What exactly is Paleo Diet?

Many of you have probably heard us talk about Paleo or more specifically the Whole 30 program Lori and I were following over the past month.  In our detoxed deprived state we may not have provided the best explanation of why we were following this restrictive plan. 

First you may ask, “what the hell is Paleo?"

Paleo is a lifestyle choice in which you eat whole, unprocessed foods, which, theoretically should mirror what our ancestors ate during caveman times, before industrialized agricultural came into existence. 
“Ummm. What is wrong with you people,” you may think.. “ Why would you want to do that?”
First you don't have to hunt your own food and it doesn't mean you literally eat only what caveman ate.  It's about getting back to basics.

In the past our ancestors lived off meat, fruit, and vegetables and didn't have the health issues we are plagued with today. Yes, they had other issues but gluten allergies, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease were not one of them. Why are so many people affected with these issues?  Because we eat packaged garbage that we have been taught is ‘healthy.’  Low fat varieties of our favorite foods have been created because we have been taught full fat items are BAD. Instead, to make up for the lack of flavor, chemicals and sugar have been added which is making us fat and sick.  
If something has more than 5 ingredients you should not be eating it, especially unpronounceable items. Lean cuisines, gluten free cookies and chips, vitamin water, energy bars are not ‘healthy.’ 

OK fine you may say but meat is not healthy either..  Isn’t it loaded with saturated fat and can cause heart disease.

No.. But  I thought this too.  I avoided meat especially red meat for YEARS.  However if you purchase lean, grass fed cuts (more on this later), meat offers tons of protein and vitamins that our body needs to function properly.  Since eating more red meat on Paleo I have  not gained any weight and feel more energetic and full after meals, and am no longer reaching for my chocolate fix.

Do I eat red meat every day?  No but I make sure to include tons of protein (chicken, fish, low salt deli meat, pasture raised eggs) into my diet as our bodies need protein to function. 

In addition to eating meat (serving size about 1 to 2 Palm sized helpings)  a typical Paleo meal will also include tons of vegetables (cooked or raw, your choice)  and vegetables starches such as sweet potatoes,  plantains,  etc (you are encouraged to eat more of this if active).

In addition fats also have a place on your plate.. Yes, fat is important and helps the body to function properly and absorb nutrients.  It is a crucial energy source. However, the type of fat is important.    Coconut oil, ghee, coconut milk and extra virgin olive oil are examples of good fats. Vegetable oil (including canola is not).

What items can you NOT have on Paleo?
The things you cannot eat are dairy, grains, legumes and sugar.  Some people who can tolerate dairy continue to eat it which is based on individual preference.  Paleo discourages eating dairy because more than half of Americans exhibit a type of lactose intolerance.  Instead of dairy ghee(clarified butter),  almond milk,  cashew milk, etc is used.  

Grains are not part of a typical Paleo diet because many people report allergies and they also have low nutrient content. Additionally white grains cause a spike in insulin levels which causes blood sugar to rise. As a result excess sugar is removed from the blood stream and stored as a fat. Because there is no nutrient extraction your body is still searching for food, causing you to crash and leaving you hungry.

As a runner I lived on and loved bread.  Once I cut it out and began eating sweet potatoes for carbs I realized I didn't crash as much and had more energy. 

Legumes are also ruled out because they cause digestion issues in many people and contain phytic acid which tends to block the absorption of other nutrients.

Sugar is forbidden. See Lori’s post about this!  Stay away from any added sugar!!  Fruit is fine in moderation.  Dried fruit also in moderation (more moderation than fresh fruit,  as it still has high sugar content). 

These are only guidelines, you can make this diet your own. The point is to try ruling out the above foods and  see how you feel.  If the foods don’t bother you, continue eating it. The biggest takeaway from this type of eating style is getting away from processed foods and eating “real” food.

This is where “Whole 30” http://whole30.com/ comes in. It is a plan challenging you to eliminate the items listed above for 30 days.  After the 30 days there is a plan to reintroduce these foods and determine whether or not any of the excluded items has an adverse effect on your body. Alcohol is also excluded.

Lori and I did the Whole 30 and learned a great deal, thus this blog.  It was extremely challenging but it taught us how to eat real food and meals, rather than snacking all day. It is not easy to change habits, but life is all about the journey and the crazy things that happen along the way!