How to start!?!?!?!

So here is the recommendation for going Paleo!!
What I would recommend is to think of this as a LIFESTYLE change and not a diet!! All diets are bound to fail but if you go into this with the mindset that this is going to be a lifelong thing it will be easier for you. There is so much to talk about on the health benefits of the Paleo lifestyle, so if you have specific questions regarding things like why are grains bad and why stop eating dairy please corner a coach and we will be glad to counsel you one on one.

The way I would start is by picking one thing and eliminating it from your nutrition. I would personally go for eliminating sugar, all forms of sugar. Read the labels and if it says SUGAR or HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP do not ingest it. The reason is I have seen a lot of progress with weight loss by just cutting out the sugar. Keep everything else the same until you feel you have the sugar thing down then choose something else, either the legumes the dairy or the grains. Continue on this adventure until you have come to eat what the above picture looks like. Once you have reached that point I would bet you have lost some weight, look, feel and perform much better not only on your workouts but with life in general. At that point if you are still serious about this lifestyle change we will get into calculating numbers and fine tuning your nutrition to match your desired goals.

Now we are all human and need some cheats every once in awhile. If you find yourself in a situation where you have eaten something that you should not have do not worry. Enjoy it and then get right back on it the next day. Now defenitely make your cheat meals to a minimum as in maybe 2-3 MONTH

Nutrition is much harder than coming in for a workout. We can coach you for the hour you are here but when you leave it is up to you to keep your self on track.

Our desire is for all of you to meet your goals and all have a nutrition goal I am sure. You all have goals on how you want to look, feel and perform. This is where it starts. Please do not be afraid to grab a coach, that is why we are here.

A few sides....

Here are a few links to some of our favorite side dishes. I find that the main course is usually the easiest and I have a hard time sometimes filling in the rest of the meal. Hopefully these will give you some ideas...

I know these are full meals but the sides that are listed with them are all awesome. The chopped broccoli salad is a sale at our house. The greens beans are easy and yummy and the sides from the thanksgiving recipes are all wonderful for a nicer meal.

A Dinner Menu: Steak Dry Rub, Avocado Salsa, and Chopped Broccoli Salad | Everyday Paleo

Cooking Demo – Paleo Spaghetti & Baked Green Beans | Everyday Paleo

Thanksgiving Recipes and Everyday Paleo Pumpkin Pie Cooking Demo! | Everyday Paleo

I missed cereal

So, I am not going to lie one of the things I really missed when I started eating paleo was cereal. I don't know what it is about it but I could eat a bowl of Cheerios and milk at any time of the day. I tried several granola recipes and liked them but then I got The Make it Paleo cook book for Christmas and found this recipe. It is by far my favorite granola so far. It does take some time but it is well worth it. I eat it with almond milk and it is SO tasty.

Grain - free granola

Ingredients
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw pecans
1 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw sliced almonds
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup chopped medjool dates
1 cup raisins

Process

1. Soak nuts and seeds in warm water and a tablespoon of salt overnight for 10-12 hours
2. Drain and spread onto a baking sheet
3. Set oven temperature at 110 degrees, and dehydrate for 10-12 hours ( if your lowest setting is higher than 110 leave the oven door slightly ajar.)
4. Coarsely chop dehydrated nuts and place in a large bowl.
5. Mix in shredded coconut, chopped dates, and raisins.
6. Toss lightly to evenly distribute all ingredients.
7. Serve granola with unsweetened almond milk, or coconut milk.
8. Store any excess in an airtight container.

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.
Melissa

So what to eat

For those of you who are wondering what should I start to eat when Tomorrow finally comes? Well here it is. We will be talking about this more in detail during your individual class times and of course e-mail with any and all questions!!!

PALEO FOOD LIST

What to Eat?
Starting with meats, eat as much as you want for breakfast, lunch & dinner. Cook the meats simply without too much added fat – broiling, baking, roasting, sautéing or browning, then pouring off excess liquid fat, or stir frying over high heat with a little oil (No deep fat frying)

Lean Meats

Lean Beef (trimmed of visible fat)
          •  Flank Steak
          •  Extra lean hamburger (7% fat or less)
          •  Chuck Steak
          •  Top Sirloin Steak
          •  London broil
          •  Lean veal
          •  Any other lean cut


Lean Pork (trimmed of visible fat)
          •  Pork loin
          •  Pork Chops
          •  Any other lean cut


Lean poultry (white meat, skin removed)
          •  Chicken breast
          •  Game hen breasts
          •  Turkey breast


Eggs (limit to 6 per week)
          • Chicken (enriched omega 3 variety)
          • Goose
          •  Duck


