A Quick Start Guide To Paleo Diet. You may have heard the recent buzz about Paleo Diet… so what’s all the fuss about?
There are far reaching health benefits to eating more like our grandparents would have eaten… That means real food, not the packaged processed stuff that has become norm in the Standard American Diet, or SAD for short.
The Paleo Diet may be beneficial in reducing your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease and many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. I frequently use the principles of the paleo diet to help patients re-learn how to eat healthy, maintain ideal weight, and feel fabulous!
You shouldn’t be surprised to find a lack of packaged foods on the Paleo Diet menu. There were no convenience stores or super-sized grocery chains in the Stone Age. And if you’re one of the 31% of Americans who eats more packaged foods than fresh foods in your daily diet, it could be an adjustment. What is amazing, however, are the profound benefits to your health that come from these changes. If you suffer obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, central weight gain, or autoimmune disease, like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, or multiple sclerosis, you greatly benefit from eliminated all processed grains & sugar from your diet. Plus you will not be eating two of the most common food allergens: gluten & dairy. If you suffer from a leaky gut or gastrointestinal dysbiosis, the Paleo Diet will naturally restore the healthy microbial balance since there are no refined sugars or grains to feed the abnormal bacteria or yeast.
The Paleo Diet is basically this: No sugar, No flours, No processed foods, No grains, no legumes (lectins), no dairy. What you CAN eat is lean, clean (organic) unprocessed meats (chicken, fish, turkey, beef, bison, elk, lamb, etc), all fruits and veggies in moderation. And coconut, nuts & seeds are to be eaten freely in unprocessed state. If you need to make something special, almond or coconut “flour” can be used.
CORE PALEO DIET:
- Meat – GRASS-FED, not grain-fed. Grain causes the same problem in animals as they do in humans. (bison, elk, buffalo are WONDERFUL red meats to incorporate)
- Fowl – Chicken, duck, hen, turkey…things with wings that (try to) fly.
- Fish – Wild caught fish (mercury and other toxins, like PCBs may be an issue in farmed fish)
- Eggs – Look for Omega-3 enriched eggs raised without hormones or antibiotics from free-range chickens
- Vegetables – As long as they’re not deep-fried, eat as many as you want.
- Oils – Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil – think natural. No soybeans oil or processed oils.
- Fruits – Have natural sugar, and can be higher in calories, so limit if you’re trying to lose weight.
- Nuts – High in calories, so they’re good for a snack, but don’t eat bags and bags of them.
- Tubers – Sweet potatoes and yams. Higher in calories and carbs, so these are good for right after a workout to replenish your glycogen levels
What’s not allowed when following the Paloe diet?
- Grains (including popular cereal grains such as barley, corn, oats, rice, rye and wheat)
- Beans or legumes
- Dairy products
- Refined salt
- Refined sugars or artificial sweetners
- Refined fats
- Canned or processed meats, as well as fatty meats (sorry, no bacon)
- Soda and fruit juices
- All chemicals, additives, artificial flavorings, MSG, yeast.
Perhaps the most important thing about Paleo is it encourages you to get back to whole delicious real food! It will allow you to feel better, lose weight easily and maintain muscle at any age. I challenge you to give it a try for yourself for 30 days and see if it doesn’t change your life!
More Resources for Paleo Diet:
http://paleophysiciansnetwork.com
http://www.marksdailyapple.com
http://www.westonaprice.org/
Will this help with diabetes?
Yes, absolutely! This is an excellent diet to reverse metabolic syndrome and early diabetes!
How much protein should be eaten daily? Are the carbs only in found in fruits and veggies then? Are white potatoes out? Should calories be counted? Is Safflower oil ok to use? Any chocolate allowed at all? Just trying to figure out how this would look like on a day to day menu. Sorry so many questions. Thanks for your reply, if you see this!
Hi Lynne,
Protein requirements are generally 45-80grams per day for the average woman, perhaps higher if you are post-surgical, under stress or trying to build muscle. I recommend getting the book, Practical Paleo to get you started. Still you should be consuming leafy greens and vegetables in large quantities every day. This is NOT ATKINS.
Best to you!
