Paleo diet - benefits, benefits and menus for the week

The Paleolithic diet (Paleolithic diet) is based on the supposed diet of a person who lived in the Stone Age. The menu for such a diet does not include dairy products, cereals, sugar and any other food that has undergone any processing and has unnatural components in its composition.

This type of diet is aimed at consuming high quality protein foods (meat, fish, seafood, eggs), as well as fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, nuts and berries. In other words, a diet means eating only those foods that were available to a caveman engaged in hunting and gathering.

The paleo diet is controversial. And although the athletes who have experienced it on themselves are very pleased with the results, the new type of diet also has plenty of critics and opponents.

Benefits of the paleo diet

A number of respected nutritional scientists consider the Paleolithic diet to be hazardous to health. In their opinion, there is a high risk of developing serious disorders in the functioning of the body in people who adhere to the diet of the Stone Age for a long time.

The critics' opinion is based on studies that support the relationship of excessive protein intake with the risk of cardiovascular and other diseases. At the same time, refusal to use complex carbohydrates, including cereals, according to scientists, negatively affects metabolism, causes digestive disorders, hormonal disruptions and loss of strength.

Supporters claim that eating high-quality protein foods along with fruits and vegetables strengthens the immune system, reduces excess weight, and improves overall skin and hair health.

Adherents of the paleo diet highlight the following benefits:

1. Fast results.Avoiding carbohydrate-rich foods and replacing them with protein and fiber inevitably leads to rapid weight loss. The first kilograms begin to literally "melt before our eyes" within 1-3 weeks. That is why the paleo diet is very popular among those who want to lose weight.
2. No hunger.Feeling of hunger on the Paleo diet is practically not felt due to the stable level of blood sugar. Since all permitted products have a low or medium glycemic index, glucose is released into the blood in a metered dose, insulin levels are stable, and appetite is markedly reduced.
3. Calorie intake you are in control yourself. There are no strict restrictions, you just need to adhere to the main list of permitted products and not use prohibited ones. Unlike standard diets, which drastically reduce the number of calories in the diet, the main principle of the paleo diet is to maintain low blood glucose levels, which in turn stimulates the process of burning fat.

The benefits of diet

For most CrossFitters, the priority goal is to get your body in shape and lose weight. High-intensity long-term training combined with a paleo diet is a direct path to rapid weight loss.

Let's look at how fat breakdown works in people following the Stone Age diet.

After an intense workout that includes work on all muscle groups, the body begins an active recovery phase. At this point, the muscles are experiencing an acute deficiency of glycogen (muscle sugar), which athletes tend to fill with simple carbohydrates.

If the goal of an athlete is to burn fat, to eat protein after training, it starts the process of ketosis in the body - the breakdown of its own fat and use it as a source of recovery of strength and energy. This is why Paleo Diet and CrossFit combine to lead to guaranteed weight loss.

However, there is a risk that some Paleo CrossFitters may feel tired and overtrained during vigorous exercise. To avoid such consequences, it is enough to consume more fruits rich in healthy carbohydrates, starch and pectin, such as bananas, peaches, grapes, pears and others. Include in your diet more foods rich in fatty amino acids: nuts, fatty fish, quality unrefined vegetable oils.

Contraindications to the paleo diet:

• liver and kidney disease;
• disturbances in the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
• periods of exacerbation of chronic diseases;
• pregnancy and lactation.

Reviews of the paleo diet

Crossfit and the paleo diet are relatively new phenomena in the world of sports. Nevertheless, the feedback from athletes and the results of their training is indicative and deserves attention.

Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, was one of the first to experience and experience the effects of the paleo diet. He encourages all nutritionists to consume more vegetables and meats, nuts and seeds, avoid sugar and starch, and eat so that they exercise effectively and do not get fat. Greg Glassman argues that the paleo diet is the most optimal type of food for a person. In his opinion, an excessive amount of carbohydrates in the diet inevitably leads to diabetes.

Jackie Perez, a famous professional CrossFit athlete, is also in favor. Before she found out about CrossFit, Jackie spent many hours of cardio and strength training in the gym, while not monitoring her diet, and could not understand why her figure remained practically unchanged. And only when Jackie began to train with a trainer according to the system CrossFit, and the paleo diet became her usual diet, the results were not long in coming.

Cheryl Brost, a 43-year-old female Crossfit who won 2nd place at the Reebok Crossfit Games in 2014, argues that the first step on the road to great physical fitness and health should be the right approach to eating the paleo diet. Cheryl doesn't weigh every serving of her food and doesn't count calories, because she knows exactly what a 100-gram beef steak and a cup of vegetable salad looks like.

Indicative menu for the week

So, to reiterate the main point: the Paleolithic diet includes a wide range of protein-rich foods, as well as vegetables, fruits and nuts. It is forbidden to consume sugar, grains, dairy products, and any food that has been processed, contains artificial additives or genetically modified. Vary the weekly menu according to individual preferences within the permitted foods.

Follow a number of rules:

• In the morning, between meals and throughout the day, drink non-carbonated clean water. The bigger, the better. Always carry a bottle of clean drinking water with you when exercising.
• Try not to cook vegetables for a long time to avoid loss of vitamins.
• Take vitamin and mineral complexes in accordance with the needs of your body, especially during periods of recovery after illness, during periods of stress and seasonal vitamin deficiency.
• If you do CrossFit every day, then feel free to increase the amount of carbohydrates in the diet due to the greater amount of fruits and berries. Also in this case, consume more protein.
• If you do not plan to follow a strict paleo diet, you can add milk and dairy products to your diet. It is better not to stew or steam meat and fish, but to cook in a frying pan in olive oil.

Below is an example of a weekly diet for a CrossFit, Paleo diet, and weight loss person. Small snacks are allowed between main meals.

Watch the video: Benefits of Paleo Nutrition and the Paleolithic Diet (May 2025).