Other meats
          •  Rabbit meat (any cut) 
          •  Goat meat (any cut)


Organ meats
          •  Beef, lamb, pork, chicken livers 
          •  Beef, pork and lamb tongues 
          •  Beef, lamb and pork marrow 
          •  Beef, lamb and pork “sweetbreads” 

Game meat
          •  Alligator 
          •  Bear 
          •  Bison (buffalo) 
          •  Caribou 
          •  Elk 
          •  Emu 
          •  Goose 
          •  Kangaroo 
          •  Muscovy duck 
          •  New Zealand Cervena deer
          •  Ostrich
          •  Pheasant
          •  Quail
          •  Rattlesnake
          •  Reindeer
          •  Squab
          •  Turtle
          •  Venison
          •  Wild boar
          •  Wild turkey

Fish

• •  Bass 
• •  Bluefish 
• •  Cod 
• •  Drum 
• •  Eel 
• •  Flatfish 
• •  Grouper 
• •  Haddock 
• •  Halibut 
• •  Herring 
• •  Mackerel 
• •  Monkfish 
• •  Mullet 
• •  Northern Pike 
• •  Orange roughy 
• •  Perch
• •  Red snapper
• •  Rockfish
• •  Salmon
• •  Scrod
• •  Shark
• •  Striped bass
• •  Sunfish
• •  Tilapia
• •  Trout
• •  Tuna
• •  Turbot
• •  Walleye
• •  Any other commercially available fish

Shellfish 
         • Abalone
         • Clams
         • Crab
         • Crayfish
         • Lobster
         • Mussels
         • Oysters
         • Scallops
         • Shrimp

• 
  

Fruits and Vegetables

If you love fruit and are convinced it is making you fat, don’t worry. It won’t make you fat on this diet, even in unlimited amounts. In fact, it’s not easy to get 50% of your daily calories from fruits and vegetables because of the high bulk and low caloric density of fruits and salad vegetables.


Nuts are rich in calories. If you are trying to lose weight, you should eat only about 4 ounces of them a day. Also, except for walnuts, almost all nuts have high levels of omega 6 fats, and if eaten excessively, they can unbalance the ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fats in your diet.


For ideal health, then, you should eat fruits and vegetables with every meal, along with moderate amounts of nuts, avocados, seeds, and healthful oils (flaxseed, canola, olive oil, and mustard seed). However, just because it’s a vegetable doesn’t mean it’s good – or that it’s on the list below. High carbohydrate, starchy tubers – potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams – are restricted on the Paleo Diet. Also, dried fruit should be eaten only in small amounts because it, too, can produce a high glycemic load (causing a rapid increase in the blood glucose level), particularly when you eat too much of it. When you’re hungry or in doubt, start with a high protein, low fat food. Remember, lean protein is the most effective nutrient in reducing your appetite and boosting your metabolism to help you burn stored fat.

Fruits

• •  Apple
  
• •  Avocado
  
• •  Blackberries
  
• •  Boysenberries
  
• •  Carambola
  
• •  Cherimoya
  
• •  Nectarine
  
• •  Papaya
  
• •  Peaches
  
• •  Persimmon
  
• •  Plums 
• •  Cranberries
• •  Gooseberries
• •  Grapes
• •  Honeydew melon
• •  Lemon
• •  Lychee
• •  Pomegranate
• •  Rhubarb
• •  Strawberries
• •  Watermelon
• •  Apricot
• •  Banana
• •  Blueberries
• •  Cantaloupe
• •  Cassava Melon
• •  Cherries
• •  Orange
• •  Passion Fruit
• •  Pears
• •  Pineapple
• •  Figs
• •  Grapefruit
• •  Guava
• •  Kiwi
• •  Lime
• •  Mango
• •  Raspberries
• •  Star Fruit
• •  Tangerine
• •  All other fruits

Vegetables

• •  Artichoke
  
• •  Beet Greens
  
• •  Bell Peppers
  
• •  Brussels Sprouts
  
• •  Carrots
  
• •  Celery 
• •  Cucumber 
• •  Eggplant
  
• •  Green Onions
  
• •  Kohlrabi
• •  Mushrooms
• •  Onions
• •  Parsnip
• •  Pumpkin
• •  Radish
• •  Seaweed
• •  Squash (all kinds)
• •  Tomatillos
• •  Turnip Greens
• •  Watercress
• •  Asparagus
• •  Beets
• •  Broccoli
• •  Cabbage
• •  Cauliflower
• •  Collards
• •  Dandelion
• •  Endive
• •  Kale
• •  Lettuce
• •  Mustard Greens
• •  Parsley
• •  Peppers (all kinds)
• •  Purslane
• •  Rutabaga
• •  Spinach
• •  Swiss Chard
• •  Tomato
• •  Turnips

Nuts and Seeds 

If you are actively losing weight, you should eat no more than 4 ounces of nuts and seeds a day. Walnuts are the best as they have the most omega 3 ratio.

