Should We Eat Like Our Cavemen Ancestors?
People in Irvine, CA, who want a healthier diet focus on whole foods. Some eat a diet based on food consumed during the Paleolithic era, 2.6 million years to 12,000 years ago. It was during the hunter-gatherer period and before farming. Sometimes, this diet is called the caveman diet. It consists of natural food and doesn’t contain dairy, grain, salts, caffeine, alcohol, legumes or sugars. It focuses primarily on greens, fruits, nuts, roots, and wild game. Paleo supporters say it genetically matches man’s digestion and makes the body healthier.
There are holes in the logic behind the diet.
The basis of the diet is the belief that it mimics early man’s diet so the body can digest it more easily. According to anthropologists, that’s false. Only about 3% of a caveman’s diet came from animal sources. Both man and food sources changed throughout the Paleolithic period. Initially, man ate more like animals. By the end of the period, man used tools and fire. The caveman didn’t have a specific diet but ate whatever was available. People near bodies of water ate fish. Their diet even included grain.
There are many reasons this diet has health benefits.
Giving up sugar, highly processed foods, and added salt is healthy. That’s another health benefit. Eating whole foods is the key to healthy eating. Studies show that initially, you’ll lose weight fast on the Paleo diet. After that initial period, it’s no better than the Mediterranean diet or other healthy options. Studies show that since it helps with weight loss, it can reduce inflammation and many chronic conditions. Fermented foods are also part of the caveman diet. They provide many health benefits.
The caveman diet eliminates grains, legumes, and dairy.
Grains, legumes, and dairy contain nutrients necessary for the body to function. Reducing grains and dairy reduces the amount of fiber, B vitamins, iron, calcium, magnesium, and selenium. People often eat far more fatty or red meat, which can cause the bad LDL cholesterol profile to rise and lead to bowel cancer. Many caveman diets are too low in carbs, which can lead to quick exhaustion. If you go on the Paleo diet but limit the red meat, it is a healthier option than the traditional American diet.
- When it comes to heart health, studies on the Paleolithic diet vary. Some studies show that it’s good for cardiovascular health, while others show it may lead to heart disease. Medical professionals often suggest using the Mediterranean diet instead.
- The caveman diet, like the keto diet, reduces the carbs in the diet and increases the amount of fat and protein. The increased fat and protein keep you full longer, aiding weight loss.
- The Paleo diet helps you lose more weight initially, but after 24 months, the amount of weight loss was the same as other diets. The difference was the reduction of waist circumference and visceral—belly—fat with the Paleo diet.
- Since the Paleo/caveman diet is more restrictive, it’s harder to maintain, making it difficult to assess the long-term benefits or health issues. Always check with your healthcare professional before starting any restrictive diet.
For more information, contact us today at Next Level Fitness
If you live in Irvine, CA, and want to get leaner and stronger, there’s nothing like a strength-building workout to do it. As you build muscle, you burn fat. Even if you don’t shed a pound, you’ll look thinner. Muscle tissue weighs more per cubic inch than fat tissue does, so a pound of fat requires a larger container. It’s like comparing a pound of feathers with a pound of steel. The container holding the feathers will be larger. As you gain muscle mass, even if you don’t lose weight, your body will look thinner, and you’ll wear a smaller size.
If you’ve ever had to cut your workout short because you simply didn’t have the energy to do one more repetition, you probably would benefit from a pre-workout snack. You can fuel your body before you workout to maximize the results. You’ll have more energy so you can accomplish more. You’ll also work more effectively. Fueling your body before the workout can improve recovery to help reduce the potential for a long recovery time. It’s especially important if your workout lasts longer than 60 minutes.
Everyone has THAT friend who seems to eat everything they want and never gain a pound. There are many reasons for that. One of those is a high-functioning metabolism that burns more calories. If you’re tired of continuously cutting calories without seeing the results you want, it’s time to take a different approach to weight loss. You can jumpstart your metabolism to help you shed those extra pounds.
People come to Next Level Fitness in Irvine, CA, for many reasons. One of the most frequently seen is the desire to eliminate fat and build muscle. There are proven exercises and dietary changes that will help you melt fat fast. That doesn’t mean it won’t take effort, because it will, but you’ll love the results. You’ll build muscle tissue as you burn fat and boost your metabolism in the process. Here are some fat-burning ideas to get you started.
It’s a great time to start toning your arms. They’ll look fantastic by spring and enviable by summer. Nobody wants flabby arms or skinny ones, regardless of gender. Here are exercises to build muscles. They’ll tone or build, depending on your goals. The difference is if you push your muscles to failure, the amount of weight you lift, the number of reps, and the number of calories you eat. If you want to build muscle tissue, you have to eat more protein calories.
One of the biggest problems people face with intense focus on their fitness goals is not including rest days. Rest days may sound like you lay on the couch on those days, but it isn’t what you do. Instead, you engage in recovery activities like walking or moderate biking. You’re doing your muscles and fitness program a service when you take a day or two from intense exercise.
Muscle growth increases muscle size, boosts strength, and tones the muscles. It’s an integral part of all fitness programs, including endurance goals. Some muscle growth exercises build strength and other exercises increase muscle size. Both types of exercises are part of a well-rounded program. No matter what your goal, all muscle growth starts in the kitchen with a well-rounded diet that has increased protein. The increase in protein provides the materials to build muscles.
After the holidays and the new year begins, many people in Irvine, CA, face the consequences of months of consuming too much food. Others want to get healthier and start on a path to a better lifestyle. It’s when everyone creates fitness goals that often fizzle out in a few months, weeks, or days. Don’t give up. You can make your goals come true in 2024 and see success by making a few changes.