The Primal Living Diet

The primal living diet is also called the Paleolithic diet, ancestral diet and evolutionary diet. The primal living diet is based on the tenet that human genetics haven't changed much in the last several thousand years, so people are better suited to consuming only foods that were available millions of years ago. The diet involves eating only what was available to humans during the Paleolithic era. Followers believe that consuming Paleolithic era foods may encourage a healthy weight and good health.

Foods

The primal living diet consists of an array of foods with an emphasis placed on plants. Raw fruits and vegetables, mushrooms, raw tree nuts, game, fish, shellfish, eggs and grass-fed meats are all primal foods. Dairy, beans, potatoes, sugar, salt and processed foods are not included because they would not have been readily available or consumed during the Paleolithic era.

Nutrients

Carbohydrate, protein and fat proportions aren't specified in the primal living diet, unlike many modern diets. Carbohydrate and protein intake are naturally high because of the approved and excluded primal foods. According to nutritionist Dr. Robert Keith, some early humans may have consumed up to 60 percent of their calories from protein and 100 to 150 g of fiber per day. Calorie intake may decrease naturally on the primal living diet, as is the case with many plant-based diets. The primal living diet provides most vitamins and minerals, but satisfactory calcium intake is under debate because the diet excludes dairy. Supporters of the diet claim that your recommended daily allowance of calcium is supplied from vegetables, but others say that it's not realistic and followers should take a calcium supplement.

Health

The primal living diet is extremely low in saturated fat and sodium, which both contribute to risk of developing certain illnesses. Heart disease, hypertension, obesity and diabetes were nearly absent in primal society. "Cardiovascular Diabetology " compared the effects of a primal living diet to a diabetic diet in type 2 diabetics. The researchers concluded that the primal living diet improved several risk factors for cardiovascular disease and blood sugar control.

Considerations

In order to consume all necessary vitamins and minerals, the primal living diet requires followers to eat a wide range of foods daily. Modern society derives 90 percent of its food from 100 crops, while Paleolithic humans ate from a significantly greater variety of options. Organic foods are preferred because pesticides and fertilizers would not have been used during the Paleolithic era.