Paleo Diet for Men
While the majority of literature on the Paleolithic diet is authored by men, many neglect to consider the specific health benefits the diet may give for men who lead a paleo lifestyle. Considering the specific needs of men and the elevated risks for certain diseases that men face over women, the Paleo diet may not only help you to live like a primal, virile caveman, but it may also benefit your health long-term and add years to your life.
While the entire population of the United States keeps growing in number and in rate of obesity, men are uniquely prone to adding excess pounds to their figures. According to researcher Emile Dubois, men have a harder time metabolizing and handling carbohydrates, which leads to greater risk of obesity and, as a result, a greater risk of severe and chronic illness, such as heart disease, sleep disturbances, lung problems, and even some cancers. The Paleo diet, by eliminating a significant amount of simple carbohydrates in the form of grains and processed foods and increasing intake of vegetables and fruits, may provide men the obesity-fighting tools needed to stay healthy.
The Paleo diet not only fights obesity, but it can also help men sculpt their body for optimal lean muscle mass and physical strength. By decreasing consumption of foods high in glycemic load and increasing nutrient-dense foods packed with healthy fats, weight management becomes much easier. The elevated levels of protein in the diet help muscles to replenish after a tough workout and protein creates a foundation for building muscle mass. The lean protein promoted with the Paleo diet increases your ability to build lean muscle and helps you to increase your overall physical strength.
Getting into optimal physical shape can significantly increase longevity and keep you alive and strong longer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A man’s risk for heart disease, the disease responsible for killing the most men in the United States each year, can be reduced while eating the Paleo diet. Risk factors for the disease include high cholesterol and blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and being overweight, poor diet, and a sedentary lifestyle. Diet is directly linked to heart disease and its risk factors, and eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean and organic meats, nuts, and seeds can have a beneficial effect on the likelihood of death by heart disease.
Similarly, prostate cancer has been directly linked to poor diet and limited exercise. Specifically, the American Cancer Society states that prostate cancer has recently been associated with the consumption of high-fat red meat and dairy and a low intake of healthy, cancer-fighting fruits and vegetables. While researchers have not discovered whether the red meat and dairy or the decreased produce consumption is responsible for the development of prostate cancer, the Paleo diet addresses both factors at once. Cutting out fatty meat and dairy and increasing produce intake, the Paleo diet is the perfect recipe for fighting prostate cancer.
While the Paleolithic lifestyle has its advantages for all genders, the diet is specifically good for men when it comes to those health risks most immediately dangerous for men. Obesity due to excess carbohydrate intake, prostate cancer, and heart disease are serious, chronic illnesses that can lead to death, yet these diseases can be prevented or combated with a Stone Age diet. If you want to live a longer and fuller life, start cleaning out your pantry and filling your plate with lean meats, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats.
