The Food Pyramid Of The Paleo Diet

Few tribes remain that maintain a hunter-gatherer lifestyle, feeding on what they naturally find in the environment. There are groups in the Amazon rainforest, the African savannah, the Arctic tundra, and isolated islands in the Pacific.

Knowing their habits and how the influence of other diets affects them tells us a lot about the evolution of our habits and adaptation.

With the exception of the Inuit, small island and other high mountain tribes, most of these peoples eat less fish and meat than we might expect. Diets vary, but in general animal protein is a rare commodity and the base is vegetables.

The Hadza of Tanzania, for example, eat mostly tubers, berries and baobab along with some honey and game.

Among the tsimane, from Bolivia, fruits, cassava and wild leaves are the base that sometimes accompany meat or fish.

These populations are not disease-free, but they do not have current disorders such as hypertension or diabetes. Of course, your health worsens when you incorporate habits from other areas.

Although the issue is complex, everything indicates that there is no universal ideal diet, but rather ways of eating more connected to nature that allow human beings to live with acceptable health integrated into their environment. And it is the break with the environment that unbalances him.

What to eat to follow a paleo diet

Main foods

The base of a paleo-inspired diet should be plant-based and 70% raw. These are your allies:

• Vegetables : give priority to those that do not need cooking.
• Little sweet fruits : provide energy without ups and downs.
• Fermented : they are easy to digest and promote intestinal health.
• Seeds and nuts : provide protein and fat. Activate them to make them more nutritious.
• Sprouts : those from seeds are full of life and nutrients.
• Coconut oil – a great source of healthy fats. Choose it virgin.
• Superextras : add brightly colored foods, rich in antioxidants.

With moderation

Some foods give you extra energy as well as sweetness, but you should not abuse them.

• Tubers : they are ideal as a source of carbohydrates if you eliminate cereals and legumes, especially if you do sports. Accompany them with healthy fats such as oil, seeds, or avocado to avoid glucose spikes.
• Sweet or very sweet fruits : also accompany them with healthy oils and fats.

Eliminate them from your diet

Ditching foods that inflame the intestines is a good decision.

• Gluten : if necessary, take pseudo-cereals in small amounts.
• Dairy : milk is for the young. Your body does not digest it well.

Therapeutic Uses of the Paleo Diet

They are punctual and address specific disorders. They then require rethinking the diet for life.

Two therapeutic applications of the paleo diet are the ketogenic diet and the autoimmune protocol.

Ketogenic diet

Its goal is to induce a ketosis-like state in the body. The body, not having enough glucose, uses stored fat to produce energy.

It is used as a support or treatment in obesity, diabetes, autoimmune problems, cancer, and epilepsy.

To follow the ketonic diet, it is proposed to ingest at least 100 g of medium chain triglycerides per day; a moderate amount of protein, from 0.8 g to 1.2 g per kg of body weight; and only 25 to 30 g of carbohydrates.

Medium chain fatty acids, so basic, are abundant in coconut derivatives, as in its oil.

It is not advisable to follow it for long periods, as it is not a balanced diet. Its contribution of some vitamins (C and B) and minerals (potassium and magnesium) is low.

Autoimmune protocol

It is a diet high in nutrients aimed at improving the state of the intestines and their permeability and its objective is to improve the basic health status of people with an autoimmune disorder. It is more balanced than keto, but also stricter.

For at least 28 days irritant foods for the intestine, immunostimulants and pro-inflammatories are eliminated. This implies avoiding seeds, nuts, cereals and legumes, cocoa, alcohol, coffee, nightshades, berries, eggs (especially white), gluten, certain drugs, non-nutritive sweeteners and additives.

It includes the rest of vegetables and vegetables, roots, mushrooms, algae, coconut derivatives, raw oils and healthy fats, fermented and low-glycemic fruits.