The Caveman Diet

Are you looking for a diet that doesn’t involve taking any unnatural or unhealthy substances? Would you like to try an eating plan that includes nothing but ‘real’ foods?

What it is

The Caveman Diet, also called the Paleo Diet, is centred on the premise that in order to be healthy you should return to a diet to what our ancestors used to have. By cutting out all the processed foods and chemically altered foods that are readily apparent in most of today’s diets, you will eat more of the foods that are good for your body – the natural foods that were primarily consumed tens of thousands of years ago.

The foods

Because cavemen didn’t have the convenience foods that we have today, their diets were limited to the animals they could catch and the items they could grow. There was no such thing as running to the store to pick up quick and easy breakfast cereals and microwaveable meals.

So, the Caveman Diet’s foods are lean meats, fruits, berries, vegetables, eggs and nuts. Some variations of the diet take it one step further and suggest that you only eat raw foods (don’t cook anything), just as our pre-fire ancestors did, while others are a little more flexible and even allow things such as olive oil.

Pros and cons

Proponents of this way of eating feel that you’ll get a wide variety of necessary vitamins and minerals by eating foods that are in their natural state. Also, by limiting the amount of chemicals and preservatives you put in your body, the result will be greater health and lower risk of major health conditions and diseases.

Opponents believe that our bodies don’t have to go without other quality food options such as wheat grains, legumes and low-fat dairy (which all have health benefits) because they’re more than capable of digesting them and using their nutrition as well. In other words, we don’t have to be that strict to get great health results.

It’s up to you where you stand in the controversy, but the Caveman Diet is an option to consider if you’re looking to change your eating behaviors. After all, it worked for people long ago, so it might just work for you too!