You’re all set. You’ve scrounged the internet for recipes and braved the darkest corners of the health food store. You’ve whipped up a gourmet meal, without meat, without dairy, without even a hint of gluten, that’s sure to please every one of your guests. You’ve got this dinner party under control.
But wait. What you don’t know isÉ there’s a caveman coming to dinner.
Health nuts across North America are jumping on a new diet bandwagon: the Paleolithic Diet, otherwise known as the Caveman Diet, orŃif two names wasn’t enoughŃPaleo.
Though the name may tempt your imagination to run wild with images of dread-heads hunting with homemade spears, the reality isn’t as primitive as all that.
The diet is based on the supposed eating habits of our paleolithic ancestors and, according to founder Dr. Loren Cordain, it’s “the world’s healthiest diet.” It’s become particularly popular among athletes and there are even plans for a Paleo-style fast food restaurant in Copenhagen.
So what’s a modern caveman (caveperson?) chowing down on these days? Well, meat, of course, along with non-starchy vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and seafood.
What’s not on the menu is anything that came into our diet at the advent of agriculture, roughly 10,000 years ago. This means no grains, dairy, legumes, salt, sugar, or processed oils.
For anyone who’s been trying desperately to navigate the realm of healthy-eating dos and don’ts, this really throws a wrench in the works. For years we’ve been told to cut down on meat and get our whole grains. Now, “the world’s healthiest diet” is telling us to toss that brown rice and quinoa in favour of a fatty strip loin.
And I don’t think India will be very happy when they find out chickpeas and lentils are actually bad for you. Did you hear that, India? To a Paleo-eater, your dahl is the devil.
The strictest followers of the Caveman Diet actually insist that meats be grass-fed and much of the fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds be wild-foraged. It’s no wonder that this diet is touted to be a great weight-loss tool. Just hunting down these hard-to-come-by items is sure to burn a bunch of calories.
Most proponents of Paleo take a more modern approach, but the diet has still been met with a slew of criticism from the medical community.
At best, the diet is written off as just another fad. At worst, it’s said to pose serious health risks.
A 2012 US News Magazine survey, based on health benefits and easiness of following, ranked the Paleo diet dead last compared to 27 other diets.
So it’s time to put down the club, take off the loin cloth, and go eat a falafel.