THE PALEO DIET

Eating like our ancestors may help you get in shape this summer

- FAYEM SMITH, JENNY ROWE

Not heard of the Paleo diet before? It’s based on the kind of meals that were eaten by our hunter-gatherer ancestors. ‘That means eating only foods that would have been available before farming practices began, about 10,000 years ago,’ says registered nutritionist Tamara Willner.

The idea for the Paleo diet came from the belief that people were generally healthier in the Palaeolithic era, with lower rates of heart disease and type 2 diabetes – and it’s thought these results could be replicated by modifying our modern-day diets.

The Paleo diet is all about unprocessed foods, says Tamara. ‘These include lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. It usually also means no dairy, grains or legumes, as these weren’t widely available at the time, and other foods that are off-limits are refined sugar, sweeteners and vegetable oils.’

But can it help you lose weight? ‘On the Paleo diet you won’t be eating any processed foods, which are typically high in sugars, refined carbohydrates, fats, preservatives and salt,’ explains Tamara. ‘These foods are rarely satiating and by cutting them out we’ll become more aware of our natural hunger cues and be less likely to overeat.’