Have you tried every fad diet under the sun, only to find that the pounds always creep back on? It may be time to take a different approach to healthy eating—one that looks way back in time, to what our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate. Adopting an ancestral appropriate diet full of whole, unprocessed foods can help you finally lose the weight and reclaim your health.
What is the Ancestral Diet?
The ancestral or paleo diet is based on eating whole, unprocessed foods that our pre-agricultural ancestors would have consumed. Think fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, lean meats, fish, and eggs. Foods that could be hunted or gathered. There were no processed foods, dairy products, added sugars, or grains before the advent of agriculture about 10,000 years ago.
This diet is drastically different from the Standard American Diet (SAD) consumed by most people today, which relies heavily on processed convenience foods packed with sugar, unhealthy fats, chemical additives, and other substances foreign to the human body.
The idea is that we should eat foods aligned with our genetics and digestive systems for optimal health. Our bodies evolved eating ancestral appropriate diets over hundreds of thousands of years, so we aren’t well adapted to modern inventions like Twinkies and Cheetos.
What Did Our Ancestors Actually Eat?
There wasn’t just one universal ancestral diet, since our ancient ancestors adapted to utilize the foods available in their local environments.
For example, Paleolithic hunter-gatherers in Europe sustained themselves on wild game like deer, boar, and elk, as well as foraged nuts, seeds, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits and eggs.
The traditional Inuit diet consisted mostly of seal, whale, caribou, and fish since that’s what could be hunted in the Arctic.
Aboriginal Australians sustained themselves on animals such as kangaroo and emu, as well as seasonal fruits.
Paleolithic hunter-gatherers in Africa had a much greater variety of nuts, vegetables, mushrooms, eggs, and wild game to choose from.
Even in 1900, the average American diet consisted mostly of fresh, whole foods like meat, dairy, vegetables, fruits and grains prepared at home.
Around the 1950s, consumption of processed foods, junk foods, and added sugars began rising steadily. By 2000, the average American was getting 20% of calories from added sweeteners, and relying heavily on convenience foods packed with salt, sugar and refined grains. This timing corresponds with the increase in weight gains in the American population. Coincidence?…
Despite some differences based on habitat, ancestral diets shared many core characteristics:
Characteristics of Ancestral Diets
Despite some differences based on habitat, ancestral diets shared many core characteristics:
- Mostly whole, unprocessed plant foods such as vegetables, fruits, tubers, nuts and seeds.
- Animal foods like wild game, fish, eggs, and sometimes dairy.
- No sugars, refined grains, or chemical additives. Food came straight from nature.
- Seasonal and regional differences based on geography and food availability.
This natural, nutrient-dense cuisine provided all the calories and nutrition our ancestors needed to power their active lifestyles.
Why Does This Ancient Approach Aid Weight Loss?
Switching from the Standard American Diet to a predominantly whole foods, ancestral diet almost always results in effortless weight loss and improved health markers. There are several reasons why ancestral appropriate eating is superior for shedding pounds:
More Satisfying
Whole, fiber-rich foods take longer to digest, keeping you fuller for longer periods. Processed junk foods spike blood sugar levels, leading to energy crashes and hunger pangs. Ancestral diets are naturally more satiating, making it easier to consume fewer calories.
Blood Sugar Stabilization
Refined grains, added sugar and other nutritionally empty calories send blood sugar on a rollercoaster ride. The ensuing energy spikes and crashes disrupt appetite regulation. Whole foods foods, on the other hand, are digested slowly, stabilizing blood sugar. This allows hunger cues to function optimally so you eat only when truly hungry.
Elimination of Empty Calories
One of the biggest perks of ancestral eating is cutting out processed snack foods, desserts, sugary beverages, and other foods that provide calories without nutrition. The bulk of calories on an ancestral diet come from nutritious whole foods containing fiber, protein and beneficial fats.
Anti-Inflammatory
Chronic inflammation contributes to nearly every modern health problem, including obesity and metabolic disease. However, whole plant foods, omega-3 fats from fish, and antioxidants naturally reduce inflammation levels in the body. The Standard American Diet is pro-inflammatory, while ancestral diets calm inflammation.
