Wrangles are being raised up everywhere in following a modern diet, which is emerging in recent times. The growing desire to have a healthy life draws people to follow various dietary plans. Experts recommend that you would be able to live healthier and survive better if you choose to eat foods from the Stone Age menu. At an early age, people ate whatever they got from the land. This was prevalent in the time before the agricultural revolution.
Primal Diet
Primitive humans would have eaten raw vegetables and unpasteurized dairy products. Our ancestors lived healthily for many years and had a longer life-span than us. Simulating their lifestyle into our food habits is the primal diet. The consumption of minimally processed food reduces the amount of sugar that gets into your system. The primal diet mainly focuses on the uptake of proteins and natural fats. Cooked meats are permitted in the primal diet.
Modern Diet
Early humans wandered throughout the land and hunted for their day-to-day meals. As a result of civilization, the people settled at a particular location. They became physically stagnant which is a predominant cause for ruining their general health. Moreover, nowadays people prefer to consume large quantities of cooked foods, rather than the raw ones. Processed food contains sugar in them which leads to various detrimental consequences in the long run. The results of this change in lifestyle had edged us towards various health issues that our ancestors were fortunate not to face. This is the reason we require daily workouts and proper nutrition.
Foods to Feed On:
Fats are the major source of energy in a primal diet. Ancient people did not eat restricted food items. The primal diet has a wide list of foods items to consume. Some of the suggested ones are:
- Raw dairy products
- Seeds
- Meats from animals which are herbivorous
- Fish,
- Oysters, and clams
- Nuts
- Berries
- Coffee
- Tea
- Natural sweeteners which include honey, maple syrup, and dark chocolate
- All kinds of fruits and vegetables
All these foods should be organic and fresh. Surprisingly, clean water is also considered to be a part of the primal diet. Pesticides and chemicals added to the water, and the ultimate excessive purified water is what we use these days.
Foods to Ignore:
Many foods that we eat today were not available to early humans. Any food that does not originate from natural growing animals and plants should be avoided. Most fruits and vegetables we eat are hybridized and we should try to minimize their consumption. Some of the recommended food to be avoided are:
- Grains, quinoa, and oats
- Beer, malt liquor, and cocktails
- Soy and edamame
- Peanuts, lentils, and black beans
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Cakes and cookies
The primal diet believes that a man is completely fine without the intake of any grains. Foods that contain additives or preservatives should be neglected. When you dine out at a restaurant it would be very difficult to follow the primal diet.
Eating Like Our Ancestors
Early humans did not have direct access to varieties of grains like corn and wheat. So these foods are dropped from the primal diet. Most of the diets instruct us to eat low-carb foods. However, the primal diet does not encourage it, as raw fruits and vegetables have got high-carb content in them. Due to oceanic pollutions, it is recommended to consume only marine foods of superior quality. Animals that feed on grass contain a fatty acid known as Conjugated Linolenic Acid (CLA) which effectively fights cancer. Baked foods, as well as steamed foods, are also not included in the primal diet.
Advantages:
Removal of unhealthy processed foods from our diet ultimately leads to positive results. There are various other benefits to keep you fit, in following this diet:
- Improves blood pressure
- Decreases hunger cravings
- Reduces weight
- Minimizes the risk of diseases
- Feeling satisfied after a meal
- Consuming a moderate level of saturated fats are good
Though all the foods consumed are natural they could also contain saturated fats which lead to an increase in cholesterol levels.
The People Targeted for Whom This is Recommended:
The primal diet can be followed by anyone to have a long-term healthy life.
- People who are allergic to certain foods can uptake this diet without any second thought.
- People with diabetes should reduce the amount of sugar they consume.
- People who always plan for a balanced diet.
- People who wish for a weight loss diet.
Primal Diet vs Paleo Diet:
People consider the primal diet as a new paleo diet. Both the diets emphasize to stick on to our ancestral eating habits. Primal diet is mostly based on your lifestyle, whereas, the paleo diet focuses on a diet over workouts. Primal diet states that pasteurized milk is not good for the immune system, but the paleo diet debates that pasteurizing milk kills the harmful bacteria present in it.
| Foods | Primal diet | Paleo diet |
| Dairy products | Encourages the consumption of raw dairy products. | Rejects dairy products. |
| Grains | Restricts you to eat grains. | Allows the consumption of grains. |
| Coffee | It allows you to have coffee. | Restricts coffee. |
| Flowering plants | Permits you to eat them. | Forbids them. |
| White potatoes | Permits white potatoes. | Neglects white potatoes. |
| Saturated fats | Allows the intake of saturated fats. | Restricts saturated fats. |
Primal diets’ outcome is purely based on how well the person uses his discretion and manages to eat the recommended foods and avoids the rest. It mainly stands for the quality you eat and the quantity. Primal diet continues to be under research since it is being considered as a contemporary diet. One main drawback of this diet is that it is expensive and cannot be afforded by all, and in all places. High-quality organic foods would cost more. As an alternate, the primal diet would be a healthy diet amongst other diets which include artificial and processed foods.
