Paleo Diet: Benefits, Meal Plan and Side Effects

Increasing weight can be detrimental to health. Therefore, some people also resort to a variety of diet plans, including yoga, exercise and other methods. Out of the several diets one is paleo diet. Majority of you are unknown about such diet plan. So, in this article, we will give you information and the benefits regarding the paleo diet. Apart from this, we will also tell you about the side effects of this diet.

What is Paleo Diet?

Paleo is a special type of diet plan, also known as Kevman or stone-edge diet. It contains fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs and nuts etc.^{. (1) (2)} It omits food such as cereals, dairy products, salt, processed fats and sugar. ⁽³⁾

Paleo Diet Macros.

The paleo diet macros composed of 30% of the total calories from protein, 30% of the carbohydrates and 40% of fats mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The Paleo Cookbook: 300 Delicious Paleo Diet Recipes.

Find out the paleo cookbook: 300 delicious paleo diet recipes from here.

Benefits of Paleo Diet.

This diet reduce the risk of several diseases, which are as follows; ⁽⁴⁾

• Risk of heart disease.
• Metabolic Syndrome.
• Risk of cancer.
• Risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Protect from pimples.
• Prevent Myopia (a kind of eye problem).

Food To Eat.

Following food must be included in paleo diet;

• Eggs.
• Lean meat like – chicken.
• Nuts.
• Green Vegetables.
• Fruit.
• Fish.
• Olive Oil.
• Coconut oil.

Food To Avoid.

Find out below what food should not be consumed in paleo diet ;

• Whole Grains.
• Cereals.
• Sugar.
• Dairy Products.
• White Potatoes.
• Legumes (peanuts, beans, lentils).
• Alcohol.
• Coffee.
• Salt.
• Refined vegetable oil such as canola.

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Paleo Diet Meal Plan Indian.

This is a sample meal plan. The food and quantity mentioned in it can be changed according to the age, health, need and choice of the person. You can consult a dietitian once before start.

Days	Meal Plan
Monday	Breakfast – One or two eggs, light fried vegetables in olive oil, fruit (only one type) and five soaked almonds. Lunch – Chicken salad along with handful of nuts. Dinner – Boiled or grilled fish with light fried vegetables.
Tuesday	Breakfast – Egg roast with a lot of vegetables. Lunch – Fish Salad or Chicken salad.Dinner – Homemade mushroom soup with roast chicken and vegetables.
Wednesday	Breakfast – One or two egg omelette, 1 bowl watermelon and 1/2 teaspoon linseed seeds. Lunch – Grilled chicken with green beans salad.Dinner – 1 bowl baked fish with cabbage soup.
Thursday	Breakfast – One or two baked eggs and broccoli. Lunch – Fish avocado lettuce wrap.Dinner – Fried meat and vegetables.
Friday	Breakfast – Egg omelette with capsicum. Lunch – Roasted chicken with spicy pepper.Dinner – Chicken Chettinad (South Indian cuisine) along with light fried vegetables.
Saturday	Breakfast – Roasted egg with sweet potato. Lunch – Citrus and herb chicken.Dinner – Grilled fish with thyme and lemon.
Sunday	Breakfast – Boiled egg with tomatoes and onions. Lunch – Chicken with roasted tomatoes.Dinner – Green vegetable salad with grilled fish or chicken.

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Paleo Diet for Athletes.

This diet is considered as the most nutritious diet which provides full energy to the body. Even though it is unclear how it is beneficial for athletes but overall if it is look the research stated that it gives strength and power to the athletes.  The benefits are as follows:

1. No need of protein shakes, as this diet is enrich with protein.
2. It is enrich with plenty of fibers as this diet contains a lot of fruits and vegetables which helps to maintain healthy body weight.
3. Provides healthy fat.
4. Provides good protein for muscles.
5. Right carbs for providing energy.

Vegan Paleo Diet.

A vegan paleo diet doesn’t contain any animal products. It focuses on fresh fruits and vegetables and also includes some grains to enrich the nutritional values. Amaranth, buckwheat are low in carbohydrate and high in protein thereby, can be incorporated in the diet.

Vegan Paleo Diet Plan.

Meal Time	Meal
Breakfast	Bowl of crunchy grain free granola with a pinch of cinnamon powder and orange zest.
Lunch	Roasted beets tossed with tangy oranges topped with pistachios. Vegan Caesar Salad
Dinner	Sweet potato filled with sesame-lime slaw, peanut and coconut yogurt. OrParsnip brussels sprouts bake topped with toasted walnuts and pomegranate.

