If you are lacking the energy, and find it tough to get out and perform without illegal substances, the Caveman eating plan might just be the solution. The Paleo Diet is meant to help you lose weight with the simple concept of foods being either “in” or “out.” You choose foods that were available during the Paleolithic era, such as meat, eggs, fish, roots, vegetables, berries and mushrooms. You avoid processed foods along with foods that came along after agriculture and animal husbandry were adopted such as sugar, added salt, dairy, grains and all processed or fast foods. You drink water and eliminate all other beverages, except perhaps organic green tea and coconut water (tough for musicians). The basic theory behind the Paleo Diet is that your body is evolutionarily and genetically and designed to thrive on caveman-era foods. The diet is purported to have several benefits, though you need to check with a doctor before trying it.
A common “side effect” of rebalancing your body’s chemistry is weight loss, as the two tend to go hand-in-hand. One explanation for this is that you don’t really get fat from eating too much and exercising too little. Nor do you get fat from eating fat. Another benefit is that your energy levels really start to take off. Here is the Paleo grocery list for what can be eaten on the plan.
So what does cause your fat tissue to accumulate and hold on to fat?
In a word: carbohydrates.
The diet may put you in synch with your genetic requirements and thus boost your health if its theory is correct, says Jack Challem in the Nutrition Reporter article “Paleolithic Nutrition: Your Future is Your Dietary Past.” Eating a modern diet, on the other hand, makes you more susceptible to cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and many other modern-day diseases, says Challem, also the author of “Stop Prediabetes Now” and “The Inflammation Syndrome.” Agriculture was introduced just 15,000 years ago, with people starting to refine grains and sugar about 1900 with the advent of the Industrial Age. From a genetic perspective that means 200,000 generations survived as hunter-gatherers, 600 generations utilized agriculture, 10 generations have followed the industrial age, and only a couple of generations have been exposed to highly processed and fast food. If nothing else, the diet eliminates foods that are known to increase risk for many of these health conditions. The American Heart Association recommends you eat fewer processed and fast foods that are of little nutritional value, or nutrient poor, including those with hydrogenated oils and trans fats, foods with added sugar and foods with lots of salt. As musician we always want to lead the life of Keith Richards, but that is not always sensible. Having said that, the Paleo for athletes and celebrities too.