Bon Appétit, B.C.The Paleolithic diet is gaining popularity with many fitness advocates,but is it really the best way to eat? BY ALEXANDRA BLACK, RD, LD

THE “CAVEMAN DIET”The Paleo diet—also known as the

“caveman diet”—is a way of eating

inspired by the diet of our Paleolithic

ancestors, the men and women

who lived 2.5 million years ago,

before the agricultural revolu-

tion began about

10,000 years ago and

provided mankind with

a steady supply of grains,

corn, dairy and domestic

meat. The theory behind Paleo

eating is that our bodies are

genetically programmed to eat

certain foods, and that many

modern health problems like

obesity result from the intro-

duction of grains, dairy and

other processed foods, which

wreak havoc on our metabolic

systems. The diet, and it’s

“allowed” and “restricted”

foods, are based on anthropological

research providing insight into what

pre-agricultural humans ate.

Foods allowed on a strict Paleolithic

diet include lean meats and seafood,

eggs, fruits and nonstarchy vegetables,

nuts (except peanuts), seeds, and plant-

based oils such as olive, coconut, avocado,

walnut or grapeseed. Restricted foods

include processed meats like salami;

dairy; grains such as rice, pasta, wheat

and corn; starchy vegetables like pota-

toes; soy products; legumes like beans

and peanuts; alcohol; and refined sugar.

Following a Paleo diet does not

require adhering to portion sizes or

food measurement. The recommenda-

tion is to eat Paleo-approved foods

when you are hungry and stop when

you are full. The idea is that it’s fairly

hard to eat too many calories when

they are coming from protein sources

and high fiber, filling sides like vegetables,

fruits or healthy fats. The Paleo diet

can be followed strictly or modified

to meet your individual needs. For

instance, some follow an 80/20 rule

of eating Paleo about 80% of the time

and allowing room for leniency with

other foods or cheat days. Others follow

a strict Paleo diet but include dairy,

butter, or both.

The research on the Paleo diet, while

promising, is fairly limited. Several small

studies have shown a Paleolithic diet

may help improve markers of health in

both healthy people and those with

chronic disease. For example, one study

showed that a Paleolithic diet resulted

in lower mean glycated hemoglobin (a

measure of blood-sugar control over

time) values, diastolic blood pressure

and waist circumference, and higher

HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)

when compared to a standard diabetes

diet. Among healthy adults, a small

metabolically controlled study (i.e., what

participants ate was strictly

controlled) found improvements

in blood pressure, glucose toler-

ance, insulin sensitivity and

cholesterol without weight loss

over a 10-day period.

In addition, while the evidence

for the Paleo diet (especially in

athletes) is not prolific, research

has shown high-protein/low-carb

diets to be effective for fat loss in

a number of studies. Recently, a

study appearing in Nutrition &

Metabolism found that Paleo

dieters not only felt more satis-

fied in terms of appetite, but also

had lower levels of circulating leptin, a

hormone that regulates appetite, food

consumption and body-fat storage.

WHY EATING PALEO ISAWESOME• It eliminates unhealthy food. Eating

whole foods and avoiding food products

with refined sugars, preservatives, harm-

ful additives, high levels of sodium and

added fats has numerous benefits in terms

of weight management, health and athletic

performance.

•More vitamins and minerals. Because

you eat more fruits and veggies on a

Paleo diet, you are getting much more

fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants

than on a typical Western diet. Vitamins

You may have heard lately about a very old way of eating that’s become de rigueur in many fitness

circles: the Paleolithic diet. The first articles on this diet were published in the mid-’70s in the

New England Journal of Medicine by Loren Cordain, Ph.D., a professor at Colorado State

University and author of “The Paleo Diet.” These days, it’s been widely popularized by the CrossFit

community and bloggers around the world.

Is it right for you? Here’s what the research says about Paleo eating, along with some of the pros and

cons of dining like a caveman.

Eating Paleo can take more effort, but at least the hunt-ing and gathering is done in stores and farmers’ markets.

Spring 2013 PHYSIQUE 3D 29