Starting Off Right: A Paleo New Year’s
January 29, 2013
•Emily Murray
•Austin
• 0 Comments
Starting Off Right: A Paleo New Year’s
Every New Year is full of resolutions – many are focused on trimming down your waistline, eating healthy and exercising more. One diet has people getting back to basics, real basics – like caveman basics. The Paleo diet is to be considered more a less a lifestyle rather than a diet.
The Essence of Paleo
Before you dive into this lifestyle you’ll want to do your research and understand what you’re getting yourself into. The essence of a Paleo diet is eating what your hunter and gatherer ancestors ate. Fruit, vegetables, lean meats, seafood, nuts & seeds, and healthy fats are the staples of the Paleo diet. Take out the artificial sugars, processed foods and dairy. To start, it’s recommended to clean out your pantry of – well –everything not natural.
Things to remove:
Bread Cookies Ice Cream Canned Soup
Crackers Rice Sweeteners Apple Sauce
Puddings Pasta Sauces Noodles
Those are just a few of the items. If it’s in a package you essentially want to get rid of it.
Protein
Any meat you eat when on the Paleo diet must be fresh. Think about it this way, if you can catch it in the wild than you can eat it. Since you most likely won’t be hunting, you need to only buy lean meats that are grass fed.
Meat Options:
Meat: Pork, Lamb, Beef, Quality Bacon
Fish: Trout, Salmon, Shrimp, Crab
Poultry: Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Ostrich
When it comes to meat air on the side of, “the leaner, the better.”
Vegetables
Veggies are generally a safe option for you to eat, since they are naturally grown. Ideally you’d look for the freshest possible. Locally and organic vegetables are your best options. Don’t be afraid to mix up the colors and add a variety of vegetables to your meals.
Fruit
When comes to eating fruit you’ll want to limit your servings to one a day. Look at eating berries, melons, citrus, apples and pears.
Nuts and Oils
Again you’re looking for all natural, so if anything as artificial flavoring it’s not within the Paleo diet. Extra virgin olive oil, coconut, avocados (oil and whole), are all good oils to consider. Small portions of nuts like unsalted almonds and walnuts are good snacks.
Beverages
When it comes to finding something to drink it’s limited. There weren’t any soda factories in the Paleolithic period. Coffee (black) is okay, natural teas and of course mineral water are your options.
If you’re thinking about getting back to basics and starting the New Year right on the Paleo diet – clean out the pantry – and get a fresh start. Your diet will be completely natural, these are the above items are the best items to get you started.
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