Paleo- Pros & Cons

Nowadays, there are so many different diets people have started to follow, so it can be hard to decide which pattern of eating is right for you. Let’s assess the pros and cons of the Paleo diet.

The Paleo diet focuses on eating foods that humans would eat during the Paleolithic era (hence the name). So following the Paleo diet means focusing on eating whole, natural foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean meat, and nuts and seeds. In contrast, it would require avoiding modern processed foods.

PROS: By eating less processed foods, one of the pros of Paleo is that this person would not be consuming as much trans fat, sugar, or added ingredients as the typical Western diet. It also puts an emphasis on plenty of healthy, whole foods that tend to lower risk of chronic diseases.

CONS: Some foods Paleo avoids that you might not expect are dairy products, grains, and legumes (beans, lentils, peas). These foods have not been shown to be harmful in research, and are rich in nutrients that are necessary to the body. For example, if someone cuts out the dairy food group, they will have to be more conscious about getting the proper amount of calcium and vitamin D in their daily nutrition plan, otherwise, they are at a risk of a bone disease or injury.

The Paleo diet has helped people lose their weight, but not because there is anything super special about what’s on the diet. Of course eating natural foods is great, but the weight loss comes from eliminating the high calorie, processed foods that this diet restricts. One question I would challenge you with if you are considering going Paleo: “Is this a nutrition pattern that you will maintain for the long term?” Many times, I see people try Paleo for a season of quick weight loss results, but then they end up gaining all of the weight back after they start eating the way they did before dieting.

If you are tired of trying all of the different diets out there; if you are frustrated with yo-yo dieting; if you want to see a pattern of eating that is completely tailored to you AND leads to long term, sustainable results, then please message me. I would love to chat with you about your nutrition goals.