Difference Between Paleo And Keto

Difference Between Paleo And Keto: Everything You Need To Know

Today, you would be hard-pressed to read a health magazine or step into any gym without hearing something about paleo and ketogenic diets.

Many people follow these diets because they want to lose weight or improve their overall health. Yet since both diets are so popular, you may be wondering how they differ.

Here we are going to compare the Keto diet and Paleo diet to see which is better among the two

The Keto Diet

Losing weight is a big challenge for people of today. For most of those who are dealing with this situation, there is a need to understand the options available to find a solution. One of the most trusted weight loss diet programs today is the Keto Diet.

Simply put, the Keto diet offers a meal that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. The idea behind this method is that it allows your body to consume more fat, fewer carbohydrates, and a moderate protein, by starving it of carbohydrate that is needed to generate energy. At this point, the only thing left for your body to do is to burn fat to get energy thereby helping you lose weight.

Many individuals who attempt to adopt a ketogenic diet end up miserably failing for many purposes, but mostly because they have not had a strong strategy. You need a rigorous guideline to follow if you want to shed surplus weight and remain healthy. Those who usually fail to have a solid structure behind their diet, and it usually does not take a lengthy time.

The Keto diet macronutrient breakdown looks something like this:

  • Fat: 60–80%
  • Protein: 20–30%
  • Carbohydrates: 5–10%

In comparison to a “standard” diet, the macronutrient distribution of the Keto diet is shifted significantly in favor of fat, with moderate protein and very few carbs.

The purpose of achieving ketosis with this diet plan is to induce the metabolic breakdown of fat in your body. Thus, it is imperative that macronutrient intake is tightly controlled, as otherwise, you risk throwing your metabolism out of ketosis.

One of the main reasons that the Keto diet has gained recent popularity is because of its potential to help you lose weight and improve blood sugar control.

The Keto diet is an eating plan that focuses on controlling the macronutrient distribution of meals in order to shift the body’s dependence from carbs to fat for energy.

The Paleo Diet

The paleo diet sometimes referred to as “the caveman diet,” is based on the principle that eating foods that were available to early humans will promote optimal health.

One of the fundamental theories behind the paleo diet is that modern food systems, production, and processing techniques are damaging to human health.

Thus, if you adjust your eating style to mimic that of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, you will better support your body’s natural biological function, improving digestion and health.

Paleo eliminates grains, legumes, processed sugar and most sources of dairy.

The main foods permitted on the paleo diet include:

  • Meat and fish
  • Eggs
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables — except corn, which is a grain

Selected fats and oils, such as coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil, lard, tallow, ghee/butter

Minimally processed sweeteners, including raw honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, raw stevia

For most, paleo is about more than just a diet.

There is also a strong focus on lifestyle practices, the environmental impact of food choices and total body wellness within the framework of the paleo philosophy.

The Difference Between the Paleo Diet and the Keto Diet

One of the main differences between the paleo diet and the Keto diet is the ideological message or lack thereof.

The paleo diet places a heavy emphasis on the lifestyle choices beyond just the diet. It encourages a specific lifestyle of exercise and mindfulness throughout the daily activities to accompany the dietary pattern.

One of the mainstays of the paleo lifestyle is to incorporate short, intense periods of exercise into your routine. This style of physical activity is thought to reduce the stress that may accompany longer workouts.

Other methods of stress reduction encouraged on the paleo diet include yoga and meditation.

When paired with the diet, these lifestyle practices are intended to support the total wellness of your body and mind, leading to better overall health.

While the paleo diet regimen is very specific, it does not place any emphasis on macronutrients at all. You are permitted to eat as much protein, fat and carbohydrates as you want, provided you have chosen them from the setlist of “allowable” foods.

Keto, on the other hand, does not have an associated ideology or lifestyle component. While it does encourage choosing healthy food sources, the main focus is macronutrient distribution.

Any other implemented lifestyle changes alongside the Keto diet are the up to the individual and are not part of the diet regimen itself.

Although the Paleo diet does restrict some of the carb sources, it is not necessarily a low-carb diet in the same way Keto is.

Because paleo does not emphasize macronutrients, your diet could theoretically be very high in carbs, depending on which foods you choose to eat within the specified parameters.

Because grains, refined sugars, and legumes are not permitted, the carb sources on the paleo diet are somewhat limited but not eliminated. Paleo still allows carbs from groups of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and unrefined sweeteners.

Conversely, the Keto diet restricts all rich sources of carbohydrates, including starchy vegetables, most fruits, grains, sweeteners, and most legumes.

Due to the fact that total carb intake must remain below a certain threshold to maintain ketosis, many high-carb foods, regardless of their source, simply do not fit into a Keto diet.

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