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Reported by Elizabeth Beaubien, KMIR6 News

PALM DESERT - It's call The Caveman Diet, eating like cavemen did thousands of years ago. Experts say it can help everything from obesity to autoimmune diseases like arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

One local woman swears by it. Kristen Kelly is working on her fitness, sit up by sit up, at Desert Crossfit in Palm Desert. But she's also living The Paleo Diet.

"What I can eat are plants and animals, makes it simple," Kelly says about her diet plan. "What we don't eat are breads, grains, beans, no added sugars on Paleo because of the way it affects the body. There is a difference, when you ingest grains or sugars, they inflame your insides, making the body feel horrible."

The experts back up Kelly's claims. Dr. Mark Smith a Rancho Mirage based nutrition and fitness instructor has studied the Paleo Diet for more than 20 years.

"The most obvious benefit is weight loss, Smith says. "And metabolic symptom reversal and prediabetes and high blood sugar and blood pressure, Paleo is phenomenal for cleaning that up."

Kelly says she has lost 18 pounds in six months with the Paleo diet and crossfit, just one of the many benefits for her.

"The difference for me is that I sleep better at night," Kelly says. "I can workout way better than before. My meals you don't get that full feeling, I don't get that and I eat a lot."

And Kelly has become quite the cook, she cooked up her favorite Paleo dish for us, comfort noodles.

"It's relatively easy to make, all you need is 2 zucchinis, 2 eggs, coconut oil, and garlic," Kelly says. "You just put the zucchini into a spiralizer, hold in place and turn it and it actually makes noodles for me. Get the zucchinis in a pot with oil, add your whole egg, we're not counting calories. How full you feel pay, attention to your body and when you're not hungry anymore that's when you stop eating."

Kelly finishes the recipe with about a tablespoon of garlic.

"We can fight vampires later, don't sit too close to Gino," Kelly jokes. "Let that settle and drop the heat down and a few minutes later you have your comfort noodles."

Kelly says this dish is nutrient rich and helps her not only curb her cravings for carbs but also helps her maintain her fantastic figure!

Paleo, they say eating dinner out at a restaurant is not hard, just ask to substitute things and plan ahead. Planning ahead is a major part of this. The experts say bring your food to work, don't go out for fast food and be sure to consult your doctor before trying a new diet.

For more resources and information regarding the Paleo Diet visit www.thepaleodiet.com