Dr Jill
Dear Dr. Jill:
I just read, then watched and listened to you sharing your story. Thank you so much for hosting this Web site, for sharing with others and demonstrably wanting to improve the lives of others. I love your sparkle!
I found your Web site because I’m sitting here surfing around, trying to find some answers and solutions to my physical problems. Actually, I am scheduled for a gastroscopy in a couple of weeks and hope it will provide some definitive information. This procedure should afford a formal diagnosis celiac disease. I also have diverticulosis and hypothyroidism. I’ve been trying to find an informational Web site or online informal blog featuring folks who share this trifecta of conditions, how they cope with it, et al., but no luck so far!
The Paleo Diet sounds like a good idea. I try to eat healthily, but at this point, it is as though food is my enemy; I hardly know what to eat anymore. Sometimes I go without, simply to keep my unwanted physical symptoms down to a dull roar. I know not eating doesn’t really constitute a good solution. 🙂
I have suffered from depression throughout most of my life on account I grew up in a very dysfunctional family. My younger sister and me both have PTSD (Apparently, she was told she has complex-PTSD. I didn’t even know such a thing existed.) among other things, and I’m thinking that my autoimmune problems are probably linked to early and ongoing stress, unhappiness, even hopelessness. (Having one’s own dogs and cats – we have two great pyrenees dogs and two wonderful house cats – really helps make life better, helps keep things in greater balance and perspective!)
Almost twenty years ago I had an endoscopy for the purpose of determining if I had endometriosis. The results were negative, but was told I had “pouches.” They didn’t really spell out what this meant, nor did my own GP when we reviewed the findings together. Historically, I have frequently experienced a dull, but very present pain on the lower, left side of my abdomen; now it seems to be evincing on my lower, right side, as well.
I chronically feel very tired, bloated, am sometimes nauseous, have a certain degree of “brain fog” but wonder how much of the latter is attributable to menopause? Life is definitely a daily trial when one doesn’t feel well. I am interested in learning more about what exactly constitutes constipation: I have at least one or more pain-free bowel movements per day, but still suspect I am constipated. Too, I have a feeling that I may well have SIBO.
I am going to redouble my efforts to avoid seed-based oils. I love olive oil, but my husband, who does most of the cooking tends to use sunflower oil. I find I cannot eat nuts without experiencing negative repurcussions. It is the same story with certain fruits and vegetables. Ugh! Years ago a natural health practitioner advised me to avoid virtually all dairy as it wasn’t simpatico with my blood type. While I adore cheese, I no longer indulge as I know she was right.
Thank you for reading my message. These days I feel I understand more, but have a long way to go on the path to better health. It really is a battle, often a mystifying one!
Dr. Jill, should you or your readers have any information or suggestions to share, I would certainly welcome them.
I am so glad you fought back and managed to conquer the diseases threatening to end and/or severely compromise the quality of your life. Very interesting and inspiring to learn crohn’s disease is not a lifetime sentence!! Too, I’d be remiss in not mentioning your beloved husband sounds like a very special man!
It is marvellous that with God’s love and guidance you are thriving and so committed to actively helping others.
Slainte,
Sharon Black
P.S. I recently stumbled upon a salient, useful piece of information when reading, “Celiac Disease For Dummies.” If one has a formal diagnosis (backed up by proper print documentation) of celiac, there are tax breaks available in both Canada and the United States when filing one’s yearly income tax. This is because it is recognized that gluten-free food typically costs three times as much as food containing gluten. Good to know! Good to share! Now there’s a good example of an upside!
I was hoping the diet might help my IBS/SIBO.Fibro or whatever is causing my intestinal gas and constipation. But sadly eating any vegetables or wild meat makes it much worse. Eggs and cheese, fruit like blueberries, walnuts, rice, and spelt English Muffins (which have no sugar) are about the only things that don’t make it worse, It is still not good. Especially the bloating.
Just thought I’d share my disappointment. Maybe the is another answer?
No help from my PCP or rhumatologist. Take probiotics, GasX and enzymes from my Chinese medical doctor that help some.
Hi Sarah – For SIBO, I suggest doing LOW FODMAP/SCD diet instead..
The paleo diet has seen a surge in popularity with thousands of people extolling its benefits. Books on the subject such as The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf have become bestsellers. There is no denying that the paleo solution works and it is a healthy way of life.