The Paleolithic diet encourages you to shun processed foods and eat as your ancestors did. You eat only the foods that needed to be hunted or gathered. There are several Paleo diet books, each with a subtle variation on paleolithic eating, but the basic tenets include eliminating all grains, dairy, legumes and refined sugars. It's a meat-heavy diet that can raise your risk of heart disease and could exclude vital nutrients.
The Paleolithic diet theorizes that the large quantities of processed and artificial foods in the modern diet are responsible for the many diseases associated with obesity including Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. By eating as people did 10,000 years ago, the diet eliminates post-agricultural revolutions foods. The diet allows meat, poultry, eggs, fish, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, most vegetables and fruits. Only nuts, seeds and vegetables that can be eaten raw are allowed; they don't have to be eaten raw -- but if they had to have been cooked, our Paleo ancestors wouldn't have eaten them. Honey, some oils and dried fruits are allowed in small amounts. Potatoes, grains, legumes and dairy products are forbidden.
Adequate Nutrition
The National Institutes of Health warns against following any diet that eliminates entire food groups -- and the Paleo diet is incredibly restrictive, eliminating all whole grains, legumes and dairy products. Although fruits and vegetables are good sources of fiber and some nutrients, dairy, legumes and grains offer other essential vitamins and minerals not found in Paleo-approved foods. By the NIH's definition, the Paleo diet is a fad diet; it limits food choices, places an overemphasis on a specific food group -- protein -- and relies on a "calories-don't-count" approach for weight loss.
Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
The Paleolithic diet is protein-rich, especially animal proteins which tend to be high in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol. "U.S. News & World Report Health" ranked the Paleo diet last -- 20th out of 20 saying, "A true Paleo diet might be a great option: very lean, pure meats, lots of wild plants. The modern approximations … are far from it." Current U.S. dietary guidelines suggest that 10 to 35 percent of your calories come from protein; on the Paleo diet closer to 40 percent of your calories come from protein and mostly animal protein, since legumes and grains are not eaten. A diet high in dietary cholesterol and saturated fat raises cholesterol levels and increases your risk of heart disease.
Expensive and Inconvenient
The Paleo lifestyle and its severely limited food choice makes dining out difficult. The lack of grains, legumes, starchy vegetables and dairy and the avoidance of artificial and processed foods means that almost every meal must be prepared at home -- which takes time and advanced preparation. The emphasis on animal proteins -- especially grass-fed and organic proteins -- makes this an expensive eating plan. This plan is also almost impossible for a vegetarian or vegan to follow.
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