The paleo diet is one of the most popular diets to hit fitness fanatics and everybody from celebrities like Megan Fox to your next door neighbor has tried the many foods available to eat. Just like most diets the paleo diet has its own pros and cons; success and fail stories and advantages and disadvantages. When a diet is popular it is bound to attract negative press and spawn false information. Here are some of the most common paleo diet myths you should not believe in.
1. It’s A Weight Loss Diet
One of the reasons why so many people opt to do the diet is because of weight loss. The truth is losing the extra pounds is a good product of the diet. But the paleo diet is more than just about losing weight. It is a low carb, low sugar diet that teaches us to let go of our dependency on these substances because they are toxic and can destroy our health. In fact, there are dieters who follow paleo because they want to gain weight in a healthy manner.
Other than weight loss other benefits include improving gut and digestive health, increased energy, better muscle tone and strength and reduction of risk for type-2 diabetes.
2. Paleo Is An All-Meat Diet
Since paleo comes from the word Paleolithic, many think that we are going to revert back to our caveman days and eat lots of meat. This is obviously not true. If you look at a typical paleo meal you will find that it is usually composed of 2/3 plants, a serving of carbs like sweet potatoes and a serving of fish or poultry. It is even possible to go meatless as you are allowed to have fish, shellfish and eggs as protein sources.
3. Paleo Food Is Weird
Some foods allowed in the paleo diet include organ meats such as liver. Bone broths also sound weird especially for those who have yet to try them. But what people do not know is that bone broths and organ meats have been used as medicine for a long time. Eating them will help the body heal as they are rich in vitamins and nutrients. Liver for example is high in folic acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin B and Zinc, making it great for pregnant women. Consuming organ meat in moderation can help the body reboot, get more energy and protect it from certain diseases.
4. Paleo Is Dangerous Due To High Protein Content
Because paleo dieters are allowed to have red meat, many assume that it is a protein rich diet. Those who are at risk and have kidney disease should not bother with it. According to a study published in 2005, there is no scientific evidence that high protein diets increase the risk of kidney disease in people without pre-existing kidney problems.
Paleo diet can also be low-protein because the diet can vary depending on the dieter’s need.
5. You Will Starve With Paleo
One of the great things about paleo is that you can eat as much as you want. There is no need to measure anything or to count calories. This is because the food in paleo is very satisfying and will leave you feeling full unlike processed foods high in sugar, salt and preservatives which will only make you want to eat more.
