The paleolithic diet may have been so easy a caveman could do it, but the diet is not quite as easy for the current Homo sapiens that walk the earth, eating their fried Twinkies and fudge cakes.

The paleolithic diet, or paleo diet as it is more commonly known, is the diet that cavemen adhered to in the hunter-gatherer era of food. In simpler terms, if you couldn’t pick it off of a plant or throw a spear at it while it ran, you didn’t eat it.

In the modern day, this diet includes fruits and vegetables, fish, grass-produced meats, nuts, and seeds. Basically, all foods that are not processed.

Some items banned from this regimen are dairy, grains, or legumes, because these items were not available before or during the paleolithic era. It may seem odd that dairy is on the list of things to avoid, but that’s because milk was not always intended for human consumption, other than as an infant. Humans are currently the only species that drink milk after infancy.

While it seems easy to eat fruits, veggies, and unprocessed meats, the challenge comes when you get tired of the sparse menu. Almost every item in my pantry, from peanut butter to pasta, was off limits, so for two days my meals consisted of fruit and meat.

Although I was craving other foods that are just as healthy and beneficial, I held out through Monday and Tuesday, but had to deviate slightly on Wednesday because I had gotten sick. Because of my sore throat, congestion, runny nose, and frequent headaches, I decided it would be best to have some chicken noodle soup for lunch and then resume the diet.

On Thursday night and Friday during Senior Retreat, I ran into challenges because there were not a lot of options for me at dinner and no meat on Friday at all during Lent, so while I tried to stick to the paleo diet, I did have to eat some foods that were prohibited.

While it’s hard to avoid foods like peanut butter, yogurt, or the occasional chocolate snack, the paleo diet is beneficial for people with a lot of discipline and willpower.

The diet is believed to work well because “our bodies are genetically programmed to eat like our Paleolithic ancestors,” according to webmd.com. The paleo diet doesn’t just make you feel healthier, it also lowers “the risk of cardiovascular disease and blood pressure,” also according to webmd.com.

Though I will not be sticking to the diet, cavemen were definitely on to something for their long-term health.

Ashley Beyer is a Lifestyles Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.org.