The paleo diet has taken the fitness and health world by storm. It’s a miracle diet plan that has you lose fat without having to sacrifice any calories. What’s more, a paleo diet lets you nom on all kinds of delicious foods. More and more people are becoming paleo fanatics and for a good reason. People who are new to the diet often have a hard time figuring out what to eat and what not to eat. Quinoa is a perfect example of a disputed food item. Is quinoa paleo friendly or not is a hot topic in the paleo world nowadays. Some people believe that it is perfectly paleo friendly while others feel like it doesn’t meet the set standards of the paleo diet. Today, we’re going to go through the facts and figure out whether Quinoa is okay for a paleo diet or should it be avoided.

Well, the answer to this question isn’t a simple yes or no. If we look at Quinoa from a scientific point of view, then things become even more confusing. This is because Quinoa falls somewhere in between seeds and grains. Before we delve deeper into the conflicted nature of Quinoa, let’s talk a bit more about the paleo diet itself.

This diet is incredibly simple in theory. All you have to do it stick to food items that our ancestors used to eat before they learned how to farm. We humans used to be hunter-gatherers before we learned how to farm. The paleo diet reasons that once we began farming, we started producing food items that nature hadn’t intended for us to eat. Hence, these food items aren’t the best source of nourishment for our bodies. This means that a variety of food items, including grains, must be avoided.

The list of things that the paleo diet deems acceptable for our bodies includes meat, nuts, seeds, and more. We’ve talked about the paleo diet in great detail in a previous article. You can go through it if you want more information about going paleo. Our point of talking about the paleo diet here is to discuss exactly why certain food items are to be avoided. Namely, grains; a vital ingredient that is part of various regions’ staple diet. While grains our nourishing, they also consist of various anti-nutrients. Anti-nutrients are substances that are bad for our immune system and our digestive system in the long run. Anti-nutrients that are commonly found in grains include:

• Lectins
• Gluten
• Saponins

These are the kind of substances that we should avoid consuming. Grains are also avoided due to their high carb content.

Quinoa is essentially a seed that comes from the goosefoot plant. It is officially classified as a seed. There are a variety of seeds that are allowed in a paleo diet because they’re a rich source of nutrients. However, it is also classified as a pseudocereal. Meaning that it’s a food item that lies in the grey area that exists between seeds and grains. This is where all the confusion regarding Quinoa comes from.

Some people say that since it’s a seed, then it’s a paleo friendly food item. Others argue that it is also classified as a grain, which makes it unsuitable for paleo diets.

The reason why Quinoa is thought to be a grain is that it does contain some harmful anti-nutrients. ​Quinoa is gluten free, in fact, Quinoa is loaded with protein and essential amino acids. However, it contains harmful anti-nutrients and has a very high number of carbs. Quinoa also includes Saponins, which are mostly present in its out husk.

After taking a detailed look at Quinoa, we can surmise that Quinoa is and isn’t paleo friendly. It’s a superb source of protein and other nutrients that are required in a paleo diet. However, it also has properties that make it anti-paleo. Namely, this pseudocereal contains anti-nutrients and loads of carbs.

Some people argue that processing Quinoa and turning it into flour can negate its bad properties. Processing Quinoa will get rid of its outer husk, the part that contains most of the anti-nutrients. While this is a plausible way of eating Quinoa, it isn’t a well-rounded solution. Processed Quinoa is a huge source of carbs. This makes it a bad ingredient for regular intake. Unless you have a very active lifestyle and require loads of carbs, another problem with processed Quinoa is its availability. Good quality, properly processed Quinoa is hard to come by.

Quinoa can be counted as a paleo food item, provided that it is prepared correctly. If you can’t find any processed Quinoa, then you should thoroughly clean it before use. Leave the seeds to soak in some water for a few hours. Then rinse them in water to get rid of their outer husk. This will significantly reduce the amount of bad substances present.

Quinoa is a food item that is popular amongst people who are new to the paleo diet. It acts as a handy transitioning ingredient for when you’re preparing to leave grains behind completely. Once you’ve become used to a proper paleo diet, then it is advised to leave Quinoa behind as well. This is because there are a ton of other food items that you can replace Quinoa with.

Quinoa is a very nutritive pseudocereal. It is loaded with protein and is a complete source of essential amino acids such as phytic acid. However, it also contains plenty of carbohydrates and certain anti-nutrients. This handful of grain-like properties present in Quinoa make it a disputed ingredient amongst paleo dieters. One can have Quinoa in their paleo diet if it is properly prepped. However, Quinoa shouldn’t be thought of as an irreplaceable food item. You can find many food items with the same benefits. The biggest attraction of eating Quinoa is that it can be used to substitute grains. People who have a hard time saying goodbye to grains can use Quinoa as a transitioning food item.

