A semi-vegetarian or flexitarian diet is one that is plant-based with the occasional inclusion of
meat products. In 2003, the American Dialect Society voted flexitarian
as the year's most useful word and defined it as "a vegetarian who
occasionally eats meat". In 2012, the term was listed for the first time
in the mainstream Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
Thanks to the growing health movement known as “flexitarianism,”
you can manage your weight, increase your energy, and lower your health risks
with a flexible nutrition plan that minimizes meat without excluding it. The
Flexitarian Diet is not a diet in the strict sense of the word but a smart
new way of cooking,
eating, and living that's as flexible as you are. You can eat what you want
with the Five-by-Five Flex Plan--five basic five-part guidelines that you
customize to your taste:
1. Five Flex food groups
2. Five main-ingredient recipes
3. Five types of FlexLife troubleshooters
4. Five Flex fitness factors
5. Five-week Flex meal plan
Here's how it works:
There are no rules and no
restrictions. Just eat more plants during your regular meals--and try
to do the best you can. It's that simple. Once you understand the basics of
“FlexFoods,” you can swap your ingredients, change your dinner plans, beef up
your main dishes with “meaty” alternatives, and spice up your vegetables for
fully satisfying meals.
The secret is “flexibility,”
according to registered dietitian Dawn Jackson Blatner, the creator of The
Flexitarian Diet. As health columnist for Lifetime Television's website,
she knows what dieters are looking for. As spokesperson for the American
Dietetic Association, she realizes that vegetarianism keeps us slim and
healthy. But as a “closet meat-eater,” she understands how hard it is to live
exclusively on tofu and sprouts. That's why she developed this wonderfully
flexible plan-so you can make your own choices and go at your own pace. (If
you're worried about how everything will taste, relax--Dawn is an experienced cooking instructor!)
The choice is yours. Just
follow some of the suggestions some of the time, and you can still lose weight,
improve your heart health, decrease your risk of diabetes and cancer, and live
longer--with the veggie-smart diet that lets you have your meat and eat it too.
Difference between similar terms
Vegetarianism
is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat. Common reasons for
adopting a flexitarian diet may be health, environment or reduction of resource
consumption, which are also arguments in favor of adopting a fully vegetarian
diet. While flexitarians may view the flexitarian diet as occasional
indulgences, vegetarians may strongly resent the term and view it as cheating
or as a moral lapse. Other than flexitarian diets that may include any type of
meat, semi-vegetarianism includes:
Pollotarians: They eat chicken or
other poultry, but not meat from mammals, often for environmental, health or
food justice reasons.
Pescetarians: They eat fish or
other seafood, but not poultry or red meat from mammals. The macrobiotic diet
is plant-based, and may or may not include the occasional addition of fish or
other seafood.
Pollo-pescetarians:
They eat fish and poultry, but not red meat from mammals.
The
bottom line is this:
Flexitarianism has been popping up more and more in the media, so no
longer can vegetarians just wish the word would go away. However, as PETA
spokesman Bruce Friedrich says, "If
people influenced by health consequently cut back on fish and meat consumption
that helps animals. If two people cut their meat in half it helps as much as
one person going completely vegetarian." In other words, as a
flexitarian, one is still taking a huge positive step forward for health, the
environment and the animals. And that's a great thing.
9) Pescetarian Diet. Learn how to start doing
this diet now at Pescetarian Diet
Pescetarianism
(also spelled pescatarianism) is the practice of a diet that includes
seafood, but not the flesh of other animals. A pescetarian diet typically
shares many of its components with a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet and includes
vegetables, fruit, nuts, grains, beans, eggs, dairy, and insect byproducts (such as
honey, carmine, or shellac), but unlike a vegetarian diet it also includes fish
and shellfish. The Merriam-Webster dictionary dates the origin of the term
"pescetarian" to 1993 and defines it as: "one whose diet
includes fish but no other meat."
