In a nutshell, Paleo lifestyle and diet take inspiration and cues from our ancestors and the way we used to eat and live. Let’s get one thing clear. It’s not about re-enacting the caveman era. Nobody runs around in in loincloths and sets fires to cook their food (only occasionally). Paleo is about learning from ancestors but it is mostly fuelled by modern scientific and medical research and common sense.
The diet focuses on unprocessed, whole foods – healthy fats including saturated fat, grass-fed, free-range meat and eggs, lots of fish and seafood, vegetables, fruit, berries, nuts, seeds and some natural sweeteners. It excludes grains, legumes, processed sugar and most dairy. Some people include healthy dairy foods like kefir, full fat natural yogurt, some aged cheese and butter. That, of course, really depends on your sensitivities. We love this way of eating because it also focuses on local, organic produce and good farming practices.
The paleo or primal lifestyle also promotes healthier living. Better sleeping habits. Stress reduction. Functional fitness and movement. Adequate sun exposure. Spending more time outdoors. Avoiding environmental toxins and so on. Above all, paleo is not a set of strict rules, it’s more of a framework that you can adapt based on your own goals, health, gender, age, location and current lifestyle. It’s a very holistic approach to wellbeing. Read more about my practical approach to paleo here.
What’s In:
- Meat and poultry (including offal) – grass-fed, free range meat is not only a kinder and more ethical way to consume animal products but it is also much higher in nutrients because of the way the cattle was fed and raised. We have a great little interview with a cattle farmer talking about the benefits of grass-fed, pasture raised cattle meat here.
- Fish and seafood – try to choose sustainable, wild fish and seafood when possible
- Eggs – free-range, pasture raised whenever possible
- Vegetables – non-starchy and starchy tubers and root vegetables
- Fruit and berries – stick to low sugar fruit and berries and keep high sugar fruit like bananas and mangos for days when you need a higher carbohydrate intake or when in season and tasting delicious.
- Nuts and seeds – these guys are nutritious but many nuts and seeds are high in Omega-6 fatty acids which can be pro-inflammatory if consumed in large quantities and when your diet is not balanced by an equal amount of Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish like salmon and sardines, eggs and leafy greens. Basically, don’t gorge on buckets of nuts and seeds every day. The same goes for nut meals and flours such as almond meal. Whenever possible, try to activate nuts and seeds by soaking and then dehydrating them back, which makes them easier to digest.
- Spices and herbs – go to town, the more the better! As for salt, use good quality sea salt or Celtic salt to get beneficial minerals and be sensible with it. I love spices and herbs so much, I wrote an e-Book about it.
- Healthy fats – coconut oil, coconut milk and cream, ghee, butter (yep, it’s mostly fat so no big problems with lactose), duck fat, olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, fish oil, sesame oil as well as from grass-fed meats, poultry and fish.
- Condiments – mustard, fish good, quality vinegars such as Apple Cider with mother in it or aged Balsamic, olive oil mayonnaise, low sugar tomato sauces and paste, anchovies, olives, gherkins, capers, salsas and pestos – are all fine, just make sure no nasty chemicals and preservatives are added. Wheat free soy sauce such as Tamari and naturally derived oyster sauce are ok every now and again but it’s better to try something like coconut aminos.
- For baking – nut meals, coconut flour, tapioca and arrowroot flour, sweet potato flour, chestnut flour – use in moderation as these guys are either still high in carbohydrates or may contain high amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids.
