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Paleo diet includes all kinds of foods that are ancestors used to eat in their time. This diet kept them healthier as their lifestyle was filled with lots of physical activity. By following paleo diet, we can become healthy and strong to counter diseases like our ancestors.
The paleo diet includes and excludes certain kind of food items. The unprocessed foods, whole foods, healthy fats which include saturated fat, free range meat, fish, seafood, eggs, vegetables, seeds, fruits, berries and some natural flavors are included in the diet. Processed foods, legumes, grains, foods high in sugar and salt are excluded. Occasionally some kind of dairy foods like aged cheese, butter, full fat natural yogurt and kefir can be included.
The paleo diet is healthy for us. It not only keeps us healthy, but it helps with stress reduction, fitness, sleeping habits, health problems, etc. It doesn’t let us store extra fat in our bodies which help us not to develop health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure. Paleo diet is not a strict pattern to follow. By defining your own goals and needs, you can add the right kind of food in your diet.
Below is the list that tells what you should eat and what you should avoid in your paleo diet.
Consume wild fish and seafood whenever you can. Choose sustainable seafood if possible.
Free range meat is the right kind of meat to consume. Grass-fed, open field raised cattle have more nutrient meat than animals kept in closed environment.
Eggs from free range, open field raised flocks.
Root vegetables, non starchy and starchy tubers.
Take healthy fats from butter, ghee, duck fat, coconut milk and cream, olive oil, fish oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, macadamia nut oil, and from grass-fed cattle, poultry and fish.
Stay away from fruit and berries containing high sugar like mangos and bananas. Eat low sugar fruits and only consume high sugar fruits on specific days when you need to consume more carbohydrate.
Take natural herbs and spices. Use sea salt or Celtic salt which ever you can find in good quality as it contains minerals that are beneficial. Avoid the use of too much salt.
Nuts and seeds are nutritious but don’t consume them in large quantities as some of them contain high percentage of Omega-6 fatty acids which can be harmful if not balanced with Omega-3 fatty acids present in salmon, leafy green and eggs. Take balance amount of nuts and seeds and don’t take them in large quantities daily. Nut meals and flours like almond meal should also be taken in balanced quantity.
Nut meals, tapioca and arrowroot flour, chestnut flour, coconut flour, sweet potato flour. These products may contain high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids or carbohydrates, so use them in moderation.
Mustard, vinegars, fish good, low sugar tomato sauces and paste, olives, olive oil mayonnaise, anchovies, salsas, pestos, capers. Make sure none of these contains any added preservatives or chemicals. Also, you can use oyster sauce and wheat free soy sauce occasionally or go with coconut aminos which is better.
White sugar, high fructose syrup, bread, cookies, pasta, sodas, artificial sugar, fruit juices etc. should be avoided.
Avoid wheat and any kind of grain containing gluten. White rice is consumed with many dishes. Although it is not as harmful as other grains but still it contains high amount of carbohydrates. Try to use it only occasionally.
Milk, low fat dairy however, don’t stop your intake of calcium.
Soybean oil, rapeseed, vegetable and sunflower oils, canola oil, spreads and margarines made from these oils.
Lentils, beans and chickpeas etc. some people believe that some legumes can be consumed safely if they are soaked in water for twelve hours and then cooked well which removes phytic acid from them making them easier to digest. This can be true or not, there are some debates going over it which you can find online. You can consume cashews as they are not legumes.
Dried fruit, honey, palm sugar, maple syrup, dark chocolate, rice malt syrup if you are avoiding fructose.
Clean non-grain based spirits, dry wines.
If you have gut problems, or you suffer from gluten intolerances then you should avoid dairy. However, if you are fine with lactose and casein then you can add healthy dairy in your diet. Cow’s milk is high in GI as compared to yogurt and cheese so avoid it. Go with sheep’s or goat’s milk products. Use A2 cow’s milk and products made from fermented cow’s milk like aged cheeses, kefir, full fat cream, unsweetened yogurt, ricotta and butter.
Pseudograins don’t contain gluten and can easily be digested. Amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa are not much harmful but they are high in carbohydrates. You should remove anti-nutrients like phytic acid before consuming them. Prepare salted water and soak these grains in it for 8 to 12 hours, rinse and carefully cook them well. Do the same with Chia seeds.
Wheat free soy sauce, tempeh in small quantity, miso can be used occasionally.
Although green peas, green beans and fresh corn are grains and legumes but you can consume them occasionally. Best time is when they are in season and available locally.
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