[sidebar]The pros:
If it comes in a package, you don’t eat it. You don’t have to think about it, or make choices. You simply avoid processed foods, which are often less nutritious than unprocessed foods. You avoid added sugars or flour. This restriction can be very helpful for people who are carb-sensitive or carb-cravers. You don’t have to figure out how many carbs you can have; the answer is only those from fruits and vegetables. Ditto for salt. Most people eat about twice as much salt as they need. This diet helps you avoid the biggest sources of hidden salt: bread and baked goods, snacks, and processed foods such as soups, cheese, and frozen meals. You eat lots more healthy fruits and vegetables, like berries and root vegetables. These foods are high in fiber and nutrients, so they help reduce cholesterol and prevent heart disease, and reduce your risk for diabetes and cancer. You’ll eat more healthy omega-3 fats than omega-6 and saturated fats. Because it allows only certain kinds of meat (wild game, wild-caught fish or farm animals that have been free-range and grass-fed), you’re getting healthier fats. This shift in fats helps fight inflammation that can contribute to chronic illness.
The cons:
The diet unnecessarily omits some healthy foods. Beans and legumes (lentils, peanuts) aren’t included in this diet, presumably because they contain too many carbohydrates. But these high-fiber, high-protein foods deserve a place on anyone’s plate. Dairy products are off-limits. You’ll be coming up short on both calcium and vitamin D. It takes more time than many people want to allocate to prepare meals. It’s probably one of the most expensive diets out there. Wild-caught salmon and grass-fed beef can take a big bite out of your budget.
If you decide that the Paleo diet is for you, we caution you to watch how many of your calories come from animal protein in light of this recent study out of UCLA. More from Prevention: Why One Woman Went Paleo
