Ancestral diet: A complete guide for effective weight loss

In a nutshell

An ancestral diet is an eating approach that implies consuming foods similar to those our direct ancestors consumed before the Industrial Revolution. It implies restricting the consumption of refined and processed foods and focusing on natural, whole foods according to local and seasonal availability. Such a dietary approach is linked to a number of health benefits, including weight loss, gut health, improved metabolism, better digestion, and others.

• Some common ancestral diets include:
• The Mediterranean diet
• Hunter-gatherer diet
• Inuit diet
• Paleolithic diet

When you are trying to lose weight but traditional calorie deficit doesn’t seem to work or if you want to reach your body goals with maximum health benefits, exploring trending and science-backed diets can come in handy. At the moment, ancestral diets seem to be on the top of the hill and we’re about to tell you everything about them.

Ancestral Diet: Definition and History

In a nutshell, an ancestors diet means just that- focusing on consuming foods that our direct ancestors consumed for generations. One of its core aims is to promote foods that aren’t refined, processed, and packed with a wealth of artificial additives and chemicals. Instead, it focuses on nutritional value and nourishment that promotes health and weight loss.

Historical Context of Ancestral Diets

An ancestral diet takes us back to approximately 200-500 years ago before the industrialization of the processes and ingredients used in food creation. In brief, the Industrial Revolution caused two major shifts in the dietary habits of people across the world:

• As more women got into paid employment outside the home, the packaged goods and restaurant trade started thriving.
• The rise of packaged goods and restaurant trade caused a greater need to stabilize the preservation of food, leading to more frequent use of synthetic chemicals and artificial additives in food. It also increased the amount of calories people consume from animal-based products, sugars, and fats.

These shifts in nutrition, as well as changing patterns of physical activity in people (for example, due to greater accessibility of cars), caused by the Industrial Revolution, are now linked to the rise of obesity, cancer, arthritis, and other health problems. From this point of view, an ancestrial diet is mainly meant to help people switch their eating habits to be healthier and more sustainable for the sake of overall health.

The Benefits of Ancestral Eating

Following an ancestrial diet is linked to a number of health benefits, including:

• Weight loss - An ancestors diet eliminates sugary, refined, and processed foods from your daily meal plan. These food types are responsible for obesity and poor body composition. Instead, an ancestral diet encourages you to switch to nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods that promote saturation while causing fat loss.
• Improved digestion - Diets that focus on natural, nutrient-rich, and healthy foods stimulate microbiome diversity and promote gut health. Respectively, they can improve your digestion.
• Inflammation relief - Studies reveal that frequent consumption of processed foods and sugars stimulates the production of inflammatory microbiota in your gastrointestinal tract, potentially leading to leptin resistance and obesity. Ancestral eating helps you steer clear of inflammatory foods and thus, reduce inflammation.
• Metabolic syndrome improvement - Following the same eating principles as your ancestors can help regulate body fat, blood pressure, and blood sugar, potentially leading to improvements in your metabolic function.
• Improved quality of life - Although studies don’t directly link ancestral diets to improved quality of life, they follow healthy eating principles that can potentially help increase your energy levels and promote overall health and well-being. Respectively, such diets can potentially help you feel better on a daily basis.

Common Variations of Ancestral Diets

Now that you know about the benefits, you might be wondering what the basic principles of an ancestrial diet are. Answering this question might be a bit tricky because this diet comes in a variety of forms.

Namely, some of its best-known variations include:

Hunter-Gatherer Diet

The name speaks for itself. This type of diet implies following the eating principles of our hunter-gatherer ancestors who used to hunt, fish, and gather products for their meals. Respectively, this diet is rather high in protein, fiber, and plants. It typically includes:

• Fish
• Wild game
• Fruits and vegetables (based on seasonal availability)
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Mushrooms
• Roots

Inuit Diet

This type of ancestor diet comes from indigenous to the Arctic regions of North America and Greenland. Historically having to adapt to the extreme weather and environmental conditions, the diets of Inuit people consisted mainly of marine mammals, fish, and game meats with a more restricted access to plants compared to the previous variation. A big focus in this diet is on high-fat foods, such as fatty fish (e.g. trout and salmon) and fatty marine mammals (e.g. seals and whales).

