If the idea of eating like a caveman appeals to you, you may want to learn about the pros and cons of the Paleo Diet eating plan, before you give it a try.
Here are some of the pros and cons.
Pros Reduced Risk of Type II Diabetes Because the Paleo diet eliminates simple sugars that cause the spikes in blood sugar levels believed to play a role in the development of type II diabetes, it could reduce your risk of developing the condition.
Lower Cholesterol Levels Saturated and trans-fat in the diet have been determined to be the main cause of high cholesterol and high cholesterol is a risk factor for heart disease.
Trans-fats would not be consumed on a Paleolithic diet, because they are man-made fats.
Intake of saturated fat should be lessened by eliminating butter, cheese and other dairy products.
Beef, pork and other farm-raised meats that are sources of dietary saturated fat are not allowed.
Fish and game meats are generally leaner.
Possible Reduced Risk of All Sorts of Chronic Disease It is believed that the modern diet plays a role in all kinds of chronic, seemingly age-related diseases.
Eating natural, whole foods, as opposed to processed foods, could reduce your risk of these modern diseases.
Cons Problematic for People with Food Allergies People with food allergies may find it difficult, if not impossible to follow the diet.
Shell-fish is one of the major components of the eating plan.
So, people with shell-fish allergies have fewer choices when planning what to eat.
May be Expensive to Follow There is an added expense that accompanies this kind of eating plan.
Fresh seafood is expensive.
Canned or frozen seafood would not be allowed if someone was "truly" following the Paleo diet.
Unless you hunt, you will need to include the cost of buying game meat.
55-65% of the calories in the eating plan are to be derived from meat or fish.
If you do hunt, food preservation could be a problem.
It is possible that cavemen from catches to use later.
It is known that hunter-gatherer societies dried meat to be eaten later.
So, it is not impossible, but could be time-consuming to preserve your own game meat.
Mushrooms and other plant foods that are allowed on the diets can also be expensive.
Too High in Animal Foods/Too Low in Plant-Based Foods Opponents of the Paleo diet often mention this fact.
If more than half of your calories are derived from animal foods, you may not get enough fiber to have healthy digestion and low cholesterol levels.
Most dietary fiber comes from plant-based foods.
Those are the main pros and cons of the Paleo Diet.
It could be a healthy eating plan, as long as you can overcome the disadvantages, which is very possible.
To learn more click on the Paleo Diet Pros and Cons Link below.