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D GOAL Discuss Diet Trends
Reading 🎧5 (Optional)
A in pairs, describe diets that you or someone you know have followed. Were they effective?
B Read the title and the first sentence of each paragraph. Which of these popular diets is/are mentioned in the article?
a. vegan diet c. low-calorie diet
b. paleo diet d. raw food diet
C Read the article. Write examples of different foods in the correct columns.
| Foods people eat on a paleo diet | Foods people do not eat on a paleo diet |
D Read the question at the end of the first paragraph. Match each answer below with the correct person. There is one extra answer.
a. A person who is following a paleo diet
b. Dr. Peter Ungar
1. __________ Maybe, because there are many choices at the supermarket.
2. __________ No, because not eating certain kinds of food isn't healthy or natural.
3. __________ Yes, because not eating foods from farmers is more natural.
✔️GOAL CHECK
Create a one-day menu plan for a paleo diet. The diet should include what that person may eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. Then, discuss the questions.
1. Would this diet work well for you? Why?
2. Does the paleo diet seem enjoyable? Practical? Healthy?
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The Paleo Diet: Natural and Healthy?
Some foods common in a paleo diet.
Modern supermarkets give us many choices. There are colorful fruits and vegetables, fresh fish and meat, many kinds of bread, eggs, yogurt, and cheese. But at the same time, people in the modern world are experiencing health problems. Could the food we eat be causing some of these problems?
One explanation for modern health problems is that they began when human beings became farmers about 12,000 years ago. Around that time, people started growing and eating crops, such as wheat and rice. Some people believe that returning to an earlier way of eating a "paleo diet" that includes only meat, fish, and fruits and vegetables-might be a solution to our modern health problems.
A paleo diet is special because it doesn't include grains, dairy foods, or legumes, such as peanuts or beans. For many of us, it is not possible to prepare our favorite dishes without these ingredients. But people who follow a paleo diet only eat foods people ate before farming began. They believe this is a more natural and healthier way to eat.
For Dr. Peter Ungar, the truth is not so simple. In human history, people have eaten a wide variety of foods. Early human beings lived in different places with different climates, so many kinds of food were available to our ancestors even before farming began. Dr. Ungar says our ability to eat in many different ways and to be healthy whether we live in the Arctic or in the tropics is the important thing. One thing is certain, though: If you do decide to try a paleo diet, remember that your meals might actually have less variety than the meals of your early ancestors.
to experience (v) to have something happen to you
truth (n) facts, not things that are imagined or invented
ancestors (n) parents, grandparents, and other people who lived before you
ability (n) quality or skill that makes it possible for you to do something
