“New year, new me!”
It’s that season again where we’re all seeking to make better choices, routines, and habits, in order to make serious changes to our lifestyles and improve our bodies.
One of the most popular resolutions people make at this time of year is changing their diet. In our current market, there are so many options of diet plans available – all of which claim to be the most effective one yet.
The paleo diet and the keto diet are two increasingly popular options at the moment. Both diet plans can be incredibly effective at aiding weight loss, and both come with their own set of health benefits.
But as the two grow in popularity, many are left wondering which is the better diet.
The short answer to this question is: it depends on what you need and what your goals are. Both diets have a wide range of health benefits, including reducing inflammation, increasing immunity and preventing diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and other heart conditions.
A lot of people mistakenly assume that the paleo diet is the same as the keto diet. While there are similarities, both operate with slightly different rules and restrictions, which is why one plan may be better for you than the other.
Table of Contents
What Is The Paleo Diet?
The paleo diet is a high-protein diet plan that has been proven to induce weight loss, as well as improve blood lipids and reduce pain from auto-immune conditions.
This diet can contribute to significant weight loss, without counting calories, as well as improving your physical and even mental health.
The paleo diet gets its name from the concept. This diet is based on the same kind of foods that hunters would gather during the Paleolithic era, which is why it is named as such.
The paleo diet is also called a ‘hunter-gatherer’ diet because of this history. The plan requires a lot of meat and poultry which would have been the main source of nutrients for our stone-age ancestors.
Of course, there is no way to officially determine what our ancestors during the Paleolithic era actually ate, but a lot of experts report that their diets were based solely on whole foods, as this was their only option.
On the paleo diet, processed foods should be avoided.
What Can I Eat on the Paleo Diet?
There is not one way to be on the paleo diet as paleolithic humans lived on a lot of different foods. During these times it was more about what could be gathered and what was available.
The paleo diet is preferred in a lot of cases due to the flexibility it offers. As there is not one right way to be on this diet plan, people can alter the process to fit in with their lifestyle and routines.
This allows some people to live with a low-carbohydrate paleo diet if they want to increase their weight loss, whereas some will chose a high-carb plan as they plan on building muscle and working out a lot.
The basic idea of the paleo diet is to rely on whole foods and avoid processed, saturated and high-sugar content ingredients that we have grown so accustomed to.
Foods to Eat on the Paleo Diet
No matter how you adjust the paleo diet to fit into your lifestyle or goals, the following foods are the ones that should be your main source of nutrition:
- Meat
- Poultry
- Eggs
- Vegetables and fruit
- Healthy Fats
It also allows natural seasoning and flavors such as:
- Herbs
- Spices
- Seeds
- Nuts
- Healthy oils
Foods to Avoid on the Paleo Diet
As the paleo diet is based on consuming whole foods, the following should be avoided to see the best results:
- Processed foods, like ready meals or fast food
- Soft and carbonated drinks
- Sugar
- Most dairy products
- Artificial sweeteners, typically hidden in juices and other foods
- Vegetable oils, including margarine
- Legumes – vegetables like chickpeas, clover, and lentils
- Trans fats
Processed foods are full of hidden sugars and fats that can cause weight gain as well as various other health conditions when consumed regularly.
The paleo diet is designed to bring our bodies back into their natural set-up and consume natural whole foods that will do good to our mind, bodies, and soul.
What Is The Keto Diet?
The keto diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat and adequate-protein diet. It is an incredibly popular diet plan because of the long term results it produces in the body.
It is highly effective at aiding weight loss due to the fact it allows the body to produce ‘ketones.’ Ketones are an alternative fuel source for the body and are the namesake for this diet plan.
When the body is low in glucose (sugar) it needs another source to burn and produce energy.
On the ketogenic diet, the body starts to burn fat for energy rather than glucose which is how it is such an effective weight loss plan. Burning fat instead of glucose also has a wide range of health benefits, including alertness and increased energy.
As the keto diet alters the body’s functions, by making it rely on fat as an energy source instead of sugar, it is great for the long-term.
It can take a while for the body to enter ketosis, the stage in which fully relies on fat for energy, which is why this is a great option for those who want to make long term changes to their bodies and lifestyles.
What Can I Eat on the Keto Diet?
The keto diet is a restrictive plan and must be kept to long-term to see the best results in your body and mind. The main basis of the keto diet is:
- Meat
- Poultry
- Fish
- Eggs
- Healthy fats, such as coconut and olive oil
- Non-starchy vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
Protein and fat are the main sources of nutrition on this diet, which is why it is a great option for those who want to lead more active lifestyles. This regime increases energy and ability.
