Paleo Cookbook For Dummies (10 page)
Read Paleo Cookbook For Dummies Online
Authors: Kellyann Petrucci
Spending time outdoors
One of the most important shifts in your health is to spend time outdoors so that you get sunshine. When sunlight hits the skin, a process begins that leads to the creation and activation of vitamin D. Your hunter-gather ancestors spent a lot of time outdoors. The sunlight provided them with health and vibrancy.
To make radical changes in your future health, be clear about this point: Sunlight is a nutrient. When your body creates vitamin D, your body fights colds and the flu better as well as osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease, depression, and a host of other conditions. When you're outdoors getting sun and vitamin D, your body also produces more of the feel-good hormone serotonin, which helps you relax.
Regular sun exposure is grossly understated as a vitally important barrier to disease. You may worry about sun-related skin damage and skin cancers, but intermittent exposure actually increases your odds because you have a great chance of burning, and burning is what cause your risk factors to go up. Regular exposure to the sun protects against skin cancers.
How much exposure you need to get your dose of vitamin D depends on how dark your skin is and environmental factors such as how close you live to the equator or what time of day you're in the sun. It's usually about 20 minutes daily of sunshine for the average person at peak times. The darker your skin, the more exposure you need.
Start practicing the
slow immersion
process without sunscreen so you can benefit from vitamin D. When you get frequent short periods of exposure, you build a protective layer. Build up your tolerance on a regular basis, gradually and early in the spring to prep your skin for the stronger summer sun. Try to get sun earlier in the morning where you have less chance of burning and overheating.
When you do need sunscreen, the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep website (www.ewg.org/skindeep) can help you find the best natural, nontoxic sunscreen.
Spending more time outdoors has so many benefits. Chances are that if you're spending more time outdoors, you're moving your body more and spending less time in front of the television or computer. You may even be fitting in more time for play. These changes alone can improve your health.
Reprogramming your mindset
How you think (or as my dad would always say, “the six inches between your ears”) is really what defines you. Understanding your mindset is essential if you want to embrace wellness.
Major influences in your life â whether they're your parents, teachers, preachers, or whatever â programmed your current belief systems, which in turn create your reality. In fact, most of your programming (your unconscious thought) is wired in your brain by the time you're 18. Here's where it gets really interesting: Your unconscious mind is responsible for about 95 percent of your thoughts during the course of a day. Therefore, the programming you received as a youngster is still guiding you through life today.
You may not have had any say in how you were programmed when you were younger, but you do now! You can reprogram your thoughts to be healthier and more positive. Having positive thoughts is an essential piece of living healthfully and aging well.
One the best ways to reprogram your mind is through using positive
affirmations
(statements of conviction) and journaling. You have to override all the negative affirmations that you replay in your mind by repeating your positive affirmations over and over. You begin to become aware that you really do create your reality. Start by journaling your affirmations in a notebook and saying them out loud in the morning (before your mind has time to fight back). Use the present tense as if your affirmations were already happening, such as “I AM lean, strong, and healthy, and every day I'm creating what I want.” Say them with intention and with complete clarity â don't rush through them. Write and say your affirmations over and over until your physiology believes you. Soon your affirmations will become part of you!
Eating Paleo when eating out
Eating Paleo doesn't mean you have to be perfect. When you eat out, it's up to you how much leeway you give yourself. Some people may be very reactive to certain foods and have to be very careful, but maybe a little traditional salad dressing or some sushi with white rice works for you. The point is to always be aware of how certain foods make you feel. If you feel sick, tired, bloated, cranky, constipated, or otherwise upset digestively, that's your call to stay away.
To prepare for your dining experience,
Always call ahead to ask questions or for special requests.
Look for the menus online and plan ahead.
Beware of the starters like the bread baskets and chips. They are usually filled with non-Paleo foods. If your dining companions don't mind, don't let the server even bring these freebies to the table, or have them remove the pre-set baskets.
When reviewing the menu, avoid foods that are described as “battered,” “breaded,” “coated,” “crispy,” “deep-fried,” or “fritter.” These designations usually mean unhealthy oils and cooking methods were used.
If your restaurant choice offers ethnic cuisine, here are some tips:
Mexican:
Stick to meat, salsa, and guacamole. If you like tacos or fajitas, eat just the filling and skip the shells.
Italian:
Choose chicken, beef, and fish dishes. Look for sautéed or grilled vegetables that you can order with garlic and olive oil or red sauce. I always opt for the antipasto platter dressed in olive oil.
Thai:
Curry dishes are typically loaded with protein, coconut milk, and vegetables, which are all good.
Indian:
I always go for the tandoori dishes, which are cooked in the tandoori oven. Ask whether other dishes are cooked with flour or yogurt, and if so, avoid them.
Japanese:
Order maki or hand rolls and ask that they be made without rice. Sashimi is another excellent option, and you can round off your meal with a seaweed salad. If you like to use soy sauce, bring your own bottle of coconut aminos to substitute.
Greek:
Roasted chicken, kebabs, grilled fish, and Greek salad without the feta cheese all work nicely. The olives are fantastic too.
Middle Eastern:
Stick to lamb, beef, pork, vegetables, and chicken shawarma. The
baba gannoujh
(pureed eggplant) or tahini (sesame seed paste) are Middle Eastern favorites and Paleo all the way.
