What Is Primal Eating- What You Ought To Know About This Healthy Plan

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Primal Blueprint eating has been very popular since quite some time now. The strategy of this meal plan is simple- eat fish, eggs, meat, veggies, nuts, fruits and some high fat dairy. But it is not that simple as it may sound to be. You need to hunt for these things just like your ancestors and make meal plans, shopping list and recipe to get started with your Primal meals.

Primal diet basically lays stress on eating foods in natural state or maybe very close to the natural state. As when food was not there before the Industrial Revolution, it was considered to be off limits. Lentils, peanuts, soy, legumes, sugar, alcohol, refined vegetable oils, processed food are definitely excluded.

primal

Rather, this diet lays emphasis on eating lots of veggies, nuts, seeds, meats, fish, fruits, eggs, fermented and raw dairy products and healthy fats. The natural sweeteners like maple syrup or raw honey are allowed as well.

There are basically some principles of Primal Blueprint eating. They include:

Lean Body Mass is all crucial

It is important to remember the fact that lean mass muscle is directly linked with better and longevity of your health. Instead of striving to lose weight, it is better to lose just the fact and maintain muscles. Since some organs function at the level which correlates with muscle mass, so, more the muscle you maintain, more is the organ reserve.

80% body composition is determined by diet you eat

Exercise is as important as the diet but the best results are experienced by the way you eat. Exercise is crucial to speed up muscle building and fat burning. Eating healthy is actually the main watchword behind getting a healthy and fit body. So, you need to pay close attention to what you eat.

Excess of fat is bad

Many studies report that being overweight increases the risk of most diseases. Also, being fat doesn’t make you look good. So, it is better to eat healthy to look good and be fit. Eating properly ensures that excessive fat is eliminated from your life.

Excessive insulin is bad

You need to keep in mind that excess insulin is even worse than excessive sugar. All the animals produce some extent of insulin with within some species, the ones that produce less of insulin live for longer span of time than the ones who produce lots of insulin. So, it is important to eat in a way that your insulin level is kept low.

Conclusion

Rather than counting your calories, the primal eating habits ask you to pay attention to your portion sizes, eat quality food and focus on the natural things more. Say for example, elk, deer and venison are preferred over beef as these are the types that our ancestors would have hunted in their times. So, when choosing the meats, primal blueprint encourages the grass fed over conventional.

Last but not least, organic veggies, fruits and eggs are more preferred as well. Thus, this is a kind of introduction to what primal eating is all about. Know more about this eating style to have a healthy and better life.

 

Primal Diet- What Is It And How It Helps

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Primal diet is the latest buzz all around as it offers great results without following any fad diet. The diet has become a lifestyle. It originated in the year 2009 when Mark Sisson created the Primal Blueprint. Since that time, the diet has grown to be a lifestyle.

More and more Mark studied about the ancestors, more he got to know that not just the lifestyle behavior but even diet contributes to a healthy life. Food that our ancestors consumed, the direct sunlight they received and the type of free movement they were engaged in helped them to develop their genome. While there has been a change in the world in the past 10,000 years, human genome has altered very less.

primal diet

In simple words, if you wish to have a good future, it is important to listen to and relate with the past. And this is where Primal Blueprint comes into limelight. They tell you not just how to eat in the way that it helps the genes and body to become efficient but even how to increase longevity of your life by saying goodbye to illness and diseases.

A typical primal diet

So, when it comes to knowing what to eat when on the primal diet, your typical day can start with a cup of black coffee with some scrambled egg, zucchini and spinach. Then you can have mid morning meal as some almonds and coconut. Later, your lunch can include mixed greens with olives, chicken, apples, sunflower seeds dressed with vinegar and olive oil. Your evening snack can be celery with almond butter or chopped cashews on it. At last, your typical primal dinner can have steak or broiled fish with sautéed broccoli and baked sweet potato.

While a lot of people have the notion in their mind that Primal eating is all about eating huge amounts of raw meat, it is not the case. Plants were also a big part of this diet just like they were a part of the ancestor’s diet.

