What Is Paleo Lifestyle?

I have been on a Paleo Lifestyle for over 10 years following a way to rid my face of “rosacea” and stop feeling bloated all the time.

Like many other’s pasta and rice were quite staple foods for me as I believed they gave me the energy I needed and were healthy for my body.

I am not going to lie but it was a good twelve weeks before I really thought that “I Can Do This”. My plate often seemed empty without accompanying dinners with potatoes or eating my special tuna pasta. However, I stuck with it and it got easier and the fact that I was losing weight was a bonus that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I remember my biggest accomplishment was with my favourite dish which had consisted of Rib Eye Steak, Croquet Potatoes and Vegetables. When I removed the croquets, I felt so hungry and never thought that I could do it. However, I decided to increase the vegetables and before long I lost that emptiness to my dinner and began eating this way.

Fast forward to today and this is my way of life every day and I am so pleased that I enjoy this way of eating, maintaining my weight and no more rosacea.

What Is A Paleo Lifestyle?

This is a Paleolithic Diet and approach to the way you eat and goes back to the age when we only ate what lived on the earth. The natural approach to eating meant living off the land which was more of a seasonal approach to what was available. Only eating animals that ran, swam, flew and vegetables and fruit growing on the land meant we could get a nutritious and rich mix of foods seasonally.

The Paleo Diet means that it is extraordinarily rich in nutrients and helps ensure that our bodies are in tip-top condition which can fight disease. Eating food that boosts energy and gives us all the vitamins and minerals that our body needs for healthy bones, teeth, skin, hair, eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys is what this way of eating is all about.

Paleo Foods You Can Eat

Grass Fed Meats

Free Range Poultry

Sustainable Sourced Fish & Seafood

Free Range Eggs

Vegetables

Fresh Fruits

Herbs & Spices

Coconuts and Products

Nuts & Seeds

Animal Fats including Duck Fat, Goose Fat, Lard & Beef Dripping

Homemade Stocks (Made using bones) and Gelatin

Sea Vegetables (Seaweeds)

Healthy Oils (Olive, Macadamia and Avocado Oils)

Natural Sugars (Raw Honey, Blackstrap Molasses & Maple Syrup)

Fermented Foods (Kefir, Sauerkraut, Kombucha)

Dark Chocolate, Raw Cacao & Cocoa Powder

Non Paleo Foods To Avoid

Cereals

Grains (Quinoa, Muesli, Whole Wheat, Brown Rice, Rye, Spelt)

Hydrogenated or Trans Fats

Legumes (Peanuts, Lentils, Beans, Soybean, Black Beans)

Dairy

Refined Sugar (White or Brown Cane)

Potatoes

Processed Foods

Refined Oils (Canola, Corn, Soybean, Sunflower,)

Soy

How A Paleo Diet Is Good For Weight Loss

The reason why the Paleo Diet works very well for losing fat is because it turns the body from being primarily carbohydrate burning into a fat burning machine.

Fat is a slow burning fuel and is efficient for your body to use.

The western world consumes far too many carbohydrates and as a result the unwanted energy is stored in our fat stores for later. What this basically means is that we end up storing fat rather than burning fat.

The Paleo Diet changes this and enables our body to become more efficient by removing the simple carbohydrates from our diet.

Health Benefits

Not only is a Paleo Diet good for losing weight but there are so many other great health benefits from eating this way.

Energy

Most people feel the great benefits of increased energy after a few days mainly due to the fresh nutritious ingredients.

I also believe that grains and wheat make us feel very sluggish as well as bloated so when you remove these foods the energy is instant.

Leaner Physique

Comes from the amount of protein which feeds your muscles especially when combined with strength exercises.

Improved Blood Glucose Levels

When you stop eating refined sugars and simple carbohydrates you avoid those spikes in blood sugar levels. As a result, you stop experiencing those moments of fatigue and need for snacking.

Less Risk of Diabetes

Simple carbohydrates such as grains and wheat break down into sugar quickly. This causes spikes in sugar levels which in turn causes spikes in insulin levels.

High Insulin Levels prevent your body from burning fat because they cause your body to focus on converting excess glucose in your bloodstream into energy and storing the rest as fat.

Constantly eating simple carbohydrates chronically increases high blood sugar levels which can lead to obesity and pre-diabetic symptoms.

Greater Digestion

Wheat and Gluten can seriously contribute to digestive problems with the worst of these being known as Celiac Disease.

Phytates are an essential component of most legumes and grains. They prevent the optimal absorption of minerals from your diet.

Phytates can also inhibit some enzymes that are important for digestion such as amylase and pepsin.

Disease Prevention

Eating a Paleo Diet means consuming more anti-inflammatory foods and cutting out of foods that cause inflammation such as Legumes and Grains.

Plants produce lectins to protect themselves from predators. Chronic exposure to lectins can result in gut inflammation and leaky gut.

Arthritis is an inflammation that can come from the inability to absorb minerals and vitamins which can be caused through eating legumes.

If you suffer with IBS or any autoimmune condition, then avoiding legumes is important.

Phytoestrogen mimics estrogen once it is inside our biological tissues and lead to the overproduction of estrogen, disrupting the hormonal homeostatic environment completely.

Common side effects of long-term exposure can lead to

Infertility

Asthma

Bladder Cancer

Alzheimers

Improved Sleep

Mainly due to cutting out all the bad chemicals and additives in all unnatural food.

Serotonin is released by the brain to let you know that your body is ready for sleep, but this can be disrupted by chemicals and additives.

By eating a more Paleo Diet your body will feel tired and wake totally energized and refreshed.

Provides Detoxifying Effects

Getting more nutrients, vitamins, and fibre into the diet from fruit and vegetables you’ll feel a noticeable purge as your body rids itself of waste accumulation. This is detoxifying and clearing for the head after a few weeks.

Removing MSG, Refined Sugars, Gluten and more, allows your body to naturally start to feel healthier and cleaner.

Busting Myths

Many conventional nutritionists feel that the Paleo Diet creates nutrient deficiencies by removing grains and dairy

This is simply not true providing you ensure you eat a good mix of meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables as these foods will provide your body with all the nutrients needed to eat healthy and without increased risk of known diseases.

Conclusion

A Paleo Lifestyle is simple to follow as you are basically eating food that is natural to our habitat and environment. In short eating Paleo improves our health by eating real foods that provide our bodies with all the nutrients and vitamins that we require.

The Western World is so focused on processed foods high in refined sugars and added salt which is not how or bodies are supposed to eat and which is why these countries have the highest Obesity Levels, Diabetes, Heart Disease and Cancers.

Why would you not want to maintain a good weight and feel healthier with a diet that is sustainable for life.

I highly recommend a Paleo Diet and I have been eating this way for over 10 years, so it is a lifestyle for me, and I feel like I have more energy and less sickness than ever before. My immune system enjoys eating like this and it suits me perfectly.

Remember, not all diets suit the same people but if you do not have any underlying health issues then I would suggest trying for at least 30 days and see how you feel.

If you want to know more than please leave any comments or questions below.