Paleo diet, What is it

The paleo diet is a reflection of the food which our early ancestors consumed during their hunter-gatherer lifestyle period. Paleo focuses on whole, unprocessed foods including an increased consumption of fish, fruits, vegetable, lean meat, nuts and seeds (Macri, 2018). Individuals who support and have researched this diet believe that the human body is made to consume the food that was available to us in the past, which consists of food obtained from hunting, fishing and gathering. 

(Macri, 2018)

The paleo diet first became popular in the 1970s; research showed its benefits and how it can reduce health issues (Osborne, 2016); prompting individuals to become involved in this up and coming new fad. Some believe humans transitioning to processed food is the main cause for the increase in health-related issues such as chronic illnesses including heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes (Berggren et al., 2018). This is a factor that influenced the increase popularity of this diet as individuals used it as a reason to start eating to a strict regime. When comparing the paleo diet to a typical Australia diet today; paleo consists of more fiber, protein, unsaturated fats and vitamins and much less sodium and saturated fats (St. Pierre, 2019). Thus, due to its health and nutritious values, this diet has become increasingly popular.

Another reason why the paleo diet is so popular is due to a high number of fruits and vegetable included in the diet, furthermore, promoting health eating (Wolfram, 2019). Since the paleo diet promotes healthy eating, involves a nutritious diet and can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, more individuals are inclined to research and become involved in this diet