Nowadays, many sources of info are available to us. So if you want to learn about Paleo diet, you’ll probably reach for your phone and internet. But in “the sea” of information it’s not easy to know which one is true or is a myth. There are lots of deceptions, misinterpretation, and incomplete info.

Here we present you common myths about Paleo diet and the real truth about it.

MYTH 1: THE PALEO DIET IS JUST ANOTHER “LOW CARBOHYDRATE DIET”.

Nope. The Paleo diet is not typically defined as a “low carb diet”. In fact, healthy unprocessed complex carbohydrates such as sweet potatoes, winter squash, and fruit are recommended. This is especially relevant to those who lead an active lifestyle and require the carbohydrates as fuel.

MYTH 2: GIVING UP DAIRY IN THE PALEO DIET MEANS I WILL NOT GET ENOUGH CALCIUM.

Wrong. There are many sources of calcium, which are not from dairy. In fact, in order to consume enough calcium from milk, you would have to consume 3 cups of milk per day. Other types of food, which have high levels of calcium include leafy greens, tinned fish (including the soft fish bone) and nuts.

Did you know that getting 10-15 minutes of direct sunshine 3 times per week is also very important for calcium absorption? Your body receives vitamin D from the sun, which in turn helps the body absorb the calcium.

MYTH 3: THE PALEO DIET IS ALL ABOUT THE PROTEIN, WHICH IS BAD FOR YOUR KIDNEYS.

Firstly this could not be further from the truth. The Paleo diet actually advocates for an extremely high vegetable diet (around 60-70%). If you can picture the traditional food pyramid, the Paleo food pyramid has the base consisting of vegetables.

Secondly, various studies have been completed on this topic. The majority of these studies have proven that in fact protein will not damage your kidneys and the only time to restrict protein intake is when you suffer from kidney disease.

MYTH 4: EATING TOO MANY EGGS MEANS MY CHOLESTEROL WILL RAISE.

This is perhaps the worst dietary myth of all. Ask any parent or grandparent about eating eggs and you will most likely get the reply that you should limit them as they cause high cholesterol. For many years eggs were put into the list of ‘foods to limit’. How wrong we were.

Eggs are perhaps one the healthiest, unprocessed fat and protein combinations around. In addition, they are also very affordable and can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner or even an on the run snack. Eggs can be eaten every day and in abundance.

Research has shown that in most cases eating up to 3 eggs per day can actually improve your good cholesterol (HDL) and your bad cholesterol (LDL) will stay the same or change from being small dense LDL particles to large LDL particles. This means a decreased risk of heart disease.

MYTH 5: THE PALEO DIET IS EXPENSIVE TO FOLLOW.

The Paleo diet may be expensive to follow if we compare it to many convenience foods which are on the market. But you cannot compare buying a frozen pizza or burger from a fast food joint to fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, and grass fed beef.

Remember you get what you pay for: Making the change to Paleo can mean that your grocery bill feels a lot higher than it used to be – but your doctors bill now and when you are older will be much less!

Paying more now for incredible unprocessed fresh food means that your energy levels will increase; your mood will be better; you will perform better at work due to cognitive improvements and clarity of thought, and your risk of the diseases of lifestyle will be far less.

You might even save money when you are no longer buying sugary soda, bags of unnecessary snacks and unhealthy sweet treats.

MYTH 6: I HAVE TO GIVE UP ALL MY FAVORITE FOODS (INCLUDING BREAD, PANCAKES, AND WAFFLES).

Not true. The beauty of being part of the Paleo community is that there are endless resources for making Paleo-friendly bread, waffles, cakes and pancakes just to name a few! The existing Paleo community has already done all the hard work in creating and testing the hundreds of recipesavailable out there.

There are many healthy alternatives to the grains; flours and sugars used in traditional high carb and high sugar foods, which we love to eat.

MYTH 7: I WILL HAVE TO SPEND HOURS IN THE KITCHEN PREPARING FOOD.

Well, the only change is you might actually have to use your kitchen instead of buying takeaways. Many meals you can make in advance and in bulk and frozen to use when time is scarce. Healthy Paleo meals do not have to be complicated and challenging. There are many meals which simply call for popping a tray in the oven and letting the oven do all the hard work.

If you have decided to follow the principles of the Paleo diet, it is very important to gather all relevant facts. Because misinterpretation and false info are leading to failure. And we know how badly you want to succeed once you choose to change your lifestyle and nutrition. So we hope that this article has been useful for you.