Ah, the ‘diet’ world. As I’ve mentioned before, we are all on a diet of one kind or another, all our lives. There really is no such thing as “on a diet” or “not on a diet.” Simply put, your diet is what you eat, whatever that may be.
It goes without saying that most of us want to look and feel our best, and so we eventually turn to ‘dieting’ by the mainstream definition in one way or another. And with SO much differing information out there, the task is daunting, to say the least. We inevitably give up, fail, kick ourselves, and can wind up in worse conditions than we started. Insert common yo-yo analogy here. This isn’t helpful, and tends to be detrimental to our health in the long run, both physically and mentally.
The Paleolithic (Paleo) diet has become and continues to remain an extremely popular topic of conversation surrounding diets, weight loss, and overall health, and not without its share of naysayers. But what is it really? Is it safe? Does it really work and is it for everyone? What is the Paleo Diet food list? What is a Paleo meal, anyway?
You may already know all about it, have only heard about it in passing, or know absolutely nothing about it at all – but it’s worth visiting the basics in any case, as there are plenty of misconceptions and concepts that are lost in translation because of a generic viewpoint of what it really is (or what people THINK it is).
Let’s delve into what it is, how it actually works, how it’s very much sustainable, AND how to easily implement it.
Paleo In A Nutshell (which is also Paleo)
So let’s talk about it. In the simplest of definitions, Paleo is eating in a manner designed to mimic the foods that our Paleolithic ancestors would have likely eaten, and so by extension, the macro- and micro- nutrient profiles their diets would have consisted of. The Paleolithic Era as a whole dates from around 2.5 million years ago to 10,000 or so. Think hunter-gatherer.
‘Paleo’ or ‘Paleo diet’ is probably the most common term for it, but it is also called the caveman diet, Stone Age diet, hunter-gatherer diet (see, there it is), and of course, Paleolithic diet.
The logic is that the human body evolves much more slowly than human technology and society have as a whole, which is true.
As Patrick Stewart said as Professor X in X-Men, “This process is slow, and normally taking thousands and thousands of years. But every few hundred millennia, evolution leaps forward.” (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
So we are substantively pretty much the same physiologically as our prehistoric ancestors, but living our lives today in a very different way than they did, obviously including what we eat.
Most notably, this means the advent of industrial farming and agriculture, which added grains and legumes, dairy products, processed foods (eventually), changes in the diets of the now-farmed animals we eat, etc. – all foods which our physiology has not yet caught up with and kept pace to handle compared to modern technology, leading to what are viewed as ‘modern’ ailments and medical conditions that our ancestors never experienced on a wide scale (heart disease, diabetes, obesity, just to name a few).
Paleo Methods (a mindset)
So we eat differently, AND we live differently today.
I didn’t hunt the steak I ate last night, and my direct ancestor from way back when didn’t sit on a cushy rock (chair) for 8 hours a day in front of a fire (screen) in order to obtain the means to acquire that elusive steak hunting bounty.
As I said, a lot of this is true.
The problem arises when people and critics take this general description and translate it to be taken in the most literal sense and not necessarily in the spirit of where the ideology is actually coming from.
Yes, a person could theoretically find a cave or other natural structure, learn to hunt whatever game animals exist nearby (without getting maimed, mauled, or worse) and how to locate and ‘forage’ the growing plant food sources that exist in that locale (and discover what is and isn’t toxic), etc. Hell, I’m sure there are such people, and more power to their eccentric existences. But of course, this isn’t the idea here.
There is also the misconception that Paleo eating means quite literally only eating things that could have been located by these relatives of ours way back when with complete rigidity.
Yes, it’s a good yardstick to measure food choices against, generally speaking. But Paleo, in its essence, shouldn’t and doesn’t eschew modern advantages – rather it should and can incorporate them into creating that same nutritional environment as our ancestors – that our bodies are STILL hardwired for.
So piggybacking here, an easy way to follow a Paleo method of eating is thinking back to the types of foods our prehistoric relatives ate. But this doesn’t preclude the modern advantages we have today – actually it can embrace them as we understand so much today about the nutritional values and breakdowns of what we eat and the effects it has on the human body. That knowledge can help us create a modern recreation of that nutritional environment for our own bodies.
A Paleo Food List and Paleo Meals (and erasing the notion that diets have to be ‘restrictive’)
We make dozens of food choices every day, whether with intention or without. Leading into any change in our diets, we tend to dread imminent new self-imposed ‘restrictions’, to the point of even going ‘all out’ the day or days before, stuffing things into our bodies like we wouldn’t have even done before deciding to alter our eating behaviors.
But any healthy change in diet should be approached in a nuanced way and transition smoothly. When you slam on the gas pedal you will inevitably end up slamming on the brakes.
Paleo can and should accommodate incorporating your preferences and altering your choices in a way that’s very specific to you and your tastes and the unique way your body handles different types of foods. This isn’t to say that there aren’t things that we just shouldn’t be eating, period. Of course there are – and you can still have them. The old and true trope “moderation” does ring true here.
