Lessons in Paleo

I can’t believe how fast the 2 weeks of Paleo went!! I actually finished it a week ago but with so much uni work and events happening I haven’t been able to tell you how it went. What I can say is I loved it :)

I love the simplicity of the meals with wholesome clean foods, yet at the same time you can always put the effort in to make something fancy! Or even turn fancy meals into simple meals. Meals are clean, grain free, gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, full of fresh and raw fruits and vegetables and basically I felt like new!

Well maybe one day soon I will literally be on top of a mountain... ;)

It was a big learning curve to see what classes as Paleo and what doesn’t and you soon realise that so many foods are a mixture of paleo and non-paleo it can sometime be hard to eat only paleo unless you are making the meal yourself. My biggest challenge was heading home to my family and having meals with them. It is hard to turn down your mothers glorious home cooked meals because it has potato, rice or a little dairy in it! So in the end my 2 weeks were about 90% Paleo which I feel was still a success :)

I learnt so much about cooking different foods and particularly my love of baking, using different flours and how more fulfilling meals with higher protein content (not just quick absorbing protein powders) can be to sustain you throughout the day AND reduce those sugar cravings by regulating your daily sugar levels. I wasn't afraid of the many good fats in my foods, these are essential for my body growth and repair, the only bad fats are those in refined and packaged foods, those which are not clean and wholesome. But in reality we all need a little indulgence in some bad fats from time to time, how do we know what it really feels like to be clean and inspire others if we don't?

There is a bit of scrutiny out there about ‘not eating carbs’ following Paleo. Carbs are particularly important when you are busy and exercising to keep you fuelled for the days ahead. In all honestly I still felt I ate lots of carbs! Having paleo pancakes for breakfast every day and loading up on sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip and other vegetables, paleo baking using coconut flour, seeds and nuts, yes these are not your typical pasta’s and refined grains but they are more wholesome sources of carbohydrates with a greater range of nutrition. You just need to learn to adjust your food pyramid to get carbs from the right foods.

Other people have said Paleo is too expensive. I spent about $80 for the 2 weeks including treating myself to 2 nights of salmon. I admit I am only a small female and wouldn’t eat nearly as much as muscular men but I can still put away a bit of food! As all food planning goes it is about… planning! Making a menu for the week ahead and budgeting, you don’t have to spend your money on expensive salmon or steaks, buy local and look out for weekly bargains, shop smart and a big tip, use your leftovers! :)

Here are some tips from Paleo Living:

• Enjoy eating paleo. Enjoy what you eat. If you are unhappy with what you are eating you are unlikely to continue to keep eating that way, and once the nutrition is gone, staying fit and healthy becomes much harder.
• Pre-cook food. Spend a few hours at the beginning of the week and cook big batches of food. This will allow you to minimise the amount of time that you have to spend cooking during the week.
• Cook more that you need. This is similar to the previous tip, the idea being that if you cook more than you need for one meal then you can eat it later, or the next day.
• Rather than cutting yourself off from all of those foods which you enjoy that aren’t 100% paleo friendly, simply eat smaller amounts and be moderate.
• Do not keep junk/unhealthy food that you know you shouldn’t eat, in the house. For most people, if it is in the house they will eventually eat it.... I am a culprit of this!!
• Do not run out of food. This is horrible. Do not let it happen to you.
• Try planning out your meals for a week. This comes easily to type one personalities, for the rest of us it can be a nuisance. Though this has the benefit of ensuring you know what you need in the house for the week, and eliminates that time wasting period during which you try and figure out what you should cook for dinner.
• Keep a handy meal replacement shake/can of tuna in your car/office/desk/bag for a paleo friendly snack in case plans change.
• Learn to use spices; this will do wonders for you and will offer variety and different flavors to your meals.
• Eat lots of vegetables; try and eat a good variety with many different colours.

Although my 2 weeks has gone, I find myself still making conscious decisions about eating meals as closest to paleo as I can and have loved my paleo pancakes or eggs for breakfast! I have excitedly been looking up pumpkin porridge, paleo muesli and so many other recipes for breakfast as well as salads for lunch, paleo sushi and new dinners to try! Not to mention paleo baking ;) So apart from raw foods my new love now includes paleo foods as well.

 

Did someone say pancakes??

There is so much experimenting and learning to do with nutrition and I love it, there is no better way than trying these things yourself and listening to your body. After all our body is the only place we have to live which we carry throughout life, listening to it and treating it well is the best thing we can do, love your body and you will love life :)