The paleo diet really is more of a lifestyle than a true diet. Their primary goal is healthy living, not direct weight loss. However, for many, this is a side effect of making the dietary changes required in the daily diet. There are many benefits to living paleo and we will discuss them later in this article. If you’re interested in living a happier, more mentally alert, and healthier life, read on.
The automatic result of changing eating habits to the foods our Paleolithic ancestors ate is that we are no longer bombarded with the complex and dangerous chemicals that are commonly added to the most popular foods in today’s grocery stores. It is believed that our bodies have not evolved to properly process many of these chemicals. On the other hand, many of these chemicals are simply dangerous to our bodies and our mental capacities.
Eating real food, not processed food, will make a noticeable, positive change in your mental and physical health. As stated above, this isn’t technically a diet plan, but rather a lifestyle based on making healthy choices to fuel your body with the best possible healthy foods. The results for many include weight loss, but consider the points below when considering what the paleo diet really has to offer you and anyone else taking the right steps to make changes in their own lives.
Food coloring may be pretty, but…
Did you know that many of the most common foods (not on the paleo diet food list) have food coloring added to them to make them look appetizing? This by itself doesn’t sound dangerous, but the actual chemicals used to get these colors are very problematic. In the 1970s, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) banned red dye no. 2 because it was found that in high doses it would actually cause cancer in laboratory rats. The yellow doesn’t. 5 was found to increase hyperactivity in children by a British study in 2007 and to worsen asthma symptoms by studies dating back to the 1950s.
Naturally sweet, it just makes sense
High fructose corn syrup has received a lot of negative media in recent years, and for good reason. This corn-derived sweetener, an alternative to natural sugar from sugar cane, has some major health issues associated with it. This sweetener is found in soda, junk food, and just about anything sweet and has a decent shelf just like in the grocery store. It has been linked to the rise in obesity in the United States and is not metabolized by the body in the same way as sugar-based sweeteners.
Mercury contaminants are found in it and this has not yet been regulated by the FDA. The companies that use this in their food have spent millions to “educate” the public on its safety, yet the extraction process remains secret and unknown to all. This additive is used almost exclusively in low-quality “food-like substances,” so that should be enough for you to know to stay away from it.
Salty and healthy do not belong in the same sentence
Americans love salt. I said it there. Many people love to put more salt on foods that are already doused with butter (which usually already contains salt) to bring out this familiar flavor. There are many dangers of high sodium diets. The most obvious is hypertension or high blood pressure (which leads to heart problems) which is associated with too much salt in the diet. In mature adults, high salt intake can lead to premature cognitive decline. Salt also changes the way the kidneys work, not allowing them to regulate the body’s release of water normally, and can lead to kidney stones. Salt can even lead to a skin condition called edema. This condition causes swelling of the extremities.
Living the paleolithic life
There are many other reasons why the paleo diet has become one of the most popular ways to change your health. The reasons discussed here are just the tip of the iceberg. The real magic begins when you realize that removing things that have a negative impact on your health are magnified by adding more of the healthy vitamins and nutrients found in foods that are paleo-approved. Changing your lifestyle takes time and of course some work, but I hope you’ve found enough reasons here to find the resolve to go ahead with some healthy changes starting today.