So what’s on a Paleo food list? Generally speaking, it would look like this:
Eat this…
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts and Seeds
- Meats (with an emphasis on grass-fed or free-range animals and wild game, or lean if not)
- Fish/Seafood (preferably wild-caught and not farm-raised, especially the fattier fish with higher omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, albacore, etc.)
- Eggs (again, emphasizing coming from animals raised in as natural a setting as possible, such as free-range)
- Oils that are minimally processed/cold pressed from fruits, nuts, and seeds (olive, grapeseed, almond, avocado, etc.)
Avoid this…
- Grains and derived flours, such as wheat, oats, etc.
- Legumes, such as peanuts, beans, etc.
- Dairy products
- Sugars, added or refined
- Vegetables high in starch, like potatoes, corn, peas, etc.
- Processed salts and flavor enhancers
- Heavily processed foods and snacks, like chips, cookies, refined oils, & processed meats
Of course there are caveats and customizations that can make a Paleo diet distinctly your own, but these are general ideas.
And notice the word ‘avoid’. That’s intentional. 100% adherence to any food plan is impossible, plain and simple. But it’s still far more beneficial to closely follow it than give up completely because of rigidity. And this is where people can fall into the trap and even in-fighting among Paleo ‘enthusiasts’ who, as humans do, become almost religious about what is and isn’t acceptable. But ultimately it’s each person’s body and choices that matter and getting caught up in minutia is counterproductive.
So then, following these guidelines, a Paleo meal day could look like this:
Breakfast
- Egg omelet, prepared using grapeseed oil, dried garlic powder, and sea salt.
- Bell peppers and onions, sauteed and folded into the omelet.
- Grapefruit.
Lunch
- Salad, made with green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, arugula, and kale), tomatoes, sliced avocado, grilled chicken, walnuts, and a dressing of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice with sea salt and cracked pepper.
Dinner
- Grass-fed rib eye steak seasoned with dried garlic powder, sea salt, cracked pepper, and fresh thyme.
- Grilled olive oil-brushed asparagus, with sea salt & pepper.
- Mixed green salad with red onions, tomatoes, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, and topped with avocado salsa and lime juice.
- Blackberries for desert.
Snack Options
- Baby carrots, celery sticks
- Mini sweet bell peppers
- No sugar added, grass-fed beef jerkey
- Apple
- Handful of cashews
There are endless options and customizations that can satisfy any pallet. Don’t care for red meat? Grilled chicken thighs. Pescatarian? Broiled salmon. Hate asparagus? Roasted cauliflower.
Primal Food For Today (The modern caveman…)
So the advent of this newfound ‘revisiting’ of this way of viewing diet and eating has spawned more and more products in our wonderful, capitalist world. Scrutinize them like you would anything (check ingredients), but there’s honestly a lot of awesome stuff out there nowadays, and who cares if someone is out there monetizing it. At least it’s an alternative to Oreos or Hot Cheetos.
This is where the modern world works to our advantage and incorporates into the Paleo universe seamlessly. In a way, it’s almost how our foods should have evolved in line with technology (it’s never the easy way with us, is it?).
I love to cook (as I’ve mentioned ad nauseam elsewhere) but that doesn’t mean I have the time (or motivation) to make myself & my partner three meals a day, seven days a week. The products that are out there now are just mind boggling and amazing! I’m always finding and trying new stuff. (I love to eat. And shortcuts.)
There’s an awesome brand of chicharrones (pork rinds) I love called 4505 that uses humanely raised pork and fries the skins using the rendered fat of the animal instead of hydrogenated vegetable oil. When I have a crunchy/salty snack craving, they’re simply awesome. Just an example.
Tons of brands exist out there today, making Paleo eating easier than ever before. Paleo mayo using avocado oil instead of vegetable oil (or make your own mayo, which is actually super easy). Paleo snack packs. Paleo-friendly microwavable meals. Paleo online meal delivery programs. It’s endless and growing.
Yes, it starts to feel gimmicky and ‘trend-following’, but think about it. Paleo still hasn’t fizzled out like these other ‘diet fads’ that are the newest thing, only to be gone by next season. That’s because Paleo is an actual mindset, not just a fad diet, and is sustainable. And people who want to actually can and do stick with it!
They come to it for a variety of reasons, whether it’s to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, improve their cardiovascular health, address diabetes, improve blood pressure or cholesterol… on and on. But the beauty is all of these things are addressed when we eat more closely in line with our bodies’ design. It’s as simple as that.
Waking Your Primal Side (Gameplanning)
Any successful endeavor requires a gameplan. It’s that simple. This includes a health and diet plan. Good intentions and aspirations with nothing supporting your goals inside your fridge or pantry leads to inconsistency, frustrated decision-making (usually the wrong choice), and risking abandoning the idea altogether.
