The Caveman diet, also known at Paleolithic diet, hunter-gatherer diet, or stone-age diet, is a dietary regime based on the idea you should consume only what our Paleolithic ancestors did. My patient's know it as the Duke University Medical Center Lifestyle Diet. Agriculturally-developed plants such as grains and fruit orchards have only been around for 10,000 years, so proponents of the diet believe our physical systems are not suited for this “modern” diet. If you want to be a strong, lean warrior like your Paleolithic ancestors, than you should be eating a diet comprised of non-starchy vegetables, lean meat, and fish. I've said this before, The Nu Beginnings Program is not a weight loss diet but a lifestyle regimen, although if you are carrying extra fat, you will lose this by following this program and eventually reach your ideal body weight whatever that may be.
So, What did they eat again?
Again, non-starchy vegetables, lean meat, fish, nuts, berries. And no calorie counting, no measuring, they just ate as much as they wanted and stopped when they were full.
What didn’t these old school ancestors of ours eat?
Obviously pre-packaged, mass-produced foods, but also salt, sugar, dairy, grains, legumes, beans, and Twinkies.
Sure, Twinkies are bad, but whole grains and beans are healthy, yes?
Grains, legumes, and beans were not cultivated in the 2.5 million years our ancestors roamed the world, not until the development of agriculture 10,000 years ago, so by caveman standards, they don’t make the cut. But that’s not the whole of it. These plants might not be as healthy as we think. Grains, beans, and legumes need to be either soaked, boiled, or baked before being rendered edible, and are actually poisonous in their raw states. Even with boiling, we still experience some of the toxic effects after eating a big bean burrito, and wheat and gluten allergies and Celiac disease also seem to suggest we might not be wholly suited to consume these.
Poisonous? Serious.
These plants coat their grains, beans or legumes with a toxin to discourage predators from eating them. Most of this is neutralized by cooking, but not all, and some individuals are more susceptible than others to the effects of the remaining chemicals. These plants also contain what are known as “antinutrients,” substances known to interfere with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients.
But dairy is healthy, just look at those Got Milk? commercials.
Consumption of milk is also wrought with a history of allergies and health problems, from lactose intolerance to glucose intolerance. Entire modern races are lactose intolerant, not just a few wimps here or there who can’t handle their tall cold froth. Dairy also is loaded with a high insulin index.
Yours in Health!
Dr W
