The Paleo diet continues to be a hot topic… and since it’s not going away, maybe it’s time to give it a try? The foundation of the diet is eating as close to how our hunter gatherer ancestors did, prioritizing whole, nutrient-dense foods like plants, meat, and seafood. Basically the foods that were eaten before agriculture, animal farming, and processed foods came along. The diet avoids grains, legumes, dairy, some oils, sugar, and processed foods - when done strictly. But how do you know if you it’s right for you?

You have an autoimmune disease

The Paleo diet avoids many typical irritating foods, such as dairy, gluten and soy. If you have an autoimmune disease these are important foods for you to avoid, along with the sugar and processed foods. By sticking to a Paleo diet, you naturally end up eating more of the healing, nutrient dense foods your body needs. You can give it a try and see how your symptoms respond. A true Paleo Autoimmune diet takes elimination to another level - you can read more about AIP here.

You have IBS, leaky gut, or other digestive issues

When your digestive system is impaired in some way it is helpful to avoid hard-to digest foods such as grains and legumes. Grains and legumes also break down into sugars and can exacerbate bloating and feed the bad bacteria in your gut. A Paleo diet also includes bone broth, which is rich in minerals and gelatin and can be healing to the gut.

You need to lose a few pounds

When sticking to a Paleo type diet you end up eating less carbohydrates – especially processed ones such as sugar, white flour, and potatoes. This can be a great tool when trying to lose weight – helping to keep your blood sugar stable yet keeping you full and satisfied.

Long-term health and wellbeing

Whether you stick to a Paleo diet religiously or use it as a general guideline with some flexibility (incorporated with 80/20 or 90/10 approach), it is nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory, and great for overall health. Even a more lenient version of the Paleo diet (that includes some dairy and gluten free grains) can be beneficial.