The Paleo Diet is one of many fad diets out there today which has gained a significant amount of popularity in the last decade. Another name for it is “The Caveman Diet.” If you’re not familiar with it, it is pretty simple in theory, but can be rather difficult to follow in practice.

In a nutshell, the paleo diet involves eating the way humans generally ate before the agricultural revolution. Anything that grows on a tree, a bush, or in a garden (for the most part) is allowed. Anything that was alive at one point is allowed. Basically, this means eating lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and nuts and seeds. No legumes, grains, sugar, or processed foods of any kind are eaten. You can mix and match the foods you are allowed to eat in any way you like, but the later list is off limits if you want to be truly paleo.

Now, is this a beneficial diet? Well, in a sense, of course! How could you go wrong eating only lean meat, fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds? No sugar? Of course that’s good! You’ll certainly lose weight. But there are some cons to go along with the pros of the paleo diet. Below, we’ll talk briefly about a few of the pros and cons and what we at The NYC Weightloss Solutions consider to be a better option.

The Pros of The Paleo Diet Plan

You’ll be eating less calories – Without grains and any processed foods, you’ll be eating a lot of veggies, which means you’ll be consuming less calories. This should result in weight loss.

Your sleep will likely improve – There is a link between quality of diet and quality of sleep. Consuming only paleo foods could impact your ability to get restorative sleep at night.

Your insulin levels will be healthy – If you have issues with insulin, or are heading towards Type 2 diabetes, the paleo diet might do you some good. As long as you stick to the veggies and meat and be careful not to eat too many sugary fruits like dates and bananas, the paleo diet can do wonders when it comes to controlling your insulin.

The Cons of The Paleo Diet Plan

Your energy level – Sometimes, especially if you’re an athlete or otherwise very active, you may struggle with your energy levels on the paleo diet. Because you’ll be eliminating all grains and processed carbs, your primary energy sources will be coming from fat sources and fruits. These are fine sources of energy, but some folks find that without at least some grains in their diet, they tend to feel sluggish and their athletic performance can suffer. To deal with this, some people who are on the paleo diet simply eat a lot of sweet potatoes and other similar foods to make up for the lack of carbs. This is a good solution, although you may end up cooking more than you’d like to.

Your budget – Have you ever tried to get full on broccoli? It’s not easy! Trying to stick with the paleo diet can be tough on the budget since you’ll have to buy a lot of perishable foods which don’t easily sustain your energy levels. Beans, peanut butter, grains, and canned foods are out. You’ll also be eating only grass fed beef, when you do have beef, since the grains cows eat affect the beef they turn into. Trying to get enough calories on primarily veggies, fruits, and meat can be challenging, which means you’ll be heading to the grocery store often. This is simply not financially realistic for everyone.

Your calorie intake – It might sound surprising, but some folks experience difficulty losing weight on the paleo diet! The reason is that if you’re not someone who enjoys preparing food, you may rely heavily on things like bananas and nuts, over-consuming them because you either don’t have the time or the will to be cooking as often as you’ll need to to have a balanced diet. Another potential danger is in not consuming enough calories. Eating primarily vegetables and meat is good for anyone, but if you’re not eating enough, your metabolism may actually slow down. Your body may hold on to the energy source it currently has – your body fat – if you don’t eat enough, which is an easy mistake to make on the paleo diet.

A Better Way

Unless a diet like the paleo diet has been prescribed to you for specific reasons, there is no reason why your diet shouldn’t include at least some grains, legumes, and sugar. Plenty of people who need to lose weight have done so while eating these foods in the right portions and at the right time. There simply isn’t any reason why you shouldn’t have black beans with your eggs in the morning. Some people will tell you that the gluten in bread is a good reason to go paleo. Granted, there may be certain cases where paleo is the right plan for some people with certain food allergies or insulin issues. But it certainly isn’t necessary to lose weight.

At The NYC Weightloss Solutions, we make use of whole grains and legumes, and we allow our clients to “cheat” at certain times. We’ve been helping folks achieve rapid weight loss for over 40 years – so far, we see no reason to make life hard by depriving yourself of all foods that are a result of the agricultural revolution.

For more information on an effective diet plan to help you achieve fast results, call us today at (212) 759-8118 or click the link below. We’d love the opportunity to talk with you about your specific weight loss challenges and answer any questions you might have about fad diets or our particular methods.

We’re looking forward to hearing from you!

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