In this day and age of social connectivity and communication, ideas and movements have the potential to spread like wildfire. You could say that possibly anything could go viral, even a diet.
Traditionally, diets are not something you would expect to go viral, but with the tidal wave of health conscious consumers, fad diets have become a reality. One diet that has undergone a rapid surge in popularity over the past few years is the Paleo diet.
Interest in paleo has surged since the beginning of the decade. From Google Trends.
Gaining Recognition
The most significant reason why Paleo has taken off is because while other diets like low-FODMAP diet and the specific carbohydrate diet ( more information on these diets here ) change how or what you eat, Paleo is a change in how you live – it is a way of life. So, if you participated in the diet, it said to those around you, “I care about my health,” regardless of whether or not the diet actually worked.
Another reason for paleo’s cult-like following is the intersection of Paleo with the Crossfit community. Crossfit, a fitness regimen that also gained rapid and widespread popularity, enjoys the advantage of celebrity endorsement. Similarly, these celebrities endorse the Paleo diet as part of their Crossfit regimen and inspire many others to join the ongoing trend.
Interest in Crossfit has also surged in the past few years, coinciding with paleo. From Google Trends
Consequently, there are tons of online information available to the public. From nutrition to diet coaching, food entrepreneurs sought to throw their hat in the ring. The result is an enormous number of advertising programs boasting extravagant claims and expensive products that ultimately separate you from your dollars.
With so many options vying for attention, it’s hard to figure out what’s true
We took some time to sort out the fact from fiction about Paleo and now present you with the essential components of the diet:
As its name suggests, the Paleo diet is a throwback to the lifestyle of cavemen during the Paleolithic time period. In other words, the time period in which humans only ate whatever they could kill or gather: meats, fish, nuts, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and seeds. Unlike other fads, there is evidence that Paleo has a proven range of health benefits for people who want to:
- lose weight
- manage diabetes
- reduce risks of cancer and cardiovascular disease
- mitigate autoimmune disease
- improve performance
- experience the best health possible
By avoiding processed and refined foods like our ancient ancestors did, the Paleo diet aims to reduce inflammation and regulate the immune system. So what do you think, fact or fad?
Turns out in the past few years, numerous studies were conducted on this controversial diet. The studies examined a variety of changes paleo has on the human body and found positive effects on weight loss, blood pressure, and cardiovascular risk factors.
That diet everyone talks about? It really does work.
As with most things that become popular in a short period of time, paleo has its share of controversial challenges. At its most basic, the question always asked is, “Does it live up to the hype?” So, here’s the truth: as popular and trendy as it is, Paleo is a legitimate diet that’s worth a shot.
