The Paleolithic diet, also known as the Paleo diet, caveman diet and Stone Age diet, is an eating plan that is based on the diet of humans in the Paleolithic era, about 2.5 millions years ago, before the Neolithic era, when agriculture became dominant. This eating plan is based on the concept of “hunting and gathering” and focuses on lean meats and fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, roots, and legumes and omits processed grains, oils, sugars and salts. The Paleo diet was first introduced in the mid-1970’s by a gastroenterologist named Walter L. Voegtlin, who based his beliefs on evolutionary medicine that humans are genetically adapted to a pre-agricultural way of eating. His dietary treatments were based on the principles of the Paleo diet and he used the diet to treat various digestive disorders, including colitis, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome and indigestion.

The Paleo diet was further extolled in the mid to late-1980’s in an article written by two health care professors, whose beliefs allowed for foods such as skim milk, brown rice and potatoes prepared without fat. This lead to further mainstream recognition and led to two books being published by the end of the 1980’s. Afterwards, various nutritionists and other health care professionals began linking diseases such as cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, arthritis and obesity to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, when processed, pre-packaged foods became popular and people made foods such as cereals, dairy products, fatty, domestic meats and alcohols staples in the Western diet, or the “diet of affluence.” Another factor leading to the popularity of a higher protein diet is the fact that one protein molecule carries two molecules of water, while one molecule of carbohydrate carries four molecules, which can lead to quicker water weight loss. The end of the 1990’s saw a re-birth of higher protein, lower carb diets, with the Paleo diet joining the popularity of the Atkins and South Beach diets.

The Paleo diet focuses on foods that can be “hunted”, such as meats, fish and shellfish, and “gathered”, such as eggs, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruits. With meats, instead of traditional, grass fed meat that is usually marbled with fat, lean cuts or grass fed meats are preferred. Dairy products, salts and legumes such as peanuts are omitted, yet not all legumes and fats are omitted in order to get essential fatty acids such as omega 3s and 6s. Alcohol or any other fermented beverages, including coffee, are omitted; instead, water is preferred, and some advocates allow tea. A breakdown of the Paleo diet includes approximate nutrient intakes of:

·    56-65% from animal foods.

·    36-45% from plant foods.

Compared with the approximate suggested intake:

·    50-65% from carbohydrates.

·    12-15% from proteins.

·    30-40% from fats.

Unlike foods in the Raw Food diet, foods in the Paleo diet can be cooked, since cooking adheres to the guidelines from humans during the Paleolithic era.

While this type of eating plan is not a recommendation, some individuals can benefit from a higher protein-lower carbohydrate ratio, such as diabetics or those with digestive disorders. Be careful when considering this type of eating plan for a quick and easy way to lose weight. Keep in mind that too much protein in the system can lead to disorders such as kidney stones or gallstones, calcium loss from the bones (since protein molecules attract calcium molecules) and an acid imbalance.

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