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STARTING YOUR PALEO DIET

In this chapter we’ll cover the foods of the Paleo diet in detail, including how and where to shop for them. We’ll also show you how to plan Paleo meals day by day, so that you understand what you’ll be eating. Finally, we’ll discuss some tips to help make your transition to the Paleo diet a smooth, enjoyable and successful one.

What You’ll Be Eating on the Paleo Diet

Much of the success of the Paleo diet lies not only in the types of foods you eat, but also the quality of those foods. Our ancestors ate wild foods that were of high quality and free of chemicals, hormones and many other ingredients that have made the modern diet largely unhealthy.

For most people, the idea of raising, hunting and/or foraging for their own food is unrealistic. Many people also lack the budget for unusual (and often therefore expensive) ingredients. Taking these considerations into account, the following guidelines recommend Paleo-approved foods that are realistic to find and purchase. Later in the chapter, we’ll explain how to find these foods in your local supermarket and through other local resources.

Animal and Fish Proteins

Animal and fish proteins make up the majority of the Paleo diet. We recommend purchasing the highest quality proteins that you can reasonably afford. If game, exotic meat like buffalo, and wild salmon are too expensive for your budget, rest assured that grass-fed beef, organic chicken and fresh or frozen prawns are just as good.

The Paleo diet recommends that livestock meats such as beef, buffalo, ostrich, pork and lamb are grass-fed, organic and free of any hormones or antibiotics. You are also encouraged to eat wild meat and game, such as deer and boar. When considering which cuts of meat to buy, lean cuts are preferred to cuts with a high fat content.

Poultry should be organic, vegetarian-raised and free of hormones. Chicken, turkey, duck, goose and Cornish hens are good Paleo options. Eggs are also an easy and excellent source of protein on the Paleo diet, but they should be from free-range, organic birds.

Your seafood choices are numerous. You can eat all kinds of fish, prawns, crab, clams, oysters, lobster and other crustaceans and molluscs. We recommend prioritising cold-water fish varieties such as cod, haddock, mackerel and salmon to maximize your omega-3 consumption.

You can prepare your meat, poultry and seafood by steaming, broiling, grilling, sautéing, pan-frying, baking or broiling. As you may suspect, it is best to avoid deep frying, because neither batter nor the typical deep frying oils are recommended.

Fruit and Vegetables

There are a large number of delicious fruits and vegetables to choose from. In general, you can eat any fruits and vegetables other than corn and most root vegetables, which have a high sugar and starch content. Your Paleo diet excludes potatoes, beets, turnips and parsnips. Carrots can be eaten in moderation and onions are historically a wild crop and therefore acceptable.

Try to select low-glycemic fruits and vegetables for most of your meals and snacks. In doing so, you’ll be more likely to maintain an even blood sugar level and have a steadier source of energy.

Whenever possible, the fruit and vegetables that you purchase (including mushrooms and other plant foods) should be organic and in season. This ensures that they are as healthy, nutritious and delicious as possible. Frozen fruits and vegetables are allowed, but you should keep them to a minimum. Canned fruits and vegetables are typically overcooked and oversalted, and should be avoided.

Nuts, Seeds and Oils

Nuts, seeds and oils are an important part of the Paleo diet. They supply healthy fats, fibre and a feeling of fullness that can help keep you from being besieged by unhealthy cravings.

Allowed nuts include tree nuts, such as pecans, walnuts and almonds. Peanuts are a legume and are therefore not allowed. Nuts should be eaten raw as often as possible; if you prefer roasted nuts, make sure they’re roasted without sugar, salt or added oil. Seeds such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, squash seeds and sesame seeds make great snacks, and flax seed or flax seed oil is loaded with healthy fats and antioxidants.

Use extra virgin olive oil for making dressings, as a substitute for butter on veggies and for cooking foods at low heat. Use pure olive oil or grape-seed oil for cooking at medium to high temperatures.

8 Tips for Success: Planning Your Paleo Diet

Knowing what to eat is half the key to success; knowing how and when to eat it is the other half. The guidelines for the Paleo diet are intended to be simple, because complicated diets rarely succeed.

1. Don’t Count Calories

Calorie counting or portioning are not a part of the Paleo diet. The Paleo diet is a natural way of eating what your body was designed to eat; Paleolithic people often consumed a much higher number of calories and fat grams than most diets allow. Once you see the results, calorie counting will no longer be a part of your vocabulary.

