What is Paleo?

The Paleolithic Diet, or Paleo (a.k.a the caveman diet), is the belief that our food choices should be based on those that were available to our hunter-gatherer ancestors: fruits, vegetables, meats, nuts and seeds.  According to Loren Cordain, Ph.D (also considered the father of this lifestyle):  

"the Paleo Diet is the one and only diet that ideally fits our genetic makeup.  Just 333 generations ago- and for 2.5 million years before that- every human being on Earth ate this way.  It is the diet to which all of us are ideally suited and the lifetime nutritional plan that will normalize your weight and improve your health.  This diet has been built into our genes."  [Cordain, Loren, Ph.D.  The Paleo Diet, (New Jersey: Wiley, 2011),3-4]  **I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in learning more about paleo**

So what does this mean?

This means that humans are not meant to eat processed foods, preservatives or anything our ancestors would not have had available to them.  It wasn't until the agricultural revolution that cereals and grains became a staple in the human diet and, through archaeological records, we can see that there was a noticeable change in the health of the people.  Once farming and grains were introduced into civilization, there was a decline in height, brain size, bone density and an increase in illness (Cordain, 44). 

But I have been eating the same way for years- the same way my parents and grandparents ate...

True, but haven't you noticed the general decline in health over the past years?  As a population, we have more cancer, heart disease, COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) and psychological/mood issues than ever before.  Why are girls beginning menstruation so young, some even as young as 8 or 9 years old.  Could this have anything to do with the food we eat?  Added preservatives, hormones, antibiotics- all the "harmless things" that are added to our foods or food sources will eventually effect us.

How do I get started?

There are several ways to get started but the most important thing is finding what works for you.  For me, it was all or nothing and I jumped right in, cleaned out our kitchen and got rid of all non-paleo food.  For someone else, it may take a little time getting used to eating this way, i.e. making better food choices.  So start with a meal: "I'm going to eat a paleo breakfast all this week."  Then take it from there...  Lunches, dinners, snacks...  Whatever works for you.  I knew that for me, if it was in my house, it was going to be eaten so the best route was to get rid of it but find out what works for you.

Give it 30 days

Try it yourself.  Eat Paleo for 30 days, and I mean 30 real days of complete Paleo eating.  What do you have to lose?  If after that time of eating fruits, veggies, meats, nuts and seeds you don't feel better, haven't lost weight, sleep better or have less pain, go back to the standard American diet and eat like you did before.   I challenge you to give it a try, what do you have to lose?