The Paleo Diet is a diet that you would be forced to eat if you were in the wilderness hunting and foraging to find your own food. Since most of us live in cities, we are right down the street from the local super market. You can skip down the street and walk in to a plethora of edible options. The unfortunate truth about being in a society that has an abundance of food, is the uncertainty over what is best for you to eat. Our government recommends a diet rich in grain and dairy.
I find it amazing that the government ignores the 3.4 million years of human evolutionary history of eating, to focus on these new age foods. Now we know this new age diet is taking its toll on the population.
How did our diet influence our evolution? Simply put, we ate what we needed to survive and thrive. This allowed for the development of ever vast human brain, full of knowledge and the ability to solve problems. Now we have the problem of obesity, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic derangement. By ways of unbiased research, scientists have discovered what foods promote these problems and have forged a diet to prevent them.
Enter the Paleo Diet:
The Paleo Diet in all its diversity, is open to much interpretation.
I have found the best results influencing health and fitness include a high fat, reduced carb paleo diet. For different people, with different goals, guidelines may vary. In general I recommend:
Grain, Legume and Dairy free.
Carbohydrates: Males – under 100g/day. Females – under 75g/day. Carbs come from fruits and vegetables. Limit fruits to 1 per day or less (high fructose levels hinder body fat loss).
Protein: Total grams = weight in pounds or more. Ex. 150lbs = 150g protein. Mainly from animal meats.
Fat: Use to fulfill satiety. Cook using generous amounts of coconut or olive oil. Organic meats with high fat content. Avocados. Coconut products: Coconut milk, oil, flakes…
If you must cheat, remain gluten free.
Limit nuts: totaling one handful or less per day.
Recommended supplements: Vitamin D, Magnesium, Fish oil with high DHA/EPA level, Zinc.
A typical day will include 3 large meals. I enjoy:
Breakfast: Eggs cooked in coconut oil.
Lunch: Grass fed beef with green leafy vegetables (steamed broccoli or sauteed spinach).
Dinner: Fish/Chicken/Red Meat with vegetable medley.
This is a great place to start because it eliminates all potential inflammatory foods and restricts carbs.
Here is a list of foods I approve:
Meat
Beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, bison, veal, rabbit, goat, sheep, quail, wild boar, deer…
Fish
Salmon, tuna, trout, bass, halibut, sole, haddock, turbot, walleye, tilapia, cod, flatfish, grouper, mackerel, anchovy, herring…
Shellfish
Crab, lobster, shrimps, scallops, clams, oysters, mussels.
Fats
Avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, clarified butter (ghee), fats from grass fed meats, fatty fishes (sardines, mackerel, salmon), coconut flesh, coconut milk.
Eggs
Chicken eggs, duck eggs, quail eggs…
Vegetables
Broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, leeks, kohlrabi, green onions, eggplants, cauliflower, cucumber, cabbage, brussels sprouts, artichokes, okra…
Green leafy vegetables
Lettuce, spinach, collard greens, kale, beet top, mustard greens, swiss chard, watercress, turnip greens, seaweeds, arugula, bok choy…
Root vegetables
Sweet potatoes, radish, yams, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, …
Winter squash
Butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, buttercup squash, …
Summer squash
Zucchini, yellow summer squash, yellow crookneck squash, …
Fruits
Bananas, apples, oranges, berries (strawberry, cranberry, cranberry, blueberry, blackberry), grapefruit, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, pomegranates, pineapple, papaya, grapes, cantaloupe, cherries, apricot, water mellon, honeydew mellon, kiwi, lemon, lime, lychee, mango, tangerine, coconut, figs, dates, passion fruit, persimmon, …
Nuts and seeds
Pistachios, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts
Mushrooms
Button mushroom, portabello, oyster mushroom, shiitake, chanterelle, crimini, porcini, morel…
Fresh and dried herbs
Parsley, thyme, lavender, mint, basil, rosemary, chives, tarragon, oregano, sage, dill, bay leaves, coriander…
Spices and other natural flavor enhancers
Ginger, garlic, onions, black pepper, hot peppers, star anise, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, vanilla, cloves, chilies, some sea salt…