On the Paleo diet, you should feel less hunger due to an increased consumption of healthy fats, lean protein and fibre. If you eat only when you’re hungry, you’re likely to avoid overeating without having to count calories.

2. The Proper Ratio of Protein to Carbs

You should try to maintain a proper ratio between your protein intake and your carb intake. The easiest way to keep this ratio in line is by looking at your menu and your plate. For all meals, at least half your plate should be protein, and half or less should be fruit, veg, nuts and seeds.

In general, your daily diet should consist of fifty-five to sixty-five percent protein, thirty to forty percent carbs, and five percent non-animal fats such as those found in nuts, seeds, avocadoes and olive oil. If you feel your energy level is dragging when you first start the diet, try increasing your carb consumption. If you find yourself snacking all day and still feeling hungry, try increasing your protein consumption.

It may take a few weeks for your body to adjust to the way it converts food into energy. For the first week or two, you are likely to find yourself craving the carbs and quick energy of pasta, bread or a bowl of cereal. It’s normal for your energy level to dip the first couple of weeks, but it should increase as your body begins to increasingly use protein as a source of energy.

3. Planning Your Daily Diet

We recommend that you eat at least three main meals a day and several healthy snacks in between. Try to avoid going more than two hours without at least some lean protein. Snacking will keep hunger away and keep your blood sugar levels steady.

Even if you’re not inclined to plan your menus in advance, many people find that doing so increases their initial chances of success. It’s important to have what you need on hand so that you don’t fall for unhealthy temptations.

After a couple of weeks on the diet, you’ll have a better understanding of how and when to eat and likely find it easier to create your own meal plans. To get started, here are some guidelines to help you achieve the best results.

4. Early Morning/Breakfast

Eat as soon as possible after you wake up, especially during your first few weeks on the Paleo diet. If you keep your evening meals protein-heavy and light on carbs, you may awaken with more energy in the morning.

Scrambled eggs and omelettes are good breakfast choices if you have time to cook. If you don’t have time in the morning, cold leftover meats and protein smoothies are good Paleo options.

5. Lunch

Lunch should include a large serving of protein, such as a meat stew, cold leftover chicken, or a salad with chicken breast or prawns. Add some high-fibre carbs such as a salad or fruit with a handful of nuts to feel more full and energetic.

6. Dinner

Your evening meals should focus primarily on protein. Most people burn less energy during the evening. Unless you work out after dinner, try to limit your carb intake. Choose low-glycemic veggies as your side dishes.

7. Dessert or Evening Snack

You’re free to choose between a sweet treat or a little more of what you had for dinner. Fruit, unsweetened sorbets or any of the Paleo-friendly dessert recipes included later in this book can satisfy your sweet tooth.

8. Snacks

Throughout your day, you should snack as frequently as possible—at least once every two to three hours. Focus on a mix of both protein and carbs for each snack. The protein will help keep you from getting hungry and the carbs will help you avoid fatigue. Eating frequently can also speed up your metabolism.

Paleo-Recommended Foods

Meat

• Eggs (from chickens, ducks or geese; do not buy egg substitutes)

• Game

     images Duck

     images Buffalo

     images Goose

     images Grouse

     images Ostrich

     images Partridge

     images Pheasant

     images Quail

     images Rabbit

     images Reindeer

     images Squab

     images Turtle

     images Venison

     images Wild boar

     images Wild turkey

• Goat (any cut)

• Lean beef (trimmed of visible fat)

     images Braising steak

     images Sirloin steak

     images Extra lean mince (seven percent fat or less)

     images Rump steak

     images Lean veal

     images Frying steak

• Lean pork (trimmed of visible fat)

     images Pork loin

     images Pork chops

• Lean poultry (white meat, skin removed)

     images Chicken breast

     images Turkey breast

     images Partridge breast

• Organ meats

     images Beef, lamb, pork and chicken livers and kidneys

     images Chicken and turkey gizzards and hearts

     images Beef, pork and lamb tongues

     images Beef, pork and lamb marrow

     images Beef, pork, lamb and veal sweetbreads

• Rabbit (any cut)

Fish

• Seabass

• Bluefish

• Cod

• Eel

• Grouper

• Haddock

• Halibut

• Herring

• Mackerel

• Monkfish

• Mullet

• Northern pike

• Orange roughy

• Perch

• Red snapper

• Rockfish

• Salmon

• Sardine (packed in olive oil or water)