Paleo Diet Before and After.

Before	After
Obesity	Achieve Ideal Body Weight
Diabetes	Normal Blood Glucose Level
Bad Heart Health	Improved Heart Health
Cholesterol Imbalance	Balanced Cholesterol
Poor satiety	Improved Satiety
High Blood Pressure	Normal Blood Pressure
Poor Energy	More Energy

Is Paleo Diet Effective for Weight Loss?

Now let’s talk about how this diet plan can reduce weight. In this regard, several researches have made which included 70 obese women after menopausal. According to the research published on the website of NCBI (National Centre for Biotechnology Information), these women were placed on two kinds of diet, one of which was paleo diet.

In research, women who follow this diet were found to have a less amount of fat. Triglyceride-a type of fat levels decreased considerably in women who follow paleo diet as compared to the second diet. This is just an initial research. More researches are still needed to be done in this regard.

In the research mentioned above showed that, this diet may reduce weight to some extent, but it depends on the health and weight of the person. Everyone’s physical condition is not the same. It is a little difficult to say whether this diet is effective for all or not. Yes, it can be said that the paleo diet may not completely reduce weight, but the risk of some diseases may be reduced.

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Side Effects.

Everything has both advantage and disadvantage. Similarly this diet plan also have some side effects;

This diet depends on fresh food. It may be a little difficult to find time to prepare and cook food in your busy lifestyle.

Whole grains and dairy products are restricted to consumed in this diet. So, it leads to nutrients deficiency of calcium, vitamin B and D. In this situation, it is necessary to use some non-dairy products, so that the body gets calcium. In addition, avoiding whole grains results lack of some nutrients such as fiber, which may increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease.

At the same time, if a person consuming a particular food item for the first time, he may also have a problems like food allergies.

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Frequently Asked Questions.

1. Can cheese be consumed in paleo diet ?

No, use of dairy products in paleo diet is restricted. So, it is better not to include cheese in the diet. Also take feedback from the dietitian for better information.

2. Can a vegetarian person follow paleo diet?

Yes, a vegetarian person can also follow this diet. Because in this diet you can choose several alternatives of non veg items such as green leafy vegetables and fruits. So, through which you can balance your diet plan.

3. How fast the weight can be reduce through paleo diet?

In the first week, water in the body may deplete. Therefore, it may be likely to lose too much weight in the first week. In the second week, fat will reduced from the body, which is the main goal of this diet. However, how fast the weight can be reduced is dependent on the initial body weight. By following the diet in a proper way, the results can be gradually visible.

4. Can Corn Tortillas be consumed in paleo diet?

No, avoid eating Corn Tortilla when you are on this diet, as it is a grain and it is forbidden to consume cereals in the paleo diet ⁽⁵⁾.

5. Is rice a part of the paleolithic diet?

No, rice is not a part of this diet, because it is a grain. However, many paleo dieters sometimes eat rice, but keep in mind that not to make it a habit. If a person is starting this diet, it is better not to use rice. The dietitian can be consulted for more information.

6. What snacks can you eat in paleolithic diet?

The list of snacks which can be eaten in this diet are as follows ;

• Cucumber.
• Carrot.
• Pea and other vegetable salad.
• Fruit Salad.
• Pistachio nut or kernel.

7. Can you drink something during paleo diet?

During this diet, you can consume the following beverages ;

• Plenty of water.
• Green Tea.
• Fruit Juice.
• Soup.

It depends on the diet and body of the person, so it may be good to consult a doctor once.

8. Is paleo diet good for diabetics?

Yes, this diet is good for diabetics especially if it is of low carb diet plan.

9. Can you eat quinoa on the paleo diet?

No, quinoa is not a good choice for this diet. According to experts, it is said that quinoa contains antinutrients like saponins which are assumed to be harmful for intestinal tract in large amounts.

Bottom Line.

After knowing the benefits of the Paleo diet plan, many people may be thinking of adopting it. There is no harm in follow it. If this diet is followed in a proper manner, the benefits of this diet will definitely be visible. Nevertheless, it is better to take the opinion of a doctor or a specialist once. Finally, if you have any questions or suggestions related to paleo diet, you can share it with us through comments.

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