Health
considerations
Many cultures offer pescetarian-friendly cuisine. Like in Japan, they
have nigiri-sushi. One of the most commonly cited reasons of having pescetarian
diet is that of health, based on findings that red meat is detrimental to
health in many cases due to non-lean red meats containing high amounts of
saturated fats, choline and carnitine. Eating certain kinds of fish raises HDL
levels, and some fish are a convenient source of omega-3 fatty acids, and have
numerous health benefits in one food variety. A year 1999 meta-analysis of five
studies comparing vegetarian and non-vegetarian mortality rates in Western
countries found that in comparison with regular meat-eaters, mortality from
ischemic heart disease was 34% lower in pescetarians, 34% lower in ovo-lacto
vegetarians, 26% lower in vegans and 20% lower in occasional meat-eaters.
Concerns
have been raised about consuming some fish varieties containing toxins such as
mercury and PCBs, though it is possible to select fish that contain little or
no mercury and moderate the consumption of mercury-containing fish.
Ethics
Similarly
to vegetarianism, some pescetarians adopt the diet on the basis of ethics,
either as a transition to vegetarianism, not treating fish on the same moral
level as other animals, or as a compromise to obtain nutrients not found in
plants as easily.
Abstinence
among Catholics
Adhering
to a diet closely resembling pescatarianism as a form of penitence was
mandatory for Catholics on Fridays until the Second Vatican Council made the
practice optional but recommended. However, it is still mandatory on Ash
Wednesday and every Friday during Lent, and some traditionalist Catholics
choose to abstain from meat during the entire 40-day Lent period, as was common
practice in earlier times.
Comparisons to other diets
Pescetarianism
is similar to many traditional diets emphasizing fish as well as fruits,
vegetables and grains. Many coastal populations tend to eat this way and these
features characterize the traditional Mediterranean diet and the diets of many
parts of Asia, Northern Europe, and the Caribbean. These traditional diets tend
to also include meat although it is peripheral.
Pescetarians
are sometimes described as vegetarian or pesco-vegetarian, and often people
unfamiliar with vegetarianism believe the pescetarian diet to be vegetarian. In
common with vegetarians, pescetarians often eat eggs and dairy products, in
addition to fruits, vegetables, and grains.
The
Vegetarian Society, which initiated popular use of the term
"vegetarian" as early as 1847, does not consider pescetarianism to be
a vegetarian diet. The definitions of "vegetarian" in mainstream
dictionaries vary.
8) Fruitarian Diet. Learn how to start doing
this diet now at Fruitarian Diet
Fruitarianism
involves the practice of following a diet that includes fruits, vegetables,
nuts and seeds, without animal products or grains. Fruitarianism is a subset of
dietary veganism.
Fruitarianism
may be adopted for different reasons, including: ethical, religious, political,
medical, environmental, cultural, aesthetic, economic and health reasons. There
are many varieties of the diet. Some people whose diet consists of 75% or more
fruit consider themselves fruitarians.
Definitions
Some fruitarians will eat only what falls (or would fall) naturally from
a plant; that is: foods that can be harvested without killing or harming the
plant. These foods consist primarily of culinary fruits, nuts, and seeds.
According to author Adam Gollner, some fruitarians eat only fallen fruit. Some
do not eat grains, believing it is unnatural to do so, and some fruitarians
feel that it is improper for humans to eat seeds as they contain future plants,
or nuts and seeds, or any foods besides juicy fruits. Others believe they
should eat only plants that spread seeds when the plant is eaten. Others eat
seeds and some cooked foods. Some fruitarians use the botanical definitions of
fruits and consume pulses, such as beans, peas, or other legumes. Other fruitarians'
diets include raw fruits, dried fruits, nuts, honey and olive oil, or fruits,
nuts, beans and chocolate.
Motivation
Some
fruitarians believe fruitarianism was the original diet of mankind in the form
of Adam and Eve based on Genesis 1:29. They believe that a return to an
Eden-like paradise will require simple living and a holistic approach to health
and diet. Some fruitarians wish, like Jains, to avoid killing anything,
including plants, and refer to ahimsa fruitarianism. Some
fruitarians say that eating some types of fruit does the parent plant a favor
and that fleshy fruit has evolved to be eaten by animals, to achieve seed
dispersal.
