The easy way to go PaleoThe
Paleo diet has been reported to eliminate bloating, clear up acne,
eradicate seasonal allergies, free you from migraines, and even help you
shed a few pounds. While none of this is guaranteed, cleaning up your
diet and focusing on whole, fresh foods is definitely a good idea.
"Real foods in the right portions help you feel more satisfied because they help keep
blood sugar levels even and your hunger hormones balanced," says
Diane Sanfilippo, a holistic nutritionist and author of
Practical Paleo.
The basic guidelines-skip grains (both refined and whole), legumes,
packaged snacks, dairy, and sugar in favor of vegetables, fruit, meat,
seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, fats, and oils-seem easy, but to
successfully go cavewoman takes some savvy. Follow these 11 rules to get
started.
1. Clean Out Your Kitchen
Gather all the "no" foods-grains, cereal, vegetable oils, beans,
yogurt, cheese, milk, packaged foods, you get it-and toss them in the
trash. Doing it all at once has an advantage. "It's easier to avoid
temptation if it's not there," says
Nell Stephenson, author of
Paleoista, Gain Energy, Get Lean and Feel Fabulous with the Diet You Were Born to Eat.
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But if you prefer to baby-step your way, that works too.
Perhaps you cut out dairy the first week, eliminate refined grains
during week two, skip all grains the next week, and so on until you're
following a
Paleo diet. Either way, be sure to restock your kitchen with whole foods so you have plenty to eat.
2. Pinpoint Your Motivation
Many people turn to Paleo in an attempt to help with medical
issues, such as GI problems, autoimmune conditions, and allergies. Some
simply want to feel better day-to-day or believe that it's the
healthiest way to eat. Your reason will help determine the guidelines
you follow and what you want to be meticulous about,
Sanfilippo says. And be strict about your personal rules for the first 30 days,
Stephenson recommends. "This is enough time to start noticing all the health benefits."
3. Follow the 85/15 Rule
After the first month, many experts recommend the 85/15 approach,
meaning 85 percent of the time you're strictly Paleo, leaving 15 percent
for non-Paleo stuff, whether that's a granola bar, a hamburger (bun and
all) at a cookout, or cocktails with the girls. Pay attention to how
you feel after reintroducing things into your diet, Sanfilippo says. For
example, if you have a scoop of ice cream and wake up bloated the next
day, you may decide that future discomfort isn't worth it.
4. Expect a Setback (or 2)
"It's totally normal to go Paleo and slip back into your normal eating
habits," Sanfilippo says. "But don't feel like a failure. It's a
learning process." Find likeminded people following the diet through
local groups, blogs, forums, and Facebook, and connect with them to help
steer you back on track-and keep you there.
5. Cook!
Because Paleo is based off of whole, fresh foods, it's easier to whip up
meals at home rather than a restaurant where it's harder to control
what ingredients are used. Take this opportunity to experiment with new
foods-maybe even challenge yourself to buy the weirdest-looking
vegetable at the farmer's market and ask the seller for advice on how
best to prepare it. You can also search online or invest in some Paleo
cookbooks for inspiration so your meals stay flavorful and aren't just
plain seared chicken breast with plain kale and carrots.
6. Be a Label Decoder
You know to skip doughnuts, cookies, and crackers, but some foods are surprisingly not
Paleo:
peanut butter (it's a legume); nut butters or dried fruit with added
sugars; and soy sauce, malt vinegar, lunchmeats, and many marinades and
sauces (some contain soy, gluten, preservatives, and sugar). So be sure
to read the ingredients list closely when buying anything in a package.
7. Rethink Your Plate
You've been taught to reserve half your plate for veggies, a quarter for
lean protein, and the remaining quarter for whole grains. When you
change to Paleo, stop holding a place for grains: A balanced plate
consists of a palm-sized portion of protein, a dollop of fat, and
veggies, veggies, veggies (fill the rest of your plate with them).
8. Make an Oil Change
Instead of reaching for canola, corn, or soybean oil for sautéing,
use coconut oil or lard. Really. These high-quality saturated fats are
healthy to cook with because they are more stable and won't oxidize when
heated (oxidation releases damaging free radicals). And when it comes
to lard, "animal fats-if from grass-fed cows-pack more omega 3s, as well
as a type of fat called conjugated linoleic acid, which some studies
suggest may help burn fat,"
Sanfilippo
says. Some experts also recommend butter from grass-fed cows, but many
restrict dairy of any kind. (The choice is yours.) For cold
applications, use olive oil, avocado oil, and walnut oil.
9. Eat Meat
"Many people have restricted meat from their diet because they
believe it is harmful to their health. You can eat meat-just make sure
it's high quality," says
Paleo expert Loren Cordain, Ph.D., a professor at Colorado State University and author of
The Paleo Diet.
So say goodbye to processed meats such as bologna, salami, and hot
dogs. Wild meats like bison, elk, and boar are the ideal choice,
followed by pasture-fed meats and poultry, and lean grain-fed meat
should be your last pick. For seafood, opt for wild-caught as often as
possible, and sustainable, low-mercury choices are best. Find good
options via the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.
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10. Fool Your Sweet Tooth
Giving up sugar is a major hurdle for many people at first. If you love
to have a treat after dinner, swap the cookies or fro-yo for a piece of
fresh fruit. (For major sugar cravings, Sanfilippo says a Paleo secret
is a little bit of dried mango.) With time, your taste buds will
adjust-and that Oreo you loved so much before might become too sweet
now, Sanfilippo adds. Seriously!
11. Eat Out with Ease
A business dinner or brunch with your best friend is still doable on the
Paleo diet. All it takes is a little ingredient sleuthing, Stephenson
says. First look at the menu ahead of time and pick one or two options
that you can Paleo-ize. That might be wild salmon with broccoli.
(Request double the veggies in place of the rice pilaf.) At the
restaurant, don't be shy to ask questions about how things are prepared
and request changes, if necessary.