So here are a few tips (recipe for success… har, har):
- Track your food (Calories, Macros, and Nutrients). To be clear, Paleo isn’t about calorie counting in the strictest sense, but if you are transitioning out of a standard Western unhealthy diet, your calorie intake will decrease naturally on its own when you eat Paleo. This isn’t a starvation diet, and you should never feel starving. The reason it’s good to do this is three-fold. First, it keeps you accountable. When you see, in print, the things you are eating day in and day out, it becomes a motivator and helps impact your future choices. Second, it helps you see the overall picture broken down of what macros you are eating. Macros is basically your breakdown of protein, carbohydrate, and fat intake. All three of these things are needed to survive, but there are definitely healthier ratios than others. Third, it helps you learn about how your body reacts to different foods, as well as if what you are eating is leaving you deficient in any nutrient category so you can respond if you need to. Every person is different in their body’s needs and what their body does and doesn’t tolerate so well. Seeing what you are eating and correlating it with how you are feeling is a great help in learning how to listen to your body. There are several great free apps out there to help with this. I personally use one called FatSecret, which I’ve used for years, so I have never switched in order to not lose my historic info. (I could literally tell you what exactly I ate and how much I weighed on January 16, 2012. Crazy.) There are plenty of other good ones out there too, like MyFitnessPal. Some even integrate with digital scales, Apple & Google accounts, etc., if you want to invest a little money. The sky’s the limit.
- Plan your meals (and try to stick with your plans). The bottom line is if you think you’re just going to wing it each day, you will inevitably end up eating the wrong things (unless they’re actually wings). Planning your meals helps you stick with it, makes it easier to prep things in advance so you aren’t scrambling with “what’s for dinner” on your drive home from work, and helps ensure you have good, satisfying meals you can look forward to waiting for you, helping with caving in to less-than-healthy cravings throughout the day. Things come up last minute, but use these things as learning tools. You can eat Paleo in almost every situation (restaurants or what have you) and learning how to make split-second food decisions in line with your new food preferences is a great experience gainer. And if it’s absolutely impossible, wait it out, enjoy the hunger as if it’s your primal ‘thrill of the hunt’, and build your anticipation for that awesome meal you have planned for yourself waiting at home.
- Allow yourself to eat when you are hungry. This goes along with the planning. If you have Paleo snacks lined up and ready to go, you shouldn’t feel guilty eating when you want a nosh. It all builds on itself as far as forming new habits that are positive and forgetting and erasing old ones. Enjoy food!
- Exercise (but not as a ‘make-up’ or ‘punishment’). I haven’t mentioned exercise yet, and there is plenty that could be said about it relating to Paleo, because our ancestors didn’t exactly pick up their cell phone and order the venison they ate for dinner, they hunted it – y’know, as in requiring body movement. Exercise is good, m’kay? That said, don’t make it your overwhelming focus. If you’re currently pretty sedentary, do small things to start. If you usually take the elevator, try the stairs. Get some fresh air and take walks. If you already go to the gym, keep on keepin’ on. But avoid this common PITFALL thought process – “I really want this cheesecake… that’s OK, I’ll spend an extra 30 minutes on the treadmill.” This never has, and never will work. First of all, this always tends to lead to a second slice, or a third slice. Second of all, the human body just doesn’t work that way and no amount of extra treadmill time will magically erase those slices of cheesecake (unless you’re the next Michael Phelps and spend 10 hours a day training in the pool). The statement, “six-packs are made in the kitchen, not the gym,” is true. Don’t stress yourself out over specific gym or workout routines and lose your focus on the food. Food is king.
- Cheat. But much like the whole overall concept here, make it planned. Allow a cheat day (preferably cheat meal) every week. If you don’t need it every week, awesome! But at maximum only once per week. This helps in a variety of ways. Mentally, you can take comfort knowing that Friday night you’re gonna have that burger and those onion rings you’ve been craving. You can let your cravings dictate what that meal will be, leading to even more excitement for when the day comes and helping keep yourself motivated throughout the week. Just be sure to limit it to that day (again, preferably meal). Also, keep it to the same day of the week. If it’s Friday, then it’s every Friday. Not Friday this week, then Tuesday next week. Life happens and things will come up like special occasions, holiday get togethers, work events, etc. If you can’t help deviate, that’s OK. Better that than just giving up completely. The reason for this is that individual, single day (or meal) isn’t going to break your progress singlehandedly, and there are a lot of physiological reasons it can actually be beneficial that I’ll maybe talk about in a different post to back that up as well. But compounding it is when the problems arise, piling day upon day, and before you know it you’re completely off the wagon altogether, and have dusted off your old yo-yo for another whirl.
Hunt Your Success
So there it is. We’ve talked about Paleo, what is a Paleo Meal, what is the Paleo Diet food list, misconceptions, the method and the mindset.
And the great thing is it absolutely CAN BE delicious as well and doesn’t have to be bland or sacrifice flavor. It absolutely should be and I’d love to help with that!
If you have any questions about Paleo, cooking, recipes & foods, really anything, hit me up below and I’d love to chat about it!
See ya soon!