On the prowl for effective weight loss? Take a hint from the cavemen and their normal style of eating. The Caveman Diet, also known as the Paleolithic Diet or the Hunter-Gatherer Diet, draws on a method of eating going back 40,000 years. There is no need to break out the club and spear. Instead arm yourself with the knowledge of how prehistoric man got by... and did it in such a healthy fashion.

In other words, the caveman didn't eat Twinkies and Ho Ho's, and neither should you.

Thousands of years ago, foods were eaten "as is." There was no way by which additives and preservatives were supplemented in foods. The cavemen had to go with what they had, and for that very reason their diet was rich in meat, fish, poultry and the leaves, roots and fruits of many plants. The Caveman Diet draws on the principals to allow modern-day man to achieve a balance whereby he can eat healthy, lose weight and still feel good.

The high-protein, low-carb diet cuts out grains, beans, potatoes, dairy products, sugar and salt and embraces meat, chicken, fish, eggs, vegetables, nuts and berries. There is a strong emphasis on root vegetables (carrots, turnips, parsnips) and organ meats (liver and kidneys). Grains, beans and potatoes are excluded because they cause an imbalance of the blood sugar levels, they are a poor source of vitamins, they can be poisonous if not fully cooked and they're loaded with enzyme blockers and lectins, which damage the cell lining of the small intestine and strip protective mucus off the walls of the small intestine. Turn the food pyramid upside down and you will get a feel for how you should be eating when you go back in time.

With the Caveman Diet, 35% of your food should come from plant sources with 65% coming from animal sources. By weeding out greatly processed foods, you are decreasing your risk for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other ailments.