The traditional Inuit diet also includes seaweed, berries, and plants but in rather small amounts as they were rarely available.

Paleolithic Diet

This diet variation adheres to the eating principles of our ancestors from the Paleolithic era (between about 2.6 million years ago to around 10,000 BCE). It focuses on farming-sourced products, such as:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Seeds
• Eggs
• Nuts
• Fish
• Lean meats (specifically those from wild game or grass-fed animals)

Mediterranean Diet

Finally, another popular form of ancestral eating is a Mediterranean diet that comes from regions bordering the Mediterranean Sea. Given that there are over 20 countries in this region, this type of diet can vary significantly depending on the specific region. Yet, in all its variations, the Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based foods and healthy fats. It commonly includes products like:

• Plenty of vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, and lentils;
• Whole grains;
• Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for sourcing healthy fats;
• Fish, especially that packed with omega-3 fatty acids;
• Cheese and natural cheese;
• Poultry, etc.

Interestingly, this diet almost doesn’t include any red meat. However, it allows a moderate amount of wine with your meals.

General Principles of an Ancestors Diet

As you already know, the term “ancestral diet” can be applied to a variety of dietary approaches, which can make it a little confusing to get started with it. Some variations of such diets are more high-fat, and others may be more focused on fiber or plants. In any case, there is a list of baseline principles that lie at the heart of every ancestor diet:

• High consumption of protein
• Plants, fruits, and vegetables selected based on seasonal and local availability
• Low consumption of sugars and carbohydrates
• High daily consumption of healthy fats
• A focus on whole, unprocessed foods

Additionally, proper food timing and fasting form an important part of ancestral eating as they help receive maximum metabolic benefits.

Challenges and Important Considerations Related to Ancestral Diets

Despite potential health benefits, following an ancestral diet also has a number of drawbacks and important considerations. First and foremost, many people criticize this dietary approach due to a lack of accessibility and affordability of the products that shape such diets. Needless to say, certain products that were commonly used by our ancestors, such as wild game or marine mammals are simply out of reach for most people. Other products, such as fatty fish and seafood may come with a relatively high price tag.

Another important consideration is a lack of individual approach to ancestral eating. The thing is that different forms of such diets advocate increased consumption of fats, fiber, and/or proteins. Such eating patterns may not be right for everyone. That’s why it’s always recommended to consult a healthcare provider before making significant adjustments to your diet.

Practical Tips for Making the Most Out Of an Ancestral Diet

Although there are a few downsides and considerations to it, following an ancestral diet can indeed offer significant weight loss and health benefits. However, only if you adhere to it right.

Here are a few simple but practical tips that should help you adopt this approach and make the most out of it:

• Don’t focus so much on what you eat but rather on the quality of foods that you choose. You may find many products typical of our ancestors unavailable. However, you can always opt for organic and whole foods with minimal processing.
• Adapt your diet to your individual needs and modern lifestyles. Traditional ancestral diets may contradict a modern way of living but there are always ways to change your approach to match it to your lifestyle.
• Incorporate mild fasting techniques, such as intermittent fasting, and foster mindful eating to make the most out of your diet.

Conclusion

An ancestral diet, in any form, can be a great dietary approach to promote well-being and health. Thanks to a balance of proteins, healthy fats, fiber, and other nutrients, such diets can promote gut health, stimulate metabolism, and help you lose weight in a natural and healthy way.

Of course, like many other diets, it may have certain drawbacks. In particular, it’s believed to contain rare, inaccessible, and expensive products. It may also be rather hard to fit into a modern lifestyle. Nevertheless, if you adjust this diet to your own needs and lifestyle and use the practical tips we shared earlier, you can make it into a powerful weight-loss tool and gain plenty of benefits.