Everyday Paleo (4 page)

When you enter a grocery store with list in hand, pretend that the only part of the store that is accessible is the perimeter and the aisle in which you will find the oil and nuts. Pick a day on the weekend and plan your meals. Think about the foods that you love and how you can modify them to make them paleo. For example, vegetables are an excellent substitute for pasta. Thinly sliced zucchini sautéed quickly in coconut oil makes a wonderful base for your favorite marinara sauce. Throw on top a homemade paleo meatball, and you have a bit of heaven. The possibilities truly are endless.

Look at cookbooks and start revising recipes. Check out paleo blogs and become inspired. If you hate to cook, you have to simply get over it. Take a cooking class and decide you will like it because what you put into your body is what keeps you alive.

Another great way to shop is to find local resources. Check to see if you have a farmers market and visit it. Bring your family and get the kids involved. Let the kids see where real food comes from, introduce them to the farmers behind the stands, and let them choose a different and interesting vegetable or fruit to try. Making it a family affair can get everyone more excited about eating healthy, and you will feel closer to the source of where your paleo food is coming from.

What About?

Before we move on, I want to cover a few “what about” food items that people often wonder about when getting started on a paleo lifestyle. I first want to start with the most common “what about” that I hear among paleo beginners.

Table B: Basic Food Guide

Meat (Protein)

(Lean/organic/grass-fed cuts are best)

• Chicken
  
• Turkey
  
• Duck
  
• Beef
  
• Pork
  
• Lamb
  
• Veal
  
• Bison
  
• Venison
  
• Elk
  
• Omega-3-enriched eggs
  
• Jerky (
  gluten-free and not marinated in soy
  )
  

Fish and Seafood (Protein)

(Low mercury, wild caught if possible)

• Salmon
  
• Tilapia
  
• Crab
  
• Shrimp
  
• Tuna
  
• Cod
  

Vegetables (Carbohydrates)

(Organic, if possible)

• Artichoke
  
• Asparagus
  
• Beets
  
• Broccoli
  
• Brussels sprouts
  
• Cabbage
  
• Carrots
  
• Cauliflower
  
• Celery
  
• Collards/mustard greens/ kale
  
• Cucumber
  
• Eggplant
  
• Endive
  
• Lettuce, spinach
  
• Mushrooms
  
• Onions
  
• Parsley
  
• Parsnip
  
• Peppers
  
• Radish
  
• Seaweed
  
• Squash
  (all types)
  
• Yams
  (in moderation, unless you are a kid)
  

Fruit (Carbohydrates)

(Organic, if possible)

• Tomato
  
• Lemons/limes
  
• Apple
  
• Apricot
  
• All berries
  
• All melons
  
• Fig
  
• Grapefruit
  
• Kiwi
  
• Nectarine
  
• Orange
  
• Peach
  
• Pear
  
• Plum
  
• Pomegranate
  
• Tangerine
  
• Watermelon
  

IN MODERATION

• Dried fruit
  (no sugar added)
  
• Tropical fruits such as:
  
• Banana
  
• Mango
  
• Pineapple
  
• Guava
  

Fats

• Avocado
  
• Olive oil
  
• Coconut oil
  
• Coconut milk
  
• Coconut flakes (unsweetened)
  
• Almonds
  
• Brazil nuts
  
• Chestnuts
  
• Hazelnuts
  
• Macadamia nuts
  
• Pecans
  
• Pine nuts
  
• Pistachios
  
• Walnuts
  
• Pumpkin seeds
  
• Sesame seeds
  
• Sesame seeds
  
• Almond butter
  
• Cashew butter
  
• Organic grass-fed heavy cream
  (unless you have an autoimmunity issue)
  
• Organic grass-fed ghee
  (unless you have an autoimmunity issue)
  
• Organic grass-fed butter
  (unless you have an autoimmunity issue)
  
• Lard, tallow
  

Spices

• Allspice
  
• Anise
  
• Basil
  
• Bay leaf
  
• Caraway
  
• Cardamom
  
• Cayenne powder
  
• Chili powder
  
• Cilantro
  
• Cinnamon
  
• Cloves
  
• Coriander
  
• Cumin
  
• Curry powder
  
• Dill
  
• Fenugreek
  
• Garlic
  
• Ginger
  
• Marjoram
  
• Mint
  
• Mustard
  
• Nutmeg
  
• Oregano
  
• Paprika
  
• Parsley
  
• Pepper
  
• Rosemary
  
• Saffron
  
• Sage
  
• Tarragon
  
• Thyme
  
• Turmeric
  
• Vanilla
  

Milk Substitutes?

