The genetic foundations of the metabolisms of modern humans were laid down millions of years ago, long before the agricultural revolution caused us to begin eating grains, dairy products such as milk and cheese, or sugar. The Paleo diet - short for "Paleolithic" - aims to return you to the eating habits that your body, and the body of every other human on Earth, is designed for, thus banishing the allergies, metabolic diseases, and tooth decay that our poorly chosen modern foods inflict.
Farming and domestication of animals (other than, perhaps, hunting dogs) has taken place only during the most recent years of humanity's long history, a matter of nine or ten thousand at most, and probably less. Unfortunately, these food products became very common - but the fact is that our physiology is still adapted to pre-agricultural dietary patterns. In effect, many supposedly "wholesome" foods we eat today are actually mildly poisonous to us, or react negatively with our body chemistry.
The Paleo diet returns control over your metabolic health to you by focusing on the food groups that the cavemen ate: lean meats, both mammalian and avian, eggs, fish and shellfish, nuts, fresh fruits, and a range of vegetables, including a few root vegetables (but not potatoes, which many diets make the error of including, though at the time of the cavemen these plants grew wild only in remote areas of the Andes and thus were not adapted to by most people).
By limiting your intake to these foods, you will be eating the nourishment Nature intended us to consume, which is readily metabolized and healthy for us. Lean meats as well as organ meats and even tongue will form the backbone of any good diet that follows this innovative, scientifically grounded program. Half a dozen eggs a week will be a good representation of the eggs occasionally found in nests or raided from seabird rookeries.
Nuts are a great source of healthy Paleolithic protein, with monosaturated fats that feed your body while actually lowering your cholesterol. Nuts contain compounds that probably inhibit breast cancer and a few other cancers from developing, and strengthen the heart, reducing the chance of heart disease. Start off slowly eating nuts because they are very nutritious and calorie rich. As you get deeper into the Paleo diet, however, your metabolic rate will rise and you can eat more and still stay (or get) slim.
Though you can get a good grasp of many foods you should avoid simply by eschewing everything that comes in a box, you should also not eat foods that contain sugar, which includes maple syrup or artificial syrup. All kinds of grain products, from bread to pizza crust to pancakes, should be stricken from your list of acceptable foods. Your menu should likewise eliminate butter, cheese, milk, cream, ice cream, and anything else derived from cows.
The Paleo diet may seem a bit restrictive at first, but the lack of allergies, reduced chance of diabetes, and general feeling of energy and well being that you will experience on it will more than compensate for this. There are many superb recipes you can make for variety and gustatory enjoyment, and with the high protein focus of the diet, you will lose excess weight even without much exercise. Exercise regularly and you will be as lean and hardy as one of your Paleolithic forebears in no time!