The word “paleo” is a shortened version of Paleolithic. This was a prehistoric era during which humans had just begun learning how to use stone tools. The Paleo Diet trend has been really catching on lately. This has many people asking that what paleo diet is exactly. This is perhaps one of the most simple diet plans that have become popular in a while now. The Paleo Diet involves adopting a dietary regime that is similar to what our prehistoric ancestors used to eat. The reason for doing so is to cut out excessive calorie intake. It also tries to minimize food items that humans began eating after learning how to farm. The Paleo Diet, also known as the caveman’s diet is what we are going to explore in-depth today.

The Paleo Diet became insanely popular because of its simplicity and results. The goal of this diet is to adopt a high fiber and high protein eating regime. Doing so promotes lean muscle building and lets you shed weight quickly without having to cut down your calorie intake. Basically, the Paleo Diet lets you lose fat without having to eat sparingly. It also means that you don’t have to deal with low energy levels.

Despite being called a caveman’s diet, there’s a lot of science behind the Paleo Diet. There are many books on the topic, including The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain and the more recent The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf (a biochemist). The Paleo Diet isn’t a brand new way of eating. Humans had been following this diet during the Paleolithic era when their primary means of obtaining food was through hunting and gathering.

The simplest reasoning behind the Paleo Diet is that we should eat food that was naturally available to us. Devotees argue that food that we learned to grow ourselves isn’t what nature intended for us to eat. Therefore, it doesn’t suit our bodies as well as what humans were eating before they learned farming techniques.

The regulations that the Paleo Diet places on us are quite simple. All you have to do is cut back on processed foods, grains, legumes, and dairy products. You introduce more meat, fruits and vegetables, and unprocessed foods to your meal plan. The best thing about the Paleo Diet is that there isn’t one fixed way of getting it right. You are provided with a framework of rules that you need to incorporate into your lifestyle, which means that you have the liberty of choosing your own meals. You may even customize your diet as long as it doesn’t go against the core rules of Paleo. Many people start with a Paleo Diet and end up adopting a Paleo Lifestyle. They begin integrating the “naturalizing” aspects of the Paleo Diet into their lifestyle. Such as developing better sleeping habits and adopting different fitness regimes.

If you’re someone who wants to lose weight, then the Paleo Diet is definitely worth a try. You can start with something as simple as cutting out grains from your food for a week. Have a breakfast of a veggie omelet (without cheese) and substitute bread with lettuce wraps. Eat nuts as snacks between meals and make sure that you don’t touch any sugar. The best way to delve into the Paleo Diet is by first dipping your toes into this pool. You can find Paleo plans online that provide you with an outline of how to adopt this diet. You start at an entry level and then advance to intermediate and eventually work your way up to a pure Paleo Diet.

Now let’s take a look at the details of the Paleo Diet, including what to eat, what not to eat, and how to make the most out of it.

The Paleo Diet’s primary focus is on high amounts of protein and fiber. This means that your diet shall consist of naturally found animal products and plant products. Let’s go through a list of foods that are Paleo friendly.

A majority of people start the Paleo Diet because they want to lose weight. The diet has proven to be quite effective in terms of weight loss. It naturally supports the metabolic system of the body. It also introduces food items to the body that are easy to digest and break down. However, to get effective results, you need to maintain some form of physical activity.

A good thing about Paleo Dieting is that you can shed weight without having to rely on heavy exercises. In fact, most Paleo Dieters recommend exercises that are “natural”. This can include exercises such as briskly walking for 2 to 3 hours every day. Walks along with moderate muscle support exercises are a great way to lose weight and refine your muscle mass.

The Paleo Diet is great, but it isn’t perfect. While it leads ​to ​weight loss and allows you to become fit without having to cut back on calories, a Paleo Diet can also result in certain deficiencies. Going Paleo means that you’re cutting many food groups out of your life. This results in certain nutrients being sacrificed. Cutting out dairy from your diet means that you’ll have a harder time obtaining certain nutrients. This includes vitamin D, vitamin B, and calcium. This is why it is recommended that you don’t completely cut out dairy unless your health requires you to do so.

Deficiencies are something that you may face, but they can be avoided if you are careful. Your Paleo Diet should make sure that any lack of vitamins and nutrients should be covered for by some other alternative food item. We, humans, are omnivores, and we need a balanced and diversified diet to remain healthy. You should make sure that your Paleo Diet plan provides you with an appropriate level of nourishment.

Another problem with the Paleo Diet is that it’s expensive. Sourcing organic food items will bloat your grocery bill. Experts also say that it introduces too many saturated fats into your diet. There have been studies that have linked saturated fats and early death rates. At the moment, there are a few health-related grey areas in the Paleo Diet. This is because there isn’t enough scientific data to support the long term effects of the Paleo Diet.

Overall, the Paleo Diet works wonders for your body. It introduces food sources that are rich in nutrition and easy on the digestive system. It also eliminates and reduces food items that are bad for the body in general. This Diet may be hard to follow due to extreme limitations and budget problems. However, it can be managed if you carefully plan out your routine. As for the health-related grey areas, the best way to make sure that your Paleo Diet doesn’t have any adverse effects on you. You should figure out what works for you and stick to it. This can be done through a bit of research and some trial and error based experiments.