Paleo for Weight Loss and Health
Eating a Paleo lifestyle diet, will help you realize the health benefit of eating whole, nutrient-dense foods. You’ll feel fully satisfied and won’t feel deprived as you're fueling your body with real, unprocessed food. You will no longer have the desire to reach for that processed food product like a box of Cheez-It Crackers or a bag of Doritos Chips to get your fix. Do you ever wonder why you can’t eat just one Doritos chip? The food industry knows how to manipulate processed food products, for the consumer to want (and crave) more of a bad thing. These products are made from highly refined ingredients, have zero nutrient value, and don’t serve your body’s health.
Whole foods actually fill you up and fuel you, whereas empty calories – like those found in crackers, candy and chips – fill a mental craving, but don’t physically fill you up. Your mindset will improve when you switch to whole foods since it’s hard to feel guilty after filling up on genuine nutrients. Whole foods also regulate cholesterol levels and ward off cancer, dementia, and a plethora of other conditions.
When you can clean up your diet, and introduce real, whole foods, the natural benefit will be weight loss and health.
Research shows that a Paleo lifestyle is more satiating per calorie than both a Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet. That means it’s more filling for the same number of calories compared to other popular diet methods. This is crucial for weight loss, since it helps you eat less without fighting hunger or counting calories.
Some Basic Rules of Paleo
Remove wheat, sugar, grains, legumes and dairy
Remove all processed, fake foods, and sugary products.
Remove refined vegetable oils (Canola*) and replace with healthy fats:
Ghee
Coconut Oil
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
Macadamia Nut Oil
Avocado Oil
Toasted Sesame Oil
Rendered Bacon Fat (pasture-raised, organic)
*(Over 90% of canola oil has been genetically modified and can cause negative health effects. It is cheap to manufacture, and many processed foods contain it. Canola oil is a refined oil that’s often partially hydrogenated to increase its stability, but this increases its negative health effects.)
Replace white flours and starches with:
Almond Flour
Coconut Flour
Arrowroot Flour
Tapioca Flour
Baking Soda
Psyllium Husk A Healthy Snapshot of What to Eat on Paleo
Grass fed meats
Pasture-raised chicken, turkey and pork free of hormones and antibiotics
Wild-caught fish and seafood
Organic vegetables whenever possible* (refer to EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean 15)
Fruits (if weight loss is desired, limit or stick with berries)
Nuts and seeds (raw, organic, for weight loss omit or limit to ¼ cup daily)
Healthy fats and oils
Some helpful tools when cooking Paleo, include:
Spiralizer - Although a lot of supermarkets are pre-packaging spiralized zucchini and summer squash, keep in mind, conventional zucchini and summer squash could contain GMOs. A spiralizer can help with so many vegetables, you will wonder why you waited so long to own one.
Crock Pot - If you don’t already have one, purchase a Crock Pot. It will make your busy life that much easier. Throw all your ingredients into the pot in the morning, then come home to a full meal with plenty of leftovers for the week.
Vitamix - They are expensive, but a Vitamix is hands down one of the best ways to incorporate more nutrient dense fruits and vegetables into your daily diet. I use mine every day, and couldn’t live without my morning smoothies. The health benefits alone make this a winner!
Below is a great recipe for mashed cauliflower. In addition to being low-carb, it's a great way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet.
Roasted Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (instead of mashed potatoes)
One or two cauliflower heads (make more to use during the week)
1 Tbsp. of Ghee
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp. Avocado Oil (good for high smoke point)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Cut up cauliflower into florets
Drizzle garlic with Avocado oil and place in small ceramic dish with lid, bake for 15 minutes.
Place cauliflower in a pan with water, using steamer insert, cook for 15-20 minutes until tender
Mash cooked cauliflower, garlic and ghee in a large bowl, using an immersion blender
Place cauliflower in a casserole dish, bake for 15 minutes, allowing flavors to blend.
Garnish with salt, pepper and parsley
Contact me for a free Discovery Session to explore how I can support you on your journey towards a healthy lifestyle, and how to become your own health advocate.
Coming soon… Finding My Way Notes of Inspiration, a compilation of quotes and notes of inspiration taken from Finding My Way, Facing My Journey with Courage. Will be available on Amazon soon!
To your health and happiness,
Donna Markussen www.FindingYourHealth.com info@FindingYourHealth.com 781-354-4075