast and we indulge in poor, unhealthy eating habits.
Agriculture has been there for about 10,000 years, which is just a small sliver of long existence of humanity. Before that an average the human spent most of the time gathering and hunting food, foraging fruits, plants, seeds and nuts.
So, what does a primal follower actually consume? Well, they put emphasis on fruits, animals, oils, nuts, plants and seeds. Going deep in what you can eat on a primal diet include:
Plants
Vegetables of all sorts can be eaten
Animals
Meat of all sorts like chicken, pork, beef, fish, eggs etc can be taken in large quantities in a primal diet
Seeds
Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and others are good to eat in this diet
Nuts
Walnuts, almonds, macadamias are included. Peanuts are not allowed in primal living because they are legumes
Oils
Coconut oil, olive oil and fish oil are some options that can be chosen for primal meals
What’s not included?
The non primal foods include sugars, processed items, dairy products and grains of all sorts like rice, bread, pasta etc.
The benefits of a primal lifestyle are wide but let’s take a look at some of them including:
• Fat burning and weight loss
• Increased level of energy
• Slower pace of aging
• Less risk of facing heart disease and other problems
In all, this diet abstains from the foods that the metabolism was not actually made to eat or digest. Our modern day diet has changed considerably since the Cavemen times but the metabolism is still unaltered genetically coded mechanism of our ancestors.
Benefits
So, is the primal lifestyle worth the efforts and time? Surely, if you start eating the diet for some time, you will notice marked difference in your overall wellbeing and health. Your sleep pattern will improve, you will be more alert with better mental clarity and will have enhanced energy all through the day.
The benefits of primal living can be great. By eliminating unhealthy foods, increasing intake of healthy Omega 3 body fat as well by reducing the intake of high glycemic index sugar, you will be able to reduce pounds from your body in no time. Also, your cholesterol level will improve and you will face reduced risk of serious illnesses. Your resistance to diseases will also improve and you will face better performance of your body cells.
So, to conclude, it can be said that eating like our ancestors is a great way to remove modern meals and lead a healthy life. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and lead a primal life.