The Paleo diet, also referred to as the caveman or Stone-Age diet, has gained popularity as individuals seek healthier eating patterns. This article delves into the specifics of the Paleo diet, its macronutrient composition, and its potential role in weight loss.
Understanding the Paleo Diet
The Paleolithic or “Paleo” diet seeks to address 21st-century ills by revisiting the way humans ate during the Paleolithic era, more than 2 million years ago. Paleo proponents state that because our genetics and anatomy have changed very little since the Stone Age, we should eat foods available during that time to promote good health. Our predecessors used simple stone tools that were not advanced enough to grow and cultivate plants, so they hunted, fished, and gathered wild plants for food. The popularity of the Paleo diet appealed to consumers’ increasing desire to eat more healthfully and to know where their food was coming from.
Core Principles
The Paleo diet includes lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Proponents of the diet emphasize choosing low-glycemic fruits and vegetables. Overall, the diet is high in protein, moderate in fat (mainly from unsaturated fats), low-moderate in carbohydrate (specifically restricting high glycemic index carbohydrates), high in fiber, and low in sodium and refined sugars.
Foods Allowed
Allowed foods include: Fresh lean meats, fish, shellfish, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, olive oil, coconut oil, and small amounts of honey. Calorie counting and portion sizes are not emphasized.
Foods to Avoid
The paleo diet discourages the consumption of certain foods, including:
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- Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup: soft drinks, fruit juices, table sugar, candy, pastries, ice cream, and many others
- Grains: bread, pasta, wheat, cereal, spelt, rye, barley, etc.
- Legumes: beans, lentils, and many more
- Dairy: most dairy, especially low fat dairy (some versions of paleo do include full-fat dairy like butter and cheese)
- Some vegetable oils: soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil, and others
- Artificial sweeteners: aspartame, sucralose, cyclamates, saccharin, acesulfame potassium (use natural sweeteners instead)
- Highly processed foods: everything labeled “diet” or “low fat” or that has many additives, including artificial meal replacements
A simple guideline for the paleo diet is, if it looks like it was made in a factory, avoid it.
Macronutrient Ratios in the Paleo Diet
There are no “proper” macro ratios for the Paleo diet. Technically, any combo of Paleo-approved foods (meat, fish, nuts, fruit, vegetables, tubers, eggs, etc.) would be okay. For example, you could eat a high-carb Paleo diet (lots of sweet potatoes), a high-protein Paleo diet (lots of meat and fish), a high-fat Keto Paleo diet (lots of healthy fats plus protein and veggies), or some combination.
Typical Macronutrient Distribution
"On average, the (study) authors estimate the following ratio of macronutrients: 35% energy from fats, 35% from carbohydrates, and 30% from protein (although no specific amount is the goal). Currently, researchers evaluating the nutritional value of the Paleo diet classify it as a moderate-carbohydrate diet.”
It should be noted that the Paleo diet macros deviate from recommendations provided by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) which state that adults should consume 20-35% of calories from fat, 45-65% of calories from carbohydrates, and 10-35% of calories from protein. It is higher in fat and lower in carbohydrates than the guidelines suggest.
Importance of Macronutrients
Macro is short for macronutrients. The three macronutrients are proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. These three units energy are the foundation to how our body functions and are vital in the case of building muscle and burning fat. Most people who are overweight have a problem with intaking too many carbohydrates, and that is why this plan exists. Follow the macronutrient ratios of 45% protein, 35% carbs, and 20% fat, and your body turns into a fat-burning and muscle-building machine.
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Individualized Macronutrient Strategies
Some people thrive on Paleo with zero macro consideration. They intuitively eat the right amounts, get enough protein, and don’t need extra motivation to seal the bag of dark chocolate almonds. But most of us would benefit from some macro tracking. Some people may thrive on a high-carb Paleo diet, but others may feel perpetually hungry as the pounds slowly pile on. The solution is to try different macro strategies.
An initial Paleo macros ratio might look like 25% carbs, 25% protein, and 50% fat. From there, you can modify based on your health goals and personal comfort. If you’re highly active (an endurance athlete, say), you might perform better at higher carb intakes. But, then again, you might not. And if you’re trying to lose weight, improve your metabolic health, or reduce inflammation, consider reducing carbs to 5-10% of your daily calories. Keeping carbs low unlocks the benefits of Keto dieting. Whatever you do with carbs and fat, keep protein in the 20-35% range. Your lean mass will appreciate it.
The Paleo Diet and Weight Loss
The paleo diet includes whole, unprocessed foods like vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meat. It may benefit your overall health and reduce your risk for some health conditions, including obesity. This diet may lead to significant weight loss (without calorie counting) and major improvements in health.
Research Findings
Some randomized controlled trials have shown the Paleo diet to produce greater short-term benefits than diets based on national nutrition guidelines, including greater weight loss, reduced waist circumference, decreased blood pressure, increased insulin sensitivity, and improved cholesterol. However, these studies were of short duration (6 months or less) with a small number of participants (less than 40).
One larger randomized controlled trial followed 70 post-menopausal Swedish women with obesity for two years, who were placed on either a Paleo diet or a Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR) diet. The Paleo diet provided 30% of total calories from protein, 40% fat (from mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats), and 30% carbohydrates. It included lean meats, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, avocado, and olive oil. The NNR diet provided less protein and fat but more carbohydrate with 15% protein, 25-30% fat, and 55-60% carbohydrates, including foods similar to the Paleo diet but also low-fat dairy products and high-fiber grains. Both groups significantly decreased fat mass and weight circumference at 6 and 24 months, with the Paleo diet producing greater fat loss at 6 months but not at 24 months.
