The Paleo diet is a unique diet that borrows heavily from the early man’s dietary habits and general way of life. Overwhelming historical evidence reveals that the early man led a healthier life than humans today despite lacking essential supplementary elements like medicine and access to clean water.
Unlike these early times, there are numerous health conditions and lifestyles ailments today. Most of these diseases are attributed to dietary and lifestyle habits. For example, most food products today contain processed components and refined sugar, both of which are detrimental to your health.
The early man diet was wholly composed of foods they could locally source. Contrary to popular belief, dairy and milk products were not part of this diet. However, you may have seen some dairy-related products, like almond milk, advocated as healthy choices as nuts were available. So, is almond milk allowed on the paleo diet? The simple answer is yes.
However, while it is okay to consume almond milk while on paleo dieting, there are numerous other factors to consider.
These factors will influence your choice and decision towards almond milk. Below is an exhaustive review of almond milk and how it relates to the paleo diet.
What Foods Are Allowed In The Paleo Diet?
As mentioned above, the Paleo diet strictly refers to naturally occurring foods that the early man ate. The Paleo diet is sometimes referred to as the caveman or hunter-gatherer diet as it consists of foods you can either gather or hunt.
While this concept may sound limiting, there’s a vast array of food products to choose from when on this diet.
Some of the foods you’re allowed to consume while paleo dieting include;
- eggs
- fresh fruits and vegetable
- seeds and nuts like almonds
- healthy oils extracted from olives, walnuts, avocado macadamia, and coconut
While on the paleo diet, you can also eat fresh seafood, preferably wild-caught and grass-fed meats.
On the flip side, there are various foods that you should abstain from when observing the hunter-gatherer diet.
Foods not allowed on the paleo diet;
- legumes
- cereal grains
- salt
- artificial sweeteners
- dairy
- refined vegetable oils
- sweetened beverages
Why Are Dairy Products Not Permitted In Paleo Diet?
One of the most significant adjustments you have to make while on the paleo diet is giving up on milk and dairy products. Today, many commonplace products are composed of dairy products, meaning sustaining the diet may prove challenging as you get accustomed.
Dairy products can be found in;
- cheese
- ice cream
- simplesse
- soy
- sausages
- hot dogs
- chewing gum
- mashed potatoes
But, why exactly is dairy not allowed in paleo dieting? The most straightforward answer to this question falls back on the objective of paleo dieting today. Most people on the paleo diet are either trying to lose weight or manage health conditions like blood sugar, digestive issues, autoimmune, and inflammation.
Unfortunately, consuming dairy products can counteract your efforts to achieve these objectives. Dairy products are closely linked to inflammatory and digestive issues.
Dairy may aggravate;
- sinus issues
- IBS
- joint pain
- weight gain
- gas
- acne
- bloating
Luckily, plant-based milk substitutes like almonds can be used in the place of milk.
Why Is Almond Milk Allowed On The Paleo Diet?
Since milk and dairy products are not permitted in the paleo diet, it may surprise that almond milk is an approved food item. However, when you break down the constituents of almond milk, it soon becomes clear why it’s okay to consume while on the paleo diet.
Almond milk is made from almonds and water, both of which are allowed in the paleo diet. In essence, almond milk contains no milk or dairy elements, and it benefits the body in numerous ways. Ideally, almond milk is produced by soaking organically sourced almonds in water, blending the mixture, and straining the pulp.
However, there’s a caveat to incorporating almond milk into your paleo diet. If you’re buying almond milk from the shop, it likely contains sweeteners, processed additives, and preservatives.
All these elements are not allowed on the paleo diet, and buying any almond milk may undo your dieting progress.
If you must buy processed almond milk, go over the ingredients used and the manufacturing process to ensure it does not contain any disallowed elements. When possible, dieting experts and nutritionists advise you to make your almond milk. This way, you have more control over what goes in and the ingredients used.
Is Chocolate Almond Milk Paleo?
One of the main questions asked is whether variations and different flavorings of almond milk are safe to drink while on paleo. For example, chocolate almond milk is okay to include cocoa, and natural chocolate is allowed in the diet.
However, the concern with consuming chocolate almond milk and, by extension, most of the other flavored almond milk is the processing part. If the chocolate and different flavors contain milk and processed sugars, they should not be used. But, if you’re confident the chocolate used is free from the disallowed elements, it’s okay to consume.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the paleo diet benefits your health and the environment’s sustainability in mind. By eliminating processed elements from your diet, you can reduce your diet’s carbon footprint and champion safer and healthier food manufacturing and processing techniques.
Almond milk is one of the ways to create a healthy body and environment, and adding it to your diet can benefit you in numerous ways.