Scientific studies
Nutritional concerns
According
to nutritionists, adults must be careful not to follow a fruit-only diet for
too long, a fruitarian diet is not suitable for teens, and a fruitarian diet is
wholly unsuitable for children.
Nutritional
deficiencies
Fruitarianism
is more restrictive than veganism or raw veganism. The Health Promotion Program
at Columbia University reports that a fruitarian diet can cause deficiencies in
calcium, protein, iron, zinc, vitamin D, most B vitamins (especially B12), and
essential fatty acids. Additionally, the Health Promotion Program at Columbia
reports that food restrictions in general may lead to hunger, cravings, food
obsessions, social disruptions and social isolation.
Vitamin
B12
Vitamin
B12, a bacterial product, cannot be obtained from fruits. According to the U.S.
National Institutes of Health "natural food sources of vitamin B12 are
limited to foods that come from animals." Like raw vegans who do not
consume B12-fortified foods (certain plant milks and breakfast cereals, for
example), fruitarians may need to include a B12 supplement in their diet or
risk vitamin B12 deficiency.
Growth
and development issues, deaths
In
children, growth and development may be at risk. Some nutritionists state that
children should not follow a fruitarian diet. Nutritional problems include
severe protein-energy malnutrition, anemia and deficiencies including proteins,
iron, calcium, essential fatty acids, raw fibre and a wide range of vitamins
and minerals.
7) Omnivore Diet. Learn how to start doing
this diet now at Omnivore Diet
An omnivore
is an animal that can derive its energy and nutrients from a diet consisting of
a variety of sources that may include plants, animals, algae and fungi.
Omnivores
often are opportunistic, general feeders which lack carnivore or herbivore
specializations for acquiring or processing food, but which nevertheless
consume both animal protein and vegetation.
An
omnivorous diet includes both plant and animal foods. It’s the most common diet
among humans, and many other animals are omnivores as well, including many
bears, birds, rodents and other small mammals. There are a wide range of
omnivorous diets, so generalizations are difficult to make. However, a balanced
omnivorous diet provides all necessary nutrients and contributes to health.
Benefits
An
omnivorous diet that features healthy, wholesome foods provides benefits from
both meat and plants. Lean meats supply protein, B vitamins, vitamin E and
minerals including magnesium, iron and zinc. Additionally, MyPyramid.gov notes
that the vitamins and minerals present in plant-based foods can help guard
against obesity as well as fight off conditions including heart disease,
stroke, kidney stones, bone loss, diabetes and cancer. Furthermore, the
"American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" reports in a 1999 study that
participants who followed an omnivorous diet and participated in
strength-training exercises gained more fat-free muscle mass than vegetarians
who took part in the same exercises.
Features
Due to the
wide amount of variation among omnivorous diets, there’s no one standard diet
plan that most people follow. Some omnivores are primarily carnivorous and have
meat with every meal; others follow a “flexitarian” diet and eat meat only
rarely. In the most balanced omnivorous eating plans, meals and snacks contain
foods from all five major groups: dairy, protein-rich foods, fruits, vegetables
and grains.
Nutrition
Even
though omnivores who follow a balanced diet have a high likelihood of getting
all of their essential nutrients through the foods they eat regularly, it’s
still important to be mindful of nutritional concerns. Limiting potentially
harmful nutrients such as sodium, cholesterol, trans fat, saturated fat and
added sugar can help cut the risk of cardiovascular and other degenerative
diseases.
Foods
According
to Dr. John McArdle and the Vegetarian Resource Group, omnivores can be
described as opportunistic feeders, meaning that they eat whatever is
available. For humans, such foods often include convenience items and processed
products. Healthier alternatives are whole foods, including meat options such
as turkey, chicken, lean deli meat, fish, low-fat ground beef and pork.
Dairy items and eggs are also included. Plant-based foods that offer prime
nutritional benefits include whole grains as well as fresh fruits and
vegetables of all types.
