Paleo In Comparison

        I got to thinking, what makes the plaeo diet special? If I am concerning myself with a specific diet, shouldn't I provide a comparison between it and the other popular diets? So here it is my blog readers; a combination of facts and opinions from testimonials and articles. For obvious reasons I omitted crash diets that don't promote real food. I also decided to leave out diets only focusing on weight loss. *Cookie diet.*

        The diets that seem to be most popular for health in today's world are listed below:

A vegetarian diet- Includes animal products that don't take animal's lives. Doesn't eat meat or anything with eyes essentially, with the exception of potatoes. Many vegetarians should refer to themselves as carbatarians. I used to be guilty of this. I'd pass up vegetables for oatmeal, pasta, bread, and rice. Carbatarian is not a real term, but it should be. Vegetarians who focus too heavily on grains and refined sugar tend to behave lethargically. Critics often point out that it's lacking in protein and iron. It's slightly more accepted by meat eaters than a vegan diet, but still frowned upon by many.  

A vegan diet- Many people go the refined route, others go the wholesome route. Doesn't eat anything derived from an animal. This includes dairy, eggs, honey, vegetarian vitamin D (from sheep's wool), bee pollen, etc. You get the picture. They often feel the most connected to animals, and place great importance on their health. It's criticized for being overly sentimental and extremist. For dietary reasons, people disregard it for lacking in calcium, protein, and B vitamins. However, soy is very high in protein.

A Mediterranean diet- This one is incredibly popular, because it's versitle. The main thing you have to give up is bad fats, like margarine and processed oils. Lets face it, limitation is scarier than expansion. The paleo diet does not allow grains, alcohol, legumes, and dairy. This makes most people run for the hills. The Mediterranean diet allows all four in moderation. Other than those aspects, it's a close cousin of the paleo diet. It hear critics telling me that it's not "fun" enough. That's a different way to look at it, but when a person grows up on junk food it's understandable.   

A raw food diet- This one is proven to benefit humans. It is exactly what it sounds like, only uncooked food is allowed. Many of the essential compounds are broken down when food is cooked. It can be a branch of the vegan diet. It's mostly criticized for enabling food borne illnesses. Especially when raw food eaters include raw meat to the equation. It's also looked down upon for being too low in fat, or lacking in crucial vitamins such as B12.

An Atkins diet- It focuses on eating a huge amount of protein. It totes meat, fish, or seafood as the foundation. Usually a small amount of vegetables is added on the side to keep the body from entering ketosis. Ketosis, to the best of my knowledge is essentially the opposite of what a diabetic faces. Although grains are allowed, many Atkins diet worshipers prefer to keep their net carbohydrate intake among fruit and vegetables. It's criticized for creating health problems associated with too much meat. Often it results in a heart attack or ketosis.   

There are countless more, but these seem to be the most popular from my observations and research. Oddly enough, a paleo alteration can be made to any of these diets. It would be the most challenging for a vegan, but manageable. A few sacrifices would have to be made if someone wanted to convert, but it's a possible choice.

Vegetarians V.S. Paleo: Both increase the immune system when approached healthily. Vegetarians consume far less antibiotics than people who eat meat. Over time, the drugs used to keep animals alive handicap a person's immune system when they eat the meat. However, vegetarians who regularly indulge in refined sugar have an equally handicapped immune system. I used to contact the common cold every year before I limited sweets to a seasonal treat, if any. This doesn't apply to meat eaters who hunt all of the animals they eat, or purchase meat from a drug free source. 

Vegan V.S. Paleo: It's similar to the vegetarian comparison, except they tend to bump heads more often. I think a combination would be the best of both worlds. They both share healthy values, but their attitude towards animals separates them. The healthiest people I know live by either of these diets, also the pescatarian diet.

Mediterranean V.S. Paleo: Addressing this one is like walking on eggshells. Most people agree that the paleo diet tastes better because whole grains, Greek yogurt, and loads of olive oil just don't tingle their taste buds. Long life is recorded from following the Mediterranean diet. Since paleo cultures today live in habitats similar to the paleolithic era, death by accidents are more prevalent. So it wouldn't be accurate to compare the two based on longevity.

Raw food V.S. Paleo: They can essentially go hand in hand, especially when raw meat is included. The one way they differ is cooking food, although not entirely. Many paleo people consume raw fruits and vegetables, and only cook animal products to avoid possible illnesses they might carry.    

Atkin V.S. Paleo: The paleo diet places much less emphasis on meat, which lowers the risk for heart disease, and eliminates the possibility of ketosis when followed accurately. Some Akin dieters go overboard with processed fats, which is the huge difference between the two. They usually share some respect and common ground with each other.

In conclusion, I still believe that all five diets would be improved when adjusted to a paleo version. They are all miles above junk food, and each route has it's benefits.