Eating Like A Caveman

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   SharkAlposted 14 years ago

   Hello all,
   
   I have recently been reading into The Paleolithic Diet where you eat foods that a caveman would eat. Just meat, fish, fruit and vegetables - the most natural way of eating. The more I read about it, the more amazed I am and think it is remarkable. I personally find it amazing the health and weight control benefits the diet gives you.
   
   Has anyone ever tried it? Was it easy? Did you see any benefits? What are the pro's and cons? Was it expensive?
   
   Cheers
   
   Alan

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      BeckyAposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      When I think of the raw meat and fish I can lose weight easily

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      rcrm89posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Paleo is based on assumptions of the dietary habits of our ancestors - we will never know for sure our ancestors ate.
      
      The diet does encourage people to eat much more fruits and vegetables, which is great, however they exclude foods like dairy, potatoes, legumes and grains (some studies suggest these may have in fact been part of paleolithic mans diet), which have many beneficial properties that are completely overlooked because they supposedly became part of the human diet at post-paleolithic era (they assume we haven't adapted to eating these foods) - I don't see any reason to avoid such foods.
      
      Yes people lose fat and improve blood profiles, but that's because the atypical modern western diet is too high in calories and too low in micronutrients (not enough veg and fruits). It's difficult to not be in caloric deficit on the diet and when you're in caloric deficit you will lose weight as the food is satiating.

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   kazemaru2posted 14 years ago

   It's mostly likely not the  best diet to eat as the average lifespan of a "caveman" was 32. However the concept of raw foods with little oils,sugars,and carbohydrates with a active lifestyle.It will definitely aid in weight loss but there may be some health issues from nutrition deficiencies.

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   SharkAlposted 14 years ago

   Hi kazemaru
   
   True the average lifespan of a caveman was 32, but if you lived past infancy your life expectancy was well into its 60's.
   
   The reason that the average life expectancy was only 32 was because half the children that were born died due to the current conditions.
   
   Living well into your sixites in caveman times is impressive I think - their diet must have attributed to this.

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      couturepopcafeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I was suprised to hear they lived that long.  Don't discount many dying from weather condition and animal attacks.

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   ghomefitnessposted 14 years ago

   The huge positives of this diet all relate to staying away from processed foods. Cavemen were killed by predators and did not have good shelters, so this may have effected their lifespan. A all natural diet with fruit, nuts, and meat sounds pretty good to me. Less processed corn syrup, flower, and doped up animals will help us all live longer. I would rather dye from a saber toothed tiger than cancer!!!!!!!

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   psycheskinnerposted 14 years ago

   Of course, beyond a few basics, we don't know what proportions of different foods they really ate.

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   habeeposted 14 years ago

   It's the only way I can lose weight, but it is expensive. Such a diet also lowered my cholesterol, my triglycerides, my blood pressure, and my blood sugar.

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   snoweposted 14 years ago

   Hi,
   All i can say it is true and beneficial to everyone.And it really help them to maintain there healthy life....it is hard for the first timer but it really works and you can see the good result.

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   fucsiaposted 14 years ago

   I do not know if my diet can be defined a " caveman diet" : I eat a lot of vegetables, specially raw, fruits, nuts and seeds,  and whole foods like pasta, riso, bread. I never buy processed foods, but I am aware that , nowadays, the natural foods do not exist!
   In every case I am very careful to my diet and I feel good, active, light, happy.

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   Matthew Rogersonposted 14 years ago

   I personally eat a lot of meat, fish and vegetables without even considering that it is a caveman diet but instead just because I like to eat them. However this has made me think how it has been so beneficial for me without even being aware of it. I love keeping fit and using the gym which takes a lot out of you  but the protein in meat acts as an excellent growth and repair agent. Equally the nutrients which vegetables provide and the omega oils in fish are excellent for replenishment. Ultimately it has helped hugely with maintaining my lifestyle.

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    Flightkeeperposted 14 years ago

    A high protein diet with vegetables and little carb does help to reduce your weight and keep you sated.  It's a little boring because sugar is so addictive but in the end it is much healthier, I think.

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    katiem2posted 14 years ago

    natural diets are always better. 

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    SharkAlposted 14 years ago

    Some really good points. I think if you can eat a good variety of natural foods and avoid processed foods then you are heading in the right direction!

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       fooduciaryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Agreed!  I think the less science is involved the more healthful your food and your body will be.
       
       I'd love to hear about how this diet goes for you if you go for it!

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    Stacie Lposted 14 years ago

    this  'caveman's diet' sounds a lot like the modern Atkins or Mediterranean diets today..
    
    and this caveman's diet would have to be living in the warmer tropical areas...cave dwellers did live in the ice age I beleive...so fruits and vegetables were scarce...

