Paleo is a term that has become a popular dietary guide for thousands of years. The word ‘paleo’ was used by the ancient Egyptians to refer to their diet. They consumed meat, fish, eggs, and vegetables. But also lots of grains and beer too.
Over the years, however, ‘paleo’ has been used as a sort of diet moniker to represent a variety of diets and diet patterns. This is because, over the last few decades, many diets have sprung up and have varying food components and approaches.
There are also various forms of paleo such as The Atkins Diet, The South Beach Diet, The Paleolithic Diet, and The Zone Diet. If you’re new to these diets, or you’re trying to figure out which one best fits your lifestyle, we suggest you look at each of these in detail.
You’ll find that each of these ‘paleo’ diets include various foods and beverages. Some are based upon different approaches while others contain a mix of the different approaches.
The Atkins Diet is named after the creator of this approach, Dr. Robert C. Atkins. He was one of the first people to come up with the idea of ‘ditch the carbs’ and replace them with more muscle-building foods. Dr. Atkins introduced his diet to the world and soon people were adopting it as their way to lose weight.
There are various methods and approaches in The Zone Diet. Here, you’ll be eating mainly meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, and legumes (like beans).
With one version of Paleo, you eat only raw foods (beef, chicken, turkey, fish, etc.) and as part of your everyday meals.
When comparing the various methods, you’ll find that The Paleo Way is a lot less restrictive than the other two diets. It includes a lot of plant-based foods, raw meats, and nuts and seeds.
The South Beach Diet is based upon an ancient diet in the form of a food pyramid. When compared to the Paleo diet, the South Beach diet puts more emphasis on protein.
The Paleolithic Diet is based upon the notion that humans were not meant to eat red meat. Here, there are no animal products in the diet, other than for things like fruits and vegetables.
There is a word for this, which is ‘paleo-friendly’. The Zone Diet is not ‘paleo-friendly’. It is based upon the traditional Paleo diet and you’ll find that it isn’t suitable for anyone who wants to lose weight.
