The Caveman Diet

History of the Caveman Diet

The Caveman diet also known as the ‘Hunter Gatherer diet’ and the ‘Paleolithic Diet’ is based on eating simple foods like fish, meat, roots and certain fruits and vegetables that can help you lose weight and to help you keep it off.

This diet only includes foods that were available to humans 10,000 years ago.  Which means the food that you eat will be raw, as fire hadn’t been discovered until after the Paleolithic period.  However you can cook foods but they have to be eating very near to their raw state as possible.  Eating like this does however eliminate members of the Legume family such as beans, peanuts and peas as these would have to be cooked.

Whilst on The Caveman Diet you will not be allowed to eat any dairy products such as the basics of cheese, butter and milk and any other dairy produce from milking animals.  However eggs can be included as paleolithic man would probably have found them in birds nest when they were hunting.  With all versions of the Caveman diet all milk and dairy products are eliminated.  So having a lack of calcium can lead to causing many diseases such as rickets and osteoporosis.  If you are going to begin the diet you may want to consult your physician about whether taking a vitamin or supplement might less the risk of catching these diseases.

Some scientists dispute that the body is still genetically reprogrammed for this sort of diet.  So it means eating plenty of fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and lean meat and not eating bread, milk, cheese, butter and cereals.

However at the Karaounska Institute in Sweden scientists tried out this diet on some volunteers and they found that it could lower blood pressure, it  can aid weight loss, and lowered the levels of blood thickening agents which are known to evoke clots that can be deadly.  And published in the European Journal of Clinical nutrition this diet can help to protect against diabetes.

Celebrities that have tried this diet to lose weight are Liz Hurley and Rebecca Loos.

The pros:

• Vitamins and minerals found in fresh fruit and vegetables are important for good health.
• There is no need for counting and measuring of the foods.
• Focuses a lot on raising activity levels which is an important part of the Paleolithic plan.

The cons:

• Not much guiding for individual adjustments- the assumption is just eating the foods which are on the food list.  Which means experimenting with foods that’s on the list and finding what best suits you.
• It can be costly to purchase the grass fed beef because it can be hard to find in some places and it costs quite a lot.
• This diet is not suitable for vegetarian’s vegetable protein and beans and tofu are out of the diet. Consuming lots of meat can also be bad for your heart.

Exercise
Experts believe that caveman were very active in hunting for food, therefore exercise is essential for this diet.  Exercise can help to lose weight quicker and it helps the body to use up a lot more calories and even creates muscle mass.  It can also reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Eat: Caveman Foods
• Meat, poultry and seafood
• Fruits – strawberries, blue berries and raspberries
• Root Vegetables – carrots, turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, Swedes
• Eggs and egg whites
• Nuts and seeds limit to four ounces per day for weight loss
• Oils from nuts and fruits, like olive oil.  Fish oil supplements are also recommended.

Don’t Eat: Non-Caveman Foods
• Grains
• Sugar and other sweeteners
• Dairy products
• Beans and soy products
• Processed meats
• Vegetable oils
• Potatoes

Beverages
• Diet soda
• Coffee
• Tea
• Water
• Limited quantities of fruit juice

Alcohol should be limited to an occasional glass of wine, beer, or spirits defines moderation as:
Wine – 2 4 oz glasses
Beer – 1 12 oz serving
Spirits – 4 oz

There is no diet plan to The Caveman Diet you choose from the list of foods what you want and then you eat it.  Mix and match the foods if you like.