John Myers
Transfer yesterday’s diet to today: That’s Paleo. Food is mainly consumed here that was already available in the Stone Age. Read what they are and how Paleo is related to the low-carb diet.
Paleo, the Stone Age as a model
Accounts of the foods our Stone Age ancestors consumed vary widely depending on the source used. Since food was not transported over long distances in those days, the menus varied greatly depending on the season and region. For example, more fruit was consumed in the tropics than in the northern or southern latitudes.
Focus on regional and natural food
In Germany, people in the geological epoch of the Palaeolithic still lived as hunters and gatherers and there was no agriculture. Therefore, Paleo avoids grain-based foods. Bread and rolls, muesli and flakes, pasta and pizza, cakes and biscuits, and all processed foods are not on the table. These limitations are reminiscent of a carbohydrate-free diet.
Sugar beets and thus sugar were not yet known in our latitudes, which is why sweets and sweets were a rarity. Related bulbs, on the other hand, were often served. Beetroot recipes are still very popular in the Paleo diet today. While oil from rapeseed or corn and wheat germ was not yet extracted in this country, olives were already being cultivated in southern Europe and used for cooking. Cow farming did not exist, so milk and dairy products are not a typical part of Paleo recipes.
Supporters of the Paleo diet assume that the human body is still genetically adapted to the Stone Age diet and therefore modern foods are not good. However, a change in the genetic material has been scientifically proven since the Stone Age.
Healthy eating? This is what you can eat at Paleo
Due to the focus on regional and seasonal food, the choice of food in German latitudes is limited. Meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, vegetables, mushrooms and berries and some other fruits are available depending on the season. As a result, Paleo breakfast in particular can be a challenge, especially when eggs are not a favorite food.
When it comes to bread recipes, there are alternatives that correspond to the Paleo principle. Here, for example, almond flour and various seeds, kernels, and seeds are used for baking. Paleo mueslis also contain various nuts, seeds, and spices such as vanilla and cinnamon. They can be baked into crunchy bars with honey.
In today’s diet recipes you can also find adjustments that do not correspond to the realities of the Stone Age. Milk or yoghurt is sometimes served with the modern Paleo breakfast – unsweetened, of course.
The stone age diet in the modern world
Paleo is similar to the low-carb diet in terms of the choice of food, because the intake of carbohydrates, especially from cereals, fruit, and sweeteners, is greatly reduced. If the proportion of naturally grown fruits and honey is also reduced in the Paleo diet, the Stone Age diet corresponds to the low-carb principle.
For the modern, rather a sedentary person who cares about their health, this can be a sensible measure. This is because carbohydrates are mainly consumed during physical activity, which is often lacking in our sedentary everyday life. In addition, there is a risk that too many unused carbohydrates will promote obesity, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and other lifestyle diseases and make it difficult to lose weight.
So far there are no long-term studies on the effect of the Stone Age diet as an alternative form of nutrition. However, some results show that doing without industrially processed ready meals and reducing sweeteners, in particular, has a positive impact on health. Nevertheless, the same points of criticism apply, especially with a paleo diet that corresponds to the low-carb principle. It is also important to ensure that you consume enough dietary fibers despite not eating grain products and focusing on meat. A diet without milk should also focus on an adequate supply of calcium.
