Where To Begin Your Paleo Diet
Before you do anything else, it is vital that you decide on how you will switch over to following a Paleo diet. Transitioning gradually may make things easier for you, but you won’t see the results you desire as quickly.
If you take time over making the change then you won’t immediately notice you are losing weight, or your energy levels are improving. In fact, it could be months rather than weeks before the results that you desire will start to show. However, if you make all changes at once then it will be a lot harder initially, but you will start to experience the benefits within a matter of days.
Advice To Help With Following The Paleo Diet
For those of you who wish to make the change gradually then try giving up all processed foods from the outset. Then after a while start to reduce your sugar and salt intake, whilst gradually introducing foods in their more natural state.
The first thing you need to do when you switch to following a Paleo diet is to clear out your kitchen cupboards. Through away all processed snacks and replace these with dried fruits including plantain and banana chips, unsalted seeds and nuts, and nut butter. For those of you who will miss your potato chips then visit your local health food store and stock up on some taro or cassava root chips. They are very similar in texture to the potato chips you are probably eating now.
It is also important that you start to stock your refrigerator up with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. However, buying frozen and canned is also acceptable. But make sure that you only buy the kind that includes no sugar or sodium. So read the labels on the packaging carefully before you place the items in your basket or trolley.
Again if you will opt for canned or frozen items I can find the best place to source what you need at your local health food store as they will often stock organic food products. Cost more but you know they won’t be full of lots of salt and preservatives.
When it comes to following this diet you need not keep track of the number of calories you are eating or measure the size of each portion. In fact, you are pretty much able to eat as much as you like as long as you stick with eating foods that are approved. For example, for lunch, you could either enjoy a vegetable salad or some vegetables that have been grilled and then top with some coconut oil or almond butter.
To prevent boredom it is worth looking at combining different foods in various ways together. Plus using condiments and sauces that are approved can help to spice up what you are eating. The kinds of sauces and condiments you can include with your meals are homemade salsas, enchilada sauces, and tomato paste.
When it comes to cooking your meals make sure that you keep a good amount of the staple items in your cupboard and refrigerator. So make sure you stock up regularly on almond or coconut milk (or both), coconut, avocado, walnut, and sesame oil. Plus don’t forget to keep a good stock of extra virgin olive oil especially the cold pressed variety in your cupboards. Also stocking up on Ghee is a great idea and is a good source of fat the flavour is different and goes well not only with vegetables but also with meat.
As well as eating plenty of fresh meat, don’t forget to look at other foods to provide you with protein. This will help to ensure that the Paleo diet meals you create are interesting and means you have more options regarding the meals you make. The kinds of foods you can include here are canned wild salmon, canned smoked oysters that are kept in olive oil, organic eggs and ground sausages that have no additional preservatives.