What the heck is Paleo anyway?
Because it's sometimes called the "caveman diet," there is a common misconception that those of us who adhere to a Paleo diet are sitting around the campfire devouring huge hunks of mastodon steaks ( or the modern equivalent of same) for every meal. According to the dictionary, Paleo Diet is defined as " ...a diet based on the types of foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans consisting chiefly of meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, and excluding dairy or grain products and processed food." I would actually switch the order of that list around and put vegetables first.
As with any dietary regimen, common sense should prevail. Heart disease runs in my family, so although my health has improved markedly in the past three years since adopting Paleo, and my cholesterol is well within normal range, I'm hedging my bets. I don't go overboard with red meat, even though it's grass fed and organic. About once a week works for me. We mostly eat chicken and fish and, frequently, a simple meal of veggies roasted with olive oil for dinner. Once in a while, I'll make Paleo pasta or pizza.
The important thing is to eat whole, unprocessed, nutritious food, including vegetables, organic free-range poultry (and eggs from same), wild-caught fish, grass-fed meats, fruits, nuts, seeds and healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil, and avocados.
There are many websites and books that go into the rationale behind the Paleo diet, including those by Robb Wolf (robbwolf.com) and Dr. Loren Cordain (thepaleodiet.com). The absolutely best resource I have found is Diane Sanfilippo's book, Practical Paleo. It has easy to understand explanations; specific meal plans to support autoimmune conditions, digestive health, heart health, athletic performance, etc.; tells you what you should and shouldn't eat, and has some really good recipes. If you are just getting started and are overwhelmed by too much information and misinformation, this is the go-to book for you.
As with any dietary regimen, common sense should prevail. Heart disease runs in my family, so although my health has improved markedly in the past three years since adopting Paleo, and my cholesterol is well within normal range, I'm hedging my bets. I don't go overboard with red meat, even though it's grass fed and organic. About once a week works for me. We mostly eat chicken and fish and, frequently, a simple meal of veggies roasted with olive oil for dinner. Once in a while, I'll make Paleo pasta or pizza.
The important thing is to eat whole, unprocessed, nutritious food, including vegetables, organic free-range poultry (and eggs from same), wild-caught fish, grass-fed meats, fruits, nuts, seeds and healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil, and avocados.
There are many websites and books that go into the rationale behind the Paleo diet, including those by Robb Wolf (robbwolf.com) and Dr. Loren Cordain (thepaleodiet.com). The absolutely best resource I have found is Diane Sanfilippo's book, Practical Paleo. It has easy to understand explanations; specific meal plans to support autoimmune conditions, digestive health, heart health, athletic performance, etc.; tells you what you should and shouldn't eat, and has some really good recipes. If you are just getting started and are overwhelmed by too much information and misinformation, this is the go-to book for you.