Low-carbohydrate diets abound, some more creative than others. With the caveman diet, meals can consist of anything cavemen would have been able to hunt down or forage. The premise is simple: if man created it, don't eat it. There are subtle differences between versions of this diet, but the meals all focus on this one ironclad rule.
Effects
Cavemen are presumed to have existed mostly on meat with lesser quantities of natural carbohydrates such as those found in fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Eating fewer carbs urges the body to burn its own fat for energy, so you lose weight. The website Caveman Power says that this diet also returns your body to its baser instincts, both mentally and physically. High levels of protein and reduced carbohydrates boost energy and level blood sugar. The diet reduces the toxins that are contained in processed foods.
Rules
You must take these meals at regular intervals, at the same time every day. The caveman diet version offered on the website Caveman Power recommends breaking the diet into three stages, the first and second lasting from two to eight weeks and the third lasting indefinitely. All stages start the day with a glass of water. In stages one and three, you move on to a period of "grazing," munching on small meals of natural snack foods through the rest of the day. All three stages cap the day with a substantial meal, where essentially anything goes, provided that it is food your ancestors might have had access to. Caveman Power allows a dash of citrus juice with your morning water, and the version offered on the Diet Channel allows grapefruit and a glass of orange juice in place of morning water.
Types
Caveman meals may consist of fresh meat, poultry or fish. Fruits are an acceptable meal if they're not dried or otherwise processed. Root vegetables such as turnips and carrots are favored. Caveman Power does not recommend potatoes. Snack meals can include nuts, berries, raw vegetables or beef jerky.
Advantages
The caveman diet is fast-working, states Caveman Power. The site promises that you'll notice the effects of maintaining these meals from the start. When the body is forced to burn fat, it naturally brings itself to its appropriate weight.
Staying on this diet can reduce the likelihood of a yo-yo effect because it doesn't allow the consumption of man-made carbohydrates, such as pasta or bread, that can spur the body to gain lost weight back, states the website Low Carb Diet Recipes.
Drawbacks
The Diet Channel warns that caveman diet meals promote an increased amount of fat consumption. And since carbohydrates produce energy, you may experience tiredness with a less-than-average daily intake.
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