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As a result of the applied nutritional interventions, significant changes were found only in the PD group. Body mass was significantly lower (p < 0.01), and adiponectin concentration was significantly higher (p = 0.03) in the PD at the end of the intervention. In our research, the eight-week application of PD had a partially positive effect on body composition through a decrease in BM.
Mechanisms of Weight Loss
By following a diet of whole foods and leading physically active lives, hunter-gatherers presumably had much lower rates of lifestyle diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Tracking Macros for Weight Loss
If you want to lose weight, consider logging your meals. In one study, participants who kept a daily food journal lost about double the weight as controls.[*] The simple act of recording led to less munching. No weight loss diet required.
Potential Health Benefits
Positive effects are noticed mainly in obese people (body mass reduction), diabetics (improvement of carbohydrate metabolism), those suffering from cardiovascular disease (normalization of blood pressure), and women with metabolic syndrome (improvement of glucose, insulin sensitivity, reduction of abdominal obesity, normalization of blood pressure, and lipid profile).
The data show that the PD, in combination with physical activity, is effective in improving body composition and metabolic balance, including insulin sensitivity, control of glycemia and leptin control in Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), and might positively affect exercise capacity.
Overall, the PD and various healthy diets (e.g., the Mediterranean diet, diet in accordance with Nordic Nutrition Recommendation, the Dutch Health Council, the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association) caused decreases in TC, LDL-C and TG, albeit the impact of the PD was stronger. Among long-term (over 6 months) studies, only the PD caused a decrease in TC and LDL-C. What is more, PD caused a statistically significant decrease in glucose, insulin, Homeostatic Model Assessment-Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in the short term (up to 6 months)-contrary to various CDs, which caused only a significant decrease in HbA1c.
Considerations and Potential Drawbacks
Excluding foods. The exclusion of entire categories of commonly eaten foods like whole grains and dairy requires frequent label reading in the supermarket and in restaurants. It may also increase the risk of deficiencies such as calcium, vitamin D, and B vitamins if these nutrients are not consistently eaten from the allowed foods or a vitamin supplement.
The restrictive nature of the diet may also make it difficult for people to adhere to such a diet in the long run. More high-quality studies including randomized controlled trials with follow-up of greater than one year that compare the Paleo diet with other weight-reducing diets are needed to show a direct health benefit of the Paleo diet.
Nutrient Deficiencies
The paleo diet eliminates several food groups that are highly nutritious, including legumes, dairy, and gluten-containing grains. Legumes are rich in fiber, protein, and various micronutrients, including iron, zinc, and copper, while dairy products have essential nutrients like calcium, which is important for bone health. Eliminating these food groups can put individuals following a paleo diet at risk of developing nutrient deficiencies. In addition, legumes are one of the primary protein sources in the vegan and vegetarian diet, which may make the paleo diet unrealistic for vegans and vegetarians.
Digestive Issues
The paleo diet includes foods high in fiber, like vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Since foods high in fiber can have a laxative effect, a person transitioning from a low fiber diet to a paleo diet could experience gastric distress, such as bloating, as a result.
Individual Variability
It’s important to recognize that there’s no one “right” way to eat for everyone, so while the paleo diet may work for people you know, it may not be best for you. You may want to talk with a doctor or nutritionist before starting a paleo diet.
Meal Planning and Sample Menu
Because the diet relies heavily on fresh foods, expect a time commitment to plan, purchase, prepare, and cook meals. Excluding foods requires frequent label reading in the supermarket and in restaurants.
Sample Menu
This sample menu contains a balanced amount of paleo-friendly foods. By all means, adjust this menu based on your own preferences.
Monday
- Breakfast: eggs and vegetables fried in olive oil, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: chicken salad with olive oil, a handful of nuts
- Dinner: burgers (no bun) fried in butter, vegetables, salsa
Tuesday
- Breakfast: bacon, eggs, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: leftover burgers from the night before
- Dinner: baked salmon with vegetables
Wednesday
- Breakfast: leftover salmon and vegetables from the night before
- Lunch: sandwich in a lettuce leaf, with meat and fresh vegetables
- Dinner: ground beef stir-fry with vegetables, berries
Thursday
- Breakfast: eggs, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: leftover stir-fry from the night before, a handful of nuts
- Dinner: fried pork, vegetables
Friday
- Breakfast: eggs and vegetables fried in olive oil, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: chicken salad with olive oil, a handful of nuts
- Dinner: steak, vegetables, sweet potatoes
Saturday
- Breakfast: bacon, eggs, one piece of fruit
- Lunch: leftover steak and vegetables from the night before
- Dinner: baked tilapia, vegetables, avocado
Sunday
- Breakfast: leftover salmon and vegetables from the night before
- Lunch: sandwich in a lettuce leaf, with meat and fresh vegetables
- Dinner: grilled chicken wings, vegetables, salsa
Simple Paleo Snacks
If you get hungry between meals, there are plenty of paleo snacks that are simple and easily portable:
- Toasted almonds or mixed nuts
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Fresh fruits and vegetables, including baby carrots, celery sticks, and sliced apples
- Dairy-free chia pudding
Simple Paleo Shopping List
There is an incredible variety of foods you can eat on the paleo diet. This simple shopping list should give you an idea of how to get started:
- Meat: beef, lamb, pork, etc.
- Poultry: chicken, turkey, etc.
- Fish: salmon, trout, mackerel, etc.
- Eggs
- Fresh vegetables: greens, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, etc.
- Frozen vegetables: broccoli, spinach, various vegetable mixes, etc.
- Fruits: apples, bananas, pears, oranges, avocado
- Berries: strawberries, blueberries, etc.
- Nuts: almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts
- Almond butter
- Olive oil
- Olives
- Sweet potatoes
- Condiments: sea salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic, parsley, etc.