By Alyssa Capel
What we choose to eat is influenced by a number of factors. Some follow restricted diets for health reasons, some abstain from certain foods for moral reasons. While vegetarianism is a fairly well-known and widespread practice, as are other plant-based diets, there are also many food lifestyles that are lesser known. Two of these are the Ketogenic (Keto) and Paleolithic (Paleo) food lifestyles.
The Keto diet rose out of a search for a diet that could help those afflicted with epilepsy. Its focus is on eating high (naturally occurring) fat, recommended protein, and very few carbohydrates. The lack of carbohydrates in the body while following the diet makes the body process some of the fat into ketones, which the brain uses for energy. Remarkably, this was found to reduce or halt the frequency of seizures in people with epilepsy. As it has become more mainstream, the Keto diet has been used by weight loss communities because of its low-carb aspect, which encourages the body to burn fat in place of the absent carbs. Those eating Keto tend to consume less of starchy, carb-heavy foods like fruit, vegetables, and grains while adding more high-fat dairy and nuts to their diet.
Another increasingly popular but little-known way of eating is the Paleo diet. Unlike Keto, the Paleo diet is not an engineered alteration of the modern diet but more a reversion - it’s also called the Caveman diet. The Paleo lifestyle consists of aiming for a diet as close as possible to those of our ancestors long ago. Not a food lifestyle for the mildly curious, committed Paleo eaters exclude from their diets dairy, grains, processed foods, refined sugars, and coffee, to name a few things. Instead they load up on protein with meat and animal products composing most of the diet, nuts, and fruits and vegetables. The idea with Paleo eating is that if a caveman wouldn’t have had easy access to it, it’s not on the menu.
Maybe you’ve heard of Paleo or Keto but weren’t sure what they entailed, or maybe you’re looking for a twist on your current diet. As with all diets, getting the base amount of nutrients is the most important thing. Beyond the basic requirements for health, anything goes when it comes to alternate food lifestyles. Whatever umbrella it fits under (or no umbrella at all), finding a diet that works with your personal preferences and needs can be a great thing!
Alyssa Capel is a sophomore WLP major. This past summer she basically lived at her local
health club between working there and working out. She enjoys writing, reading, drinking coffee,
and exercising her willpower each week as she scoops ice cream for money.