1)
Coconut Milk:
We all love cream in our coffee, but with dairy not being a part of the paleo diet, what’s a coffee-loving mama to do? I personally love coconut milk. It goes great in my morning cup of Joe, and it goes just as good in my afternoon cup of black tea. I use the So Delicious brand of unsweetened coconut milk. It has been watered down a bit, so I do not rely on this milk substitute as my only fat source, but it tastes just like the brand name implies. Personally, I find that it gives a great texture to the coconut milk smoothies I make for my kids. If you like smoothies, you’ve got to try it:

Awesome Smoothie:

1. Fill a blender half way up with 1 banana, frozen blueberries, and ½ a mango.

2. Add So Delicious coconut milk until it’s just covering the fruit. Blend until smooth.

My kids love this smoothie, along with scrambled eggs, for a quick breakfast on those rushed-to-get-to-school-on-time mornings.

Canned coconut milk is a perfect substitute for any recipe that typically calls for heavy cream, half-andhalf, or milk. I use canned coconut milk for curries, soups, stews, and in several other recipes that you will find in the recipe section. Coconut milk is extremely healing to the gut lining and an amazing source of lauric acid, which does wonders for the immune system and is one of the most beneficial essential fatty acids.

2)
Almond Milk:
Almond milk is preferable to cow’s milk, but it’s not my favorite milk substitute because of its high levels of omega-6 fatty acids. Most folks new to the paleo diet have extremely high levels of omega-6 fatty acids and very low levels of omega-3 fatty acids. We want those levels to be a bit more even in order to obtain optimum health and lessen infammation in our bodies; therefore, if you are using a tablespoon or two of almond milk in your coffee, that’s probably OK, but I would not recommend drinking almond milk everyday by the glassful.

3)
Heavy Cream:
Yes, it’s dairy, but heavy cream is mainly fat, and by buying grass-fed organic heavy cream, you benefit from some of those good omega-3s I was talking about in the last paragraph. If you allow a tablespoon or two of heavy cream in your coffee in the morning, and are otherwise healthy, see how you feel. Some folks do fine. However, if you have any sort of autoimmune issue, I recommend staying away from all dairy products. I love heavy cream, but I find that it makes me feel really full and kind of sluggish if I have it every day, so I use it more as a treat in my coffee now and then or for homemade whipped cream to put on top of my paleo pumpkin pie on holidays. However, overall I rate coconut milk as the number one milk replacement.

Yams or Sweet Potatoes:

Depending on where you live, you might call them yams or you might call them sweet potatoes. Whatever you end up calling them, make sure you eat potatoes that are orange on the inside. I love yams, but living off of them is not my recommendation. Nor would I recommend yams as a daily staple to someone trying to lose weight. They are best consumed after a workout as a carb “recovery fuel.” Kiddlets, however, burn a heck of a lot more calories than we adults, and they are typically healthier than us as well. As a result, they can oftentimes use more dense carbs than mommies and daddies.

If you are healthy, I would suggest playing with yams in your diet. You have to figure out for yourself what your body likes best as far as fuel sources. Some people can eat yams every day and feel, look, and perform just fine. Other folks find that if they eat a ton of starchy tubers they have a more difficult time losing weight and feel a bit more sluggish.

Butter:

My answer to butter will be very similar to my answer about heavy cream. Organic, grass-fed butter does have some healthy properties, and can be a good source of fat for some folks. I love butter, but the health benefits of coconut oil outweigh those of butter, so I recommend folks stick to coconut oil for high-heat cooking and olive oil for low-heat sautéing and for salad dressings. However, if you do not suffer from any sort of autoimmune issue and are otherwise healthy, scrambling those eggs in butter occasionally is fine as long as
you
continue to look, feel, and perform at your optimal level. A side note, if you are going to eat butter, it’s best to purchase already clarifed butter. This is called ghee, and it can be found at most health food stores. The clarification process removes most of the remaining milk solids, which contain lactose, making clarifed butter the optimal choice.

Bacon:

“But Sarah, you said
lean
meats, and so does everyone else who preaches paleo.” Here’s the skinny on the fat. Most of our meat supply comes from grain-fed, commercially raised feedlot animals. The fat in these animals is high in omega-6s, those fatty acids that we want to cut down on. If you are eating grass-fed, pasture-raised animals, the fat in these animals is really good for you! Animal fat is not bad, it’s the bad stuff found in most conventionally farmed animal fat that is bad for us.

Some are fearful of the nitrate content in bacon and other cured or deli meats, but several grocers are now selling nitrate-free bacon, sausages, and deli meats. Furthermore, studies now show that nitrates are not as fearful as once thought, and that the nitrate amounts found in cured meats are much less than in previous years and not as harmful as previously suggested. The best bacon would be from pigs raised on food sources other than grains, and raised humanely. I love bacon, support bacon, and want you to enjoy your bacon too. Go to www.eatwild.com to find local sources for grass-fed beef and pasture-raised hogs and poultry.

Fruit, Dried Fruit, and Paleo “Treats”

Many people want a solid list of what “is and isn’t paleo.” We know the obvious answer to what we should not eat to obtain true health—grains, legumes, and dairy—but there are many tweaks that we can make to our diet that will hinder or progress our optimal goal of health. This entire “what about” section is me giving you the freedom to determine for yourself what will and will not make your “what is paleo” list.

