Go back 2.6 million years to the Paleolithic Era. You will not see your average person reaching into their freezer to pull out a microwaveable dinner. 

Look at what we eat now. Think about the foods that line the aisles of the grocery store; almost all is processed. Do you think you could find your packet of Ramen noodles in the wild? Highly doubtful.

Maybe it is time for something new, or really, quite old: the paleo diet.

The paleo diet is based on one simple idea: The best human diet is the one that we are genetically programmed for, that of a caveman’s.

Human beings during the Paleolithic Era lived in hunter-gatherer societies. There were no processed foods, no dairy products besides a mother’s milk, no bread, cake or anything that could not be hunted or found in the surrounding area.

The diet encourages fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, seafood and healthy fats; it excludes refined sugars and grains, saturated and trans fats, salt, dairy, most carbohydrates and any processed foods.

Those foods excluded typically cause weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and numerous other health problems, according to the paleo diet website.

Before finding the paleo diet, Nell Stephenson, athlete and author of the upcoming book “Paleoista — Gain Energy, Get Lean and Feel Fabulous with the Diet You Were Born to Eat,” suffered from stomach cramping that became so severe that she was sent to the emergency room on several occasions. After spending months searching for helpful medical advice with no results, Stephenson decided to take matters into her own hands.

Eventually, Stephenson stumbled on the paleo diet. It took only a few short days of “being paleo” to end her stomachaches. Stephenson has been following the diet since 2005 and has not looked back since.

“Paleo is so life changing, not only did I feel compelled to change the way I eat permanently but I felt the need to thank this man who has changed my life,” Stephenson said.

Dr. Loren Cordain, known as the “father of the paleo diet,” was the man she was thankful to.

“The most gratifying experience is hearing people’s personal health successes,” Cordain said. “I made a difference in her life, and there are maybe millions of people who have similar experiences.”

Cordain said he is very happy to help people improve their quality of life: “If people give it two weeks, most people will tell you they feel better and their health is better.”

Alex Kelly, senior in industrial engineering, has followed the paleo diet for over a year. Prior to the diet, Kelly had acid reflux, but after becoming paleo, his acid reflux went away. Not only that, but Kelly said he feels more energetic.

“I don’t have spikes in energy anymore,” said Kelly. “My energy is even keel throughout the day.”

When living in Chicago, Kelly trained with CrossFit, a gym strongly affiliated with the paleo diet.

Tim Forbes, owner of CrossFit West Ames, said the paleo diet and CrossFit became connected through Robb Wolf, author of “The Paleo Solution” and former nutritional guru for CrossFit gyms.

“We here [at CrossFit West Ames] are big fans of Robb Wolf,” Forbes said.

Forbes and the rest of his staff encourage members to give the paleo diet a try.

“It’s not a diet,” said Morgan Siefert, senior in accounting and trainer at CrossFit West Ames. “It’s a way to eat.”

Referring to the difficulties of starting the paleo diet Siefert said, “It’s breaking a habit. When you’re used to eating sugar filled stuff, it’s hard to walk away because it tastes good. … Once you start, you kind of detox.”

Stephenson said it is a kind of relearning; you learn what foods make you feel better, and you don’t eat them. “You retrain your responses to what you register as a good food choice. … There’s nothing that I secretly crave — I feel great, hardly ever sick, my racing and performance have improved. … There’s really no downside to it.”

According to the paleo diet website, it is the world’s healthiest diet. However, Sally Barclay, clinician for the department of food science and human nutrition at Iowa State, said she thinks the diet is worrisome.

“My first inclination is here’s another fad diet,” Barclay said. “It has some benefits, but it has potential nutritional inadequacies.”

Barclay said dairy carries important nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. Although you can find these nutrients in other things, such as calcium in dark green vegetables and vitamin D in fish, mushrooms and sunshine, the question becomes: “Would people do careful planning to make sure they get all this in?”

Another diet concern Barclay has regarding high protein, low carbohydrate diets is ketosis, a state where our body is running on fat for energy, instead of carbohydrates.

“For the brain to function properly, it needs a minimum of 130 carbohydrates a day,” Barclay said. “The brain prefers glucose, or carbohydrates, for fuel.”

Barclay said it is interesting to see the reappearance of this diet, but she has concerns about it’s sustainability and long-term health consequences. 

“Even if people think it’s a radical diet,” Stephenson said, “it’s time for something radical.”

Stephenson said it is a matter of being open-minded — most people just believe what they are taught instead of questioning. She said she would love to help people interested in the paleo diet, “It’s so important to me to reach as many people as I can.”

With her book “Paleoista” being released in May, Stephenson hopes to create a female voice in the “paleosphere” and spread more awareness about the diet.

“Collectively, it’s a growing movement. … More and more people are becoming more familiar and willing to give it a try. All I can do is hope to continue to educate — make little steps,” Stephenson said. Such as “learning about the benefits to eating more vegetables — more little pieces you can add to your diet. … The little pieces will help more than just looking at the big picture.”

Cordain said he looks to the future of the paleo diet and sees it becoming the “accepted optimal human diet” — a diet that, he thinks, will probably be advocated by government agencies.

“This is the way to eat and live,” Stephenson said.