Paleo Diet For 2014? Popular Diet Promotes Eating Like Hunter-Gatherers

What is the diet you should be following in 2014? It might be the paleo diet, the most googled diet of 2013. But what is it exactly? The paleo diet endorses eating foods similar to those hunter-gatherers consumed about 2.5 million years ago, during the Paleolithic era. According to Dr. Loren Cordain, one of the world’s leading experts on the natural human diet, it entails eating the foods of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, such as fresh meats, fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy oils, such as avocado and olive. According to his research, hunter-gatherers were able to avoid obesity, cardiovascular disease (heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis), type 2 diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases (multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.), osteoporosis, acne, myopia (nearsightedness), macular degeneration, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, gastric reflux, and gout -- all diseases and illnesses that have reached epidemic proportions in Western societies.

The paleo diet is commonly referred to as "the caveman diet," since it is based on the presumed prehistoric diet of wild plants and animals consumed by our evolutionary ancestors. The diet avoids cereals, dairy products or refined sugar, and is an effort to return to how humans were biologically designed to eat.

If you want to try the diet, here are a couple of recipes to try, courtesy of thepaleodiet.com:

The Southern California Omelet

Ingredients: 4 omega-3 eggs; 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; 1 cup chopped spinach leaves, 1 teaspoon fresh basil, finely chopped; 1 small avocado; freshly ground black pepper.

Directions: In a small mixing bowl, whisk eggs until foamy. Heat oil in a small skillet over medium flame and add eggs. Using a rubber spatula, tilt pan and lift edges to allow uncooked eggs to make contact with hot surface of pan. When eggs are almost set, place the spinach on one side, sprinkle with basil and pepper and fold in half. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1 minute. Slide onto plate and garnish with sliced avocado.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients: 6 cups water; meat of 1 whole chicken, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 yellow onion, diced; 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 6 fresh tomatoes, diced; 2 small zucchini, sliced thin; 3 carrots, diced.

Directions: In a large pot, combine water, chicken, garlic, onion, bay leaf, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover, simmering about 2 hours or until chicken is tender. Remove bay leaf and discard. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer about 20 minutes or until veggies are tender. Serves 6.