It’s all over the Internet; on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Paleo. I see this word everywhere, but what the heck is it? Seeing the term paired with pictures of healthy foods, like fruits and veggies, gave me a hint. But, I had to see what all the buzz is about. This is what I found:
The word Paleo stems from Paleolithic – meaning the time before the Agricultural Revolution some 333 generations ago. The Peleolithic era, also known as the Stone Age, was a time when processed foods like refined sugars and trans fats did not exist. Instead, their diets were rich in omega-3s, antioxidants, and low glycemic carbohydrates.
The Peleo movement was started by Dr. Loren Cordain, who received his Ph.D. in Health from the University of Utah in 1981. He was introduced to the idea of Peleo in 1987 when he read Dr. Boyd Eaton’s “Paleolithic Nutrition” paper that was featured the in New England Journal of Medicine.
According to the official Paleo website, 72% of the nutrition in our Western society is comprised of dairy, grains, vegetable oils, salt, alcohol, and refined sugars. So, the diet encourages replacing dairy and grains with organic fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood. It makes a lot of sense, and there are hard facts to back it.
Of course, we cannot count on those suggested foods to mimic exactly what the hunters and gatherers ate 10,000 years ago. But there are TONS of items the Paleo people have come up with to help you along. This includes things like books, DVDs, newsletters, and audio clips. There are also free recipes all over the web.
This recipe for Paleo Chicken Masala looks particularly easy and delicious! Click here to check it out.
