Among the many benefits of The Paleo Diet®, its ability to help people effectively lose weight in a healthy manner is one of its most powerful and transformative aspects of the diet. By helping individuals shed pounds—and, as beneficial side effects, reduce cravings and increase or stabilize energy levels—the diet can radically improve people’s lives. In many cases, and without sounding too dramatic, it may even save lives.
The premise of The Paleo Diet, and the reason it is an effective, intelligent approach to weight loss, is simple. This diet is the only one to which human beings are genetically adapted. As such, eating the foods your body needs—indeed, the foods you are genetically programmed to consume—will greatly reduce your hunger signals. It does this in a few ways. First, the high nutrient-density of natural foods like fruits, vegetables, fish, and lean meats, gives the body essential nutrients it needs without high calorie consumption. The second way it reduces hunger signals is by stabilizing fluctuations in insulin and, therefore, improving your glycemic control, a tremendous benefit for those with diabetes. Ultimately, reducing your caloric intake will help you lose weight.
How does it do all this? First, The Paleo Diet focuses on foods, not macronutrients or ratios of fat to carbohydrate to protein. That said, in its focus on certain food types, it is typically lower in carbohydrate than the modern Western diet.
A Paleo dietary approach fits perfectly with a low-carb diet due to the inherently higher intake of lean proteins, healthy fats, and abundant vegetables. The natural elimination of grains on a Paleo Diet quickly and easily reduces your total carb intake. The good news is you’re replacing the nutrient-poor starchy grains with nutrient-dense veggies and fruits. This promotes not only superior weight loss but better overall health.
On a Paleo Diet, you will consume a lower overall calorie count, while getting the nutrients your body needs. You will also eliminate spikes and dips in your energy levels. The benefit is threefold: you will remain more consistently energetic; you’ll eliminate daily cravings; and, finally, by eating foods that are lower in calories and higher in nutrients, you will more readily control weight, and do so in the most healthy way.
If you’re interested in learning more about healthy weight loss on The Paleo Diet, check out our collection of articles below.
Enjoy!
— The Paleo Diet Team
