Some of the benefits of a stone age diet

Food trends like the Paleo Diet tout the benefits of eating like our ancestors, but what are the benefits of a Stone Age diet?

Our ancestors ate game meats, fish, vegetables, berries, other fruit and nuts. Anything they ate, they either speared or picked.

These limitations gave them a diet rich in lean protein, vitamins, minerals, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like omega-3 fatty acids, fibre and other beneficial plant chemicals.

These natural foods contain elements that help to keep our cardiovascular system in good condition.

In fact, when volunteers in a Swedish study followed a similar diet for three weeks, eating as our distant ancestors did, they reduced their average calorie intake by 36 percent, raised protective antioxidant levels in their blood, reduced their systolic pressure (the first number in a blood pressure reading) and had a 72 percent reduction in levels of a harmful clot-promoting factor in their blood. They also lost weight, slimmed their waistlines and reduced their body mass index (BMI).

Other research has shown that a Stone Age diet not only lowers blood pressure but also improves insulin sensitivity and lowers levels of C-reactive protein, another risk marker for heart disease.

Following a healthy food plan means selecting whole, unprocessed foods and cutting down on foods that are pre-packaged, pre-prepared or highly refined, including white sugar and white bread.

Stock up on oats, oat bran and legumes, which provide soluble fibre. Soluble fibre binds to"bad" LDL cholesterol and removing it as waste from the body, keeping it from damaging your heart health.

The Stone Age diet contains little or no grains or rice, but these are generally only bad for you if they're over-refined.

Eating whole grains and brown rice is, in fact, beneficial because both contain plenty of fibre, which keeps the digestive system healthy and satisfies the appetite, so we need to eat less.

Like fruit and vegetables, whole-grain wheat and brown rice are good sources of insoluble fibre.

If you're considering the Paleo Diet or another Stone Age diet, keep these points in mind. And be sure to consult with your doctor before starting any kind of diet program.