The Caveman diet, also known as the paleolithic, stone age or primal diet, is a back to roots way of eating. The name of this diet is rather uncommon, but it simply refers to the ancestral way of eating. The paleo philosophy is based on the belief that modern-day conditions such as diabetes, obesity and heart disease all started when ancient man embraced farming practices and cultivated food.
This eating plan will take you back to the times when our ancestors had to hunt their meals and consume only what grew on the ground. The foods recommended during this diet are meant to get you in touch with your
natural instincts and the benefits can be seen right away. You will have more energy, burn fat and lose weight, detox your system and feel more confident about your body.
The Caveman diet will simply make you crave for healthy foods and eat at regular hours – a habit that’s a blessing for digestion. The fundamental principle of this diet is that feasting at natural times, rather than punishing yourself with portion control and time deadlines is in our genes.
This diet has three stages in which you will gradually see the improvements to your body.
Stage
1 lasts for 2-4 weeks in which you include a big glass of water once you get up and small portions of fruit and unsalted nuts during the day. This will help you get more at ease with this diet and your body will start to detox.
Stage
2 consists of a period of maximum 2 weeks in which you start the day with a glass of water and eat nothing during the day. Only at night you can indulge yourself with the following in any quantity:
- Meat, poultry or fish
- Eggs
- Fruit
- Vegetables (but no potatoes)
- Nuts – walnuts, brazil nuts, macadamia, almonds
- Berries – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
- Root vegetables- carrots, turnips, parsnips
Stage
3 has an unlimited period of diet requirements. Start the day with the big glass of water and eat all natural unprocessed foods you crave for . Continue in the evening with a feast consisting in a healthy meal.
Once you passed the three stages your body is ready for a lifetime commitment of eating ancestral meals. Bellow we have gathered the foods recommends in the Caveman diet and what you should avoid.
What you can eat guidelines
Technically we should only eat foods our primal ancestors ate, but it does seem there are several variations of this diet some less rigid than others. Here is a general list:
- Lean meat, organs such as liver and tongue
- Eggs
- Fruit
- Vegetables (no potatoes)
- Nuts and seeds (in moderation)
- Seafood and shellfish
- Olive, coconut, avocado, walnut and canola oil (in moderation)
What you can’t eat guidelines
The Caveman diet has certain restrictions, mainly because our ancestors could not produce foods such as:
- Dairy
- Cereal grains
- Legumes
- Peanuts
- Starchy vegetables
- Salt-containing foods (store-bought condiments, bacon, deli meats)
- Fatty cuts of meat
- Sugar
- Fruit juices
Also the Caveman diet promotes a healthy lifestyle by emphasizing the importance of exercise. Whatever you do we advice you not to forget about an hour walk or practicing another type of physical exercise.
Only by eating right and exercising everyday you can look and feel a few years younger !