Everyone seems to be looking for that magic diet where they will be able to eat whatever they want and still shed pounds of fat. It’s too bad that diet doesn’t exist. There are diets out there, however, that can provide a much-needed boost in health while being good for the environment. Today we’ll be starting a series featuring three environmentally friendly eating habits: the Paleo diet, the macrobiotic diet and raw veganism.
Paleolithic Diet
The Paleolithic diet, often called the Paleo diet, is modeled after what is known of the dietary practices of Paleolithic humans. As such, it places an emphasis on the consumption of wild plants and animals that would have been available to human beings during the Stone Age, a time period that ended about 10,000 years ago. Generally all meat consumed will be grass-fed, pasture raised meat, in order to avoid grains. Because it’s unlikely that Paleolithic man consumed grains, legumes, dairy salt and refined sugars, those who choose the Paleo diet avoid such foods. Organic, fresh food is favored, leading many who pursue a Paleo diet to shop at local farmers markets and organic groceries.
Macrobiotic Diet
A macrobiotic diet focuses on consuming grains as a staple of a person’s diet, with other foods incorporated as needed. A major focus is placed on eating whole, organic, local food and avoiding anything processed or refined, along with most animal products. One thing that makes a macrobiotic diet stand out from other diets is that it places an emphasis on the way a person eats, requiring food to be chewed thoroughly before swallowing. This can aid in digestion and help prevent overeating by making the person take their time with their food and, therefore, making them better able to recognize when they’re satisfied.
Raw Veganism
Raw veganism is, as the name implies, a mixture of veganism and raw foodism. A raw vegan does not consume any animal products or food cooked at a temperature higher than 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking foods at higher temperatures is believed to destroy many valuable micronutrients available in food, making it less valuable nutritionally. They abstain from meat, dairy eggs and honey, often for a mixture of health and philosophical or spiritual reasons. Much of their food will be local and organic in order to obtain the highest nutrient content available and to ensure that no harmful pesticides were used in the production of their food.
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