Low fat…low calorie…Jenny Craig…
Health Watch readers know most diets fail. And the majority of them don’t do much to improve your overall health. It’s not surprising… As you already know, lifestyle changes beat fad diets every time. And following a Paleo-style of eating is one of the most important changes you can make for your best health yet.
Here are five reasons to eat a Paleo-style diet.
1. Preserves Your Most Important Organ
Researchers in Spain found following a Mediterranean-style diet boosts brainpower in seniors. Adding healthful fats—like olive oil and nuts—helped cut risk of developing cognitive impairment by almost half. Subjects eating a low-fat diet saw no benefit. But there’s a way to get even better results.
Studies link high blood sugar levels to lower cognitive function.1 And when you eat grains, it causes your levels to spike. Unlike the Mediterranean diet, Paleo removes grain. It emphasizes foods that normalize—even lower—blood sugar. Couple that with a higher intake of good fats and you have a recipe for better brain function.
2. Eliminates an Invisible Threat
Reducing blood sugar spikes from grain isn’t the only benefit. Eating Paleo-style helps keep inflammation under control. This is because it eliminates most sources of dietary gluten… Things like breads, pastas, and processed foods. And gluten isn’t just a buzzword. This protein is linked to depression, inflammation, joint pain, and hormonal imbalances. Your immune system attacks it like any other invading threat to your body.
The result? Inflammation. It puts you at risk for heart disease.2 But Paleo emphasizes fresh, organic fruits and vegetables. They’re rich in antioxidants that help keep inflammation in check. Plus, their high fiber content will help you feel fuller—and more satisfied—longer.
3. Chases Away a Preventable Condition
Regulating blood sugar won’t just help with brain fog… Getting rid of grains—and sugar-filled processed foods—helps lower your risk of developing type-2 diabetes. Research shows following a strict Paleo diet improves blood sugar levels better than the diabetes diet doctors recommend… And this was in subjects with type 2 diabetes.3 Researchers found even a short-term change to Paleo improved insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion, and glucose tolerance… These are three vital factors in controlling your diabetes risk.
4. Gives You the Result Fad Diets Can’t
The Paleo-style diet relies on nutrient-dense leafy greens and fresh organic fruits. It also focuses on increased intake of quality proteins… These include farm-fresh pastured eggs, grass-fed meats, and wild-caught fish. Adding more of these foods is a simple way to increase your body’s fat-burning power. And it doesn’t take much to see results… Research shows changing your meals from 14% protein to 33% protein can crank up fat burning by almost 40%. It can also help you maintain muscle size and strength.
5. Helps You Avoid This Dreaded Disease
Reducing the inflammatory carbs in your diet can help lower your cancer risk. Cancer cells feast on glucose… The kind you get from processed sugars and grains. These carbs are different from the ones you’ll get by eating organic greens. And unlike green vegetables, they have no antioxidant benefits.
Better yet, eating a diet high in the right fats can help your body go into ketosis. This is what happens when your body burns ketones from fat for energy instead of sugar. Think of it as an alternative energy source. The difference is that cancer cells can’t use ketones for energy.
Switching to a Paleo diet isn’t hard. Your first step is to eliminate the processed foods and refined carbohydrates from your kitchen. Next, replace them with good fats, organic green vegetables, and grass-fed meats. It may take a little more meal planning and prep than you’re used to… But not as much as you might think. And these minor changes can lead to major health benefits for the rest of your life.
In Good Health,
Angela Salerno
Publisher, INH Health Watch
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References:
1http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/32/2/221.short
2http://www.health.harvard.edu/family_health_guide/what-you-eat-can-fuel-or-cool-inflammation-a-key-driver-of-heart-disease-diabetes-and-other-chronic-conditions
3http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2787021/