Living Paleo

Living Paleo                 

 Living Paleo can seem like a difficult challenge if you don’t know much about it. Like the Keto genic diet or any other diet trend that has taken the world by storm, it can be difficult to differentiate it from the rest.   

However, there is one distinct and important difference between going Keto and living Paleo. One is a diet that can actually kill you if you are on it too long because it physically alters your body and puts you into starvation mode, while the other is a very beneficial way to reframe your life so that you are focusing on doing things as naturally as possible to emulate the lifestyle our Paleolithic ancestors might have had if they had more advanced technology.   

A lot of people are intimidated by the sound of going Paleo. It is a strong word. It refers to our ancestors and can bring to mind very powerful images. But going Paleo means more than just hunting and fishing, though eating lean meats and fish is a huge part of the lifestyle.  

Living a Paleo lifestyle means making sure that you are taking care of your body and treating it the way it was meant to be treated by nature. Our bodies are theoretically designed to follow this diet. Right down to the way our jaws and teeth are designed.  

We are meant to be eating these types of foods biologically and introducing grains and dairy and other types of processed foods and refined sugars has actually caused us quite a lot of harm over the years.   

There are scientific studies, in fact, that show how hormonal changes have caused young women, and sometimes even men, to develop breasts prematurely because they have been eating too many hormones that would never have been present in their food in the Paleolithic era.  

Those types of findings are very disturbing. It is time that we start to take accountability. We need to know exactly what we are putting into our bodies and be brave enough to look society in the eye and reject the status quo.  

Just because it is convenient and it is making things simple, it doesn’t mean that it is the best way to do things. we do not need to be feeding chickens growth hormones that are affecting children as young as eleven years old. We do not need to be eating foods that are harmful and can contribute to diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s later in life.  

No matter where you may find yourself on the spectrum of living Paleo, one thing is common to us all. We deserve to be healthy and live the best lives we possibly can. And doing so begins with a choice that we make to put the healthiest possible foods into our bodies as fuel and prepare ourselves for the journey that lies ahead.  

     

The Paleolithic diet was developed in the 1970s by a scientist who was hoping to encourage the people around him to pay more attention to their health. He was hoping that the Paleolithic man could serve as an example to us all of the way we should be eating and drinking and staying active in order to best serve our bodies and minds.  

This idea was taken a step further later on, when another man determined that our bodies are biologically suited for the Paleolithic diet and lifestyle. Our teeth and digestive system find it easier to thrive when eating lean meats, natural vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, and drinking a lot of water.  

Refined sugars and complex carbs were never an issue back in the Paleolithic era. But the more humankind begins to tamper with what was once a natural thing, the more dangerous to our bodies it becomes. Our bodies are a complex system that works together to make sure we get all the nutrients we need in order to thrive.  

If that isn’t happening, as it often doesn’t when we are living on the Standard American Diet, then we begin to slow our functioning. We get dull and foggy in the mind, our limbs and reflexes may be slower, and often we sink into anxiety or depression because our bodies are stressed 

out a lot more easily without the proper nutrition. It is incredibly important to make sure we are eating right and exercising, and in following a Paleo lifestyle, we cut out the bad things like fast food and fatty things and focus exclusively on only the foods that will help us to thrive. That is what the Paleo lifestyle is all about. 

                                                                                          

While you may be intimidated by the prospect of going Paleo, there really isn’t all that much to worry about. The most important thing to keep in mind when you are attempting to develop a new lifestyle is that old habits die hard, but they die faster if you forgive yourself for having them developed. We all have routines hard-wired into our minds.  

Our neural pathways are rife with reflexes and patterns that we have developed over a long period of time. If you have spent the majority of your life living on the SAD diet, you can’t expect yourself to give it up overnight. You have to ease into it and allow yourself to healthily let go of old habits as you begin to formulate better ones.  

Building habits is perhaps the most important key in maintaining any new lifestyle, and in the book, Living Paleo will help you to begin strategizing exactly how you will be able to do that for yourself. Whether you decide going Paleo is for you or not, building healthy habits is an experience that everybody should know how to do.  

It not only allows us to be our best selves possible, but it can also be a great confidence booster to know that when you have a goal in mind, you also have the resources at your disposal to see it through! That is taking your life to the next level.  

The other thing you are going to need is patience and drive. It isn’t just about cutting certain foods out of your life and learning new recipes. It’s about understanding the importance of changing things for good so that you never go back to living in ignorance about the things you are doing to hurt yourself.  

It can be a slippery slope to fall back into a bad lifestyle, and we may feel comfortable in it because we have done it for so long. But at the end of the day, there is part of ourselves that is shameful and angry that we are making choices that are self-destructive, and that type of stress can lead to anxiety, depression, and even illness.  

You have to believe that you are worth the positive changes in your life. You have to get rid of the obstacles by facing yourself and understanding exactly what it is that you do to hold yourself back.  

A lot of people are afraid of success. It isn’t uncommon. So, learn yourself and figure out how you can embrace a better life by putting your fears to rest.  

It isn’t all that difficult. You have to be able to hold yourself accountable for your setbacks and get back on the horse. If you’re going to have a cheat day, make sure you are cheating so well you won’t be tempted to do it again for a while, then forgive yourself for it and go back to your healthy eating.  

It’s a lifestyle, not a prison sentence. You don’t have to be cruel to yourself to be healthy. Just do your best. That’s all it really takes, and of course you can do it! 

    

Going Paleo is a lot simpler than it looks. Go through the foods you already have. If you want to eat them all up, go for it. If you want to give them away, you could do that too. If you want to keep them around, that probably isn’t such a good idea but that is your choice to make.  

If you want to straight out throw them in the trash can, you do what you have to do to make your lifestyle better. The Paleo diet is simple and exquisite. It will be very easy for you to find recipes you like because it doesn’t limit you from everything.  

It simply cuts out the foods that Paleolithic man wouldn’t have had access to. Foods that became popular upon the advent of modern farming. Dairy products, grains like bread, legumes, and other processed, refined products like sugars or excessive salt. It’s a simple diet and it works wonders.  

There are so many options. And although many of us are very used to eating bread with every meal, the alternatives are just as good and soon enough you don’t even miss it anymore. Things like lettuce for example can be incredible substitutes for wraps or buns. They do the job of keeping your condiments together and taste light, healthy, and delicious.  

If you want to begin going Paleo, then the first thing you need to do is take stock of where you are at right now and pick one small habit to begin to break.  

If you are addicted to fast food, for example, try your best to go a week without fast food. Have a replacement recipe in mind that you already know you like and if you find yourself craving fast food, force yourself to think about that recipe instead and tell yourself you are going to go home and eat something much better than what you are craving.  

Do this until it is your habit. Developing habits and holding yourself accountable to the choices you make is the most surefire way to succeed in any change, but especially when it comes to undergoing a new Paleo lifestyle.  

Each and every one of us has the power to make these positive changes, and the book Living Paleo can help you to go more in depth about how to make these changes work for you, right now!