Men in their 30’s have been turning to the Paleo Diet to lose weight, but how effective is it?
We’ve always been sceptical over diets and fads because we believe you should be able to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle, with a balance of exercise and nutrition.
For men in their 30’s, diets are often the first thing attempted when trying to lose weight. Some people are looking for a quick fix, and many curious to see if a change in their eating habits can bring the results they’re looking for.
So what is the Paleo Diet?
It is a dietary plan that is based on foods eaten during the Paleolithic era approximately 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. During this era, only certain foods were consumed by humans and therefore it is thought the human body is genetically designed to have a diet with only certain foods.
The paleo diet reasons that the human body is genetically mismatched to the modern diet due the change in farming practices.
The change and increase in farming practices led to an increase in dairy consumption, as well as grains and legumes. As this is a more modern, recent change it is thought that the human body has not had enough time to adapt, and it is one of the main causes of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
What foods does the Paleo Diet consist of?
- Lean meats, grass fed animals and wild game
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
- Fish, especially those rich in Omega-3 such as salmon, tuna, mackerel
What foods should you avoid?
- Dairy products
- Salt
- Refined sugar
- Potatoes
- Grains, wheat, oats
- highly processed foods
- Butter and margarine
Can the paleo diet help you lose weight?
The Paleo Diet wasn’t designed to be a weight loss diet, but more of a lifestyle choice and a way of staying healthy. It was down to the belief that the human body was not designed to consume processed foods or dairy and that this is the primary cause of obesity and other health problems.
However, if you’re going to cut out fatty foods and replace them with healthier options then the chances are this will lead to weight loss!
If you follow the Paleo Diet then you’ll be eating high protein meats as well as fruit and vegetables which are high in vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Therefore a diet high in fiber and protein is going to fill you up faster which will stop you from overeating and snacking on unhealthy options!
For men in their 30’s, following the paleo diet is likely to help you lose weight because you’re cutting out sugary and fatty foods. If you’re looking to lose weight then it should be common sense not to eat sugary foods, and you should be looking to reduce or limit any dairy or processed foods.
Men in their 30’s have the problem of reduced muscle mass and a slower metabolism, so a paleo diet should benefit you if you’re looking to boost your metabolism by eating high protein foods in order to build muscle.
What does the research say about the Paleo Diet?
Despite this being a well known popular diet, there is actually a lack of research that can support the health claims of the paleo diet.
Whilst short term studies show that the diet can aid in weight loss, there is not enough research across a long enough time span to support the claims that the paleo diet can help reduce heart disease, diabetes or obesity.
Is there anything negative about the Paleo Diet?
Whilst consuming too much of the banned foods on the list is obviously bad for you, things like dairy products actually contain important nutrients such as calcium which help promote strong and healthy bones.
Another banned food, oats are actually highly nutritious and contain a range of vitamins and nutrients that help maintain blood sugar and a healthy cholesterol level.
Oats are also quite filling, so having oats in your diet by for example, having porridge for breakfast will fill you up and help maintain a healthy energy level during the morning preventing a crash in your blood sugar levels, and reducing the chance of you snacking on unhealthy foods!
Our Conclusion
We agree that following the Paleo Diet should help you lose weight because you’re cutting out highly processed and sugary foods and concentrating on foods that are going to assist you with building and maintaining a healthy metabolism and muscle mass.
However, if you’re trying to lose weight then reducing these foods should be obvious to you. The problem we have with the Paleo Diet is that there are actually health benefits of some of the banned foods which men in their 30’s trying to lose weight can benefit from.
Have you noticed that most health and fitness professionals including athletes don’t follow a strict diet?
It’s important if you’re trying to lose weight to focus on cutting out sugary and fatty foods and concentrating on lean meat, fruit and vegetables but most weight loss comes through a balanced diet and burning calories through exercise!
Most people that follow a diet end up quitting, usually because they find it difficult and impractical to follow a strict meal plan and by cutting out certain foods this builds up cravings and temptations!
It’s important to have a cheat day every now and again, if you’re exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet then you should be able to afford a cheat meal or snack now and again!
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