Considerations
Despite
the potential advantages, following an omnivorous diet does not guarantee
improved health or optimal nutrition. Before adopting any new diet plan, talk
with a physician about the details. Eating well as an omnivore involves
balance, moderation and mindful nutrition.
6) Okinawa Diet. Learn how to start doing
this diet now at Okinawa Diet
The Okinawa diet describes a weight-loss diet based on the eating
habits of the indigenous people of the Ryukyu Islands.
Indigenous islanders' diet
People
from the Ryukyu Islands (of which Okinawa is the largest) have a life
expectancy among the highest in the world, although the male life expectancy
rank among Japanese prefectures has plummeted in recent years.
The
traditional diet of the islanders contains 30% green and yellow vegetables.
Although the traditional Japanese diet usually includes large quantities of
rice, the traditional Okinawa diet consists of smaller quantities of rice;
instead the staple was the sweet potato. The Okinawan diet has only 25% of the
sugar and 75% of the grains of the average Japanese dietary intake. The
traditional diet also includes a relatively small amount of fish (less than
half a serving per day) and more in the way of soy and other legumes (6% of
total caloric intake). Pork was highly valued, and every part of the pig was
eaten, including internal organs. However, pork was primarily eaten on
holidays, and the daily diet was mainly plant based. Their overall traditional
diet would be considered a very-high-carbohydrate diet by modern standards,
with carbohydrates, protein, and fat providing 85%, 9% and 6% of total calories
respectively. The consumption of pork in Okinawa in 1979 was 7.9 kg
(17 lb) per person per year. This may be contrasted with the average
consumption of meat in the United States, which, by 2005, included 62.4 lb
(28.3 kg) of beef, 46.5 lb (21.1 kg) of pork, and 73.6 lb
(33.4 kg) of poultry per person per year. Virtually no eggs or dairy products were consumed by the
Okinawans.
An
Okinawan reaching 100 years of age has typically had a diet consistently
averaging about one calorie per gram of food and has a BMI of 20.4 in early
adulthood and middle age.
In
addition to their high life expectancy, islanders are noted for their low
mortality from cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancers. Wilcox
(2007) compared age-adjusted mortality of Okinawans versus Americans and found
that, during 1995, an average Okinawan was 8 times less likely to die from
coronary heart disease, 7 times less likely to die from prostate cancer, 6.5
times less likely to die from breast cancer, and 2.5 times less likely to die
from colon cancer than an average American of the same age.
The
traditional Okinawa diet as described above has been practiced on the islands
until about the 1960s. Since then, dietary practices have been shifting towards
Western and Japanese patterns, with fat intake rising from about 10% to 27% of
total caloric intake and the sweet potato being supplanted with rice and bread.
Weight loss diet
The diet
consists of a relatively high energy intake, and contains similar foods to the
traditional Okinawan diet. The principal focus of the diet consists of knowing
the food energy density of each food item.
The
proponents of this diet divide food into four categories based on caloric
density. The "featherweight" foods, less than or equal to 0.8
calories per gram (3.3 kJ/g) which one can eat freely without major
concern, the "lightweight" foods with a caloric density from 0.8 to
1.5 calories per gram which one should eat in moderation, the
"middleweight" foods with a caloric density from 1.5 to 3.0 calories
per gram which one should eat only while carefully monitoring portion size and
the "heavyweight" foods from 3 to 9 calories per gram which one
should eat only sparingly.
5) Ketogenic Diet. Learn how to start doing
this diet now at Ketogenic Diet
The ketogenic
diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in
medicine is used primarily to treat difficult-to-control (refractory) epilepsy
in children. The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates.
Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which
is then transported around the body and is particularly important in fuelling
brain function. However, if there is very little carbohydrate in the diet, the
liver converts fat into fatty acids and ketone bodies. The ketone bodies pass
into the brain and replace glucose as an energy source. An elevated level of
ketone bodies in the blood, a state known as ketosis, leads to a reduction in
the frequency of epileptic seizures.
