If you think the time of the cavemen has passed, think again.
Today, the Paleo (Paleolithic) Diet is considered an excellent one for
athletes. We know that the Paleo people, or cavemen, ate well and
healthily. That may be because processed foods, and even cooked foods,
were not yet invented.
But even so, considering that they lived between about 2.5 million and 20,000 years ago they were extraordinarily advanced in their dietary habits.
Eating Healthy Millions of Years Ago
Besides lean meats, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, which the Paleos ate often, they NEVER ate grains, salt sugar, legumes, bread, pasta and dairy products.
Those foods are most often associated with diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity and we know Paleos never got those diseases. In regard to diet, the Paleolithic Era might just as well be called the Healthy Era.
Benefits of the Paleo Diet for Athletes
Also known as the Stone Age, the Paleolithic Era began with crude homemade tools and ended with hunting and gathering societies.
Today's athletes who follow the Paleo diet have rid themselves of migraine headaches, dysfunctional sleep, allergy symptoms and cranky moods. An additional benefit is that often they have also lost weight. Whatever they were, cavemen were not fat. They generally walked about 10 miles a day.
Of course, there won't be pizza night, chocolate lattes (or chocolate anything), and spaghetti and meatballs, But who's to know if you treat yourself to something you love once in a while, and improve your running performance by following the diet the rest of the time.
"The Paleo Diet," was popularized by Loren Cordain, a professor at Colorado State University. Cordain points to Paleo man's proper balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, a balance that would have prevented chronic heart conditions. He also details the havoc starchy carbohydrates cause for blood glucose and insulin levels and the toxicity of sodium.
These modern additions to our diet are the cause of so much illness. If you are an athlete, particularly a runner, you might consider converting to the Paleo Diet for athletes. It's certainly worth a try if it will do for you what it did for cavemen: increase endurance, aid athletic performance and sharpen mental clarity..
But even so, considering that they lived between about 2.5 million and 20,000 years ago they were extraordinarily advanced in their dietary habits.
Eating Healthy Millions of Years Ago
Besides lean meats, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, which the Paleos ate often, they NEVER ate grains, salt sugar, legumes, bread, pasta and dairy products.
Those foods are most often associated with diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity and we know Paleos never got those diseases. In regard to diet, the Paleolithic Era might just as well be called the Healthy Era.
Benefits of the Paleo Diet for Athletes
Also known as the Stone Age, the Paleolithic Era began with crude homemade tools and ended with hunting and gathering societies.
Today's athletes who follow the Paleo diet have rid themselves of migraine headaches, dysfunctional sleep, allergy symptoms and cranky moods. An additional benefit is that often they have also lost weight. Whatever they were, cavemen were not fat. They generally walked about 10 miles a day.
Of course, there won't be pizza night, chocolate lattes (or chocolate anything), and spaghetti and meatballs, But who's to know if you treat yourself to something you love once in a while, and improve your running performance by following the diet the rest of the time.
"The Paleo Diet," was popularized by Loren Cordain, a professor at Colorado State University. Cordain points to Paleo man's proper balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats, a balance that would have prevented chronic heart conditions. He also details the havoc starchy carbohydrates cause for blood glucose and insulin levels and the toxicity of sodium.
These modern additions to our diet are the cause of so much illness. If you are an athlete, particularly a runner, you might consider converting to the Paleo Diet for athletes. It's certainly worth a try if it will do for you what it did for cavemen: increase endurance, aid athletic performance and sharpen mental clarity..