Paleo Vs Keto: Which Is Better And Why?
Paleo Vs Keto: Which Is Better And Why?
By: Bill Ross, Ph.D
When you are looking for the best diet that can help you lose weight, you will soon discover that there are two main diets: the paleo diet and the ketogenic diet.
One of the things that may surprise you is that both diets share some similarities in terms of the benefits as well as in the terms of the foods. Nevertheless, they also have their differences.
So, if you're not really sure about which one you should choose, keep reading.
The Paleo Diet
Simply put, the main goal of the Paleo diet is related to making you choose the best foods that can support our digestive health. According to the Paleo diet, you should eliminate legumes and grains because they have a phytic acid content as well as you should move away from dairy products. After all, these may contain lactose which can be hard to digest.
According to the principle of the Paleo diet, when you remove the foods that can affect your digestion, you'll be promoting weight loss, blood sugar balance, autoimmune conditions, and gut health.
The Keto Diet
The main goal of the Keto diet is weight loss. However, it can also be used for other things such as improving your cognitive health as well as manage your overall health.
According to the Keto diet principle, you will lose weight faster with this diet than with any other diet because you will be teaching your body to burn fat more efficiently. And this is achieved when you enter in a metabolic state called ketosis.
Your body usually gets its energy from glucose. However, when it isn't available, your body enters the ketosis state. This means that your body will need to turn into other sources of energy. It will then begin to burn fatty acids which produce ketones.
So, in order for your body to continue to burn fats at a good rate, you will need to reduce your carbs intake drastically and, at the same time, you will need to increase your fat intake.
Paleo Vs Keto Diet: The Similarities
Even though both diets are different, they share some similarities. These include:
- No refined sugar
- No legumes
- No grains
- Encourage eating high-quality animal protein
- Encourage eating healthy fats such as coconut oil, seeds, nuts, animal fats
- Encourage eating a lot of leafy greens and non-starchy vegetables.
Paleo Vs Keto Diet: The Differences:
#1: The Paleo Diet Isn't Low-Carb, High-Fat:
While both the Paleo and the Keto diet restrict refined sugar, legumes, and grains, the truth is that the Paleo diet doesn't mention any restriction in what concerns the carbs that you can ingest. The same can be said about high-fats.
#2: The Keto Diet Measures Carb, Fat, and Protein Percentage:
When you are looking to lose weight and you opt for the Keto diet, you need to be sure about the percentage of carbs, fats, and proteins that you ingest every day. When you don't know these percentages, your body may not enter the ketosis state and it won't be as efficient burning fat as it could be.
According to the Keto diet, you should ingest about 5% of carbs, 75% of fat, and 20% of protein. In what concerns to the Paleo diet, there are no established percentages.
#3: Dairy Isn't Restricted In The Keto Diet:
In case you opt for the Keto diet, dairy products aren't restricted. However, depending on who you ask, they may not be encouraged.
In what concerns to the Paleo diet, dairy products should be completely eliminated from your diet.
Paleo Vs Keto: Which One To Choose?
Ultimately, the decision is yours. When you are looking to lose weight, you should definitely consider choosing the Keto diet. However, when you are looking for a more long-term change in your lifestyle, then it may be better for you to pick the Paleo diet.