Paleo really boils down to one thing: NO processed foods. It is also called the Caveman diet because the idea is that if the cavemen didn't have it available to them then you shouldn't be eating it either. Clearly, the caveman didn't have Stretch Island fruit snacks, but because these fruit snacks are made entirely out of 100% fruit and fruit juice with no added sugars or chemicals i.e not processed they are okay for an occasional treat while on Paleo and often times they are my savior when I am jonesing for something chewy and sweet.
I am not doing a Paleo cleanse. I am setting up a lifestyle for myself; therefore I will be able to eat a few more things then if I were on a 30 day cleanse. For example, in the cleanse you cannot eat any legumes. I will still incorporate black, kidney and fresh green beans into my diet. I will also have the occasional sweet potato or russet potato even though those are not allowed on the cleanse. All of these items are allowed, in moderation, while following a paleo diet. It can be confusing and certainly I have found a ton more options for snacks and meals then when I first started the diet two years ago. I will do my best to explain the basics of how Paleo works and give a list of approved as well as banned foods.
Here are the main components of a Paleo Diet:
Enjoy: Avoid:
Fruits(fresh and dried) Refined Sugar
Vegetables Starches
Nuts/seeds Dairy
Meats Grains(no bread, rice, pasta, quinoa, etc)
Healthy Fats Alcohol
spices/seasonings Processed foods
The meats you eat while on Paleo should still be lean cuts of meat. You should eat a lot of chicken, fish, and lean cuts of red meat. Cook with ground turkey when possible instead of ground beef. All meats that you eat including bacon, sausages and lunchmeats must be NITRATE free. This means there were no added preservatives put into the product. My favorite nitrate free lunchmeat is Boars Head, but Dietz and Watson and Sara Lee make some nitrate free varieties too. The key is to check the labels. My favorite sausages are Aidells or Gilberts. They both make a large selection of flavors to choose from. Just make sure it is a flavor that does not include cheese. Aidells also makes chicken sausage meatballs that work great as a quick dinner or lunch option. I just use a minimally processed marinara sauce and make a big salad to go with it. This is not a cheap way to live. You have to pay for more expensive cuts of meat and all of the preservative free products are naturally more expensive, but I am worth the money. When I think about what else I spend money on with no reward, I know that investing in this lifestyle is an investment worth making.
Since dairy is not allowed, it is important that you still get the calcium needed for a daily diet. Green leafy veggies actually have more calcium in a serving then a glass of milk. Also, 1 cup of Almond milk has 50% more calcium then regular milk. I will be honest; I do not like the taste of straight up almond milk. I buy the chocolate almond milk and mix it with a smoothie or use it as cream for my coffee in order to get the extra calcium.
The hardest part of paleo for me is the lack of beverage options. You can have unlimited water and herbal tea which would be great if i enjoyed either and I don't. You can have 2 cups of black coffee a day. You can use almond milk or coconut milk to flavor your coffee, but I am obsessed with every coffee mate flavor there is and plain old flavorless milk does not do it for me. You can only have 1-2 cups of 100% juice a week because there is a ton of sugar in juice. So, pretty much giving up the option of cream for my coffee and the occasional can of pop is absolute torture for me. When I am really freaking out and dying for a beverage that has taste, I opt for a throwback Pepsi which is made with cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. It is still really bad for a Paleo follower, but it is not as bad as it could be. I am going to try my absolute hardest to keep from sucking down a Pepsi over the course of the 30 days.
Here are my essential weekly grocery items while on Paleo for quick lunches/snacks/side dishes:
Canned white albacore tuna
Boars Head Lunchmeat
Nitrate free all beef hot dogs
Nitrate free Bacon
Ghiradelli 60% cacao or higher dark chocolate chips
Stretch Island Fruit snacks
Cashews/Almonds
Craisins
Rotisserie chicken(for salads)
balsamic vinegar(use as salad dressing)
Fresh fruit: any variety
Frozen strawberries
Chocolate almond Milk
Pickles
eggs
grass fed butter
Veggies: The greener the better
I usually shop at Caputos and Marianos when I am on Paleo because they have the best deals on produce and meat. If I want a steak, I go to Whole Foods for grass fed beef. Then I get to the checkout counter and I am reminded that Whole Foods is also nicknamed "Whole paycheck." However, I can taste a difference and we do not eat steak very often, so it is okay for us to splurge every once in a while.
My plan is to grocery shop sunday night for all the groceries I will need for the week. I will look through all y Paleo cookbooks tomorrow and pick out some new as well as old recipes to try this week. I'm getting pretty excited about it!!!
Tomorrow I will post about all the wonderfully fatty foods you can eat while on Paleo and still lose weight and feel amazing!!
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