Getting Started With Paleo

Guest Post by Ania Drosnes

I am eager to share this post by Ania today! Her take on the Paleo diet is inspiring. Best thing is that this is really a lifestyle change for the better and not a diet fad. I hope you are as inspired as I am! 

 

There are countless success stories of people losing substantial weight and curing chronic disease on the paleo diet. Why is this? It’s because it’s a diet of REAL FOOD.

There are a lot of misconceptions about the paleo diet. Don’t get caught up in the hype or details, let’s focus on what is important to remove from your diet to take your health to the next level.

I believe in worrying about the nitty gritty once you’ve accomplished the basics. Health is a journey, so let’s take it step by step. Here are the 2 biggest steps to get started on your journey to better health through the paleo diet.

 

Step 1: Change the way you think about food. 

Food is nourishment and fuel for your body, it is literally what powers you. Ever pay for premium fuel for your car? In much the same way, start thinking about upgrading the fuel that powers you. What you put into your body determines how you feel, it affects your immune system, and has a significant effect on your risk of chronic disease. Food should come from the earth and not a laboratory.

 

Step 2: Remove the following foods from your diet

 

Vegetable oils, including soy and canola

Vegetable oils are heavily processed, high in omega 6 fatty acids, are typically genetically modified, and usually laden in pesticides. Petroleum is often used to extract the oil. As for soy, the highly processed form found in soybean oil is hazardous to health. It contains phytoestrogens which serve as estrogen mimickers in the body. Excess estrogen levels increase your risk of cancer, PCOS, and other hormone-related disorders. In addition, its high levels of phytic acid make it difficult for your body to absorb vitamins and minerals. Approximately 90% of soy and canola oil is genetically modified.

 

Wheat

Whole wheat has a reputation for being one of the most healthy foods out there, but have you ever looked at the ingredients of a typical loaf at the grocery store? Corn syrup, soy, dough conditioners and preservatives are common ingredients.

 

So why don’t I advocate eating a cleaner version? Modern wheat is hard for our bodies to digest and contributes to leaky gut, autoimmune disease and malabsorption of vitamins and minerals. Modern wheat is usually GMO and sprayed with glyphosate, which California now deems a known carcinogen. Millions of people feel better on a gluten free diet for good reason. But remember, gluten free junk food is still junk food.

 

Sugar

There’s no diet that advocates for high sugar (even though a lot of them actually HAVE high sugar). This is for good reason, it’s deleterious to health in a variety of ways. It’s connected to every condition under the sun from heart disease to diabetes.

 

Factory farmed meat

There are a variety of studies claiming how bad meat is for you, particularly red meat. But there’s one confounding variable that is never addressed. There is a big difference between meat that comes from hormone laden cows shoved full of antibiotics with no space to move eating a diet full of corn and soy… and a grass fed cow on a pasture.

 

It’s not “you are what you eat,” it’s “you are what your food eats.” The profiles of these 2 sources of meat do not compare. It’s best to avoid factory farmed meat (and dairy).

 

Processed food

Processed foods generally are higher in sugar, sodium, unhealthy trans and vegetable oils, refined carbohydrates and are low in nutrients, fiber, etc. They contain a high proportion of artificial ingredients including preservatives, colorants, flavor enhancers and texturants. Due to their negative attributes towards health and lack of value nutritionally, it’s best to avoid all processed foods when possible.

 

Conclusion

 

 

This is what the Paleo diet is all about. It’s about eating clean, real, minimally processed food with ingredients you can pronounce! After you’ve accomplished this we can get into the nitty gritty.

Start with avoiding these foods and you’ll be on your way to better health.

 

 

This post was written by Ania Drosnes, a certified Primal Health Coach and blogger at www.livecleannourish.com. Live Clean Nourish is a paleo inspired, natural health blog that encourages readers to take health into their own hands. Ania offers a completely free mini-course, The Paleo Mindset. Get motivated and inspired today: www.livecleannourish.com/freebie