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       CharlesWellsposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I suspect they could have ate crickets and worms in the caves.  i suppose that would be classified as meats.

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    Greek Oneposted 14 years ago

    yup.. been there, done that...
    
    

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    audreygabe1posted 14 years ago

    It is a great plan to follow. You do not have to follow it 100% to get the benefits. Check out the paleoplan.com looks like a great way to make it easier to follow. I also really like Ori Hofmekler's Warrior Diet. They are both great ways to start on a natural diet. And for those who think natural means raw, it doesn't. You can eat cooked meats but eat most of your veggies raw and raw nuts and seeds. I always love when people comment on things they don't know anything about!
    Good luck!

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    roberttraczgroup1posted 14 years ago

    well..the thought of eating raw foods just deflated my tummy here....
    
    One of the great things about this diet as it does so much for people then just helping them lose weight. Many people that have been on this diet have seen great improvements in their health on top of losing weight. A colleague has been an advocate of this diet for like 2  years now and I see the results.,

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    ftclickposted 14 years ago

    They didn't have food every day!!  there were cold seasons and hot as hell days so they fasted naturally and had no carbs. They were always burning fat calories. Nuts, berries, plants, and some protein should do the trick but it is the portion size and along with your hunting time. The cavemen may have not eaten in the mornings or night. I presume you will so your mileage may vary.
    
    I wonder if they had access to certain vegetables & fruits we had like pumpkin, squash, mango, and think about the raw fish from the streams littered with sloth, half-eaten mammals attacked from other animals or dino fecies just wreaks disease and a low life-span.

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       couturepopcafeposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       People didn't eat meat often.  Maybe only once a week or every few days.  They had to hunt down their meat, then divide it among the clan by heirarchy.  Women and children last, no doubt.  They probably didn't eat as much meat as one might think.  And their meat was clean, not pumped with growth hormones, steroids, antibiotics.  The animals themselves also ate clean.  And plant food was not pesticide and fungicide laden.  Additionally, as ftclick stated, they were constantly burning fat calories.  Complex carbs came in the proper proportions through whole plants.  Assuming human DNA composition remained the same today as it was then, they could not have been healthy without carbs.
       
       Was man around during the dino period?

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    SharkAlposted 14 years ago

    This diet is nothing short of brilliant. By doing this I have personally reduced my epilepsy medication by 50% just because of the health benefits it brings.
    
    This diet has medically been shown to improve or cure conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, reduced risk of cancer, obesity, diabetes, migraine, high blood pressure, heart disease and so many more.
    
    I agree it is similar to the Atkins in the way it is low carb but it only concentrates on eating the good fats and removes the saturated fats from your diet so it is slightly healthier.
    
    The negative aspect of it is that it is an expensive diet to follow, buying fish etc is expensive! Unfortunately it is cheaper and easier to eat processed, unhealthy food.

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    AnnaStephensposted 14 years ago

    Hi, I've been on this diet since the start of December. I've lost 12lbs and the condition of my skin and hair has improved. I have vastly more energy and sleep much better.
    
    I agree it can be expensive - but it evens out. You pay more for meat, but you're not buying potatoes, bread, rice, pasta etc, so you can subtract that from your food bill.
    
    And there are plenty of cheap cuts of meat and cheaper fish out there. Or if you're really pushed for cash, fill up on cheap vegetables like carrots, broccoli and parnsips.
    
    The diet is easy, varied and if you indulge in something non-paleo every so often - who cares? It's not a do or die diet, it's just a way of life. I bet when paleolithic man got his hands on some honey he ate the lot without worrying about his weight!
    
    I recommend this diet to everyone I know!

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    bojanglesk8posted 14 years ago

    I've never tried it before, I don't think I could.

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    DellNixonposted 14 years ago

    Only eating like a caveman, Why not living like a Cavemen! Even better.

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       AnnaStephensposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       You can learn things like how to squat properly, which is how most paleolithic people rested when on long journeys, around fires etc. Check out www.marksdailyapple.com for more info.
       
       And a lot of people hunt, fish and grow their own food and/or forage, so I guess there are a lot of aspects that can be replicated.

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    Andrew Gubbposted 14 years ago

    I think the low fat raw food diet is closer to the "natural" diet than the paleo diet. After all, the paleolithic wasn't so long ago in evolutionary terms. Well, I also came to this conclusion because the low fat raw food diet has remarkable effects in terms of health, whereas I don't see much benefit in paleo diets.
    
    I wrote about this diet in www.hubpages.com/hub/the-healthiest-diet-in-the-world.

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    ultimatekboxingposted 14 years ago

    A have a few friends that are on it - they say that their food bill is a lot higher because of the extra fresh meat, but they look fantastic!
    
    I'm actually interviewing one for my blog soon to get more information about it.

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