The
original therapeutic diet for pediatric epilepsy provides just enough protein
for body growth and repair, and sufficient calories to maintain the correct
weight for age and height. This classic ketogenic diet contains a 4:1 ratio by
weight of fat to combined protein and carbohydrate. This is achieved by
excluding high-carbohydrate foods such as starchy fruits and vegetables, bread,
pasta, grains and sugar, while increasing the consumption of foods high in fat
such as cream and butter.
Most
dietary fat is made of molecules called long-chain triglycerides (LCTs).
However, medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs)—made from fatty acids with shorter
carbon chains than LCTs—are more ketogenic. A variant of the classic diet known
as the MCT ketogenic diet uses a form of coconut oil, which is rich in MCTs, to
provide around half the calories. As less overall fat is needed in this variant
of the diet, a greater proportion of carbohydrate and protein can be consumed,
allowing a greater variety of food choices.
The classic
therapeutic ketogenic diet was developed for treatment of pediatric epilepsy in
the 1920s and was widely used into the next decade, but its popularity waned
with the introduction of effective anticonvulsant drugs. In the mid-1990s,
Hollywood producer Jim Abrahams, whose son's severe epilepsy was effectively
controlled by the diet, created the Charlie Foundation to promote it. Publicity
included an appearance on NBC's Dateline programme and ...First Do No
Harm (1997), a made-for-television film starring Meryl Streep. The
foundation sponsored a multicentre research study, the results of
which—announced in 1996—marked the beginning of renewed scientific interest in
the diet.
Almost
half of children and young people with epilepsy who have tried some form of this
diet saw the number of seizures drop by at least half, and the effect persists
even after discontinuing the diet. The most common adverse effect is
constipation, affecting about 30% of patients.
There is
some evidence that adults with epilepsy may benefit from the diet, and that a
less strict regime, such as a modified Atkins diet, is similarly effective.
Clinical trials and studies in animal models suggest that ketogenic diets
provide neuroprotective and disease-modifying benefits for a number of adult
neurodegenerative disorders. As of 2012, there is limited clinical trial data
in these areas, and, outside of pediatric epilepsy, use of the ketogenic diet
remains at the research stage.
Diet
In 1921,
Rollin Woodyatt reviewed the research on diet and diabetes. He reported that
three water-soluble compounds, β-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate and acetone
(known collectively as ketone bodies), were produced by the liver in otherwise
healthy people when they were starved or if they consumed a very
low-carbohydrate, high-fat diet. Russel Wilder, at the Mayo Clinic, built on
this research and coined the term ketogenic diet to describe a diet that
produced a high level of ketone bodies in the blood (ketonemia) through an
excess of fat and lack of carbohydrate. Wilder hoped to obtain the benefits of
fasting in a dietary therapy that could be maintained indefinitely. His trial
on a few epilepsy patients in 1921 was the first use of the ketogenic diet as a
treatment for epilepsy.
Wilder's
colleague, pediatrician Mynie Peterman, later formulated the classic diet, with
a ratio of one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight in children,
10–15 g of carbohydrate per day, and the remainder of calories from fat.
Peterman's work in the 1920s established the techniques for induction and
maintenance of the diet. Peterman documented positive effects (improved
alertness, behavior and sleep) and adverse effects (nausea and vomiting due to
excess ketosis). The diet proved to be very successful in children: Peterman
reported in 1925 that 95% of 37 young patients had improved seizure control on
the diet and 60% became seizure-free. By 1930, the diet had also been studied
in 100 teenagers and adults. Clifford Barborka, also from the Mayo Clinic,
reported that 56% of those older patients improved on the diet and 12% became
seizure-free. Although the adult results are similar to modern studies of
children, they did not compare as well to contemporary studies. Barborka concluded
that adults were least likely to benefit from the diet, and the use of the
ketogenic diet in adults was not studied again until 1999.
4) Master Cleanse Diet.
Learn how to start doing this diet now at Master Cleanse Diet
Master Cleanse Diet is a modified juice fast that
permits no food, substituting tea and lemonade made with maple syrup and
cayenne pepper. Proponents claim that the diet detoxifies the body and removes
excess fat. There is no scientific evidence that the diet removes any toxins,
or that it achieves anything beyond temporary weight loss. Though unlikely to
be harmful over the short term it can be harmful over the long term. Short term
side effects include fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and dehydration, while long
term harm includes loss of muscle mass.
