Early humans, the so-called cavemen, did not have the luxury of being able to drive down to the store whenever food was needed; these people obtained all their nourishment from hunting animals and gathering the wild fruits and vegetables around them. It has been found that these people were robust and healthy, mostly because of the natural diet they ate. The Paleo diet mirrors the diet followed by our ancestors, and eating those types of nourishment found on Paleo food lists can help you to feel healthier while providing optimum nutrition.
Our diets have become saturated with foods that cavemen would never touch - spam, fatty chicken and turkey skin, sandwich meats, and processed meats like pepperoni and sausage. These foods simply contain too much unhealthy fat to be included in the Paleo diet, not to mention the foul assortment of preservative compounds and chemicals with which they are infused. Processed foods have been changed so much from their original form, and contain so many additives and so much salt and sugar that they can not only clog our arteries, but also make us fat.
The plow was completely unknown to cavemen, and instead they lived by following herds of animals and gathering the fruits, nuts, and vegetables that appeared in season. Grains were basically unknown to these people, and are therefore not included on Paleo food lists. All of us modern people have grown accustomed to eating bread, noodles, muffins, cakes and cookies - but these foods simply did not exist 20,000 years ago, and the people then were strong and healthy. It is also unlikely that many of them were overweight. Besides these processed carbohydrates, it is important not to eat food such as corn on the cob, rice, or wild rice if this diet is to be followed successfully.
Our ancestors were much more sensitive to the seasons and what foods would be available at certain times of year than we are. The nesting season in the spring provided the cavemen with a bounty of eggs, and eggs are an allowed food on the Paleo diet that will help you enjoy the type of breakfast you are accustomed to. The gazelles, deer, elk, and other hoofed mammals that the cavemen hunted provided lean, quality meat that had been fed on grasses and herbs rather than being fattened up on grains in the unnatural environment of the feedlot. Look for the leanest cuts of meat at the store, or cut excess fat away before cooking. Hamburgers that are advertised as extra lean and are specifically described as having less than 7% fat are suitable for such meals.
Fresh fruits and vegetables formed a large part of the caveman diet and they should also form a core part of your diet. While fruits are usually enjoyed raw, your vegetables should also be eaten this way, too, you will get more nutrition and more fiber from them. The exception is if you cook them up as part of a recipe, to accompany and flavor meat and to give more variety to your daily menu.
Partly because of the increased fiber and also because of the lean meat you will be eating, which takes a long while to digest, you will find that the diet described on Paleo food lists will leave you feeling full for a longer period after you eat. The quality of the food will slow down your digestion, and as you will be avoiding grain based carbohydrates, you will not get a 'sugar rush' that burns up what you have eaten too quickly. You will find yourself eating when you are hungry, rather than according to a schedule.
