Is CBD Keto And Paleo Friendly?

Can you take CBD oil on a paleo or keto diet? Absolutely! Taking CBD while following these specialised diets will help you along your nutritional journey. The cannabinoid comes in low-calorie formulas with no refined sugars or other macronutrients that will impact your daily schedule. Plus, CBD produces a clear-headed effect that will help you to stay committed and motivated.

Making CBD Work for You

The CBD market continues to develop and expand. With this constant innovation comes a longer list of options for the consumer, meaning it’s now easier than ever to make CBD oil part of your daily life, especially when abiding by a specialised diet such a paleo or keto. Most CBD products meet the criteria of both of these diets.

The majority of CBD products contain very few calories and no refined sugars. Taking CBD oil drops won’t interrupt your ability to burn fat via ketosis, and it contains only natural and organic products found in nature, making it compatible with the paleo approach.

Instead of going against these diets, CBD works with them. Many people choose the paleo or keto path to give their body a break from unhealthy foods and to counter physical maladies. Cannabidiol works to soothe the body and relax the mind, and thus serves as an ideal supplement to these diets.

What is the Ketogenic Diet?

The ketogenic diet involves eating a very limited amount of carbohydrates, moderate amounts of protein, and high levels of fat. Many people choose to follow this diet to lose weight or to manage the symptoms of a variety of conditions.

At first, it might seem counterintuitive to eat elevated levels of fat to lose weight. However, consuming high quantities of fat alongside almost no carbs places the body into a state called ketosis.

This metabolic state makes the body extremely efficient at burning fat as fuel. Normally, when eating carbohydrates, our bodies release insulin to deal with the sugary load. This hormone shuttles sugar into our cells and stores it away as glycogen. When we eat fat at the same time as carbs, our bodies largely elect to use sugar as a fuel source. In this instance, the body also stores fat away as white adipose tissue, particularly around the abdomen!

The ketogenic diet seeks to remove carbs almost completely. When we limit carbohydrate intake, the body turns to stored glycogen within the muscles and liver as a fuel source. We quickly burn through this supply in a couple of days, especially when we throw exercise into the equation.

Once all of the glycogen burns up, our bodies burn fat for fuel. Just like our bodies turn sugar into glucose, they derive ketones as fuel from our fat stores. Dieters can then maintain this state of ketosis by heavily limiting carbs and only consuming medium quantities of protein alongside high levels of fat.

Those who are particularly dedicated to the keto way of life frequently measure their ketone levels to ensure they remain in this fat-burning metabolic state. Urine test strips serve as a cheap way to track ketones, yet blood monitors offer much more accurate readings.

As well as helping dieters shed a few kilograms, ketogenesis appears to improve symptoms associated with numerous neurological conditions. The diet was created as an experimental treatment for epilepsy during the 1920s, after all.

Benefits of the Keto Diet

The keto diet comes with a boatload of benefits. If you can make it through the first 3 days—a transition characterised by hunger pangs and lethargy—you’ll come out the other side with newfound levels of energy. Check out the primary benefits of the keto diet below.

Weight Loss

The ketogenic diet drives weight loss by switching up our metabolism. By entering the state of ketosis, our bodies begin burning through our fat stores. Upon restricting carb intake, it doesn’t take long for the body to take a big chunk out of our adipose reserves.

Consistent Energy

Keto dieters often speak about experiencing consistent energy throughout the day. As opposed to the peaks and crashes of the sugar roller coaster, they experience a baseline energy level without the post-lunch dip that many "carbivores" endure.

Clarity

In the absence of glucose, the liver synthesises ketones. The body shuttles these molecules to the brain, where our most metabolically active organ uses them as fuel. Proponents of keto wax are enthusiastic about the clarity of their thoughts and efficiency of their cognitive function while eating a low-carb high-fat diet.

Mood

Consistent energy, mental clarity, and looking healthier in the mirror all converge to boost the mood on a daily basis. After adjusting to the diet within a week or so, many keto dieters report an overall improvement in their mood and well-being.