• •  Almonds
  
• •  Cashews
  
• •  Hazelnuts
  
• •  Pecans 
• •  Pine Nuts
• •  Pumpkin Seeds 
• •  Sunflower Seeds
• •  Brazil Nuts
• •  Chestnuts
• •  Macadamia Nuts
• •  Pistachios (unsalted)
• •  Sesame Seeds
• •  Walnuts

Foods You Can Eat in Moderation

Oils 

4 tablespoons or less a day when weight loss is of primary importance

          • Olive          • Canola Oils
          • Avocado
          • Walnut
          • Flaxseed


Beverages
          •  Diet Sodas 
          •  Beer 
          •  Coffee Tea Spirits (4oz)
          •  Wine (2-4-oz glasses)


Paleo Sweets 

          •  Dried Fruits (2oz) 

          •  Nuts mixed with dried fruit and fresh fruits (no more than 4oz of nuts & 2oz of dried fruit/day) 

Foods You Should Avoid

Dairy Foods

• •  All processed foods made With any dairy products
  
• •  Powdered Milk
  
• •  Ice cream 
• •  Butter
• •  Cheese
• •  Nonfat dairy creamer
• •  Skim milk
• •  Frozen yogurt
• •  Ice Milk
• •  Whole milk
• •  Yogurt
• •  Cream
• •  Dairy spreads
• •  Low-fat Milk

Cereal Grains 

• Barley (barley soup, barley bread, & all processed foods made with barley) 
• Corn (corn on the cob, corn tortillas, corn chips, cornstarch, corn syrup) 
• Millet 
• Oats (steel-cut oats, rolled oats & all processed foods made with oats) 
• Rice (brown rice, white rice, top ramen, rice noodles, basmati rice, rice cakes, rice flour & all processed foods made with rice) 
• Rye (rye bread, rye crackers, & all processed foods made with rye) 
• Sorghum 
• Wheat (bread, rolls, muffins, noodles, crackers, cookies, cake, doughnuts, pancakes, waffles, pasta, spaghetti, lasagna, wheat tortillas, pizza, pita bread, flat bread, & all processed foods made with wheat or wheat flour)
• Wild rice 

Cereal Grainlike Seeds
        • Amaranth

        • Buckwheat

        • Quinoa 

Legumes 

• •  All beans (adzuki beans, black beans, broad beans, fava beans, field beans, garbanzo beans, horse beans, kidney beans, lima beans, mung beans, navy beans, pinto beans, red beans, string beans, white beans)
  
• •  Black-eyed peas
  
• •  Chickpeas Peanuts Lentils Snowpeas
  
• •  Peas Sugar snap peas Peanut butter Miso
  
• •  Soybeans & all soybean products, including tofu
  

Starchy Vegetables

• •  Starchy tubers Sweet potatoes Cassava root Yams
  
• •  Tapioca pudding Manioc
  
• •  Potatoes & all potato products (French fries, potato chips, etc.) 

Salt-Containing Foods 

• •  Bacon
  
• •  Salami
  
• •  Hot Dogs
  
• •  Salted nuts
  
• •  Smoked, dried, & salted fish & meat
  
• •  Virtually all canned meats & fish (unless you soak & drain them)
• •  Processed Meats Deli Meats

  •  Ketchup
  •  Salted spices
  •  Pork rinds

  •  Cheese

  •  Frankfurters

  •  Ham

  •  Pickled foods

  •  Olives

  •  Sausages

Fatty Meats

• •  Bacon
  
• •  Chicken & turkey legs
  
• •  Chicken & turkey skin
  
• •  Lamb chops
  
• •  Pork ribs
  
• •  Chicken & turkey thighs & wings
  
• •  Pork sausage 
• •  T-bone steaks
• •  Fatty beef roasts

  •  Fatty cuts of beef

  •  Fatty pork chops

  •  Lamb roasts
  •  Beef ribs
  •  Fatty ground beef

  •  Fatty pork roasts

  •  Leg of lamb

Soft Drinks & Fruit Juices

• •  All sugary soft drinks and Fruit juices
  
• 
  

Sweets

• • Candy 
• •  Honey
• •  Sugars