It is very difficult to constantly fight the counting of calories that you take into your body. You need to keep in mind the fact that the quality of calories you take into the body is the most important when it comes to maintaining health. Life expectancy is not affected by how much food we eat, but by what we eat. Eating 400 calories of chips does not affect your body in the same way as 400 calories of vegetables and protein. Fortunately, if you really want to take care of your health and healthy eating, and broaden your horizons and eliminate certain products from your diet, you can stop worrying about counting calories forever. This diet can really allow you to lose weight, build muscle and get your body in the best shape possible.
How does the Paleo diet work?
This diet probably sounds like another marketing ploy, but it's actually very effective. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors had a healthy diet based on hunting and available fruits. But our genetics haven't changed much since then.
The average Homo sapiens at the time: tall, muscular, agile, athletic and incredibly agile
Average Homo sapiens now: overweight, out of shape, depressed, and prone to many incurable diseases
What actually happened? Agriculture! Thousands of years ago, people discovered farming, the agricultural revolution made us become producers, form societies and continue to thrive, and that's how we got to what we have today. The Paleo diet is based on the fact that people evaluated it millions of years before the Neolithic period, when the diet changed significantly due to agriculture. The problem is that our body is not able to absorb everything we produce. So instead of consuming as much meat, vegetables and seasonal fruits as possible, we have become addicted to bread, rice, pasta, corn, etc. Daily intake of these Paleo foods is still constantly recommended, and people are getting fatter and fatter day by day. Research shows that 66% of people are overweight while 34% are obese, and that number is still growing.
Obviously something is wrong. The basic tenets of the Paleo diet say that we should eat the way we did tens of thousands of years ago, before the advent of agriculture and before industrialization. So, the Paleo diet is an effort to eat as much as we are biologically designed to eat and start living healthier.
What is the Paleo diet?
In the article "Guide to Cereals" Mark stated: Cereals consist of carbohydrates that are converted into glucose (a type of sugar) in our body that will be used to generate energy and perform other tasks for our body to function normally - sugar that is not used to create energy is stored as fat.
Also, most cereals contain gluten and lectins. Read on to find out what this is all about:
- Gluten is a protein found in foods such as barley, rye and wheat. There are a large number of people who are gluten intolerant.People who are intolerant to gluten must consult a doctor, nutritionist about gluten-free diet in order to avoid health problems and diseases that are closely related to this type of diet: dermatitis, joint pain, reproductive problems
- Lectins are natural toxins that occur in cereals. Lectins are not broken down by stomach acid, which makes them practically resistant to digestion. They have a very high ability to bind to sugars. Dietary lectins can directly, through disturbed intestinal flora, reduce the habitat activity of natural body killers, which are one of the most important defenses against viruses and other pests.
Mark made it very clear in his article: cereals are unhealthy at best, or very dangerous at worst.
In the Paleo diet, sugar is completely eliminated, except the one that contains fruit. Sugar compromises energy balance and turns into fat, unless used immediately, and destroys the immune system.
So, the Paleo diet means eliminating cereals, sugar and processed products. Studies have shown that eliminating these three foods prevents many diseases and starts a healthier life. In the past 200 years, the industrial revolution has significantly changed our diet, and the harmfulness of artificial additives that extend the shelf life of products and other additives is not in question. All these changes significantly damage our health and are the main culprit for the diseases of modern civilization, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Where is the energy?
So, if 300 grams of carbohydrates are not taken into the body every day, how to compensate for that energy?
Our bodies are designed to function with less carbohydrates than we are used to eating, so less carbohydrates is no problem. When there is a lack of carbohydrates in the body (which are used to create energy), the body uses the fat stores that "burn" to produce energy, in a process called ketogenesis. So fewer carbohydrates means less glucose in your body, which further means that the body will have to burn more and more fat deposits that serve as a source of fuel.
All carbs are bad?
No. Carbohydrates still have a purpose in our diet, just not of great and excessive importance. You need to make sure that the carbohydrates you take into the body are from fruits, vegetables, sweet potatoes, etc., because these are foods that are natural and do not have to be processed or processed in any way (unlike cereals) to be consumed . Thus, they retain basic and natural and healthy properties. Another great advantage, when it comes to vegetables, is that you can eat as many vegetables as you want without gaining weight. They are very nutritious and contain very few calories - 6 meals of broccoli contain 180 calories and only 36 grams of carbohydrates, while one serving of pasta contains 200 calories and 42 grams of carbohydrates.
What about dairy products?
The Paleo diet advocates the avoidance of lactose found in dairy products. A large number of people are intolerant to dairy products, but also a large number of people who are not, have some aversion to these products. You must be wondering why this is so? Simply put, our bodies are not designed for massive consumption of dairy products. Replacing cheeses, cereals and processed foods with a rich amount of vegetables and fruits will return the body to a proper balance of acidity and a more positive balance of calcium.
Without cereals, dairy products ...What foods are allowed to consume in the Paleo diet?
Allowed foods:
Eggs, all kinds of meat, including seafood, vegetables, primarily tomatoes, peppers, onions, cucumbers, zucchini, eggplant, chard, cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, fruits, without exception, about 150 g of honey and dried fruit per week, olive oil, from beverages: water, tea, and occasionally unsweetened juice
Steak with asparagus and sweet potatoes, grilled chicken salad, massive omelette, apples topped with almond butter, etc. Choose any of these meals from the list and eat as much as you want, unless there are some exceptions. You will really feel better and healthier.
