You’ve heard a lot of people talk about the Paleo Diet and the Zone diet, but what are they really? Why are they so important, and what makes them so great? Get answers to the most common questions about the Paleo and Zone diets below.
Paleolithic Diet
Q: What is the Paleo Diet?
A: The Paleo Diet is modern nutritional plan based on the presumed diet of the first humans during the Paleolithic era that started about 2.6 million years ago and ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture. Their diet consisted of wholesome, natural foods they could hunt or gather, including fresh meats, fish, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts. Dairy products, cereal grains, legumes, refined sugars and processed foods were not part of our ancestral menu. The Paleo Diet is sometimes referred to as the Caveman Diet, Stone Age Diet, Hunter-Gatherer, Paleolithic Diet or simply Paleo.
Q: OK so eating Paleo is eating like a caveman. Why is that a good idea?
A: Following the Paleo Diet is essentially a lifestyle that promotes good health. It is so much more than a lists of foods you should and shouldn’t eat. First proposed in 1975 by Dr. Walter L. Voegtlin and furthered by the work of Dr. Loren Cordain, Robb Wolf, and others, the diet was developed after years of research to help humans be their best when working out and throughout their daily lives. Research led to the conclusion that Paleo lifestyle can be anti-inflammatory and offer numerous health benefits, such as reducing fat stores, boosting our auto-immune system, stabilizing blood sugar, improving sleep patterns, and many more. They didn’t have access to, and therefore didn’t eat, the processed foods that have been directly and indirectly linked to countless health issues. They thrived on foods that they hunted and could gather. They didn’t need packaged food, so you don’t need it either.
Q: Who eats Paleo? Is this a fad diet? Will I get skinny by eating paleo?
A: The Paleo Diet is extremely popular with CrossFit, functional fitness groups, and health conscious individuals because it promotes nutrient-rich foods that offer countless health benefits. While it was initially met with skepticism, numerous clinical studies have been conducted to support the claims of the Paleo lifestyle. To quote Robb Wolf:
“The Paleo diet has stood not only the test of time, but also the rigors of scientific scrutiny.”
Over the 35+ years that the Paleo Diet has existed, many people have experienced significant fat loss. Naturally, results will vary from person to person, but the Paleo lifestyle is designed to help people stay lean, strong and energetic. A clear example would be the CrossFit athletes who consider themselves to be “strict Paleo.” They tend to have low body fat percentages and lots of lean muscle. This is best portrayed through the CrossFit motto that “strong is the new skinny.” Paleo is surely not a quick-fix weight loss plan that people use for a few months and stop. Real Paleo living has great benefits and can help you feel energized without feeling deprived.
Zone Diet
Q: What is the Zone diet?
A: The zone diet is the result of Dr. Barry Sears studies on diet and its relation to proper hormone balance. Sears found that a “40:30:30” ratio for daily Caloric intake from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats respectively allows people to reach “The Zone,” a state of optimal hormone balance. The Zone Diet is centered on the idea of reducing cellular inflammation, which Dr. Sears suggests is the root cause of weight gain, accelerated chronic disease development, and overall decreased physical performance. Dr. Sears’ proprietary food intake ratio has obvious benefits when it comes to managing Calorie intake and sugar intake, which are both areas that have well documented negative effects on health.
Q: What is the Paleo Zone diet?
A: The Paleo Zone diet is just what it sounds like. It is a combination of both the Paleo Diet and the Zone diet. It takes the Paleo diet tenets of raw whole unprocessed foods and prescribes that you eat them in “The Zone” following the “40:30:30” ratio for Caloric intake of those foods.
Q: Who is the Paleo Zone diet popular with?
A: The Paleo Zone plan tends to be most popular with the CrossFit community and those who are more physically active and want to include a bit more variety in their foods. People on the Paleo Zone often are in athletics and burn a lot of Calories but still subscribe to the idea that nature knows best and healthy eating should include mostly raw whole foods with some of the added benefits that modern society has to offer like powdered protein and other food supplements.
Amara’s Place in Paleo / Zone
Q: How does Amara fit in?
A: Our team recognizes that cavemen didn’t have drinks in bottles or even bottles for that matter. What they did have access to are the natural Superfruits and minerals found in Amara. The Amara team has taken complexity out of the equation and produced raw, all-natural drinks using the same fruits and minerals that our ancestors sought for nourishment. Most of us live very busy lives and don’t have extra time to gather a fresh harvest of berries and minerals every day to blend drinks for ourselves.The Paleo and Zone Diets allow for some of the modern advantages that are available with products like Amara. Amara is made with all-natural ingredients and is crafted with the tenets of the Paleo and Zone diets in mind. We don’t pasteurize (heat and cook) our drink like many popular Paleo beverages such as coconut water.
This pasteurization process has been shown to break down the nutrients and electrolytes before consumption and is something cavemen wouldn’t have done anyway.
At Amara, we use only natural, whole ingredients and deliver unprocessed functional hydration with only 30 Calories, negligible carbohydrate levels and very little sugar. We set out to provide a drink that stays true to the tenets of nutrition that don’t change. We also wanted Amara to deliver the functionality that is offered by modern drinks like hydration and energy, so we selected specific fruits that naturally contained caffeine, B vitamins, antioxidants and electrolytes. It is among the most Paleo friendly products you can buy on the market today. For more information on what makes us so Paleo check out our ingredients page.