Usually the darker green vegetables are denser when it comes to nutrient level. A nice example is kale and spinach, the two things that are packed with antioxidants and vitamins. As you lightly cook or steam these two veggies, you basically increase absorbability of minerals and nutrients.

Primal diet is not just following a diet, it even includes some physical activity. You can indulge yourself in some low level aerobic exercises for 2-4 hours every week. These may include hiking, walking, swimming or bike riding. Indeed low level activity is important in every way. Ideally, whenever possible, find some time and go out for some activity. The mixed effect of this will be a sort of increase when it comes to fat burning and capillary perfusion as well as integration of muscle flexibility and strength.

So following such a diet is surely a great addition to one’s lifestyle. It not just lets you be fit, it helps a great deal in being healthy and happy.

 

Primal Eating & Pregnancy- Is It Safe?

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Being pregnant is the happiest phase in a woman’s life but at the same time it is that period of life when you need to be extra careful about what you do, what you eat etc. Primal eating is a lifestyle that has become a craze in recent times. But is it safe for pregnant women? Let’s check it here.

Eating a high fat, nutrient packed, protein diet while you are pregnant will give the baby all building blocks required to create a strong and healthy neural connection as well as a resilient body. Eating a primal diet will benefit the mom to be to enjoy better sleep, enhanced energy and less nausea.

Primal eating

Also, including whole foods in your diet like grass fed, organic things will reduce the chances of synthetic hormones, pesticides and antibiotics exposure to the baby and so the little one will grow with a powerful immune system and nice hormonal profile.

Is Primal living safe in pregnancy?

Following the primal diet i.e. without vegetable oils, legumes, grains and low sugar is totally safe for the mother as well as the child. Avoid taking gluten, lectins and reduce your intake of sugar through avoiding the processed foods. This will help you to experience reduced bloating, prevent gestational diabetes as well as avoid weight gain etc.

A lot of women who consume complete primal diet during pregnancy face no nausea. Often times, keeping food in stomach is all what is required to avoid the feeling of nausea. Apart from eating the primal diet, walking is great for the pregnant women as well.

Take as much sleep as you can and drink lots of water. Move slowly and spend quality time in natural surroundings. Nurture yourself with what makes you happy and relaxed. Try focusing on positive things and you will experience healthy pregnancy.

Primal Blueprint is in fact a great option for all those wish to conceive or are already nursing or pregnant. You need to make sure that you know that certain nutrients and foods should be consumed for better pregnancy time.

Egg yolks are great as they are considered to be nature’s multivitamin. As they are rich in choline nutrient, suggest say that about 86 percent women do not have sufficient amount of choline. This is considerable because choline helps to protect against the neural tube problems. It even plays a very crucial role in overall brain growth, helping in to form the cholinergic neurons and connections between the neurons which are so important during first few years of a baby’s life.

Cod liver oil is another super food during pregnancy that is believed to be a sacred fertility food. It is one of the biggest Vitamin A sources. Also, it has more of Vitamin D/unit weight and Vitamin D is vital to pregnancy and fertility. This Vitamin D also promotes development of bones mainly during 3rd trimester when foetal skeleton starts growing at a rapid speed.

So, in all, it can be said that primal eating and living is safe and good during pregnancy.

 

Starting With The Paleo Diet- What To Know

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Paleo is not only a diet and this is one of the most common misconceptions. Diets need you to measure your food and be restricted in what to eat and what not to. But there are no limitations when you are on a Paleo diet. The only things you have to check and control before eating are the ingredients you use.

Paleo is basically a lifestyle which promotes a way of eating a healthy diet. As Atkins diet is the one that helps you to lose weight and South Beach diet is the one that prevents the problem of heart disease. In the same way, Paleo offers a lot of health benefits. Surely it cannot help you to get into your swimsuit in a day or so, you need to be highly dedicated and follow a proper Paleo diet, it will make your life all the more healthy and wonderful.

paleo

All types of processed foods are a complete no-no on the Paleo diet. All you need to eat is what is naturally available in the nature.