Examples of Keto Foods

The ketogenic diet often appears restrictive and even boring to those just starting. However, hundreds of interesting and delicious recipes exist that can add some flare to this way of eating, from ketogenic cakes to healthy salads. Check out some of the most common keto ingredients below:

• Meat: beef, chicken, turkey, pork
• Eggs
• Coconut oil
• Greek yoghurt
• Avocados
• Cheese: Feta, halloumi, chevre, brie, camembert
• Low-carb vegetables: Cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbages, asparagus
• Seafood: Salmon, squid, oysters, mussels, clams
• Nuts and seeds: Brazil nuts, almonds, macadamia nuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds
• Berries: blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries
• Butter and cream
• Shirataki noodles
• Olives
• Unsweetened tea and coffee
• Dark chocolate

What Is the Paleo Diet?

The paleo diet stems from an evolutionary biology approach to nutrition. This style of eating follows the logic that humans evolved over hundreds of thousands of years to eat specific foods found in nature.

By consuming the same diet as our hunter-gatherer ancestors, paleo dieters hope to optimise health and avoid chronic conditions that often arise from dietary factors. The paleo school of thought acknowledges that the human gut, jaw, and brain all adapted to consuming natural and unprocessed foods.

Conversely, the modern Western diet exposes us to processed foods and excessive levels of sugar—options that stem from agriculture and the domestication of plants. We all know that bad dietary choices impact our health, and the paleo diet seeks to avoid this outcome by limiting food choices to those found within our ancestral environment.

The paleo diet differs from the keto diet when it comes to carbohydrates. While keto eaters avoid carbs almost entirely, paleo dieters are free to eat carbs, considering they come from unprocessed and natural sources such as sweet potatoes and honey.

Benefits of Paleo Foods

Paleo foods are rich in nutrients, generally low in refined sugar, and offer plenty of muscle-building protein. By preparing meals from scratch, paleo dieters consistently supply their bodies with high levels of essential molecules, nutrients, and vitamins, while avoiding preservatives and hidden sugars. Check out the main benefits of the paleo diet below.

Weight Loss

Much like the keto diet, the paleo approach also helps to promote weight loss. Eating only whole foods massively reduces sugar intake. The modern diet exposes humans to astronomical levels of sugar found nowhere in nature, fuelling the epidemics of obesity and diabetes. Those who consume a paleo diet actively avoid this exposure, an act that benefits weight loss and human physiology as a whole.

Appetite Management

The use of whole foods in cooking ramps up fibre and protein content, two sources of nutrients that boost satiety. One hearty portion of a paleo meal often leaves eaters feeling full and satisfied, reducing the chances of snacking on extra calories throughout the day.

Reduced Triglycerides

Triglycerides are the most common type of stored fat found throughout the body. When the body receives extra fat-based calories, it stores them away in this form. Elevated triglycerides are associated with metabolic states that impact the heart and vasculature as a whole. As an overall healthier lifestyle choice, the paleo diet helps to reduce triglyceride counts.

Examples of Paleo Foods

The paleo diet consists of a few staple foods. Although processed foods have no place on the menu, the choice of whole foods offers those undergoing the diet plenty of choice when it comes to cooking and snacking. Options include:

• Meat
• Fish
• Eggs
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Nuts
• Honey
• Herbs
• Spices
• Healthy fats and oils

While consuming high quantities of these types of food, paleo eaters actively avoid an equally long list of other products and ingredients. These include:

• Processed foods
• Sugar
• Soft drinks
• Grains
• Margarine
• Trans fats
• (Partially) hydrogenated oils/fats
• Artificial sweeteners
• Legumes
• Most dairy products

How CBD Supports the Keto and Paleo Diets

CBD makes a perfect addition to both keto and paleo dietary strategies. The cannabinoid possesses unique benefits that can potentially augment both of these diet plans. Overall, CBD may aid in shifting some weight, keeping your head in the game, and helping you to get all the rest you need at night.