Foods to Avoid on the Keto Diet
The keto diet restricts sugar and carbohydrates, as these will affect ketone production in the body. While on the ketogenic diet you should avoid:
- Processed foods
- Sugars
- Most grains, like white bread, pasta, and rice
- Sweet vegetables
- High-carb dairy products
When on a strict keto diet plan you need to stick to this regime without fail to see the best results in your weight loss and lifestyle.
What Plan Is Better: Keto Diet or Paleo Diet?
Now that you understand what is required for both diets, it is time to determine which plan will be best for you.
Both diet plans are incredibly useful for weight loss and followers of both the keto diet and the paleo diet report feeling better, healthier and are less at risk for certain diseases.
Aren’t Both Diets the Same?
As both the keto diet and the paleo diet rely heavily on protein and vegetables, you are forgiven for thinking they’re basically the same thing.
However, the differences lie in the types of foods allowed within these categories and therefore the specific benefits they create.
The keto diet allows healthy fats, whereas all fats are restricted on the paleo diet. These healthy fats produce a lot of health benefits that simply do not occur on the paleo diet, such as blood sugar control.
The versatility of the keto diet is easier to maintain long-term, whereas the paleo diet is perhaps a better option for a shorter period of time.
Another great difference between the two is their focus. The ideology behind the paleo diet, which is based on leading a more wholesome lifestyle, encourages wellness practices. For example, on the paleo diet stress reduction is encourages typically through yoga and meditation.
The paleo diet extends further than restricting the foods you consume to altering your behavior to help you lead a healthier lifestyle.
The keto diet, on the other hand, does not come with any lifestyle ideas and is instead focused solely on biological changes in your body. It is a diet plan that is designed to make long-term changes to your body.
Depending on what kind of personality you have and what goals you want to set yourself throughout the new year, the paleo or keto diet may be preferred.
Both are just as effective at weight loss if this is your main concern. The decision mainly lies in what other changes you want to make to your lifestyle.
Which Diet Plan Is Better – Keto vs. Paleo
Although both diets, the keto, and the paleo, are highly effective in aiding weight loss and encourage those on them to lead healthier lifestyles there is one diet plan that is better for everyone.
The keto diet comes with more health benefits than the paleo, including:
- Reducing seizures
- Helping those who suffer from epilepsy
- Reduces pre-cancerous cell production
- Prevents diabetes and other conditions
- Enhances mental clarity, energy levels, and alertness
As the keto diet alters the biology of your body, it is also a better option for those who want to make long-term changes to their bodies.
It can be used for body-building regimes and gym goers because of the protein allowed and the increase in energy it creates.
This is not to say that the paleo diet is a bad choice. Choosing the right diet is a decision that should be solely based on your needs, goals, and lifestyle.
For some, the paleo may be a better option because of its overall focus on lifestyle changes. In other cases, the long-term effects of the keto diet are what many people need which is why it can be preferred.
Both diet plans require a lot of personal motivation and willpower to maintain, so the decision really is down to you.
Conclusion: What’s Right For You?
Both the keto diet and the paleo diet have a lot of restrictions and benefits. Both diets are increasing in popularity due to their weight loss benefits, and both plans are equally as effective in this regard.
The keto diet and the paleo diet rely heavily on protein and vegetables to impact your body. However, it is the restrictions within these categories that make the biggest differences in which diet is best for you.
The paleo diet is based on whole foods, similar to those our stone-age ancestors would have consumed. A bit of flexibility is allowed on this plan due to its ideology.
The paleo diet is based on the diets of cavemen and long-ago ancestors, who would have eaten whatever they got their hands on. Those on the paleo diet can alter the regime to fit in with their lifestyles and what food is available in their area.
In order to stick to your paleo diet plan, you need to consume whole foods and avoid sugars or processed ingredients.
The keto diet has a similar set of restrictions, but this diet does not have any lifestyle ideology. Instead, the keto diet is focused solely on altering the body’s biology to aid weight loss.
The ketogenic diet allows the body to burn fat rather than sugar for energy, which is why it is such an effective weight loss program. The conversion of running on fat rather than glucose is not something that can happen overnight which is why the keto diet is better for the long-term.
The keto diet may be preferred by more people as it has more noticeable health benefits. Not only does it prevent diabetes, pre-cancerous cell growth, and aids weight loss but those on the ketogenic diet report an increase in energy and ability.
When making changes to your lifestyle or diet, the main thing you need to consider is how it will impact you.
As both diets have a range of benefits, it is up to you to determine which one would be better to improve your lifestyle and help you reach your goals.