Provides Essential Nutrients
Processed junk foods lack the vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants needed for an optimally functioning metabolism. Ancestral diets contain all the nutrients your body needs in their natural whole food form to properly regulate appetite hormones, blood sugar, fat burning and other metabolic processes.
Transitioning to Ancestral Eating
Transitioning from the Standard American Diet to ancestral eating requires changes in both your diet and mindset. Here are some tips to get started:
Mindset Shifts
- Focus on food quality over convenience and abundance. It may take more effort to plan and cook whole food meals.
- Learn to appreciate subtle flavors over hyperpalatability. Enjoy the inherent taste of fresh, real foods.
- Don’t fear fat. Natural fats from meats, nuts and oils are essential and satisfying.
- Let go of the diet mentality. Ancestral eating is a sustainable lifelong approach, not a temporary quick fix.
Increasing Whole Foods
- Load up on vegetables, making them 50% or more of your plate. Try new ones you’ve never tasted before like jicama, radicchio, and spaghetti squash.
- Eat fruit daily, focusing on low sugar options like berries and grapefruit. Moderate sweeter fruits.
- Incorporate nuts, seeds and their butters. Walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds and tahini are great options.
- Add more fish like salmon, sardines, trout and mackerel for anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats.
- Avoid starchy foods like potatoes, rice, corn and grains, as the starch is quickly broken down into glucose, spiking blood sugar. Focus on non-starchy vegetables instead.
- Get creative with non-starchy veggie-based meals. Try cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, and lettuce wraps.
- Shop the perimeter of the grocery store where the whole foods are. Skip processed “diet foods” and products made with refined grains and added sugars.
Limiting Processed Foods
- Cut way back on fast food, fried food, snacks, sweets and desserts. These provide empty calories without satiety. Save them for special occasions.
- Eliminate sugary beverages like soda and juice. Drink water, mineral water, herbal tea or black coffee instead.
- Be wary of “diet foods”. Items labeled low-fat or sugar-free are still highly processed. Stick to simple, whole ingredients.
- Limit dairy products, legumes, gluten grains, and alcohol if you have existing food sensitivities.
Other Lifestyle Factors for Weight Loss Success
While diet plays a central role, other lifestyle factors contribute to successfully losing weight on an ancestral eating plan:
Physical Activity
Our ancestors were constantly active with foraging, hunting and shelter building. Regular physical activity harmonizes with the ancestral lifestyle.
Adequate Sleep
Insufficient sleep disrupts hormones that regulate metabolism and appetite. Get enough quality sleep to support your weight loss efforts.
Stress Management
High cortisol levels can increase cravings and fat storage. Manage stress through yoga, meditation, nature time and other relaxing activities.
Time Outdoors
Spending time outdoors provides benefits from stress reduction to absorbing vitamin D from sunlight. Unplug and connect with nature regularly.
Conclusion
At its core, ancestral eating is about enjoying real, nutrient-dense whole foods while limiting processed products and empty calories. By modeling your diet after your evolutionary ancestors, you set the stage for easy, sustainable weight loss as your body and mind function as nature intended. Ditch the diet mentality, appreciate the simple pleasure of fresh wholesome foods, move your body, manage stress, and the pounds will take care of themselves.
Making the Mindset Shift
For many people, the biggest challenge in transitioning to an ancestral diet is not the change in foods, but the change in mindset required. years of conditioning around constantly available processed foods, sugar addiction, and “dieting” rather than lifestyle change can be hard to overcome.
If you feel stuck or overwhelmed with the midshafts needed to embrace ancestral eating, consider seeking help from a professional. Hypnotherapy can be highly effective for instilling new beliefs and habits around food and health. Check out Success with Hypnosis for a holistic approach to weight loss hypnosis sessions and programs that address both conscious and subconscious blocks. With the right mindset shifts to support your new ancestral lifestyle, you are setting yourself up for lasting success.
The past provides the blueprint for the future you want. Follow an ancestral appropriate diet, move your body, reduce stress, and your natural state is one of optimal wellbeing, not excess weight. The path to sustainable fat loss starts in the Paleolithic era!