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Diet

Why Paleo?

by Isis on July 20, 2010

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We are recently asked about the Paleo Diet and it goes a little something like this: Ok what are the benefits of paleo? Why do it? Please explain!!!

We are fairly new to the diet (or as I like to call it, lifestyle) and are falling more and more in love with it. We aren’t by any means paleo experts, but have learned a lot so far. Like we said in our Paleo Kitchen Makeover, we are not 100% paleo, but the more we eat paleo the less we really want cheat days. Our stomachs just can’t handle it anymore and its proving to not fill us up (empty calories) and we are still hungry! I’ve been saying lately that I’m becoming a food snob!

There are a lot of benefits to the “Paleo Diet.” First of all, its not really a diet or something you do for a short time. Lee and I are looking to change the way we eat forever. The whole paleo thing emphasizes that about 70% of food consumed by humans now was unavailable during paleolithic times. We put a lot of chemically engineered things in our bodies that are not healthy. There are a lot of substitutes too. Like you will hear a cereal is a good source of fiber, but so are berries, apples, avocados, etc. So people are substituting for the original sources…

We have started a Facebook discussion around natural foods vs. foods created in a lab based on a paragraph out of the Paleo Diet for Athletes:

“Science has not yet come close to matching Mother Nature’s nutritious produce. The foods that, as hominins, we have been eating for at least 2.6 millions years- fruits, vegetables , and meats- are still the best sources for all our fitness and health needs. Labs have yet to produce anything that even approaches the various and rich nutritional values of, for example spinach.”

Who to follow on Twitter for Paleo chatter/resources:

@robbwolf- Love Robb’s podcast and they are so informative! He has a new book coming out, pre-order now! The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet
@primalDC- recently interacted with us on Twitter when we asked if quinoa was Paleo and we just love when people interact!
@crossfitchrom- amazingly cute family that happen to have amazing bodies due to paleo and crossfit!
@modernpaleo- a wealth of knowledge from philosopher, Diana Hsieh and other selected contributors.
@paleohacks- a crowd sourced forum where you can ask a question and anyone can answer
@paleogirls- Great blog for Paleo recipes with great pictures!  http://paleogirls.com/

Great blogs:
http://everydaypaleo.com/

http://stevepaleo.blogspot.com/2009/10/pumpkin-paleo-pancakes.html

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Paleo Kitchen Makeover

by Isis on June 29, 2010

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Lee and I have been dabbling in the idea of going Paleo for a while now. We have always been inspired by CrossFitter’s Lindsey and Web Smith in Austin, and now that Lee recently got CrossFit Endurance certified we thought it was time to make the switch. It also helped that we checked out my dad’s favorite reference, Eat Right 4 Your Blood Type, and it basically says we should be eating similar to the Paleo diet.

What is Paleo? Its basically eating like a “caveman” would. You eat only what you would hunt and gather. When I asked how you hunt and gather in a grocery store, I was told to just stick to the outer edges (produce and meat counter) and stay away from the middle (processed foods).

Getting ready for my first Paleo grocery shopping trip, I looked all over the web for recipes and even called to my friends on Facebook. I wanted to make sure I did this right. Luckily, my friends Vanessa and Dominique met me at Central Market to make sure I didn’t steer off the Paleo path.

It was actually a fun experience. I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time in the produce section. When you know its about 50% of what you can eat, you make sure to get variety and enough to not leave you wanting to order take out. I also saved about $50 from what we normally spend on a grocery shopping trip. I created a Facebook album to show you the before and after pictures of our Paleo Kitchen Makeover.

P.S. We are using The Paleo Diet for Athletes as a reference. We are eating Paleo at least 80/20. Meaning, we have non-Paleo meals or cook with salt and such. We are not die-hard. So if you are a Paleo person, don’t jump on us. We are heading that direction and will get there.

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