Tag: Paleolithic

Over 9 million Americans tried the Paleo diet in 2023, many questioning which foods are truly compliant. This has led to a common query: is coconut allowed in a paleo diet? The short answer is yes, most coconut products are excellent additions to a paleo lifestyle due to their nutritional profile and versatility.

The human brain has increased 300% in size over six million years, a dietary shift that included meat likely making this possible. This brings into focus the complex question: are humans omnivores or scavengers, and how did these roles shape our ancestors' lives?

The paleo diet, also known as the caveman diet, is based on the eating patterns of our hunter-gatherer ancestors before the agricultural revolution. This eating plan focuses on whole, unprocessed foods like meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. However, a central tenet of the paleo diet is the exclusion of grains, leaving many to question whether rice is permitted.

Epidemiological studies of modern-day hunter-gatherer populations show very low rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. This observation has led to significant interest in the question: is the hunter-gatherer diet healthy for us today?

Originally proposed in a 1985 paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the core theory behind the paleo diet is that modern chronic diseases stem from a mismatch between our contemporary diet and the foods humans evolved to eat during the Paleolithic era. Proponents of the paleo diet suggest a return to this hunter-gatherer eating pattern is key for better health and avoiding processed foods.

The paleo diet, based on the eating habits of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, generally excludes all grains. This fundamental rule means that traditional wheat-based pasta is off the menu, a fact that surprises many who are new to this dietary approach. However, embracing a paleo lifestyle doesn't mean giving up Italian-inspired dishes entirely.

According to a morbid calculation based on human body composition, the average human body contains approximately 125,822 calories. Understanding how many calories is eating a human requires examining the breakdown of fat and protein, a topic explored by archaeologists and bioenergeticists to understand prehistoric behavior.

The word 'paleo' stems from the Greek word *palaiós*, meaning "ancient" or "old," a root found in terms like Paleolithic and paleontology. In contemporary health circles, however, paleo has come to represent a specific diet and lifestyle mimicking the eating habits of early hunter-gatherers.

Up to 75% of the world's population is lactose intolerant, lacking the enzyme to digest milk sugar in adulthood. This widespread genetic predisposition is a primary factor explaining why paleo people do not eat dairy, aligning with the diet's ancestral principles.

Archaeological evidence from a site in northern Israel suggests that hominins were processing and consuming starchy plants at least 780,000 years ago. This remarkable discovery reveals that humans got carbs long before the agricultural revolution and the invention of bread.