There are many assumptions about the Paleo diet. The biggest is that it is a low-carb diet similar to the Atkins diet. For those who don't know, the Atkins diet consists of eating fatty food such as meat, butter, lard, etc.
The Paleo diet is nothing like this. A Paleo diet instead tries to mimic the diet that our Palaeolithic ancestors ate. It includes not only certified organic grass-fed meat but also vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds.
Another myth is that the Paleo diet consists of high proportions of meat and is entirely at odds with the vegan diet. However, I don't see this.
Even though our Palaeolithic ancestors did eat meat, there were no KFC restaurants available during the Palaeolithic era where they could conveniently order a bucket of fried chicken. However, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds were widely and easily available, which meant a true Paleo diet is mostly plant based.
Furthermore, our Paleo ancestors didn't have access during the Palaeolithic era to meat produced from factory farms (CAFO meat). In factory farms, animals are confined and are injected with antibiotics, hormones, and painkillers. To mimic the sort of meat Palaeolithic ancestors ate, a Paleo dieter would either buy certified organic grass-fed meat or consume game meat. Both these meats, in my opinion, are far more sustainable and humane than meat from factory farms.
Furthermore, because game meat takes tremendous effort to prepare and certified organic grass-fed meat is expensive, this high cost helps to moderate the quantity consumed. It is as if there is a meat tax imposed.
The Paleo diet, in my opinion, is similar to a moderate vegan diet and is much more palatable and easier to understand when presented to the public.
There is no war between Paleos and vegans, in my opinion, because the two diets are very similar. A Paleo diet minus the meat and plus vitamin B12 pills equals a vegan diet.
2 comments:
What great observations and studies! I definitely think that we eat a LOT more meat than our ancestors did, and the Paleolithic diet was plant based with some seafood or meat here and there. It's also the way that our animal products are manufactured to us that makes them a lot more harmful to our health and to our environment. If veganism is too difficult or unattainable for the world, then choosing the most sustainable and humane sources are the next best options.
I agree 👍 vegan diet is not too difficult, in my opinion. When i was starting out, not going fully vegan but going say 95% vegan and making small exceptions made it easier.
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