What is it?

The Paleo or “Cave Man” Diet is a diet that is based on replicating that of the Paleolithic era (Chatham, 2013, pp.1).  Put simply, it involves eating fruits, green vegetables, eggs, poultry, meat and seafood.  However it excludes, dairy, grains, legumes and processed foods with added salt, sugars and flavourings, with the main goal of mimicking the diet of our cave- man ancestors (Kruszelnicki, 2015).

 

                                                                         (Matt, 2013)

Advantages & Disadvantages of the Paleo Diet

Pros

Cons

·        Nutritious: As it lacks in processed foods which are relatively “nutritionally empty” and involves nutrient dense foods. ·        Stable Energy Levels: The foods involved, slowly digest, keeping blood sugar levels stable and reduces hunger throughout the day. ·        Simple: No counting or measuring required as you purely eat from a list of foods. ·        Assists in weight loss ·        Decreases health risks that are related to a high sugar intake ·        Boosts your metabolic rate (Athletic Performance Newsletter, 2015)

·      Requires Huge Adjustment: It would involve an enormous change in eating habits. ·      Inconvenient: Due to the specific measures of the diet, it is often difficult to grab meals on the go as processed grains and dairy are widely used, yet not allowed in the Paleo diet.     ·      Expensive: Particular meets such as grass fed beef, can be hard to find and almost always more expensive (Athletic Performance Newsletter, 2015). ·      Lacks dietary fiber ·      Health risks associated with high protein intake: Australian Nutrient Reference value suggests that your protein intake should be 15-25% while the Paleo Diet recommendation is much higher at 19-35% of a person’s daily energy (Kruszelnicki, 2015).

 The Paleo diet in comparison to the Australian Dietary Guidelines:

The Australian Dietary Guidelines are put in place to notify people of what to eat to stay health.  They use science- based evidence that provide information about healthy food choices.  So does the Paleo diet meet the recommendations? (Whitney et al., 2013)

Guideline 1: Achieve and maintain a health weight, be physically active and consume nutritious food and drinks to meet your energy needs.

The Paleo diet meets this guideline as it does ultimately help in weight lose.  The diet doesn’t limit the amount of food you eat, just the quality and therefore would provide sufficient energy for your daily needs.

Guideline 2: Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from the five food groups (vegetables, legumes; fruit; grain foods; lean meat, poultry, fish and eggs; and dairy products) everyday.

Whilst the Paleo diet does endorse eating a moderate amount of vegetables and fruit, it does cut out legumes, grain foods and dairy completely.  By eliminating legumes, this consequently limits important nutrients in our diet such as; dietary fiber (helps keep our bowel healthy), soluble fiber (can lower cholesterol) and carbohydrates (can help prevent and manage diabetes) (Dietitians Association of Australia, 2015).

                                 (Quantum Fit, 2015)

Cutting out grain foods and dairy products subsequently lead to an unhealthy digestive track and decreased calcium levels.  However, the diet does encourage a high intake of grass- fed animal protein, although as its recommendations are higher than the ANR this results in the increase of iron levels. (Whitney et al., 2013)

Guideline 3: Limit intake of saturated fats

Instead of involving the trans fats and particular saturated fats that dominate our modern day diets, the Paleo diet utilises the healthy and beneficial monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega

3 fats (Cordain, 2012), thus adhering to this guideline.

 

Recommendations:

Through this blog, there is evidence in favour of and against the Paleo Diet.  If anyone does attempt this diet, I recommend doing so with care and talking to a qualified dietitian beforehand.  Whilst the advantages of losing weight and focusing solely on fresh foods may seem attractive, the facts are that this diet doesn’t meet all the ADG’s.  It has too much emphasis on proteins yet lacks in promoting carbohydrates, which could become dangerous to people who exercise regularly.  Finally, by removing whole food groups, this diet doesn’t provide variety, which could result in other health implications. 

References:

Athletic Performance Newsletter,. (2015), Diet and Nutrition. Retrieved 5 May 2015, from http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/174995.pdf/RK=0

Chatham, J. (2013). Paleo for Beginners: Essentials to Get Started. USA: Rockridge Press.

Cordain, L. (2012). AARP The Paleo Diet Revised: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat. John Wiley & Sons.

Dietitians Association of Australia,. (2014). Legumes | Dietitians Association of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2015, from http://daa.asn.au/for-the-public/smart-eating-for-you/nutrition-a-z/legumes/

Dietitians Association of Australia,. (2014) Part 3: The Paleo Diet – Is the Paleo Diet right for Australians? Retrieved 5 May 2015 from http://daa.asn.au/for-the-public/smart-eating-for-you/nutrition-a-z/paleo-diet/part-3-is-the-paleo-diet-right-for-australians/

Kruszelnicki, K., (2015). Paleolithic diet doesn’t weigh up. Retrieved 5 May 2015, from http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2013/09/10/3842158.htm

Matt [image], (2013). Share it Fitness. Retrieved from http://cdn3.shareitfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/paleo-diet-590x442.jpg

Quantum Fit [image], (2015). The Paleo Diet. Retrieved from http://www.lifewithaniela.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/paleo-diet-foods.jpg

Whitney, E., Rolfes, S., Crowe, T., Smith, D., & Walsh, A. (2013). Understand Nutrition. Melbourne: Cengage Learning Australia.