• Scrod

• Shark

• Striped bass

• Sunfish

• Swordfish

• Tilapia

• Trout

• Tuna

• Turbot

• Walleye

• Any other commercially available fish

Seafood

• Abalone

• Brown shrimp

• Clam

• Cockles

• Crab

• Crayfish

• Lobster

• Mussels

• Oysters

• Prawns

• Scallops

Fruit

• Apple

• Apricot

• Avocado

• Banana

• Blackberry

• Boysenberry

• Blueberry

• Cantaloupe melon

• Cherry

• Cranberry

• Gooseberry

• Grape

• Grapefruit

• Guava

• Honeydew melon

• Kiwi

• Lemon

• Lime

• Lychee

• Mango

• Nectarine

• Orange

• Papaya

• Passion fruit

• Peach

• Pear

• Persimmon

• Pineapple

• Plum

• Pomegranate

• Raspberry

• Rhubarb

• Star fruit

• Tangerine

• Watermelon

Vegetables

• Artichoke

• Asparagus

• Aubergine

• Beet greens

• Bell pepper

• Broccoli

• Brussels sprouts

• Cabbage

• Cauliflower

• Celeriac

• Celery

• Chilli

• Chinese greens (pak choi, bok choi, etc.)

• Courgette

• Cucumber

• Dandelion greens

• Endive

• Kale

• Kohlrabi

• Lettuce (except iceberg)

• Mushroom

• Mustard greens

• Onion

• Parsley

• Pumpkin

• Seaweed

• Spinach

• Spring onion

• Squash (all kinds)

• Swiss chard

• Tomato

• Turnip

• Watercress

Nuts, Seeds and Oils

• Almond butter

• Almond

• Brazil nut

• Cashew

• Chestnut

• Coconut oil

• Flax seed

• Hazelnut

• Macadamia nut

• Nut flour (almond and hazelnut are recommended)

• Olive oil

• Pecan

• Pine nut

• Pistachio

• Pumpkin seeds

• Sesame seeds

• Sunflower seeds

• Sesame butter or tahini (pure and raw)

• Walnut

Beverages

• Fruit juice (pure and organic, without any added sugar)

• Green tea

• Herbal tea

• Water

Other

• Carob powder

• Coconut flour and milk

• Dried fruit without added sugar

• Fresh and dried herbs

• Frozen fruit and fruit bars without added sugar

• Raw, organic honey

• Spices and seasonings

Foods to Avoid on the Paleo Diet

Dairy

• All food made with any dairy products

• Butter

• Cheese

• Dairy spreads

• Frozen yoghurt

• Ice cream

• Low-fat milk

• Non-fat dairy creamer

• Powdered milk

• Skimmed milk

• Whole milk

• Yoghurt

Cereal Grains

• Barley (barley soup, barley bread and all processed foods made with barley)

• Buckwheat

• Corn (corn on the cob, corn tortillas, corn chips, cornstarch and corn syrup)

• Millet

• Oats (includes rolled oats and all processed foods made with oats)

• Rice (brown rice, white rice, rice noodles, basmati rice, rice cakes, rice flour and all processed foods made with rice)

• Rye (rye bread, rye crackers and all processed foods made with rye)

• Wheat (bread, biscuits, rolls, muffins, noodles, crackers, doughnuts, pancakes, waffles, pasta, wheat tortillas, pizza, pitta bread, flat bread and all processed foods made with wheat or wheat flour)

Legumes

• All beans (black beans, broad beans, fava beans, green beans, kidney beans, lima beans, mung beans, pinto beans, red beans, string beans and white beans)

• Black-eyed peas

• Chickpeas

• Lentils

• Mangetout

• Miso

• Peanuts and peanut butter

• Peas

• Snow peas

• Soybeans and all soy products, including tofu

Starchy Vegetables

• Cassava root

• Potatoes and all potato products (such as French fries and potato chips)

• Tapioca

• Yams

High-Salt Meats and Snacks

• Bacon (use the lean portions occasionally for seasoning when cooking)

• Chorizo

• Deli meats

• Hot dogs

• Ketchup

• Nearly all canned meats and/or fish

• Pickled foods

• Pork scratchings

• Processed meats

• Salami

• Salted nuts

• Salted spices

• Sausages, fresh or smoked

• Smoked, dried and salted fish and meat