Paleo for Beginners
Pillars of Paleo
Start by reading Robb Wolf's book: The Paleo Solution. If you don't have time to do that, read through the basics below and give it a shot! You can do anything for 30-45 days!
1. Remove grains, beans and dairy from your diet for 30 days or more. If necessary, you can add a little dairy back in once you get past the 30 day mark. See how you feel. By dairy we mean: heavy whipping cream, butter, ghee (all grassfed whenever possible and raw if you can find it). Do your absolute best to remove all sugars (granulated sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, agave nectar, honey, stevia, nutrasweet, splenda, equal, etc.) from your diet. If you must sweeten, please use fruit purees.
2. Eat. Enjoy your food! You will be amazed how food actually tastes when you remove the above mentioned items. Enjoy any cut of beef, pork, lamb, bison, quail, chicken, turkey, salmon, tuna, eggs, etc. When possible aim for grass fed, pastured or wild caught. Enjoy any variety of vegetables and fruits. Enjoy nuts (preferably roasted) and seeds. Eat until you are full, but not stuffed. Eat as many times a day as you like. Aim for 3 meals; however, 2 meals and some snacks or 4 meals and some snacks is fine too. If you are not hungry, don't eat. That goes for breakfast too.
3. Sleep in a dark room. You should not be able to see your hand in front of your face. Eye masks do nothing. Aim for 8+ hours. Get what you can.
4. Find a fun way to handle daily stress. Meditate, workout, walk, run, get a hobby. Find a technique that works for you.
5. Consider weighing, measuring and testing yourself before you begin paleo and after. Testing includes a basic blood panel as well as a WOD of some sort. You are an experiment of one, see what you can get done!
6. Move. Get outdoors, get some sun & vitamin D. Play with your kids. Do a WOD. Take dancing lessons. Learn to play an instrument. Make new friends. Join a group. Don't overtrain.
Sleep:
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2009/6/5/sleep-baby-sleep.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2010/3/5/make-a-cave.html
Shop Local & Food sources:
http://www.pickyourown.org/GAfarmersmarkets.htm
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2010/11/30/staying-local-through-the-winter.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2011/4/15/join-a-csa.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2010/10/6/new-source-for-omega-3-eggs.html
Other egg options: The Country Hen (at Publix and Whole Foods)
Trader Joe's (well priced fresh and frozen options)
Recipes that got us through the hard times:
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2009/6/2/purely-paleo-mashed-cauliflower.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2011/1/12/i-call-it-adobe-sauce.html
I add adobe sauce to chicken, steak, eggs, cauliflower mash etc. I also love any kind of salsa, the hotter the better as well as salsa verde. I get my salsas at any grocery store or fresh at Whole Foods. Just check the ingredient list.
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2010/6/24/meals-for-the-week-paleo-style.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2011/7/13/paleo-breakfast.html
www.paleocomfortfoods.com : website and book by our own Julie & Charles Mayfield. Julie helped tons of us get through the first few weeks of paleo with her amazing recipe conversions and really great tasting meals and sauces. The book pulls together all of the food tips & meals I have wanted you guys to have for years. Paleo is really not that big of a deal if you have a resource like this! Definitely recommended!
Answers to great questions:
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2009/6/15/the-gluten-free-trap.html
If you need more convincing on agave nectar, this is long but awfully informative:
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2010/8/9/is-a-calorie-really-a-calorie.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2010/6/16/answers-to-great-questions.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2011/8/12/why-no-grains-the-elevator-speech.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2011/7/9/btb-45-q-a.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2011/6/28/ldl-hdl-vldl-omg.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2010/7/12/stevia.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2011/3/24/btb45-updates-and-fish-oil.html
Getting through the holidays:
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2009/11/24/a-hodge-podge-of-ideas-for-the-holidays.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2009/11/1/side-dish-mania-for-the-holidays.html
Cooking Tips and Tricks (aka: how to boil water and chop an onion):
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2010/3/1/tricks-of-the-trade.html (pots & pans)
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2011/3/16/chop-chop.html
How to Cheat and How to Make Better Food Choices:
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2010/4/6/favorite-cheat-meals.html
http://www.btbfitness.com/nutrition-and-performance/2010/6/21/dialing-it-in.html
Alcohol cheats:
Wine (red or white)
Beer (gluten free): Bard's (at Greens); St. Pauli's (Whole Foods); Red Bridge (Publix)
Any liquor + soda water and a piece of fruit. For example: vodka + soda & lemon wedge or tequila + soda and lime wedge.
Paleo is too expensive:
http://robbwolf.com/2011/09/21/paleo-is-expensive/
I don't have time to cook:
Local Pre-Made Paleo Meals by RSB Catering
Web Resources:
www.robbwolf.com
