Diets and fads are continuously being hyped in the media, but with so many options how do you know which one will actually work for you? Many are saying that the paleo diet is the answer to all of our questions. The paleo diet quickly became one of the most popular diets and is frequently mentioned in the media. But what is it? And, perhaps more importantly, does it actually work?

What Is the Paleo Diet?

The paleo diet is based on mimicking the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors – and it’s not really a diet at all. The idea behind the paleo diet is that it will improve a person’s health by increasing an intake in foods that are proven to be beneficial to the body and eliminating foods that can have harmful side effects on our digestive systems. It is also encourages people to use food as fuel for their daily activities. As you might imagine, exercise is strongly recommended as well.

What Are the Benefits?

Though researchers are still gathering information about all of the long term benefits that come with the paleo diet, many are already visible. The paleo diet promotes healthy changes in our bodies that work to naturally make our ability to function at peak performance recognized. There are many ways in which the diet accomplishes this.

One of the main ways that the paleo diet helps to make our bodies healthier is to evenly balance our diets between saturated and unsaturated fats. Though many people are aware of these terms thanks to our growing knowledge of health and fitness, they are unaware that the cells in their bodies are comprised of both of these fats. The paleo diet makes the consumption of both of these fats more balanced, making the cells in our bodies much healthier.

The paleo diet also helps to eliminate unhealthy foods from our diets. It encourages the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and meats, in a way that is balanced and promotes our overall health. Many people find when starting the paleo diet that their system is filled with a lot of sludge they were unaware of – the result of eating too many fast and overly processed foods. However, the paleo diet helps to provide the body with foods that are not only healthy – but that also aide the body in cleaning out its digestive systems and ridding itself of toxins accumulated through the consumption of unhealthy foods. These foods are also easier for the body to break down, and tend to lead to an increase in energy when consumed on a consistent basis.

How Can I Start?

The best way to start the paleo diet is to slowly eliminate the foods that do not fall within the guidelines provided by the diet. Start by cutting the amount of sugary and greasy foods in your diet in half. Then halve them again, before finally eliminating them. While you do this, try to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables you eat on a daily basis. This will be much easier than trying to make the switch all at once. There are many online communities that you can join that will be able to help you along in your cleansing process as well.

Before starting the paleo diet, make sure you are truly ready to commit. This lifestyle has fantastic health benefits – just make sure you’re prepared to take the necessary steps to make this change.