The Paleo Diet sounded really good when I had first heard about it. As humans we were meant to eat what was around us. My cousin's husband does the Paleo diet and loves it. However, anyone who knows their history could easily debunk the miracles of this diet and within a week I felt sick, gained weight, and wanted nothing more than a big glass of chocolate soy milk.
We are not what we used to be- Humans used to roam the Earth, following the herds. Their entire life was hunting for food and eating to keep themselves alive. They ran after prey and ran from predators, burning calories. Athletes might do this, but I am a writer. I spend most of my day in front of a computer screen so I do not need that many calories nor protein. Did I mention my cousin's husband is over six feet tall and served in Iraq? I am barely five feet and I served on the board of the anime club.
Our food is not either- Over the millennia we have traded, bred, and modified foods to fit our needs and tastes. Very few plants that were around during our early years still exist. Our food is fortified with vitamins and selectively bred to create the biggest and best produce. Our ancestors slowly gained the knowledge and technology to be able to do this.
Cavemen did not live very long- The average lifespan of a cavemen was mid-twenties. Even taking into account tragedies of the era, it still does not come close to how long we live presently. Our average lifespan is 75 years, three times the amount cavemen lived. True we cannot say they died of cancer or other ailments of today but their bodies shut down faster because they did not have the benefits of the foods we have today.
It is good to eat the foods from nature, but going by the diet our ancestors lived by is not the answer unless you do some serious working out. Even then, the diet is not exactly what they ate so long ago. We are not them, our food is not theirs, and people today live longer than ever. I will stick to eating less and exercising more. Eating as vegan as possible and concentrating on vegetables and fiber is what makes me feel the best and made my body healthiest.
We are not what we used to be- Humans used to roam the Earth, following the herds. Their entire life was hunting for food and eating to keep themselves alive. They ran after prey and ran from predators, burning calories. Athletes might do this, but I am a writer. I spend most of my day in front of a computer screen so I do not need that many calories nor protein. Did I mention my cousin's husband is over six feet tall and served in Iraq? I am barely five feet and I served on the board of the anime club.
Our food is not either- Over the millennia we have traded, bred, and modified foods to fit our needs and tastes. Very few plants that were around during our early years still exist. Our food is fortified with vitamins and selectively bred to create the biggest and best produce. Our ancestors slowly gained the knowledge and technology to be able to do this.
Cavemen did not live very long- The average lifespan of a cavemen was mid-twenties. Even taking into account tragedies of the era, it still does not come close to how long we live presently. Our average lifespan is 75 years, three times the amount cavemen lived. True we cannot say they died of cancer or other ailments of today but their bodies shut down faster because they did not have the benefits of the foods we have today.
It is good to eat the foods from nature, but going by the diet our ancestors lived by is not the answer unless you do some serious working out. Even then, the diet is not exactly what they ate so long ago. We are not them, our food is not theirs, and people today live longer than ever. I will stick to eating less and exercising more. Eating as vegan as possible and concentrating on vegetables and fiber is what makes me feel the best and made my body healthiest.