Losing weight is work. Consistent dieting, working out, and having the mental discipline can all be quite the challenge. Following a low-carb diet like paleo or the keto diet can help you lose weight fast and make life easier when it comes to figuring out what to eat and what not to eat as well as accessing diet-friendly meal inspirations and grab and go snacks.
You can also use either of these dietary options if you want to change your eating habits or switch altogether to a healthy lifestyle.
Understanding the difference between the paleo and keto diet can help you choose which diet plan best suits your needs.
What Is The Difference Between Paleo And Keto Diet
Paleo and keto diets are the most popular low-carb diet options around today. They both focus on limiting what you can eat, placing certain restrictions on carbs, and the diets share a few other similarities as well, which we will discuss.
The two diets’ major difference is on the macronutrients ratios and certain food groups that are allowed. For example, the keto diet focuses on avoiding fruits, grains, vegetables, etc. that are high in carbs. Typically those on the keto diet stick to a diet of 70 to 80% fat, 20 to 25% protein, and 5 to 10% carbohydrates.
While with a Paleo diet, it’s advised to avoid a large number of food groups that were not available during the Stone Age, such as all dairy foods, processed foods, legumes, grains, refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, and even salt.
What Is Paleo Diet
The Paleo diet (or Caveman diet) is an eating plan based on the food that humans ate during the Paleolithic era. In the Paleo diet, the goal is to eat whole, unprocessed foods that were available to hunter gatherers. One on the paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts, and seeds, and healthy fats. It excludes foods that became common after the agricultural revolution. For example, the paleo diet eliminates grains, legumes, dairy products, refined sugar, highly processed foods, soda, salt, and artificial sweeteners.
The principle behind the paleo diet is based on the idea that our genes are not well adjusted for modern diets. So by eliminating highly processed foods and sugar, and replacing them with healthy, whole foods long term it could lead to significant weight loss and help reduce the risk of chronic conditions like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. The paleo diet is also believed to naturally lead to health benefits in other areas such as strengthening immunity, reducing inflammation, and fighting diseases like Type-2 Diabetes and autoimmune disorders.
How Does The Paleo Diet Work
The Paleo diet works by promoting good health. On this diet, people limit processed foods, unhealthy fats, and added sugars and salt while prioritizing whole foods such as lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
This diet works because it is naturally lower in carbs and sugar than most traditional diets. The idea is that without as many carbs to burn, the body will instead turn to burn fat. There are other benefits attached to the Paleo diet as well. It can also help to regulate metabolism, lower blood sugar, improve gut health, and reduce inflammation.
Is The Paleo Diet Healthy
While the paleo diet has been shown to have some health benefits like weight loss, without substantial research, it is unclear if the Paleo diet is healthy long-term. For this reason it may not be right for everyone so check with your healthcare provider. It is also not recommended for vegetarians if you are a vegetarian beginning a weight loss journey, see these different types of vegetarian diets.
For example, some potential risks of the paleo diet include deficiencies and calcium and vitamin D, which are important for bone health. Consuming too much saturated fat and protein may also put one at risk for kidney and heart disease.
This is a fad diet that is not sustainable due to the limited food options making it difficult to stick with it long-term.
What Can You Eat On The Paleo Diet
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Fruits
- Vegetables (with the exception of white potatoes)
- Healthy oils (olive oil, avocado, macadamia, coconut)
- Grass fed meat
- Fish
What Is Keto Diet
The keto diet is a low carb, high fat diet aimed at helping to put your body in a safe ketosis, where it can burn fat for energy instead of carbs.
How Does The Keto Diet Work
The principle behind the keto diet is the fact that by consuming a very low amount of carbs and replacing it with healthy fats, you are forcing your body to burn fat instead of carbs for energy.
A major benefit of the ketogenic diet is weight loss. This diet reduces the amount of carbs you eat and increases the amount of fat and proteins that you consume. Some dieters may see several pounds shed within the first week.
It takes about 72 hours for the metabolic state of ketosis to kick in.
Is A Keto Diet Healthy
Ketogenic diets can have short-term and long-term health side effects, making it not a healthy option for everyone so please consult with your personal healthcare provider before starting.
When starting this diet for the first time, there are some side effects of the keto diet including getting the “keto flu”, which includes symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, constipation, headaches. It may take a few days to a few weeks to resolve.
Other risks include nutrient deficiencies, heart disease if consuming a high amount of saturated fat and lack of fiber.
It is definitely not recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding women, and others with health conditions, such as IBS, osteoporosis, kidney problems, or other conditions that involve the pancreas, liver, thyroid, or gallbladder.
On the contrary, the keto diet has been shown to be beneficial for those with type two diabetes or who I prediabetic because it can boost the insulin sensitivity and cause fat loss.
What Can You Eat On A Keto Diet
The ketogenic diet is much more flexible than the Paleo or caveman diet. On this diet, your food options are much wider, give you much more variety and meal ideas to choose from, helping you feel fuller and more able to stick to it longer to achieve your weight loss goals.
On the keto diet, here is a list of foods that you can eat:
- Eggs
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Berries
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Non-starchy vegetables
- Healthy oils (olive oil, avocado, macadamia, coconut)
- Meat
- Fish and seafood
- Unsweetened coffee and tea
- Dark chocolate and cocoa powder
You may also limit the consumption of the following so long as you stick to the proper keto ratios for protein, carbs, and fats. Keeping in mind that this is a low-carb, high fat diet.
- Grains and legumes
- Starchy vegetables
- High sugar fruits
- Sweetened yogurt
- Juice
- Honey, syrup, added sugar
- Chips
- Crackers
- Baked goods
Now that you know all about the differences between keto and paleo diets, next check out this simple meal plan to lose weight.