10 rules of Paleo diet:

  1. Do not eat processed food at all
  2. Eat nuts, grass fed meats and eggs
  3. Give up gluten
  4. Say no to grains and sugars
  5. Avoid taking alcohol and the non coloured spirits are good like gin and vodka
  6. Include coconut in your diet in any form like coconut oil, coconut water, coconut flour etc
  7. Have natural sweeteners only
  8. Bypass legumes and beans
  9. Include loads and loads of veggies in your diet
  10. Do not sip any sugars and sodas

So, if you are excited about starting the Paleo diet, you may be looking for how to start with it. All you need to do is to just go to the local grocery store and buy naturally raised, all organic and grass fed items like pork, beef, venison, bison, salmon, perch, tuna, shrimp, scallops, spinach, broccoli, greens, onions, fresh herbs, cabbage, sprouts, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes etc.

When it comes to buying fruits, you can take mango, avocado, watermelon, orange, banana, apple, peach, cantaloupe, plums and blueberries. Also, you can have coconut oil and milk along with some nuts and seeds. Do not take peanuts.

At your home, just discard off everything that is not Paleo. This means you should trash refined sugars, grains, legumes, starchy tubers, processed meats, vegetable oils like soybean, peanut, corn, cottonseed etc, iodized salt and other non Paleo items. You can use Himalayan salt in the Paleo meals.

Paleo health benefits

Apart from weight and fat loss, there are certain benefits of the diet including:

• Enhanced energy and better sleep patterns
• More mental clarity
• Healthy skin and hair
• Good attitude and mood
• More muscles and better fitness
• Reduced depression and stress
• Better glucose tolerance

A lot of Paleo followers see that they lose weight and muscles easily with this diet. So, along with eating a strict Paleo meal diet, it is also important if you do some exercise and get ready to shake hands with good health.

 

Primal Blueprint- Know The Lifestyle in Detail

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What is the Primal blueprint? The ” Primal Blueprint ” is the way to know what actually makes your body going. It is indeed a way to rejuvenate your body and revitalize your metabolism. Primal Blueprint shows you that you have the power and ability to control your overall health, determine your own body composition as well as direct the genes towards muscle building, fat burning and energy producing ways.

It is basically a set of instructions or a blueprint which allows you to have control on the way your genes express themselves to build healthiest, strongest and leanest body.

Primal blueprint

Understanding the essence of the blueprint

Life is not that tough as we believe it to be. You can surely have an impact on the way your genes express themselves. You can do this by providing right environment to your body cells. You need to have basic and clear understanding of the way in which your body works and a road-map to know answer to how to have optimal fitness and health. By following this easy strategy, you will be able to evaluate or know the food choices to make, exercise to indulge in to lead a healthy life. And even when you opt for some “bad” or unhealthy choice, at least you would know that why it is not good for you.

Say no to grains

In the Primal way of living, grains are a necessary opt out stuff. Despite their high place in conventional hierarchy of healthy food plan, grains are totally unnecessary in the eyes of primal blueprint. And this includes whole grains as well.

For all the health benefits that grains have, it is actually not the case when you research deeply about them. Primal way of living did not give any emphasis on eating the grains in any form be it refined or whole grains.

Eat animals, insects and plants

The primal eating pattern lays emphasis on quality protein sources like fish, all types of meat, fowl etc., colorful veggies, selected fruits like berries and fats such as olive oil, avocado and nuts except peanuts. The primal living says to observe your portion control every week first and then to each meal. The primal followers need to eliminate sugars, hydrogenated and trans fats and grains completely from their diet in order to achieve good health and desired results.

Slow paced activities

We all know that our forefathers or ancestors spent many hours every day moving around here and there for food, work etc. and that was called as the low level aerobic pace. They gathered, wandered, hunted, migrated, foraged, climbed, crawled and scouted. This type of an activity prompted their body genes to build stronger blood vessels to fuel the muscle cells, to store excess food and also to convert the stored food or fat into energy. Obviously they did all this everyday without thinking about the same. And as each footfall landed at different angle, so each tendon, ligament and muscle worked and thus became stronger.

This is the same approach that primal living wants its followers to adopt i.e. to do slow paced activities every day.

