When Spanish teacher Samantha Rinella wanted to lose weight, she decided to go on a diet that would meet her goal and not change the way her husband eats. She chose the paleo diet because she could eat healthily while her husband’s food choices would not be restricted.

According to Keith Ayoob, associate professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the paleo diet, also known as the “caveman diet,” involves food only cavemen ate such as meats, fruits and vegetables. He said this diet excludes processed food, legumes, grains and dairy.

Senior Christine Lee said during her sophomore year, she decided to try the paleo diet to become a better athlete.

However, both Rinella and Lee found the diet challenging.

Because she has limited choices in the cafeteria and with her family and friends, Lee said she occasionally eats pizza and bread.

“It [is] really hard to maintain [the diet] when you’re constantly around people who don’t eat that way,” Lee said.

When Rinella eliminated processed sugar from her diet and began adapting to eating only natural foods, she said one of her greatest challenges was to eliminate Diet Coke from her diet.

“[The diet is] also like a detox and you get a headache from craving the sugar,” Rinella said.

According to Kelly Schmidt, owner of Paleo Infused Nutrition, eliminating dairy and grains can be beneficial when they are replaced with more nutrient-dense food. She said a risk many people take is not educating themselves about this diet and what food they should replace for grains and dairy.

“While a grilled chicken breast with broccoli cooked in coconut oil is paleo, a more nutrient-dense meal like grass-fed beef or wild salmon, paired with mashed cauliflower cooked in bone broth and some sea vegetables would be entirely more nutritious,” Schmidt said.

According to Schmidt, the paleo diet is a lifestyle focused on seasonal, locally sourced, high quality food.

Ayoob said the diet is not ideal for most people because of the cost of high quality and organic food, as well as the lack of dairy.

However, Schmidt said this diet is beneficial for teenagers because it can help reduce the negative effects of changing hormone levels.

Schmidt said benefits of the paleo diet include increased energy and better sleep. She said it can also help balance hormones and help someone reach an optimal weight.

“This diet is also beneficial for people who are weary of food sensitivities or have an autoimmune disease,” Schmidt said.

After switching to the diet, Lee said she noticed she got stronger, had more energy and lost weight.

Rinella said she lost weight, noticed her hair and skin looked and felt better, slept well and had more energy. Although Rinella said it was hard to adjust to the paleo diet, she said the diet is worth it for her health.

“I think the healthier I can be now, the stronger I will be later,” Rinella said.