Research Paper Example: The Paleo Diet

Paleo diet was first used by our ancestors who lived thousands of years ago during the Paleolithic era. Their diet consisted of natural foods namely; seeds, nuts, meat, fish, and fruits. These foods were rich in nutrients and were not polluted. It helped the Paleolithic humans to possess fit and energetic bodies. Today, people take different types of food and drugs that are harmful to the body. diseases of civilization are the diseases that many of the people in the society suffer. These conditions include type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart diseases, etc. studies suggest that we should consume foods that are capable of healing our bodies and support our major organs, immune system, our brain function and many more body systems. The paleo diet it the best for this job. Providing the awareness of the benefits of the paleo diet is essential. This topic is relevant to everyones life because it educates on the countless benefits of the paleo diet. Some of these benefits are discussed below (Carrera-Bastos, Fontes, O'Keefe, Lindeberg, & Cordain, 2011).

Healthy Brain

Cold water fish, mainly the Wild-caught salmon is among the best sources of protein and fat as provided by the paleo diet. Omega 3 fatty acids are found in salmon fat which is lacking in many peoples diet. Lacking these acids is a problem because it contains the DHA which is essential for the heart, eyes and the functioning and development of the brain. You can also find the omega three acids in beef and eggs.

Increased Insulin Sensitivity

When one continually feeds the body with cheap, and sugary foodstuffs, the body will become less sensitive to them. The body needs a lot of energy, and when it reaches that threshold, the cells will begin to reject the fuels and start storing them as fats. If this goes on for a long time, the body will develop insulin sensitivity meaning that it will not be capable of recognizing if the cells are full or not. Even the consumption of Paleolithic diet for a short term will improve glucose tolerance and BP, which in turn reduces the secretion of insulin and increase the sensitivity of insulin. It also enhances the profiles of lipids without losing weight in healthy sedentary people (Swartzberg, & Margen, 2001).

Healthy Cells

Unsaturated and saturated fats are responsible for the development of all the body cells. These body cells depend upon the balance of these fats to send messages in and out. The paleo diet suggests both of the fats in right amounts while the other foods provide one or limit the other.

More Muscle, Less Fat

The animal flesh which provides healthy proteins is the primary source of the paleo diet. The anabolic animal proteins are used to build new body cells like the muscle mass. Metabolism works best in people with more muscles. The reason behind this fact is because muscles need a lot of energy to move and one needs to store a lot of energy to move them. Eating animal proteins allows for the body to supply energy to the cells of the muscles instead of sending them to the fat cells. Extra energy is transported to the glycogen in the muscles. Some individuals may have higher metabolic rated than others due to the difference in genetics, but muscle mass is an essential factor in determining someones BMR. Fats are not more active and not energy demanding as compared to muscles and so, the higher the number of muscles one has the higher the BMR (Manheimer, Van, Fedorowicz, & Pijl, 2015).

Better Gut Health

Processed junk foods, humanmade fats, and sugar are responsible for the inflammation of the intestines. When someone consumes a lot of processed foods in the time of stress, he or she will develop a condition known as leaky gut syndrome. This situation is when the walls of the intestines rupture and the digests that never leave the tunnel start leaking out. The levels of cytokines (inflammatory messages) are increased by the bolus of blood sugar in a highly refined carbohydrate meal. Such as white rice, sugar-laden soda, white bread, etc.

Circle of Life

Consuming pasture-raised meats and eggs is the primary aim of the paleo diet. The animals feed on grass for their entire life. Mainly cattle and chicken frequently roam together in the pasture creating synergy. Chickens usually follow the cattle to feed on the bugs and larvae that are found under the cattle pies which naturally brakes up and fertilizes the grass which the cows still graze on. Animals benefit significantly from feeding on the natural diet, and after feeding on this food, the same animals generate many nutrients to the humans who feed on them. Pastured hens provide eggs that contain more than ten times omega three proteins than the factory hens. This explanation is what is meant by the term circle of life (Swartzberg, & Margen, 2001).

Get All Your Vitamins & Minerals

The paleo diet suggests on eating the rainbow. These are vegetables which provide vitamins and minerals. It is recommended to acquire a variety of vegetables depending on the seasons. Different colors of vegetable offer various types of nutrients. By feeding on the rainbow, an individual can obtain all kinds of vitamins (Swartzberg, & Margen, 2001).

Limits Fructose

Fructose is digested differently than other carbohydrates by the human body. Thus the paleo diet suggests limiting and strategically choosing the best fruits for the digestion of fructose. For instance, one can eat a kiwi fruit and do away with a banana fruit.

Fewer Allergies

It is important for an individual to minimize the consumption allergic foods. Different people have different digestion capabilities. Some digestive systems are not capable of digesting dairy and seeds. It is advised for such people to exclude these foods in their diet for at least one month. But they can consume milk only if it is raw. Grains are not good when it comes to digestion, so some people avoid them most of the time. Athletes are advised to often take a cup of oats (Cordain, & Friel, 2012).

Conclusion

After reading all the above benefit of the paleo diet, it is easy to conclude that this is the best diet for everyone's health. Paleo diet is the healthiest diet due to its nutritional benefits which work with our genetics to help us stay strong and energetic. The most interesting part is that one gets to eat clean foods without, chemicals, preservatives or additives.

Works Cited

Cordain, L., & Friel, J. (2012). The paleo diet for athletes: The ancient nutritional formula for peak athletic performance.. Rodale.

Carrera-Bastos, P., Fontes, O'Keefe, Lindeberg, & Cordain. (2011). The western diet and lifestyle and diseases of civilization. Research Reports in Clinical Cardiology, 15. doi:10.2147/rrcc.s16919

Manheimer, E. W., Van Zuuren, E. J., Fedorowicz, Z., & Pijl, H. (2015). Paleolithic nutrition for metabolic syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 102(4), 922-932. doi:10.3945/ajcn.115.113613

Swartzberg, J., & Margen, S. (2001). Eat, drink, and be healthy: The Harvard medical school guide to healthy eating. American Journal of Epidemiology, 154(12), 1160-1160. doi:10.1093/aje/154.12.1160-a