The Paleo diet is eating in a way that is informed by evolutionary biology, looking to our past, to the diet we ate as we evolved as humans. We use this knowledge to inform our food choices today. It’s like looking at an animal’s wild diet to figure out how they would eat to be most healthy. It does not mean we need to replicate the ‘cave-man’ diet, however seeing the difference between our past diet and our current Western diet, can give us clues as to how those differences impact our wellbeing.
10 Ways our diets today differ radically from the diet we are evolved eating.
I personally combine paleo principles with balanced macronutrients in meals, somewhat like the zone diet.
Is this the best way of eating for everyone? It’s a bit fussy and difficult to follow the block system and to be honest, I no longer recommend the rigidity of zone meals. I personally started my nutrition journey with strict zone balance, using this portion control and balance really worked for me to manage my weight and figure out how to eat the right amount for weight loss. The benefit of zone balance for me was feeling good, and having excellent blood sugar and appetite control. It’s a place to start, but if this way of measuring and working out meals drives you nuts – don’t persist. It’s not for everyone!
In this section are some really simple meals for either women (3 blocks) or men (4 blocks) based on Zone ratios and portions, using the Zone Block system. The meals also use only paleo food choices.
However to follow Paleo principles you don’t need to use the Zone block system. Many following CrossFit nutrition prescription do use paleo food choices combined with zone portion and balance.
Females generally need 3 block meals and males 4 block meals. Athletes and taller people require larger meals.
Here are links to a number of other paleo sites with a large selection of recipes.
Loren Cordain, Author of The Paleo Diet has recipes on his website here