The Paleo Diet: Pros & Cons At A Quick Glance

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Paleo diet is the contemporary version of what our ancestors ate from Paleolithic era about 10,000 years ago. The diet plan mainly lays stress on foods that can be gathered or hunted naturally like fruits, vegetables, eggs, nuts, seafood, seeds, poultry etc. Small quantity of healthy oil is permitted though dairy products, grains and processed foods are a complete no-no.

So let’s take a closer look at pros and cons of the Paleo diet and whether it is good to follow it or not.

paleo diet

Pros

Paleo diet is packed with soluble fiber, photo chemicals, antioxidant vitamins, monounsaturated fat, omega 3 fatty acids as well as low glycemic carbs. Also, it is gluten free and has less added sugar, salt, trans fat.

Foods that people generally overindulge in include chocolate caramel brownie etc and they are completely off the limits in Paleo diet. Thus, the health benefits like high energy levels may be less linked with this diet and could be a result of cutting down the high caloric processed food.

The diet stresses on the importance of eating grass fed, raw, organic foods. As our agriculture system is not like the way it used to be in previous times, our food has thus become low in quality. With toxic pesticides, harmful animal feeds etc, the food we eat these days is not safe for our health. Thus the Paleo diet places much emphasis on eating the food items that are grown naturally and organically. So, in a way, going Paleo simply means going back to basics of old times.

Cons

Paleo eating has a number of qualities and benefits. It emphasizes on fruits, lean proteins, whole foods, fruits, healthy fats and vegetables. Including more of such food items in your diet will surely help a great deal in maintaining a healthy and fit body. However as there are two sides to a coin, the diet has some cons as well.

First of all, it allows low carbs. As bodybuilders, fitness freaks and athletes, such people need more carbs than the average individual. The brain and body is fuelled by carbohydrates and by following an active life, it is impossible to get all these carbs you require from the vegetables only and that too when majority of them are non starchy.

A lot of Paleo athletes follow modified version of the diet that incorporates some rice and potatoes in order to meet the carbs needs.

Also, the diet is a bit restrictive when it comes to choosing what to eat. Talking about the Paleo diet, some foods that are generally considered to be healthy are not allowed in this diet. Legumes, grains and dairy products seem to get bad reputation today due to Paleo popularity. But for majority of people, such good nutritional staples do not have to be avoided even when they follow this diet.

These are just a few cons of the diet. But on the whole, Paleo living is more of a boon for the population.

 

Beginner’s Guide To The Paleo Diet

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If you are new to starting with Paleo diet, it is about eating natural food with no or little processing. In simple terms, paleo diet lays emphasis on eating in a way in which our Mother Nature has intended for us to eat.

When starting with the Paleo living, a lot of experts recommend taking the 85/15 approach after the very first month. It means 85 percent of the time you can stick to Paleo diet strictly while 15 percent you can have the non paleo items. When doing this, pay close attention to the way you feel as you reintroduce such things in your diet.

paleo diet

In a way, paleo diet helps in removing simple carbohydrates from the diet. And when this happens, our body can no longer be healthy with cheap carbs as they need energy and so the body is forced to make use of the fat stores.

Without constant flow of cheap carbs that the body would generally turn into sugar, the blood sugar falls to normal and insulin level starts regulating. And so, regulated insulin level allows lipolysis to take place. Lipolysis is basically the process where your body releases fat stores to be then burned in the form of energy. So, by lowering down the cheap carbs in your body, paleo diet helps the body to start burning fat in no time.

Further, the diet works through focusing mainly on the unprocessed and real foods which have been there for thousands and thousands of years.

Below we present a quick guide to what foods are allowed on paleo diet. These are the foods that our ancestors had access to.

• Lean meats – beef, veal, venison, lamb, chicken, bison etc (try eating grass-fed version of these)
• Fish – salmon, tilapia, bass, etc.
• Seafood
• Eggs
• Vegetables – don’t leave these
• Berries and the less sugary fruits are good
• Nuts – not too much (avoid peanuts)
• Natural oils – olive, coconut and avocado oils

So, keep in mind that you can eat such foods when on the paleo diet. Make your diet plan accordingly and enjoy paleo living effortlessly.

