By now you’ve likely heard of the Paleo diet, which is based on what early man ate and getting back to our roots. Not quite as well known is the alkaline diet which is comprised of 80% alkaline foods and 20% acidic foods, although celebrites like Gwyneth Paltrow, Victoria Beckham and Jennifer Aniston are now on board.
Both diets and lifestyles have many similarities, and are miles better for you than former diet crazes like Atkins and South Beach. There’s no calorie counting, no weighing your portions, just healthier food and lifestyle choices and results which are based more off of how you feel vs. what your scale says.
Here’s a rundown:
The Paleo Diet (aka The Caveman Diet)
What to eat:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Lean Meats (grass-fed and organic are preferred)
- Seafood
- Eggs
- Nuts & seeds
- Healthy fats
- Fermented foods
What to avoid:
- Dairy (butter is allowed)
- Grains
- Processed food
- Legumes
- Starches
- Sugar
- Vegetable, hydrogenated and partly-hydrogenated oils
What to do:
- Exercise frequently using “natural movements” that use the whole body (such as walking, running, jumping, crawling, climbing, carrying, throwing, swimming…), change up your routine and include rest periods
- Maximize contact with nature by keeping plants, gardening, working with animals, hiking in the woods, etc.
- Wear a minimum of clothes, shoes or other protective material because exposure to heat, cold, pressure, and other natural forces strengthens the body
- Expose yourself regularly to the sun to get sufficient vitamin D levels
- Try to sleep at least 8 hours a day, preferably in line with natural day-night rhythms in a pitch black room
- Reduce overall levels of stress and spend sufficient time relaxing, playing, and just “being in the present”, without worrying about later
- Allow contact with dirt which contains beneficial bacteria that strengthens immunity
- Rear children the way hunter-gatherers did: extended breast-feeding baby-wearing, co-sleeping, etc.
- Sit in a squatting position, as people in indigenous tribes do
- Socialize and interact with people, similar to primitive tribes
Health benefits:
- Improved sleep patterns
- Stable energy levels
- Anti-inflammatory
- Stable blood sugar
- Burn off stored fat
- Reduce allergies
- More efficient workouts
- Clear skin, better teeth
The Alkaline Diet (aka The pH Miracle)
What to eat:
- Vegetables (excluding mushrooms and canned corn)
- Non-sweet fruits
- Nuts & seeds
- Beans & legumes (excluding peanuts)
- Healthy fats & oils
- Sea salt/Himalyan salt
What to avoid:
- Meat
- Seafood
- Dairy
- Most grains
- Processed food
- Starches
- Sugar
- Vegetable, hydrogenated and partly-hydrogenated oils
- Fermented foods
- Dried fruits
What to do:
- Stay properly hydrated with ionized alkaline water
- Learn to stress less
- Alkalize your beauty routine
- Switch to all natural cleaners
- Practice soft, aerobic alkaline exercises regularly
- Get at least 7 hours of sleep a night
- Get 15-20 minutes of sun exposure daily
Health benefits:
- More energy
- Fewer colds and flu’s
- Overall improved health
- Disease prevention/reversal
- Anti-aging benefits
- Better sleep
- Average 10-15 pound body fat loss
- Increased mental and physical performance
- Fewer aches and pains
- Improved appearance of skin and hair
- Better eyesight
Have you tried the paleo or alkaline diet? Which diet most appeals to you and why? Share in the comments.