There are millions of people worldwide who’re following the Paleo diet, whether advised or based on their own search online, to burn fat, to prevent and/or reverse otherwise chronic diseases, and to discover renewed energy without being dependent on any drug. In other words, there are millions of people around the world who are lean and living as disease-free and energetic individuals they are meant to be.
But what is the Paleo Diet in itself? Is it a fad? Is it legit? Despite increasing popularity and conversions though, there are questions abound on how it encourages consumption of fatty foods and meat. But where the starvation had not been helping the serial dieters much, eating like our ancestors did.
How about we read the next section and know it for sure?
Since there are already millions of people referring to it, chances are you’ve heard the phrase “I’ve started the Paleo diet and am now living off fish, seasonal fruits and vegetable,” or “I’ve started the Paleo and given up caffeine drinking,” quite frequently.
The ‘healthy diet’ asked people to give up eating not only processed food but also legumes and grains. In exchange, they were happy recipients of a figure and energy levels that stuck around far longer than these did for the envious ones around them.
I guess it’s probably the term ‘diet’ that leads to such exasperated and dumbstruck expressions for it makes people think that Paleo was nothing more than a temporary program for weight loss.If you’ve ever gone on a diet before somehow, all its results are short-term and you end up back at square one, or weighing more than what you did in the first place.
Paleo diet is definitely not just another diet. You aren’t counting your calories, unlike the traditional mantra “eat less, exercise more”. It’s a lifestyle – you don’t get to stop just because you’ve reached your weight goal or are feeling better now, but stick to it. The only rule, you’re following here is that if, “a caveman couldn’t eat something, then you can’t either.”Now, don’t you go and regard it as weird just because it’s been labeled a “caveman’s diet”! You eat, in a nutshell, all the whole, unprocessed foods that you can get your hands on simply because they don’t harm your body, including
Your body’s evolved to thrive on it and not on the sugar or other chemically processed stuff, which incidentally breeds most of the modern diseases including CVD, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.
But there’s a catch to this fusion of the new and the old. Associating it fondly with tags like hunter-gatherer diet, the Stone Age diet, and primal diet, there’s no saying you’d like everything mindmapping the answer to “what would a caveman eat?” And that’s precisely my point here as well.
I wasn’t trying to truly replicate their diet, and in the same way, I’m not asking you to replicate mine either. What if you can’t live without treating yourself to a bowl of white rice on some days? Or what if you liked your food better when it included dairy? The good news is that you don’t have to compromise on one or the other. You can be a Paleo eater, with different approaches to the diet as long as their fundamentals remain the same. Diets vary according to your geographical location; from Arctic to tropics, your diet’s based mostly on animal and plant and everything in between is going to reflect it. Bottom line is: there’s no single Paleo diet.
It’s effortless when you compare the two in this manner; you aren’t driven mad on why months and months of your dedication and hard work was a failure and why weight loss still looked as if it’s part of Neverland. And it fetches results like it claims.
The low-carb, protein-rich principles of our ancestors have carved themselves a modern following from celebrities like Kobe Bryant and Miley Cyrus, to normal everyday folks like us. We see Paleo-inspired products hitting the shelves and coming up in restaurants down the street. Seeing that, we can imagine how many people think it’s the best way to reduce inflammation within their body and maintain a healthy metabolism, to enjoy the quality of life (including mental attitude, sleep quality), to lower if not eliminate the risk of lifestyle diseases, and finally to reestablish a healthy relation with food.
Following the 2014 rankings of “Best Diets Overall” in the U.S. News, the health experts make the exception though. According to one body, the dieters preferring to eat like hunter-gatherers do because they want and can do so; that makes the diet more about privilege than logic. Add to it the fact that there’s no scientific evidence to suggest these people live healthier or longer than the rest. The devotees say otherwise.
According to the author of The Paleo Diet, Loren Cordain, the diet has
In particular, it’s rich in antioxidant vitamins, soluble fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, phytochemicals, low-glycemic carbs, and monosaturated fat. It’s low in salt, artificial sugars, high-glycemic carbs, and trans fats. It’s also gluten-free.
The quality of the food is an important factor too besides eating real food. Going Paleo means you pay attention to where your eggs, meat, organic produce, and seafood come from. For those who complain that it’d be difficult to keep up with desired activity levels, strength and energy, you should know that a significant amount of both plants and animals will easily help you overcome the lack of carbs in your meals; fat from food like grass-fed beef and coconut is more of a source of energy than being unhealthy.
Further, there are no “appropriate portions” or counting calories. And what’s been kept off-limits basically is high-calorie, processed food such as caramel-rich chocolate brownie that has zero health benefits.
To become a Paleo follower isn’t merely about the nutrition. Another thing that separates it from other diets is that Paleo comes with a full online community, including numerous forums, meetup groups, and Facebook pages.
To name a few, Paleo’s been criticized for the following:
You see, it’s not entirely flawless.
