The Paleo diet is very simple. it consists of:
Meat (All animals including organ meats, fish, shellfish, etc.)
Fats (Coconut oil, olive oil, animal fats, etc)
Eggs
Vegetables
Fruits
Nuts and Seeds (raw preferably)
Dairy*
That’s it…..
Notice there are no grains on this list.
Just picture it’s 10,000 years ago…you’re roaming around the wild landscape. Chances are you’re going to be able to hunt and gather all of the above….except grains.
Before agriculture wild humans didn’t have the time or capacity to grow fields upon fields of grains…wheat, oats, rice, etc.
They hunted and gathered ALL that they consumed. Seeing as 10,000 years is just a blink of an eye in terms of our existence, our bodies are still genetically programmed to live and thrive off of these foods. It wasn’t until civilizations sprung up that farming developed, and with it, the consumption of grains. Along with the consumption of grains, came the diseases that were associated with high grain consumption.
In order to feel and function your best, you must keep your diet in line with your genetics. This is one of the simplest yet hardest things for people to do.
Grains are very, very addicting.
For most people starting out this can be very tough. No more cereal or oatmeal for breakfast. No more pizza, the list goes on and on. But once you get past the initial detox stage of the diet and you start feeling the clarity and energy that these foods provide, there will be no looking back.
The way you feel will be enough of a positive reinforcement to keep you on the right track. And believe me, once you’ve been eating correctly for a month or so and you find yourself cheating (you will end up cheating here or there) the way you feel after eating a few slices of pizza will show you just how taxing these things can be to your system. You’re going to wonder how you ever lived off of those other foods to begin with. It won’t be a surprise anymore as to why you were feeling so horrible.
* In regards to dairy…some people will debate whether this is Paleo/Primal at all. I personally eat it as I love cheese. And, ancient people most definitely drank the milk of their animals when times were tough. It’s up to you whether you want to include it or not. I say go for it. It has no carbs, depending on where you buy it, it has good fats and it will help keep you on track with everything else. A little cheese on that burger or sprinkled over your salad goes a long way to making you feel satisfied.
Now, the the other part to this, is of course dietary allergies. Dairy can be allergy producing for some people. If you’re not sure whether you are one of those people or not, leave it out for a couple weeks and then reintroduce it and see if you get any symptoms. If not, you’re good to go on Dairy. Feel free to include:
Cheese
Yogurt
Heavy Creams
Butter.
If you don’t have a dairy allergy, your diet just got that much better!
Fats have been demonized by the media as something that we should stay away from, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Our bodies use these fats for energy, joint and cartilage repair, cell repair and brain health, to name a few. They have been part of the human diet for hundreds of thousands of years and we are genetically programmed to thrive on them.
Where as grains on the other hand, have only been consumed for the past 10,000 or so. Yes, that loaf of bread will fill your belly, and stop your hunger, and it’s because of grain production that allowed civilizations to spring up and flourish in the first place. It was the best and only way to feed the masses. But it also came with a steep price tag in the form of poor health and chronic conditions in our ancient ancestors that we still suffer from today.
This is simply because most grains are allergens to most people….they just don’t realize it. The biggest offender of all, is the one you should avoid the most……