Origin
Master Cleanse was developed by Stanley Burroughs, who published it
initially in the 1940s, and revived it in 1976 in his books The Master
Cleanser and Healing for the Age of Enlightenment.
Criticisms
Nutritionist Jane Clark points to a lack of essential nutrients in this
program, citing a deficiency of protein, vitamins, and minerals. As a result of
these deficiencies, including far fewer calories than the recommended amount
for health and optimum functioning, individuals on the diet may experience
headaches and a variety of other symptoms in the short term and the diet is
potentially harmful over the long term. The program has been described as an
extreme fad or crash diet, and any weight lost during the fast can be expected
to be regained once the diet is stopped. Dietician Keri Glassman has said those
following the diet are "guaranteed" to gain weight after stopping.
3) Mediterranean Diet.
Learn how to start doing this diet now at Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean
diet is a modern nutritional recommendation inspired by the traditional
dietary patterns of Greece, Spain and Southern Italy. The principal aspects of
this diet include proportionally high consumption of olive oil, legumes, unrefined
cereals, fruits, and vegetables, moderate to high consumption of fish, moderate
consumption of dairy products (mostly as cheese and yogurt), moderate wine
consumption, and low consumption of meat and meat products.
On
November 17, 2010, UNESCO recognized this diet pattern as an Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Italy, Greece, Spain and Morocco. On December 4, 2013,
UNESCO recognized, during its meeting in Baku, that this diet pattern as an
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Italy, Greece, Cyprus
and Croatia.
Despite its name, this diet is not typical of all Mediterranean cuisine.
In Northern Italy, for instance, lard and butter are commonly used in cooking,
and olive oil is reserved for dressing salads and cooked vegetables. In both
North Africa and the Middle East, sheep's tail fat and rendered butter (samna)
are the traditional staple fats, with some exceptions. Indeed, one researcher
concludes: "It appears that currently there is insufficient material to
give a proper definition of what the Mediterranean diet is or was in terms of
well defined chemical compounds or even in terms of foods.... The all embracing
term 'Mediterranean diet' should not be used in scientific literature...."
The most
commonly understood version of the Mediterranean diet was presented, amongst
others, by Dr Walter Willett of Harvard University's School of Public Health
from the mid-1990s on. Based on "food patterns typical of Crete, much of
the rest of Greece, and southern Italy in the early 1960s", this diet, in
addition to "regular physical activity," emphasizes "abundant
plant foods, fresh fruit as the typical daily dessert, olive oil as the
principal source of fat, dairy products (principally cheese and yogurt), and
fish and poultry consumed in low to moderate amounts, zero to four eggs
consumed weekly, red meat consumed in low amounts, and wine consumed in low to
moderate amounts". Total fat in this diet is 25% to 35% of calories, with
saturated fat at 8% or less of calories.
Olive oil
is often considered characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, though in Egypt,
Malta, and Israel, olive oil consumption is negligible. It contains a very high
level of monounsaturated fats, most notably oleic acid, which epidemiological
studies suggest may be linked to a reduction in coronary heart disease risk.
There is also evidence that the antioxidants in olive oil improve cholesterol
regulation and LDL cholesterol reduction, and that it has other
anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive effects.
2) Juice Cleanse Diet.
Learn how to start doing this diet now at Juice Cleanse Diet
Juice Cleanse Diet (also known as
"juice cleansing" or "Juice
fasting") is a controversial fasting method and a detox diet in
which a person consumes only fruit and vegetable juices to obtain nutrition while otherwise abstaining
from food consumption. The health benefits are unproven, with many health
professionals considering them potentially dangerous. Juice fasts may last
anywhere from a few days to several weeks. The juice consumed during a juice
fast is not the type commercially available, but rather that produced from
freshly juiced fruits and vegetables.
