The rise of health problems continues to proliferate across the country, from rising obesity rates to the surprising number of our population with high blood pressure or diabetes. It's enough to make anyone want to second guess everything they eat and put into their body. We ask our doctor and ourselves “what can be done?” Eat well and exercise. These are the parameters for maintaining a healthy life. So it's only natural that we have numerous exercise programs at all levels to help you lose weight fast or build lean muscle mass. Then we have all the diets in the world, the no carb diet, the high protein diet, and all the juice diets. Through research we can find and utilize healthy programs and habits that we can practice for a long and healthy life. The Paleo diet, also known as the "caveman diet," has gained wide popularity across the country among everyone from celebrities to the average Joe next door. The rise of this diet, better defined as a lifestyle, was born from ideas and guidelines that are not at all new. The foundations of the Paleo Diet have their roots in our ancestors, the Paleolithic, who lived over 40,000 years ago. They consumed the foods available to them. Their diet consisted of lean proteins, carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, and their fats were monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. They had no dairy or grains (unless it was a hungry time). They obviously used no salt in their foods and there were no refined sugars or processed foods available. They were slim and healthy, free from diseases such as hypertension and high blood pressure. “Medical evidence shows that their body fat, aerobic capacity, blood cholesterol, blood pressure and… middle of paper… are overall. The Paleo diet encounters both negative criticism and supporters who support it. By choosing to start life living the Paleo method, I believe there are more benefits than adverse effects and those who disapprove of the diet may find no health risks associated with it as long as it is followed by the guidelines provided. Works Cited Cordain, L. (2011 ). The Paleo Diet Revised. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Dansinger, M. (2013, 12 1). www.webmd.com. Retrieved April 2, 2014, from www.wemd.com: http://www.mebmd.com/diet/paleo-dietDr. Loren Cordain. (2014, 11). Loren Cordain, Ph.D. Retrieved 4.15, 2014, from The Paleo Diet: http://www.thepaleodiet.comKlonoff, D. (2009). The beneficial effects of a Paleolithic diet on type 2 diabetes and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology , 3 (6), 1229-1232.