I have done a fair amount of research about the best ways to treat the human body when it comes to food. While I am an avid believer that fitness is critical to healthy living, I think the most important aspect of health is what we put into our mouths.
Along with hearing countless personal testimonials, I have read numerous books and articles revealing the benefits to both the Paleolithic/Primal Diet and the Vegan Diet – some are the opinions of people who have followed one of these diets, others are backed up by “scientific” research.
I am not here to argue about what is factual and what is not, but I do believe that human knowledge in general is extremely limited. I have decided that instead of choosing a diet based on my readings, it would be best to follow both of these diets for a period of time, and choose at the end.
For the next year, I will conduct a personal experiment on whether it’s better for my body to follow Paleo or Veganism. I understand that everyone’s body is slightly different, but as a whole, humans are not physically that different at all. Whatever I end up finding out during the next year will be true for other people, more likely than not. I will follow the Paleo diet first for six months, then switch to the Vegan diet for six months. Ideally, I will follow these diets strictly; however, I will allow myself to cheat if I’m on the verge of insanity.
I chose these two diets because they seem to be the most extreme diets one can follow, while being quite opposite of each other. Instead of explaining them here, I will make new posts describing these two lifestyles.
I will keep track of my energy levels, feeling of bloating, the hours of sleep I get, if my sleep was sound or not, my weight, my measurements, and exactly what I eat. I also follow a Crossfit exercise regimen. I will post my workouts on this blog as well, so I can keep track of any performance increases or declines. I will get blood work done at the beginning of this process, at the end of the Paleo six months, and at the end of the Vegan six months. I think all of these factors will reasonably show which diet has a more positive effect on me.
I hope you are excited to take this journey with me! I enjoy trying new things, and I am very interested in nutrition, so I expect the next year to be an awesome learning experience! I will update this blog daily. I know it will get rather boring to read my daily meals, so I will try to find a way to make it a bigger deal when I am noting major changes.
See you soon!
Nicole
Paleo Vs. Vegan 