You must be wondering how it is that you will not burn a lot of calories if you consume some of these foods / meals. These foods are very nutritious and it is almost impossible to get large amounts into your body, that is, to overeat.
To get the same amount of calories into your body as the amount you ingest by consuming chips or bread, you would need to eat 2 to 3 trucks of broccoli and spinach. This is an exaggeration and exaggeration, but this way you will understand the point of a healthy diet. One plate of vegetables or a decent portion of meat keeps you full for several hours, while consuming carbohydrates and heavy foods can lead to hunger very quickly.
What to do if you really can't give up pizza, pasta, muffins, bread?
The simple answer is: don't try the Paleo diet.
If you are happy with your appearance, you have energy throughout the day, there are no special reasons to introduce any change in the current system then continue at the same pace. However, if you are struggling with weight loss, you do not have energy during the day, you need a large amount of caffeine to function, you are struggling with counting calories and you want to start a healthier life, give yourself a chance and make a big change in just 30 days. p>
If after 30 days you have not noticed significant progress in your search for a better life, do not give up. It is very important that you give yourself the opportunity to abide by the set rules for all 30 days, before reaching a verdict. You need to be aware of the fact that your body needs to adapt to these changes, reduced carbohydrate and sugar intake, and the process of burning fat to create energy, which can take several weeks.
If you are not ready to completely eliminate grains from your diet, simply reduce your intake and gradually monitor how your body reacts to the change. The slow and gradual rate of reduction in intake is much more effective in the long run and the more you adjust to the principles of the Paleo diet, the more visible the results will be.
How many nutrients should be consumed?
Eat foods that are good sources of protein (eggs, steak, chicken, fish) and fruits and vegetables. If you have a problem with insufficient daily calorie intake, include healthy fats in your diet that contain the following foods: avocado, almond, walnut, olive oil, etc.
Should I eat every 3 hours?
No. Just eat when you’re hungry, don’t do it when you’re not. We are going back through the evolutionary tunnel to the time of our ancestors. So, in that period, one could walk all day looking for some catch or some fruit, not finding any food. Fortunately, our body is designed to use fat stores to create energy in such situations.
So, eat when you are hungry. It is still tolerable to skip a meal, two if you have not been able to consume it on time, until you try to make up for the meals in the evening by consuming large amounts of unhealthy foods.
What are the objections of the Paleo child?
The biggest drawback of the Paleo diet is the fact that if we are not careful practicing this diet can be very expensive. But, as we know, with a little research, practicing a healthy diet can be made very affordable. When you start consuming organic fruits and vegetables, free-range chicken, these products may be a little more expensive in conventional stores, due to the procedures for finding them.
However, agricultural shops very often have affordable prices for meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables, which are locally grown and incredibly healthy. Even if you spend a lot of money on nutrition, when it comes to your health and healthy eating program, spending a few extra bills on healthier foods is a wiser and smarter investment, because it starts a healthy life and reduces the risk of spending money on expensive drugs. / p>
There are some arguments for not implementing the Paleo diet that are also considered objections:
- Excessive protein intake burdens the body with many harmful substances, especially ammonia, which can have toxic consequences
- Diet could be hard for people who like carbohydrates or starchy foods
- Diet requires a lot of commitment
- in social situations (parties and celebrations) you may have difficulty adhering to this diet
- It takes a period of weaning off coffee, sugar and other sweets
- It is necessary to take calcium due to not taking dairy products
- cannot be adapted to vegetarians
Despite the dangers of the arguments for its non-implementation, this diet is healthier than e.g. Atkinson's diet that excludes fruit, but we should not forget that it is best to eat a balanced diet, eat all food groups, but in small quantities and in the right combination.
If you are still unsure about implementing a Paleo diet, here are some arguments as to why a Paleo diet is desirable:
- increased protein intake reduces appetite and speeds up metabolism, high protein diet maintains muscle mass,
- emphasizes the importance of fruits and vegetables,
- The body has enough essential fatty acids,
- Diet will suit people who are prone to high blood sugar,
- will improve health and reduce the risk of many diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer,
- creates an alkaline load on the kidneys, which prevents calcium loss and preserves bone tissue, which can reduce the risk of osteoporosis,
- no counting calories and measuring meals.
Example of a one-day menu
- Breakfast: Omelet with spinach and mushrooms
- Snack: A handful of berries
- Lunch: Grilled trout, large mixed salad with lemon juice and olive oil topping
- Snack : Raw carrots and apples
- Dinner: Grilled chicken, boiled broccoli, tomato salad
- Dessert: Roasted walnuts and apples
Conclusion
However, following this diet will not be easy, especially in the beginning, when you need to get rid of all the foods that are very tasty for most of us. As a result, some may experience symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and the need for certain foods. These problems disappear after a few weeks and from that moment the Paleo diet is very easy for most people, because it is basically a diet that does not starve.
Despite the dangers of the arguments for its non-implementation, this diet is healthier than e.g.Atkinson's diet that excludes fruit, but we should not forget that it is best to eat a balanced diet, eat all food groups, but in small quantities and in the right combination
