Paleolithic Diet Plan

The Paleolithic diet -- also called the Paleo diet -- advocates eating roughly the way our Stone Age hunter-gatherer ancestors did, before the advent of agriculture and farming. This diet starts from the premise that eating the way humans are genetically programmed to eat leads to better health and prevents obesity and chronic disease, such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Paleolithic Diet Overview

Followers of the Paleolithic diet avoid all dairy products, added sugar and salt, grains, beans, peanuts and processed foods. Devotees eat protein from fish, poultry, lean meats and seafood; fruits and vegetables; and nuts for a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, monounsaturated fats, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals and low-glycemic carbohydrates. Protein makes up 30 to 35 percent of the calories in the Paleolithic diet; fat makes up 40 percent; and carbohydrates, 25 to 30 percent.

Foods Allowed on the Paleolithic Diet Plan

Paleolithic diet plan followers are allowed lean beef that has been trimmed of all visible fat, in cuts including flank steak, top sirloin and extra-lean ground beef. They can eat lean pork and white-meat poultry with the skin removed. Eggs are allowed six times per week. Most wild game meat is permissible, as are many types of fish and shellfish. Olive, canola, walnut, flaxseed and avocado oils are recommended. The plan also includes many types of nuts and seeds. Dried fruit is the only allowable sweet. Beverages include water, coffee and tea, diet soda, and wine, beer and spirits in limited amounts.

Prohibited Foods

Devotees of the Paleolithic diet shun all dairy products, including butter, cream, cheese and yogurt. They avoid all cereal grains, such as oats, wheat, barley and rice, and cereal-like grains, such as quinoa. No legumes -- beans, peas, peanuts, lentils, soybeans and products made from them, such as tofu and miso -- are allowed. The diet plan puts starchy vegetables off-limits, including potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams and starchy tubers. Salty foods, such as lunch meats, most condiments, pickled foods and bacon, are not allowed. Fatty meats are off limits, as are sugary soft drinks, sugar, honey and sweets.

Evidence

The Paleolithic diet seeks to decrease obesity and the risks of "diseases of civilization," such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The results of a 2009 study published in the journal "Cardiovascular Diabetology" found evidence that subjects who had type 2 diabetes and followed the Paleolithic diet had significantly decreased risk factors for cardiovascular disease. The Paleolithic diet produced positive changes in these subjects, such as lower LDL cholesterol, higher protective HDL cholesterol, lower diastolic blood pressure, reduced weight and waist circumference and better blood sugar control.

Considerations

The Paleolithic diet reduces obesity and risk of heart disease and diabetes, but this might also be accomplished with weight loss and exercise alone. The diet plan is dangerous for those with liver and kidney disease due to its high protein content. Some nutrition experts believe a high-protein diet might actually worsen heart disease, but more research is needed, according to Creighton University.