For me, lots of fruit in my diet is not paleo at all. If I eat too much fruit, especially in the morning, I feel terrible. I am hungry by 10 AM and I tend to gain a bit of weight. The same is true for dried fruit and “paleo treats” like my Great Date Balls found in the recipe section. Treats should be treated as the name implies, a “treat”!

I have found for myself that I can eat a few blueberries or a bit of diced apple in my salad or some cooked fruit in moderation with my protein and do fine, but if I eat fruit with every meal or for snacks, I do not look, feel, or perform like I want to.

You will have to determine what works best for you when it comes to fruit and paleo treat consumption. During those first thirty days of eating paleo, especially for those folks wanting to lose weight, I suggest you keep your fruit consumption to a very small amount and combine it with some protein and fat. Better yet, save your fruit consumption to post-workouts. If you are otherwise lean and healthy, you might be able to get away with a bit more fruit consumption, but base it on how you feel.

The same protocol is true for dried fruit and paleo treats. Anything in the recipe section that looks like dessert should be considered something for a special occasion. Kids might be able to eat a few more of my Nutty Cookies than you or me, but just because they are not made of grains does not mean that these treats should be an everyday occurrence. As with anything you choose to eat, if you begin to gain weight, have a hard time losing weight, or simply do not feel as great as you know you can, look back on what you have been eating and consider if you need to cut out some fruit or dial back a bit on the paleo treats.

Nuts:

When you hear about eating Paleo, nuts are usually high on the list, but let’s get real. Nuts are pretty high in calories, and some nuts, like almonds, are particularly high in omega-6 fatty acids. Think about how we used to eat nuts. We had to gather them first, and then shell them one by one. That’s a lot of work for a handful of nuts. Today, we can conveniently buy them prepackaged and ready to go, but if you are consuming nuts by the tubful, this probably is not the best choice for reaching optimal health. I love nuts as an emergency food supply and always keep trail mix handy in my car, but I do not recommend nuts as your only source for healthy fats. Look more to avocado, olive oil, and coconut products for your sources of fat and see how you feel. As you will see in the recipe section, I personally use nuts as a fller in a few recipes and as convenient snacks.

Salt:

Processed foods are filled with salt, which puts stress on the kidneys. If your diet lacks alkaline foods such as vegetables and fruits, this can be a problem. Cutting out all processed foods is a huge step in the right direction. With that being said, adding a bit of sea salt to one’s healthy paleo foods should not pose a significant health risk. However, you should use Celtic sea salt, and not table salt, which has no health benefits whatsoever. I’m not saying to go crazy. Keep your salt intake to a minimum, but by no means force down a plate of steamed veggies if you know you would enjoy them if drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. For athletes, the total absence of salt can actually lead to dehydration, and having a bit of sea salt in their diet can help prevent this.

Alcohol:

Some folks do like to live it up now and then, and alcohol is often involved in these merrier moments. I do not recommend making a nightly booze fest part of your routine, but if you are going to drink now and then, here are some guidelines. Stick to drinks that are not mixed with sugary cocktail concoctions or soda. Have a glass of wine with dinner or a shot of vodka over ice, mixed with soda water and plenty of fresh-squeezed lime. Of course, there is always the infamous NorCal Margarita, created by Robb Wolf, which contains two shots of good tequila poured over ice followed by the juice from 1 whole lime and a splash of soda water. If you are going to drink, use your head, keep the alcohol intake at a minimum, try to avoid drinking right before you go to bed, as alcohol intake tends to disturb your sleep, and stay away from the sweet stuff!

Supplements:

For detailed supplement recommendations, read Robb Wolf’s book, The Paleo Solution, or visit his blog and search for “supplements.” In the meantime, think about getting more sun or taking a vitamin D supplement along with some extra magnesium and fish oils.

Wrap Up

To wrap up getting started, remember that small changes make the big changes more manageable. If you falter, don’t throw in the towel. Instead, dust yourself off and keep on going. We are all human, after all, and this should work with your life, not against it. Always be prepared, shop smart, and plan ahead. By now you should have your fridge stocked with plenty of lean meat options, eggs, loads of veggies, and fruit. Your pantry should hold cans of coconut milk, tons of spices, olive oil, and coconut oil. By now you should have rid your house of everything that is not paleo. Remember, what you do not have, you cannot eat. Do not for a minute think that having junk food around is manageable, because, especially in those first thirty days, it’s just plain mean to do that to yourself. Here are a few more tips for being successful during the most important meal of the day; breakfast.

Breakfast tips for success:

Plan, plan, plan ahead—there are no excuses when you are prepared! Here is a list of breakfast items you should always have on hand for when there is no time for cooking and no leftovers:

• 1 dozen hard-boiled omega-3-enriched eggs
  
• Frozen blueberries.
  
• Sliced raw almonds.