Paleo

What is paleo? Until last year I had never heard this word. My husband and I kind of started eating paleo at the end of last year and now have gone completely paleo. Eating paleo is eating only things that a caveman would be able to eat. It's eating only whole foods, not processed junk. The idea of cutting out breads and cereals seems foreign to us because we're told we're supposed to consume 6 servings of grains a day. So we all ate that much (and probably a little more) and watched as we got heavier.  Not only did people get heavier, but we have more disease. The paleo way of life (I hate the word diet, because it makes you think of starving yourself) is fabulous for anyone, but especially those with auto immune disease, diabetes, celiac, depression, low energy, ok really its just great for everyone.

I read a great book called,  The Smarter Science of Slim. It goes over the science of food, and puts it into terms easily understood. Did you know when the food pyramid was first released, that scientist fought congress on it telling them how unhealthy it was? This book goes into facts not opinions, on why eating a paleo type diet is the ultimate way to be healthy. One thing I liked from the book was the explanation on why we gain weight. When we eat, think of your body having a tube that the food goes down. When the tube is open and not clogged, we don't gain weight. When it's clogged, we gain weight. What clogs it? Bad food. What unclogs it? Good food. What acts as a cement to clog it? High Fructose Corn Syrup. So if you eat good food most of the time, your pipe will be good and clear, and you won't gain weight.

So what can you eat?

This is the question I get asked the most. It's easy-vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and meat.

This has been a learning experience for me, we've had some amazing meals, and some that were so gross that I thought starvation would be a better alternative. I will slowly start adding paleo recipes, (I should probably emphasize slowly as my track record shows how slow I am).

Is eating paleo feasible in the real world?

YES!! I have six monkeys, I run marathons (with only fueling my body with whole foods), I home school, I love going out with my husband and my family. My husband, who does a lot of business over lunch or at a golf course, is able to do it too.

Will you lose weight?

Yes, but you will also gain so much health. You will have energy, you won't get sick as much, and yes you'll lose weight.

Here is a visual, of why a paleo diet works.