Paleo Vs Keto: Which Is The Better Option?
In this 21st century, no diets are as popular as Paleo and Keto. Do you want to know their greatest differences? Find out which diet you should go for when trying to rejuvenate your overall health or lose weight.
Paleo vs Keto diet
As far as efficient fat-burning and adapting to a healthier lifestyle are concerned, there are two nutritional paths that are of paramount interest to dietary enthusiasts. These are the Ketogenic and Paleo diets. The two entail almost the same types of meals with overlapping benefits but they serve distinctive purposes. Let us first take an in-depth look at each one of them so you can determine which is best for your health.
Paleo Diet
Paleo diet is geared towards the elimination of legumes and grains since these two food groups have a phytic acid content. This nutritional lifestyle is based on eating quality meals that support the digestive system. Paleo diet excludes most of the dairy products since they are high in lactose (not easy to digest for people with lactose intolerance). This means that Paleo foods are therapeutic for digestive health as they eliminate hard to digest foods. It also helps in maintaining a healthy blood sugar level, boosts immunity, and aids in weight loss.
The reason Paleo eliminates legumes, grains, and dairy is that these foods are deemed to be evolutionarily novel i.e. they are the sources of most people’s health issues. Actually, most allergens originate from grains (e.g. gluten) and dairy products. However, they are people who have genetically adapted to this diet and are doing just fine.
So, an ideal Paleo diet consists of:
- Seafood
- Lean Meat
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Roots
- Healthy Fats
- Veggies
- Fruits
- Tubers
- Shoots
Foods to avoid
- Dairy
- Legumes
- Starch
- Grains
- Processed foods
- Alcohol
- Sugars
Keto Diet
This is a type of diet that is primarily focused on dramatic weight loss. It also aids in the improvement of health conditions like cognitive disorders and diabetes type II. Initially, the ketogenic diet was used to treat epilepsy in the 1920s. Today, it is best known for rapid fat burning. The cornerstone of Keto diet is carbohydrate restriction. If you follow this nutritional lifestyle, you can only consume 20g to 30g of pure carbohydrates every day. The ideal carbs for this diet are low-glycemic-load foods and nutrient-dense veggies. You should also get sufficient protein and include healthy fats depending on your needs.
However, athletes who choose this dietary plan can consume 70% – 80% of calories since they need more energy for training. The ketogenic diet is an effective weight loss regimen because it acclimatizes the body to burn more fat by hitting the ketosis metabolic state. This is a state in which the body gets into when there is no glucose in the body for energy production. Therefore, the body is left with no option but to generate energy from fatty acids which results in ketones. Ketones replace glucose for energy needs especially by the brain. They are actually more stable sources of energy as compared to glucose.
By reducing the carbohydrate content, maintaining a moderate level of proteins, and increasing fat intake, Keto diet gets your body into a nutritional ketosis state which you can adapt to in the long run. Here is a list of the recommended Keto meals.
- Non-starchy veggies
- Eggs
- Full-fat dairy
- Seafood
- Meat
- Healthy Fats
- Essential oils
- Seeds
- Nuts
Foods to avoid
- Starchy veggies and fruits like pumpkin and bananas
- Legumes
- Grains
- Sugars
- Alcohol
- Processed foods
What are the key differences between Keto and Paleo diets?
If you are still confused about the two types of diets, here is a comprehensive breakdown of their differences.
- Keto aims at reaching nutritional ketosis
Yes, Ketogenic foods raise the ketone levels when your body has less glucose for energy. Did you know that when your body has plenty of glucose, the excess is stored as fat? But if you deplete carbohydrates, your body starts to metabolize the stored fat to generate ketones as fuel. The nutritional ketosis has a number of benefits namely…
- Rapid weight loss
- Stability in blood sugar level
- Minimizing epilepsy symptoms
- Stabilizing cholesterol level
- Reducing blood pressure
- Promoting brain focus
- Potential cure for cancer
- Assists in the treatment of neurodegenerative ailments like Alzheimer’s disease
- Paleo focuses on cavemen diet
The aim of this diet is to give the body as many nutrients as possible but from toxin-free foods. The nutrition is based on the ancestral habits, no wonder it is known as the cavemen’s diet. It emphasizes on the elimination of toxin-stricken processed foods and sugars, hydrogenated oils, legumes, and grains. In other words, the caveman’s diet is a high-quality diet. Here are reasons you should choose this diet.
- It minimizes the risk of cardiovascular diseases by eliminating hydrogenated oils
- It is hypoallergenic and anti-inflammatory: there is no gluten
- It is good for your gut: most legumes present digestive problems like excess gas
- Promotes hormonal balance by eliminating foods like soy
- You get more nutrients per caloric intake from nutrient-dense foods
- Keto supports diary but Paleo doesn’t
You can take full-fat products if you follow the Ketogenic diet. But this is a gray area when it comes to Paleo diet. If you don’t like dairy products, then you’d rather go Paleo vs keto. Ketogenic dieters choose dairy products since they have high-fat content but low in carbohydrates. Skipping dairy meals is advantageous as it avoids common health problems like digestive issues, acne, sinus, and inflammations.
Final verdict
Did you know that you don’t have to choose between Paleo vs Keto diet? You can do both simultaneously but there are some things you should do. You can still burn fat efficiently while following Paleo. All you need to do is eliminate dairy products except ghee and grass-fed butter. You also have to track your caloric intake to remain in a favorable range that gets your body into ketosis. If you have to take animal products, choose grass-fed meats and avoid natural sugars like green leaf stevia.
On the other side, there are scenarios where only one diet is best suited. Check out which one fits your lifestyle.
Paleo vs Keto verdict
Choose Paleo diet if you want:
- Switch to a healthier lifestyle with simple nutritional guidelines
- A more flexible diet to incorporate into your busy schedules
- To clear most of your health concerns like autoimmune issues and digestive problems
Choose Keto diet if you want:
- Quick weight loss
- To deal with a sweet tooth and endless cravings
- To balance blood sugar an energy levels
- To increase mental clarity
Keep in mind that you can always combine the two. You can also switch to your favorite, occasionally.
So what did you think of our analysis of Paleo vs keto? which one would you choose? Looking for a diet to lose weight before your wedding? We say, go for Keto!