In our quest to look better, feel better and achieve better health, Americans are in the worst state of health in recorded history. Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions and heart disease and cancer are all too familiar. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control report that approximately 72.5 million American adults are obese and that at any given time two-thirds of all Americans are on a diet to lose weight or prevent weight gain. Therefore, it is not surprising that the pathways to health are riddled with extreme diets, low-fat myths, and medicinal treatments. Each leads us to a virtual dead end. Recently, rather than continuing to turn to research labs for the cure to these modern diseases, some scientists and medical professionals have opted to look into our ancestral past to unlock the answers for a healthy future.

Author of The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet, Robb Wolf proposes that our body is best suited to digest only wild vegetation and animal protein—the very foods that were eaten during our evolution from early to modern man. Meats from properly raised and fed animals, wild caught fish, free range chicken eggs, organic vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruit are the cornerstone of this diet and are eaten in nearly restriction-free quantities. All of these naturally occurring foods are easily digestible, anti-inflammatory, and help to maintain a healthy auto-immune system and proper metabolic health. Without exception, all foods with an ingredient list, nutrition label, or additives of any kind are strictly avoided, as they have been found to contribute to the majority of preventable disease and obesity that plagues our society today. Specifically, all forms of grains (breads and cereals), soy, natural and artificial sweeteners, and most forms of dairy are not eaten on this diet.

Eating only naturally occurring food allows the body to return to its natural state of health. When we eat only what our body is meant to consume, it demonstrates a remarkable improvement in energy levels, reduced body fat storage, healthier skin and hair, improved digestive health, and other markers of wellness.

Proponents of the Paleo Diet range from research scientists to physicians as well as authors and exercise scientists. Art de Vany, scientist, athlete, and creator of Evolutionary Fitness, Loren Cordain Ph.D., a leading authority on the evolutionary basis of diet and disease, and Wolf are three of the movement’s most prominent figures. Each man has authored books, conducted research, and continues to give speeches around the world to help spread the word about using natural foods to help prevent disease.

For information pertaining to this lifestyle read Loren Cordain’s The Paleo Diet as well as Wolf’s The Paleo Solution. Visit PaleoPhysiciansNetwork.com to find a participating physician who can help address symptoms and suggest dietary solutions.