Reasons for fasting
Reasons to undergo juice fasting may include spiritual or religious
reasons, detox, desire to lose weight, or attempts to stop habitual behavior
such as smoking, drinking soda, overeating, caffeine addiction, etc.
Participants may use juice fasting as an alternative medicine. Participants may
believe juice fasting will cure chronic pain, cancer, depression, arthritis,
severe infections that resisted antibiotics, autoimmune diseases, and many
other incurable diseases. One reason for juice fasting is to assist with other
methods of gallstone passage. Others choose juice fasting because they believe
they can focus on healing specific organs and systems.
1) Paleo Diet. Learn how to start doing
this diet now at Paleo Diet
The paleolithic
diet (abbreviated paleo diet or paleodiet), also popularly
referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer
diet, is a modern nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of
wild plants and animals that various hominid species habitually consumed during
the Paleolithic era—a period of about 2.5 million years which ended around
10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture and grain-based
diets. In common usage, the term "paleolithic diet" can also refer to
actual ancestral human diets, insofar as these can be reconstructed.
Centered
on commonly available modern foods, the contemporary "Paleolithic
diet" consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, and
excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined
sugar, and processed oils.
First
popularized in the mid-1970s by gastroenterologist Walter L. Voegtlin, this
nutritional concept has been promoted and adapted by a number of authors and
researchers in several books and academic journals. A common theme in
evolutionary medicine, Paleolithic nutrition is based on the premise that human
genetics have scarcely changed since the dawn of agriculture, and modern humans
are genetically adapted to the diet of their Paleolithic ancestors. Therefore
an ideal diet for human health and well-being is one that resembles this
ancestral diet.
Proponents
of this diet argue that modern human populations subsisting on traditional
diets, allegedly similar to those of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, are largely
free of diseases of affluence. They assert that multiple studies of the effect
of Paleolithic diet in humans have shown improved health outcomes relative to
other widely recommended diets. Supporters also point to several potentially
therapeutic nutritional characteristics of preagricultural diets.
The paleolithic diet is a
controversial topic amongst some dietitians and anthropologists. An article on the website of the National Health
Service of the United Kingdom Choices refers to it as a fad diet.
REFERENCES:
Acquista, Angelo andLaurie
Anne Vandermolen. 2006.
The Mediterranean Prescription: Meal
Plans and Recipes to Help You Stay Slim and Healthy for the Rest of Your Life.
Ballantine Books; 1 edition. ISBN-10:
0345479246
Blatner, Dawn Jackson. 2010. The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian
Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease, and Add Years to Your Life.
McGraw-Hill; 1 edition. ISBN-10:
0071745793
2010. The
Fruitarian Diet. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. ISBN-10: 1162885688
Cordain, Loren. 2010.
The Paleo Diet Revised: Lose Weight
and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat. Houghton
Mifflin Harcourt; Revised Edition. ISBN-10:
0470913029
Farley, Lori Kenyon andMarra
St. Clair. 2013.
The Juice Cleanse Reset Diet: 7 Days
to Transform Your Body for Increased Energy, Glowing Skin, and a Slimmer
Waistline. Ten Speed Press. ISBN-10:
1607745836
,2011.
Ketogenic Diets. Demos Health;
5 edition. ISBN-10: 1936303108
Harris-Uyidi,
Stephanie J. 2012.
The Posh Pescatarian: My Favorite
Sustainable Seafood Recipes. CreateSpace Independent Publishing
Platform. ISBN-10: 1468144448
Pollan,
Michael. 2007.
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural
History of Four Meals. Penguin. ISBN-10:
0143038583
Willcox,
Bradley J.,
and 2002. The
Okinawa Program: How the World's Longest-Lived People Achieve Everlasting
Health--And How You Can Too. Harmony. ISBN-10: 0609807501
Woloshyn, Tom. 2007. The Complete Master Cleanse: A Step-by-Step
Guide to Maximizing the Benefits of The Lemonade Diet. Ulysses Press;
1st edition. ISBN-10: 1569756139
*Based on the most searched diet plan on Google for the
year 2013.
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