A quick recap: you’ve been (a) told there’s no fixed Paleo diet and (b) you’ve been briefed about the pros and cons to these diets in general. Since you’ve agreed to go ahead with the Paleo Plan, I think it’s best now to include in a framework at this stage, an idea as to what foods among the classes identified above you can easily say “yes” or “no” to.
I know how diets are intimidating to get started with if you’ve only a long shopping list at hand and no guidelines to what to do next. I won’t be giving you one and commanding you to ‘go!’ No. I want to see that your cart is filled correctly despite the mindless diet that you eat better, even on a budget. After all, it’s mindless only if you know what sort of spices and ingredients are required for Paleo meals.
Grocery shopping therefore, should be a priority. And once you’ve learned, okay, polished, your skill of shopping Paleo, avoiding numerous shopping trips and a zillion more labels to read, I’ll walk you through a simple weekly meal plan.
Ready to make the huge lifestyle change? Follow these tips when you hit the stores!
[P.S. The grocery list is provided after the tips.]
Stop at the dairy counter to buy organic eggs. Note that they’re more expensive than the other type of eggs, but then comparatively, they’re also the cheapest source of high quality protein on the block.
Second, “wild-caught” fish isn’t always a good idea. And like the eggs, the best choices among fish such as the wild-caught Pacific Halibut, are expensive too. Scallops and cod are good, cheaper alternatives, as are frozen seafood options. And unless you intend to freeze some for later, avoid the urge to over-buy here; they will go bad fast.
Finally, much of the emphasis in the diet is on animal fat and protein. It’s also important that these animals be fully pastured and grass fed, which is why, like Google, you should have your own mental crawling bots out, flagging keywords like “fully pastured eggs and chicken”, “fully pastured pork”, “grass-fed beef”, or “wild caught seafood”.
Keep telling yourself that you deserve high quality animal protein sources so as to avoid anything treated with nitrates, hormones, antibiotics or which has been raised commercially, whenever you come across it. If you can’t find any grass-fed beef, but there’s pastured lamb meat available, go with the latter; you can always find a recipe on the internet later. Similarly, if there’s no organic beef or pork at the shop, and there’s only pastured chicken instead, get enough to last yourself a week. Check in at the frozen section before making the decision if there’s nothing fresh in the market.
And while we won’t say, “buy on sale and in bulk”, it does help if you buy more and freeze it for later when you’ve got a couple extra bucks on you. But that’s one thing. Some of you might find it difficult to afford the ‘best meat’ strategy. It’s advised then that you start with meat from ruminants rather than pork or chicken; buy the leanest cuts and trim away the visible fat on the piece before eating. This way, not only will you have obtained a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, but also reduce unhealthy content from your diet. As far as chicken and pork are concerned, eat chicken without the skin and avoid all sorts of pork products.
It’s surprising to note the types of fresh, seasonal produce that are welcomed wholeheartedly, some approved to be enjoyed sparingly, and then some that you have to steer clear of. With the protein sources sorted out, you’re up in line for vegetables and fruits.
One thing to remember here is that there are some ‘clean’ products that you don’t need to by organic because of price. In fact, if you are pressed for money, forget the whole organic and local debate – just pick up the dark and leafy stuff.
As a general rule of the thumb, vegetables and fruits purchased in their natural growing season will guarantee not only freshness, but also nutrient density for you; they’re also the least expensive. Frozen veggies are cheaper alternatives too if you won’t worry yourself over the little amounts of nutrients lost. Even canned vegetables are suggested for the post-workout session as long as the only ingredient remains the vegetable itself.
Fruits are secondary to vegetables. Prefer buying the local, organic type when possible, or whatever is on sale during the season. Fruits available other than their season are usually expensive, less delicious, and not-so-fresh alternatives.
This is one reason why you’d want to break the shop-the-perimeter rule every time you go Paleo shopping. Searching for a pro tip? Don’t look at the brightly colored boxes. That would save you from the unhealthy, but not the prices though, for fats can quickly spiral into a pricier item on your list, especially if you’re banking on seeds and nuts. So, keep the nuts and seeds for the last, and when you buy them, invest in dry-roasted or raw while avoiding cheaper ones that are probably roasted in low-quality oils and even the expensive butter corresponding items.
Last but not the least, going Paleo in no way means you’d be eating bland stuff for the rest of your life. Build up your spice and herb collection slowly and gradually with every trip you make to the market. Whether it’s the dried or fresh, add according to the season.
Being a mom, it was my responsibility to set an example, to ignore people (friends and strangers alike) exclaiming, “your kids eat that stuff?” and ensure I did the best I could to find that balance between Paleo-friendly meals and other dishes. In a normal household, you’d hardly come across kids who are strictly Paleo. But like all working mothers will readily attest to, I sought to be as close to perfection as I could, starting at the beginning by emptying the desk drawers, the pantry and fridge, and all treat hideouts. Some might prefer making the changes a step at a time. As for me, I wanted a fresh start. The guidelines above helped me shop smart, minimizing expenses while simultaneously improving health.
With practice, it became even easier. Because you are on this learning curve and your list evolves as you learn what ingredients you have to avoid and what you need to buy.