How To Recognize What Is and Isn’t Paleo?

Many times it is clear what paleo is. Beef is found naturally and so it is paleo but ice cream is not paleo as it is manufactured by the humans. But there are certain times when you cannot judge between paleo and non paleo food. Like you may think that peanuts are paleo as nuts are considered to be so but you will be surprised to know that peanuts are legume and not paleo.

The basic reason why people find paleo diet to be so good and effective is that it helps in losing fat and turns the body from carb burning machine into fat burning system.

So, by now you must have got an idea as to what is the paleo diet, what to eat in it, what is paleo and what is not. This beginners guide can be of your help if you are looking forward to start paleo living and have a healthy life ahead.

Paleo Vs. Primal Diet (wonderfully fit review)

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A lot of health specialists believe that modern civilization’s rate of diseases like heart attacks, diabetes, cancer etc. stem from adopting a diet that is rich in processed foods, further exacerbated by sedentary lifestyle and eating habits. But by adopting healthy ways of eating, one can enjoy having a healthy body.

The two popular diets that follow the early times of eating and living include the Paleo diet and the Primal Diet. Paleo or the Caveman diet was introduced by Loren Cordain in the year 2002 and it follows the plan that dates back to the times when people ate meals that were there with freshly caught fish, grass fed game, seeds, berries, vegetables, nuts and fruits.

diet

 

Created by Mark Sisson in the year 2009, the Primal Blueprint is in a way similar to Paleo diet to certain extent. For instance, as you follow primal diet, you can easily consume the healthy meats, fats, vegetables, fruits and even dark chocolate. The main concept behind this is that such foods are mainly made up of fats and proteins.

Linda Larsen, the popular author as well as follower of The Big Book Of Paleo Recipes says that both the diets focus mainly on the way the ancestors ate. The main goal is to stay away from the grains and processed foods which are manipulated differently when compared with the cavemen period. She further said that the main difference between the diets is respective attitude of them towards saturated fats.

People who follow the Paleo diet avoid saturated fats. On the other hand, the Primal blueprint followers consume fatty meats etc. Also, primal diet lays emphasis on your whole lifestyle like there is emphasis on immunity and fitness. There is much stress on taking the antioxidants and supplements. The Paleo diet focuses more on the diet over exercise.

How to follow the diets? What to keep in mind

Eating more of healthy fat and less foods which spike the insulin level is the very first step towards primal diet. It is also important to avoid the industrial oils such as corn and soy that are rich in omega 6s and trans fat. As you eliminate taking refined carbs, industrial oils and sugar, you eliminate all the convenience food items.

It is observed that these days there are toxins almost everywhere and some pollutants cannot be avoided at any cost. However you can avoid some. It is good if you eat the organic foodstuffs whenever possible, use the natural cleansers etc. In fact, primal living is more than just a diet. It is a kind of lifestyle that you follow. As you eat in the way that is optimal for your body, you don’t have to look back again.

Also if you are thinking if treats and cheats are allowed on these diets, then don’t fear. Both the diets have many options for desserts and other treats. An easy dessert on Primal diet can be coconut macadamia bars with coconut oil, unsweetened coconut, macadamia nuts, salt and chia seeds. And what can be your favourite Paleo dessert? The blueberry coconut crisp can be made from honey, lemon juice, coconut, blueberries, vanilla, butter, coconut flour and salt.

Primal Living Benefits Quick Guide

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Following the primal diet and choosing foods that are natural and organic is in fact the best approach towards optimum health. Going Primal means that you eat and exercise just the way our ancestors did before the agricultural dawn. This approach is indeed the best that we can do in 21st century where life has become so fast and we indulge in poor, unhealthy eating habits.

Agriculture has been there for about 10,000 years, which is just a small sliver of long existence of humanity. Before that an average the human spent most of the time gathering and hunting food, foraging fruits, plants, seeds and nuts.

primal

So, what does a primal follower actually consume? Well, they put emphasis on fruits, animals, oils, nuts, plants and seeds. Going deep in what you can eat on a primal diet include:

Plants

Vegetables of all sorts can be eaten

Animals

Meat of all sorts like chicken, pork, beef, fish, eggs etc can be taken in large quantities in a primal diet

Seeds

Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and others are good to eat in this diet

Nuts

Walnuts, almonds, macadamias are included. Peanuts are not allowed in primal living because they are legumes

Oils

Coconut oil, olive oil and fish oil are some options that can be chosen for primal meals

What’s not included?