CBD Limits Appetite

Shifting from eating whatever you like, whenever you like, towards a healthy and restrictive diet results in occasional cravings. The first few days of paleo or keto always pose the biggest challenge. While your body gets used to the change, you’ll undoubtedly experience cravings for candy, chocolate, and high-carb snacks.

CBD oil could assist in staying the course by deterring the psychological aspect of cravings through its soothing effect. The clear-headed impact of CBD will help you to reflect and remember why you started this new lifestyle in the first place.

CBD Won’t Disrupt Your Diet

CBD oil won’t interfere with your new diet. CBD products contain almost zero carbohydrates and therefore won’t knock you out of ketosis after all of your hard work. Most CBD oils contain healthy fats such as olive oil and hemp seed oil that will help to keep your body in a fat-burning state.

The majority of CBD products are also extremely paleo-friendly and contain no processed ingredients that oppose the palaeolithic criteria. Composed of organic hemp, healthy fats, and terpenes, most CBD oils fit the bill perfectly.

CBD Doesn’t Get You High

Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t bind to CB1 receptors of the endocannabinoid system. Therefore, CBD is incapable of producing a psychotropic effect. Instead, it works to boost the levels of our body’s own cannabinoids and interfaces with other sites, such as serotonin receptors. So fear not, CBD oil won’t get you stoned or give you a case of the munchies. Instead, you’ll enjoy clear-headed and lucid effects all day long.

CBD Exerts a Soothing Influence

Many people shift to a keto or paleo diet to do their body good. Processed junk foods irritate our physiology and take a toll after a while. The healthy and natural foods that make up these diets have the opposite effect. CBD can help to augment these outcomes by interfacing with the endocannabinoid system to soothe the muscles and generally make the body feel lighter.

CBD Promotes Sleep Readiness

Sleep lays the foundation for a healthy lifestyle. The more sleep you get, the more prepared you’ll feel for a day of healthy eating, exercise, and defying cravings. Taking CBD before bed will clear your mind, put you into a state of stillness, and help you feel ready for a night of restorative rest.

How To Add CBD to Your Diet

The CBD market is bigger than ever, and it only continues to expand. As such, there are a plethora of ways to add CBD to a paleo or keto diet.

CBD Capsules

CBD capsules are extremely easy to take. They fit perfectly into an existing supplement regime, and users can consume them almost anywhere with zero mess. If you’re on the keto diet, simply take them throughout the day with other supplements you’re probably taking, such as electrolytes and exogenous ketones. Take either first thing in the morning or throughout the day with each meal. Those on the paleo diet have an equal amount of flexibility with CBD capsules.

CBD Oil

CBD oil remains one of the easiest ways to consume the cannabinoid. Users can apply oils sublingually (under the tongue) for near-instant absorption, or dab drops into drinks and food to unlock the long-lasting effects of the oral route. If you’re following the keto diet, simply add a few drops of CBD oil into a cup of black coffee to keep your blood ketones and insulin response from spiking.

CBD Crystals

CBD crystals make a powerful addition to beverages, soups, and foods. With a purity of 99%, they offer the most concentrated CBD experience available. With almost zero calories, this option fits in perfectly with both the keto and paleo diets.

Which Diet Is Right for You, Paleo or Keto?

The answer to this question depends entirely on your own needs. The keto diet can help you shed weight fast and may alter your metabolism, but it feels quite restrictive to some. The paleo diet harnesses foods that played a pivotal role in our ancestral past, and the addition of carbs allows for more liberal eating and increased energy at the onset of the diet. Still, not being able to eat processed foods feels like an insurmountable challenge to certain individuals.

Regardless of which path you choose, CBD oil will help you along the way. The cannabinoid will keep you feeling soothed, mentally prepared, and will help to enhance the success of your new and exciting lifestyle change.

Luke Sumpter

With a BSc (Hons) degree in Clinical Health Sciences and a passion for growing plants, Luke Sumpter has worked as a professional journalist and writer at the intersection of cannabis and science for the past 7 years.

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