Main Content

Keto vs Paleo Diet- Which one is the right one for me?

Article

When it comes to maximizing your weight loss efforts and having a better diet in general, the Ketogenic diet and Paleo diet have been on the radar of health enthusiasts for years. While both diets include many of the same foods that are allowed and even have a few overlapping similarities, ultimately the difference between the Keto and Paleo diet is that they have different philosophies. Now let’s take a look at how Paleo vs Keto measure up against each other and which one may be the right one that is suited to your unique needs.

Here is what you need to know

Before we evaluate the similarities and differences of the Paleo vs Keto diets, it’s a good idea to familiarize ourselves with how each diet works and what their benefits are. 

The Paleo diet

The Paleo diet is characterized by eating predominantly whole foods that were available to humans in the Paleolithic era that support digestive health, eliminating grains, legumes, and anything processed. For the most part, dairy products are excluded from the diet because the lactose found in dairy is hard for most people to digest. Although some people do allow purified ghee or grass-fed butter in their diet.  By eliminating foods that may be hard to digest, the Paleo diet promotes better gut health, weight loss, effectively manages autoimmune conditions and regulates blood sugar balance. (Also read: What is a Paleo Diet)

The Keto diet

While the Keto diet is mainly for those who want to lose weight, it’s also beneficial for people looking to eliminate brain fog and sharpen their cognitive function and to control their blood sugar. Generally, this diet is best known for being an intense fat-burning strategy amongst those who want to lose weight fast.  

The Keto diet is so effective at promoting weight loss compared to other diets such as Paleo because it tells the body to burn fat more efficiently by entering ketosis. 

Ketosis is a metabolic state where your body starts burning fatty acids instead of glucose (your body’s preferred fuel source) and starts producing ketones. For your body to enter the state of burning fat instead of glucose, carbs must be heavily restricted to around 5% of your diet, and increase your fat intake to up to 75% of your diet. Because of the lack of carbohydrate intake, your body is forced to burn fatty acids in your excess fat stores to use as fuel. (Also read: Keto Vs Keto Light Diet)

Is Keto & Paleo the same?

The similarities between the Keto and Paleo are: 

  • No grains 
  • No legumes 
  • Focus on consuming healthy fats 
  • Both include high-quality animal protein
  • Eating plenty of non-starchy vegetables and leafy greens are also highly encouraged
  • Absolutely no refined sugar

Do you lose weight faster on a Keto or Paleo diet?

While both diets can be used to accelerate weight loss, the Keto diet is more restrictive and rigorous in comparison, whereas the Paleo diet is more of a lifestyle change and not as restrictive. 
The main differences between the Paleo and Keto diets are that: 

  • Going Paleo doesn’t need you to follow a low-carb, high-fat diet 
  • The Keto diet allows dairy products
  • To truly know if you’ve entered ketosis you need to test for ketone bodies in your blood. This is not needed on the Paleo diet
  • Ultimately, following a Keto diet, you manipulate your metabolism for a specific outcome: weight loss, while your metabolism remains in its default state 

What is healthier: Keto or Paleo? 

The diet that is right for you is one that you can maintain. While a Keto diet may be much more restrictive compared to Paleo, it isn’t impossible to maintain. However, being a less intensive diet, Paleo makes it easier to maintain in the long run. In terms of which one is healthier, that will depend on your diet plan. If you rely on bacon as your fat and protein source, then of course that isn’t healthy. 

No matter which diet you decide to go with, Eatology’s Paleo weekly meal plan and Keto Light Diet meal plans are both options that are great for those who want to lose weight and transition into a diet that is less dependent on processed foods. Eatology is extremely careful in the selection of ingredients and strive to ensure high quality products at a fair price.