The non primal foods include sugars, processed items, dairy products and grains of all sorts like rice, bread, pasta etc.

The benefits of a primal lifestyle are wide but let’s take a look at some of them including:

• Fat burning and weight loss
• Increased level of energy
• Slower pace of aging
• Less risk of facing heart disease and other problems

In all, this diet abstains from the foods that the metabolism was not actually made to eat or digest. Our modern day diet has changed considerably since the Cavemen times but the metabolism is still unaltered genetically coded mechanism of our ancestors.

Benefits

So, is the primal lifestyle worth the efforts and time? Surely, if you start eating the diet for some time, you will notice marked difference in your overall well-being and health. Your sleep pattern will improve, you will be more alert with better mental clarity and will have enhanced energy all through the day.

The benefits of primal living can be great. By eliminating unhealthy foods, increasing intake of healthy Omega 3 body fat as well by reducing the intake of high glycemic index sugar, you will be able to reduce pounds from your body in no time. Also, your cholesterol level will improve and you will face reduced risk of serious illnesses. Your resistance to diseases will also improve and you will face better performance of your body cells.

So, to conclude, it can be said that eating like our ancestors is a great way to remove modern meals and lead a healthy life. What are you waiting for? Go ahead and lead a primal life.

 

All About Paleo Diet- What Is It And How It Helps?

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If you are looking for a healthy diet to change your life for the good then Paleo diet is the best option available. This diet is actually based on the idea of eating foods that our bodies were actually made for thousands of years ago. Such foods were there to the early people through gathering and hunting.

During the modern times, innovation in technology have made other foods like processed items, dairy products etc. which are not that simple to digest. Foods that are recommended in this diet provide the body with longer lasting and more efficient results that even help in burning the fat.

paleo diet

The Paleo diet is believed to be perfect for regulation of blood regulation, digestion, better sleep and metabolism. There is no right way of eating in this diet. Everyone eats as per their body type and preferences. While some eat low carb diet, others opt for high carb one with loads of plants.

What types of foods are included in the Paleo diet?

It is often confusing as to what all to eat in the Paleo diet. There are a lot of fish, meats, poultry, vegetables, fruits, eggs, healthy fats from avocado, coconut etc that can be had in this diet. Actually the options are innumerable and your plate will always be filled with something interesting to eat

So, what all to eat? Let’s check it below:

• Meats: Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork and others.
• Fish and Seafood: Salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, shellfish, etc. Choose wild-caught if you can.
• Eggs: Choose free-range, pastured or Omega-3 enriched eggs.
• Vegetables: Broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, etc.
• Fruits: Apples, bananas, oranges, pears, avocados, strawberries, blueberries and more.
• Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and more.
• Healthy Fats and Oils: Lard, tallow, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil
• Salt and Spices: Sea salt, Himalayan salt, garlic, turmeric, rosemary, etc.

What to avoid in Paleo Diet?

Soy, refined sugar, alcohol, grains, pasteurized dairy etc. are some of the items that you need to avoid when following the Paleo diet. Also, you don’t need to keep a record of the macronutrients or calories on this diet. But if you want to lose weight then it is recommended that you cut on carbs and restrict your consumption of potatoes and nuts.

So, now as you are aware of what all to eat and what to avoid, you can prepare your meal diet properly and follow the diet without any hassle.

More than a diet

Apart from providing a fit body, there are a lot of health benefits as well that can be enjoyed with the Paleo diet. For many people the very fact that this diet offers best results is what all they need. Enhanced blood lipids, less pain from autoimmunity and weight loss are the proof. A lot of people are not actually satisfied with following the recommendations like a strict diet or exercise schedule.

So, in all, it can be said that Paleo diet is not just any diet which helps in keeping fit, it is a healthy lifestyle to adopt.