Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Paleo Athletes - The Cavemen of Athletics

Cavemen meals might seem unpleasant to some, especially when you think that cavemen were not thoroughly familiar with cooked food. However, what a lot of people miss is that cavemen were much stronger, thanks to their higher protein, vegetable, and healthy fat intake. If you are an athlete who wants to gain more strength, increase your stamina, or simply boost your confidence by maintaining an impressive physique, then it is best for you to become one of today's Paleo athletes.

Paleo athletes are basically athletes who follow the Paleolithic or caveman diet. This is a diet that promotes and improves health by sticking to meals of lean meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The main principles of this diet are to:

* Focus on meat and fresh produce, which allows the body to absorb nutrients better
* Avoid processed or fried food, high-fat dairy, and too much sugar as they lead to weight gain and even chronic diseases
* Drink a lot of water and prefer it over other liquids (e.g., juice and soda)

The Paleo diet is continuously rising to popularity, gaining recognition from elite athletes and acclaimed medical personalities, as it is shown to produce stunning results. However, Paleo athletes don't always have it easy. For one, avoiding bread, pasta, and other grains altogether can be very tough, especially if you grew up with them consistently a part of your meals. The fact that athletes, especially endurance athletes, are prone to sugar intake for maintaining or gaining strength in trainings or competitions makes it tougher.

Are you an athlete who likes to drink soda pop or has candy bars once too often? If yes, then you might find the Paleo diet a harsh challenge. That is not even to mention that you might also find it restrictive. Yes, you can still eat a lot of different types of meat, fruits, and vegetables. However, this does not take away the reality that you will need to have a strong conviction to succeed.

While it may take time for you to become part of the Paleo athletes' guild, if you are determined, you can be confident that it will bring various benefits to your body. For one, your strength and endurance will be highly optimized. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors were able to continuously run for ten miles a day just to trap their prey. How much better can we get if we are able to achieve the same results today?

Now, some people might point out that a caveman's lifespan was estimated to be nothing more than between thirty and forty years. Here is where the second benefit of the Paleo diet is revealed. Cavemen did not encounter common diseases that plague us like diabetes, heart diseases, or the like. What most of them got were infections, traumas, and other diseases that we have already found absolute cures for. With the Paleo diet, you can guarantee that your body will be a lot stronger and healthier. You will always be in tip-top shape, and you are more likely to avoid the above-mentioned diseases.

Paleo athletes are reaping all these benefits, having embraced the caveman diet, but that does not mean it is only for veteran athletes. It does not matter if you are still aspiring to start a solid career in sports or are already training to become like one of the elite Paleo athletes. By going on the Paleo diet, you are sure to achieve success.

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