What are Paleo Principles?
The paleolithic (paleo) diet is derived from the diet cavemen were limited to during the Paleolithic era. Cavemen didn’t have it easy. Hunting for food could be dangerous and avoiding becoming a predator’s food was even more challenging. Cavemen had to contend with attacks from leopards, wolves, tigers, and other beasts sharing their habitats. The weather further complicated scavenging for food as well. That said, cavemen survived these threats and evolved into the humans we are today. Let’s discuss paleo principles: the types of food cavemen survived on and how sticking to these foods could help our chances of surviving a SHTF event.
The paleo diet consists of the following foods:
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Natural proteins like meat, fish, and eggs
- Cavemen were hunters. Geography would of course determine the type of game they hunted, but the search for high protein foods was universal. Mammals, fish, and fowl were all highly desirable foods that provided cavemen with protein, an essential nutrient humans need to survive.
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Fruits and vegetables
- Cavemen consumed fruits and vegetables more often than they did proteins. Fruits and vegetables provided cavemen with vitamins and minerals. Wild berries and dates were sweet treats cavemen enjoyed as part of their diet. Cavemen would eat edible plants, which differed vastly from the vegetables we’ve engineered for mass consumption.
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Nuts and seeds
- Nuts and seeds are high in fat and fiber. The filling, healthy staples of a caveman’s diet were often roasted over a fire. Only some of the nuts and seeds cavemen ate are still around today.
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Fats and oils
- While cavemen could sometimes kill their own food, they often had to settle for the remains left behind by other predators. Cavemen would feast upon the bone marrow of animal remains. Bone marrow is high in fat and protein, so these ignored remains were enough to help cavemen stave off starvation.
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Naturally occurring sugars and sweeteners (maple syrup, honey, etc.)
- Refined sugars weren’t around in the paleolithic era. However, sweet syrups and honeys were available to the cavemen. We can therefore still enjoy naturally occuring sugars and sweeteners while following the paleo diet.
Paleo principles suggest that were unavailable to cavemen are off limits. This means no processed foods or artificial sweeteners. Americans have grown so accustomed to eating white bread and sugary cereal, which we chase down with milk or soda. This diet has of course led to ballooning waistlines and healthcare costs. We are so much more knowledgeable than our cavemen ancestors, yet we’re so much less healthy! Not only will changing our eating habits help us survive a SHTF event, it will also improve the health of our nation. We need two critical skills to eat like cavemen if SHTF: hunting and foraging.
Hunting
Mass scale production of meat has rid us of the need to hunt for our own game. What would happen if the grocery stores were to disappear, though? By learning to hunt, we can insure against any disruption to the food supply. You can provide for yourself and your family on a sustained basis. We’re fortunate enough to have guns, a luxury our cavemen ancestors didn’t have. This gives us a distinct advantage over game and puts us at the top of the food chain. You should capitalize on our top position and learn to hunt.
Foraging
Foraging isn’t as simple as picking berries off of shrubs. It’s a critical survival skill. An ignorance of what’s safe to eat can get you killed. It’s important to identify which types of plants, fruits, nuts, and seeds available near your secure location are edible. It isn’t always easy to distinguish a poisonous plant from an edible one, so I suggest putting the time into learning to forage.
Surviving
The paleo diet isn’t just a disciplined way of eating. It should be a lifestyle. We need to take cues from our cavemen ancestors and learn to survive like they did. By following the paleo principles, you’ll live a healthier, more prepared existence.
What do you think of paleo principles? Leave a comment or contact me directly.
