Paleo Challenge!!!

I, Joseph Benjamin Chera the Third do solemnly swear to eat 100% Paleolithic for 30 days, except for the occasional beer.

The whole idea behind eating a PALEO diet is to get back to our roots of eating like our Paleolithic ancestors did. Back in the day when we all wore loin cloths and didn’t know what a bar of soap was…we couldn’t just walk into the local supermarket and pick up dinner. We had to chase it down and/or forage for it in the wilderness. There were no preservatives or artificial ingredients of any kind to taint our food. That all changed with the onset of agriculture and the realization that we could feed ourselves more dense calories with grains rather than meat and veggies…not Man’s finest hour.

Fast forward to today when most of the population here eats processed food from a box or the drive-thru. With the majority of our diet coming from grains (we can’t help it right….it’s what we’re told to eat) we are not getting all the nutrients our body needs. Yes we are told to eat whole grains for their fiber, but you can get a whole lot more fiber and other nutrients with fruits and vegetables, while consuming less calories. But what it really comes down to is that grains just aren’t your friend….see? http://whole9life.com/2010/03/the-grain-manifesto/

So what does that mean?

What that means, is that a PALEO diet is your friend, really. By taking out the grains from your diet you are healing your gut, and improving your immune system. By removing the dairy from your diet you are improving your insulin response, and by removing other things like soy and legumes from your diet you are reducing inflammation. You will never feel better than when you’re on a PALEO diet. By removing these things from your diet you are improving your body’s insulin management , which often leads to weight loss and improved performance in the gym….and who doesn’t want to add 20lbs to their squat or shave 30 seconds off their Fran time?

So what do I eat on a PALEO diet?

In a nutshell, a PALEO diet consists of meat-based protein (eggs included), lots of vegetables, fruits, tubers (yams and sweet potatoes) squash, nuts, seeds, healthy oils and other good fats like avocado *swoon*.

Foods you are cutting out of your diet are the following:

All grains (including corn, wheat, barley, oats etc)
Dairy
Legumes (lentils, beans, peanuts)
Processed food
Artificial sweeteners (a.k.a. cheap, legally addictive substances)
Starchy vegetables like potatoes

So how do I start living this lifestyle?

You need to re-vamp your kitchen. If you buy it, you WILL eat it. Please don’t keep chips and candy in the back of the cupboard thinking you will just avoid eye contact with it for the next little while. Tempting yourself is just not worth it. What you need to do is stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables….lots of vegetables. I eat veggies at every meal. Yes, breakfast includes chard, green beans or sometimes broccoli. If you have access to purchasing GRASS FED MEAT, go for it! All of the meat you find in regular supermarkets is fed a grain-based diet, which allows gluten to get into the meat. This is no bueno especially if you’re going to such great lengths to NOT eat grains and gluten. However, if you can’t find grass fed meat or it’s too expensive (it does cost a bit more….but tastes SO much better) you can just get regular meat from the store. In this case I would supplement with fish oil to balance out the Omega 6 and Omega 3 fats in your diet (recommend a 2-3:1 ratio of n6:n3).

A PALEO diet requires a bit of preparation on your part. What I like to do is cook for the week on Sunday, prepping my breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack for the work week. That way I only have to worry about dinner each night, and often use leftovers for my next days’ meals if I need to. Keep some frozen veggies around in case you run out, and always have some good protein in the house in case you need a quick meal. DO NOT stick to the same few foods, or you WILL get bored and this will lead to varying from the diet. At first glance people tend to focus on everything they CAN’T eat. This will get you nowhere. Instead, focus on all the spices and vegetables you can use to vary your meals. Focus on all of the NEW foods you will eat. Try a different vegetable every week until you find your favorites, and experiment in the kitchen.

An example of what I might eat on any day is:

Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and onion and a piece of fruit of ½ a yam
Snack: Small handful nuts or homemade beef jerky
Lunch: Chicken thigh cooked in coconut milk with bok choy and assorted greens
Snack: Roasted vegetables and leftover meat from last night’s dinner
Dinner: Baked lemon-pepper salmon with broccoli, avocado and salad. Spoonful of almond butter for dessert

You might find it daunting to prepare all of your food each week, but you will have success this way. It really doesn’t take much time if you prep it at the beginning of the week like I do. I take 1-2 hours on Sunday to cook and then have everything but dinner ready for happy consumption.

All in all, a PALEO diet will do your body good. If you check out Robb Wolf’s site at http://www.robbwolf.com you can search and find people who have improved symptoms of the following by eating a PALEO diet:

Type 1 Diabetes
Type 2 Diabetes
Insulin Resistance
Overweight
Eczema
PCOS
High Cholesterol
Restless Leg Syndrome
Crohns Disease
Gout
Etc.

Give the PALEO diet a 30-day trial and see how much better you feel. I know that I will feel damn good and it will show in the mirror when nekkid...