The Paleo Challenge

The Caveman Diet, also known as the Stone Age and Warrior diets, is a modern-day adaptation of the presumed human diet during the Paleolithic period about 10,000 years ago. The rationale is that the human body is genetically programmed for said diet, which is based on plants, wild animals and other food sources.

Studies have shown that the Caveman Diet lowers the risks for hypertension, strokes and heart diseases; aids in healthy weight loss; and lessens inflammation including acne symptoms. The result is a healthier mind and body with higher energy levels and stronger immune system.

The Stone Age Diet is based on the food items that our Paleolithic ancestors hunted, fished and gathered although it must be emphasized that modern-day practitioners are required to perform the hunting, fishing and gathering on their own. Keep in mind that a true Paleolithic diet is near-impossible considering that fruits, vegetables and root crops are cultivated rather than gathered in the wild and meats are domesticated instead of hunted in the wild.

The allowed food items on the Caveman Diet are:

• Meat including lean meat and organ meats

• Poultry

• Fish

• Shellfish

• Eggs

• Vegetables

• Fruits

• Root crops

• Berries

• Tree nuts

These food sources provide for sufficient amounts of macronutrients (i.e., carbohydrates, fats, and proteins), micronutrients (i.e., vitamins and minerals) and antioxidants necessary for a healthy mind and body. The trick is in eating the right quantities and qualities of these food items for a healthy diet.

Dairy including milk, grains, legumes, potatoes, sugar and salt, and processed oils are excluded from the diet. The bottom line is that all food sources grown after human civilization started its agricultural practices must be avoided.

In terms of beverages, the Caveman Diet plan includes water, organic green tea and coconut water. All of these liquids are recognized as healthy food sources by nutritionists, doctors and other health experts. Of course, sodas, beer and other beverages are excluded from the diet.

If you have a sweet tooth, only raw honey and coconut palm sugar are allowed. Just be sure to consume these items in limited quantities.

Experts suggest going on the Caveman Diet for 2 weeks to determine if it works for your individual case. If it does, you need not be on it all the time – 80% of the time will do – and yet still reap its benefits.

You can find out more about the Paleo diet on Wikipedia.

The Caveman Diet is based on the presumed food items that our Paleolithic ancestors consumed 10,000 years ago. Since there was no concept of agriculture then, the food items allowed on the modern-day Stone Age Diet are those that our ancestors hunted, fished and gathered in the wild.

Obviously, the presumed Paleolithic diet cannot be completely copied. This is because plant food sources are cultivated in farms, not gathered in the wild, and meat sources are domesticated in commercial quantities, not hunted in the wild.

Fortunately, our Paleolithic ancestors’ presumed diet can still be replicated in modern times. Just be sure to know what food items are allowed and not allowed in the Caveman Diet as well as to choose organically-grown food items.

Meats including lean meat and organ meat are allowed. Of course, these should be cooked in healthy ways like grilling, steaming and boiling but breading of any kind must be avoided.

Poultry from chickens, turkey and wild birds are also recommended. These fowls, however, should ideally be of the free-range kind – the animals have access to natural sources like leaves and insects - instead of being fed commercial feeds. Eggs from poultry can be added to the diet.

Fishes are also recommended with one caveat – these should be caught from the wild or fed with food that wild fish eat. Many practitioners of the Caveman Diet actually catch their own fish just to be sure.

Vegetables are obviously encouraged but there are differing opinions on what can and cannot be eaten depending on the version of the diet. In general, all vegetables that can be eaten raw including leafy green vegetables can be eaten; it must be emphasized that just it can be eaten raw does not necessarily mean that you must eat it raw.

Fruits, nuts and seeds are generally allowed in the diet with a few exceptions. For example, cashews and peanuts are not allowed because these cannot be eaten raw and these are considered as legumes, respectively.

Dairy is not allowed on the diet. To make up for it, coconut milk and unsweetened almond milk are good substitutes.

Plant and nut oils can be added to the diet. Examples include olive oil, flaxseed oil, and canola oil.

It’s no surprise that water, organic green tea, and pure coconut water are encouraged but soda, beer and sweetened beverages are excluded from the diet. Salt and sugar are also out but raw honey can be used as a sweetener.

For more details about what foods you can eat on the Paleo diet, check out this About.com article, or visit www.cavemandiet.org for some free recipes.

The Caveman Diet emphasizes the consumption of organically-grown meat and poultry sources, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, eggs, and fishes and shellfishes. Food items considered banned from the diet include salt, sugar, soda, and alcoholic beverages, among other processed, packaged and canned food products (learn more at www.thepaleodiet.com).

Modern-day practitioners of the Stone Age Diet then seeks to replicate our Paleolithic ancestors’ diet of food items gathered, hunted and fished in the wild albeit with a few differences to account for modern conveniences like supermarkets.

With such a healthy diet, individuals who plan to adopt the Caveman Diet can expect the following health benefits to come their way.

• Weight Loss

Keep in mind that healthy weight loss requires a balanced diet of lean meats, fishes, fruits, vegetables, and nuts in moderate quantities. This is exactly the kinds of food that Caveman Diet advocates recommend! With saturated fats, heavy carbohydrates, and simplified sugars out of your diet, you will enjoy faster yet healthier weight loss especially when combined with daily cardio exercise.

• Lose Body Fat

Unsaturated fats are the main component of the Caveman Diet when it comes to choosing fat sources, thus, the emphasis on nuts, seeds and fatty fishes, perhaps even fish oil supplements. Losing body fat then not only becomes possible but faster, too. (A study have shown that for every 15.8 pounds weight loss, 6.6 pounds were lean muscle mass and 9.2 pounds were fat)

• Blood Pressure Readings Improve

Doctors recommend a healthy diet with emphasis on fruits, vegetables and fish for individuals at risk or diagnosed with pre-hypertension and hypertension. The Caveman Diet is one such healthy diet that can be adopted by these individuals. You must try the diet for at least 10 days – start slowly, if you want, so that you can avoid backsliding – and then see the results.

• Cholesterol Levels Improve

Bad cholesterol levels in the body are also reduced with proper adoption of the Caveman Diet. Studies have shown that men and women can lessen their cholesterol levels from 170 to 135 mg/dL, which is a fairly significant drop.

• Blood Glucose Levels Drop

Practitioners of the Caveman Diet also attest to its efficacy in lessening blood glucose levels, which is of special importance to individuals at risk for and diagnosed with diabetes mellitus.

When all of the abovementioned benefits combine, individuals who adopt the Caveman Diet will enjoy a healthier mind and body, higher energy levels, and lower risks for chronic degenerative diseases.