Around the world, the Paleolithic or Paleo Diet has become quite popular as more people are trying to live healthier and lose excess weight. This means moving away from processed foods and embracing the natural varieties enjoyed by those who lived during the Paleolithic Era in human history.
What is the Paleolithic Diet?
Essentially, this is a diet that consists of natural, unprocessed foods as consumed by humans before the developing of farming or agriculture. This means that the Paleo Diet falls along the lines of what nomadic clans and tribes consumed when they wandered the open spaces of the Earth for many thousands of years.
Around 10,000 years ago with the dawn of civilization also came the development of modern farming which started to change the diet of what people consumed. However, the biology of human beings was built around a diet of consuming natural, grass-fed meats, fish, fowl, nuts, fruits and vegetables, and it is still the same today.
When people go on the Paleo Diet, they are eating the foods that benefit their body, help them to lose weight, and avoid many of the complications that come from processed foods.
While this means the embracing of many good, nutritious foods, it also means avoiding the type of food that works against the Paleo Diet.
What to Avoid Eating While On the Paleo Diet
There are a number of foods that needs to be avoided when eating the Paleo Diet, including some that may seem to actually belong in the program, but do not for a variety of reasons.
1) Milk
It may seem surprising that a natural product like milk should be one to avoid while on the Paleo Diet. But the truth is that people during the Paleolithic era did not consume milk at least not in any large quantities.
Plus, much of today’s milk and milk-based products have been processed which means that they have added ingredients which work against the benefits provided by the Paleo Diet.
About the only exception is whole, natural milk or raw milk that has not been processed. However, unless you have your own cow it can be expensive to purchase whole, unprocessed milk.
2) Butter and Cheese
These are products that have been created from the fat of milk and have been processed as well. This makes them unsuitable for the Paleo Diet and their fat content along with any added ingredients from processing will counteract the overall effect that the diet provides.
3) Yogurt
It may seem a bit strange that yogurt is on the list because it does provide some benefits.
However, virtually all yogurt has been processed at some point which means that whatever help it provides to the digestive system is lost when compared to the amount of sugar and other processed ingredients that are now part of the product itself.
Plus, if you are eating a proper Paleo Diet, then your digestive system is already benefiting thanks to the healthy ingredients that it includes.
4) Grains
Basically, you should avoid all grain products as they work completely against the Paleo Diet. This can be pretty tough as grains are a part of many different foods including the following;
- Breads
- Cereals
- Oatmeal
- Crackers
- Pancakes
- Pasta
So, it’s not surprising that giving up grains is a stumbling block for many who are considering going on this diet program. However, the benefits of avoiding grains are such that it is well worth the sacrifice.
5) Soft Drinks
When you consider how much high-fructose corn syrup and processed sugar are present in all non-diet soft drinks, you can see why they are not friendly to a Paleo Diet program. They will start to add unwanted weight and can work against the healthy benefits provided by the natural foods that you have been eating.
Also diet soft drinks are not much better because they contain artificial ingredients that actually help to keep the weight on your body. So, avoid soda pop altogether as it only works against the Paleo Diet.
6) Fruit Juices
While fruit is an excellent part of your Paleo Diet program, you should avoid purchasing fruit juices as they are packed with sugar. Unless you squeeze the juice out of the fruit yourself, then stay away from any fruit juices as they are not healthy for you.
7) Legumes
Legumes and beans are high in protein, but should not be a part of the Paleo Diet program. This is because they have other attributes that work against the diet and many of the beans and legumes are processed which means they contain extra salt and other unnecessary ingredients.
This means avoiding all types:
- Beans
- Peas
- Peanuts
- Lentils
- Soybeans
- Tofu, and the like
8) Snack Foods
Any pre-packages snack food is probably not Paleo-friendly, so avoid purchasing them in the stores.
This is particularly true for foods that are grain or potato-based in nature like the following;
- Pretzels
- Chips
- SunChips
- Cookies
- Pastries and More
In addition, the added salt and sugars will not help your diet at all, so avoid them and stick to nuts or other natural snacks instead.
9) Starchy Vegetables
While vegetables are good for you, the ones that have a very high content of starch are not. This is because starches turn into sugars in the body when not used or burned away quickly enough. This means that you need to avoid the following;
Avoid These Types of Potatoes:
- Squash
- Yam
- Yucca, Batata, and Beets
10) Alcohol
Last, but not least is alcohol. While beer has already been eliminated because it has grains, all forms of alcohol also fall into the mix so to speak. Remember that all alcohol drinks are processed and the alcohol content has detrimental effects on your body. So, avoid alcohol if you are on a Paleo Diet.
If you avoid these 10 foods while on your Paleo Diet, you can live a healthier life that improves your overall well-being and helps you to lose the unwanted weight as well.
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