Thursday 4 September 2014

The Beginners Guide to the Paleo Diet



In an age when heart disease is the number one paleo cereal killer, many people are desperately searching for a magic-bullet cure or a preventative measure to protect them.

One possibility for heart disease prevention and generally better health may be found by following the Paleo Diet.

Contrary to some contemporary published information on how to eat for your best heart health, the Paleo Diet is low in grains and carbohydrates and considerably higher in non-saturated fats. The caveat is that the fats are carefully chosen for their benefit to the body. This diet can improve your health greatly at the basic bio-chemical level. The diet is named for the Paleolithic era about two million years ago when man subsisted mainly on grass fed animals. Agriculture had not begun yet, and as shown in ancient cave paintings, animals were the main source of food.

It has been found that lowering the carbohydrate intake can have profound positive effects on your health. Grains today are genetically manipulated so they grow faster. For example today's wheat is only a bit more than 20" tall. It can be harvested quicker, but the effects on the blood are significantly different than the original wheat, still found in Italy, and the Middle East. This ancient wheat now known as Einkorn wheat does not have the same blood glucose raising properties as modern wheat which significantly raises blood sugar and can be at the root of both heart disease and diabetes. In some instances Einkorn wheat can be tolerated even by those who are on a gluten free diet. The genetic makeup of the modern wheat is totally different today.

Much research on diet is published yearly, however not as many studies compare Paleo Diets to the more normal high fiber and grain diets. Some of this is due to lack of support for these studies by corporations that produce the highly lucrative grain crops and many sugar based foods.

Simple steps to start on a Paleo Diet include cutting back on sugars and grains, and including meat, fish, eggs, poultry, nuts, oil and a small quantity of honey in the diet. No dairy, beans, cereal or other grains including pasta are allowed. Also eliminate high carbohydrate foods like potatoes. Choose the best grass fed meats and if possible locally raised eggs and poultry.

Lower blood pressure and better overall health are common.

But don't forget the necessity for some exercise daily in your heart health program.

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