Beginners Guide to the Paleo Diet.. Exerpt…

Okay, so if we cut out the grains, almost all processed foods, and dairy, you’re left with only things that occur naturally:

• Meat – GRASS-FED, not grain-fed. Grain causes the same problem in animals as they do in humans.
• Fowl – Chicken, duck, hen, turkey…things with wings that (try to) fly.
• Fish – Wild fish, as mercury and other toxins can be an issue in farmed fish
• Eggs – Look for Omega-3 enriched eggs.
• Vegetables – As long as they’re not deep-fried, eat as many as you want.
• Oils – Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil – think natural.
• Fruits – Have natural sugar, and can be higher in calories, so limit if you’re trying to lose weight.
• Nuts – High in calories, so they’re good for a snack, but don’t eat bags and bags of them.
• Tubers – Sweet potatoes and yams.  Higher in calories and carbs, so these are good for right after a workout to replenish your glycogen levels.

Steak with asparagus and sweet potato fries, grilled chicken salad, massive omelets that will fill you up for the whole morning, apples dipped in almond butter (my favorite snack ever), and so on. Pick any of the things from that list, and eat as much as you want of them (with the noted exceptions). You’ll feel better and be healthier.

While our books on The Paleo Diet provide much more detail on the foods you should and shouldn’t eat, here is a basic scheme of things:

• For breakfast, make an easy omelet. Sauté onion, peppers, mushrooms, and broccoli in olive oil; add omega-3-enriched or free-range eggs and diced turkey or chicken breast.
• Paleo lunches are easy. At the beginning of the week, make a huge salad with anything you like. A good starting point can be mixed greens, spinach, radishes, bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots, avocadoes, walnuts, almonds and sliced apples or pears. Store the salad in a large sealable container. Each morning prepare a single serving from the large batch and then mix in meat (ground beef, beef slices, chicken, turkey, ground bison, pork chunks, etc.) or seafood of choice (salmon, shrimp, tuna, or any fresh fish or seafood). Toss with olive oil and lemon juice and you are set.
• For dinner, try spaghetti squash as a substitute for any pasta recipe. Top with pesto, marinara and meatballs.
• Roasted beets and their greens make a great side dish for pork. Asparagus, broccoli, and spinach can be steamed quickly. Salmon, halibut, or other fresh fish filets grill well with accompanying foil packs full of cut veggies with olive oil and garlic.
• Berries and other succulent fruits make a great dessert. Pre-cut carrot and celery sticks, sliced fruit, and pre-portioned raw nut/dried fruit mixes are easy snacks.