The 15 Rules of the Paleo Diet - Newbies take note

The 15 rules of the Paleo diet

1.The Paleo diet should be high in fat, moderate in animal protein and low to moderate in carbohydrates. Calorie counting is not encouraged, neither is portion control.

2.Eat unlimited amounts of saturated fats like coconut oil and butter or clarified butter. Beef tallow, lard and duck fat are also good, but only if they come from healthy and well-treated animals. Beef or lamb tallow is a better choice than lamb or duck fat. Olive, avocado and macadamia oil are also good fats to use in salads and to drizzle over food, but not for cooking.

3.Eat generous amounts of animal protein. This includes red meat, poultry, pork, eggs, organs (liver, kidney, heart…), wild caught fish and shellfish. Don’t be scared to eat the fatty cuts and all meals with proteins should contain fat as well. Learn to cook with bones in the form of stocks and broths.

4.Eat good amounts of fresh or frozen vegetables either cooked or raw and served with fat. Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes and yams are also great as a source of non-toxic carbohydrates.

5.Eat low to moderate amounts of fruits and nuts. Try to eat mostly fruits low in sugar and high in antioxidants like berries as well as nuts high in omega-3, low in omega-6 and low in total polyunsaturated fat like macadamia nuts. Consider cutting off fruits and nuts altogether if you have an autoimmune disease, digestive problem or are trying to lose weight faster.

6.Preferably choose pasture-raised and grass-fed meat coming from a local, environmentally conscious farms. If not possible, choose lean cuts of meat and supplement your fat with coconut oil, butter or clarified butter. Also preferably choose organic, local and/or seasonal fruits and vegetables.

7.Cut out all cereal grains and legumes from your diet. This includes, but is not limited to, wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, brown rice, soy, peanuts, kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans and black eyed peas.

8.Cut out all vegetable, hydrogenated and partly-hydrogenated oils including, but not limited to, margarines, soybean oil, corn oil, crisco, peanut oil, canola oil, safflower oil and sunflower oil. Olive oil and avocado oil are fine, but don’t cook with them, use them in salad dressings and to drizzle over prepared food.

9.Eliminate sugar, soft drinks, all packaged products and juices (including fruit juices). As a rule of thumb, if it’s in a box, don’t eat it. At the grocery store, visit only the meat, fish and produce sections.

10.Eliminate dairy products other than butter and maybe heavy cream. You don’t need dairy, but if you can’t live without, read this article and consider raw, full-fat and/or fermented dairy.

11.Eat when you’re hungry and don’t stress if you skip a meal or even two. You don’t have to eat three square meals a day, do what feels most natural.

12.Eliminate most sources of external stress in your life as possible and sleep the most you can. Try to wakeup without an alarm and to go to bed when it’s dark.

13.Don’t over-exercise, keep your training sessions short and intense and do them only a few times per week. Take some extra time off if you feel tired. Consider short and intense sprinting sessions instead of very long cardio sessions.

14.Consider supplementing with vitamin D and probiotics. Levels of magnesium, iodine and vitamin K2 should also be optimized. Iodine can be obtained from seaweeds. You probably don’t need a multivitamin or other supplements.

15.Play in the sun, have fun, laugh, smile, relax, discover, travel, learn and enjoy life like a daring adventure!


These are general rules, once your body is used to the lifestyle. Make adjustments accordingly. Also check out this website for more resources.


http://paleodietlifestyle.com/

Changes experienced on a Paleo diet


Here is a list of some of the changes frequently seen on a Paleo diet.
Note that unlike regular fad diets that are usually built with only one advantage in mind, weight loss usually, the Paleo diet is a whole lifestyle that mimics the perfect gene expression for our bodies so it’s no wonder everything under the sun about us is starting to work better on such a diet.

Without further ado, the list, in no particular order:
•Effortless weight loss;
•Better digestion;
•Muscle gain (and weight gain for those who are underweight);
•Higher libido;
•Less acne;
•Healing of tooth decay;
•Hormone regulation;
•More testosterone for men and more estrogen for women;
•Better fertility;
•More stamina;
•General well-being;
•Way more energy;
•Better sleep;
•Less needed sleep (although you should sleep all you can);
•Less stress and lower levels of cortisol (the stress hormone);
•Less painful periods;
•Less or no more allergic reactions to environmental triggers;
•Remission of diseases like celiac disease, type 2 diabetes, Chron’s disease, IBD, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis​, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, …;
•More physical endurance;
•Clearer and softer skin;
•Less or no cravings for sugary foods;
•Frequent and smooth bowel movements;
•Better flexibility;
•Stronger bones;
•Less hair loss and even new hair;
•Finally get the famous six-pack or flat stomach;
•Better natural scent;
•Healthier children;
•No more back pain or muscle aches;
•Healing joint injuries.

Of course, everybody is different and you might have had experiences completely different from what’s listed above.