What is Paleo?

So what is paleo anyway???

  The easiest way to explain the paleo lifestyle (I hate the word diet...it implies it is temporary) is that it tries to mimic the way people originally started eating.  No processed foods, no grains, no sugars and no dairy...basically real whole foods that were grown or hunted.  Obviously, this is not to be taken literal.  We don't have much of the food that was truly available during those times, but we can try by sticking with veggies and fruits, grass-fed meats, seeds and nuts, and eliminating processed foods. Most processed foods have added preservatives, horrible oils, extra sugar and salt, fake flavorings and little to no nutrients(except for the ones they add, which is hard for your body to process).

  Once you start the process you will learn what works for your body and what doesn't.  Some people, for example, can handle a little dairy here and there while others cannot.  We can handle a little rice every now and again but my tummy explodes when I have wheat.  It truly hates me! You will learn to listen to your body and feel what works for you.  The key is to give your body a chance to cleanse (30 days) and then you can add in little things to test it out and modify as you see fit.  You'll be amazed at how you feel when you have clean healthy foods in your system and what happens when you cheat. Honestly, we don't have many cheat days anymore but when we do, our bodies definitely let us know that it didn't like what we ate.


Paleo no-no's...

No Grains - No wheat, corn, rice, barley, quinoa, oats, couscous, rye, buck-wheat, spelt, pasta, bread, popcorn, etc.

No Dairy - No milk, yogurt, butter*, cream, ice cream, cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, etc.
*I will occasionally use grass-fed ghee for some recipes.  Ghee is clarified butter, removal of the solid matter and left with a golden liquid.

No Sugar - No white sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, etc.

No Legumes - No beans (black, navy, white, etc), peanuts (yes, this is a bean), soy, lentils, etc and any oils made from these products or refined vegetable oils. 



The good stuff...
 I'm sure I just knocked out most of what is in your pantry but really there are a ton of things still left to eat! 

Fresh Fruits and Veggies - So many to choose from! Organic or home grown is best to eliminate pesticides.

Grass-fed Healthy Meats - Beef, bison, pasture raised chicken and pork, etc.

Fish and Seafood - Wild caught salmon, tuna, shrimp, etc.

Nuts and Seeds - Pumpkin seeds, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, watermelon seeds (yes theses are delicious!), walnuts, cashews, etc.

Eggs - we go with organic and/or pasture raised. 

Healthful Oils - Olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia oil, coconut oil and walnut oil.

Sugars - Real maple syrup (not the bottle of the lady!), pure honey (again not a shaped bottle, no bears!) and coconut sugar. 

Dairy Substitutes - Canned coconut milk, almond milk, cashew cream, and coconut cream. 


See tons to choose from...Now let's start cooking and eating!