Paleo

Over the past 18 months, I have transformed my eating and as a result, have vastly improved my health and reduced my weight significantly.  When people ask, I simply tell them one word, Paleo.  Invariably I will either get a puzzled look or maybe even that exclamation, "You mean that cave man diet?" Truthfully, it is referred to as the Caveman diet but really in name only.  It would be impossible to factually recreate the diet of Paleolithic beings.

So what exactly then is Paleo eating?  Well, I am going to refer you to a webpage from one of my favorite Paleo bloggers, Michelle Tam.  Her and her husband have become my heroes in this quest to eat healthful foods without sacrificing taste and creativity in the kitchen.  Michelle does a great job of explaining Paleo in her Paleo 101 post.

Non Nom Paleo - Paleo 101

I especially love the little cartoon that depicts the many times they have been asked the question of what Paleo entails.

So now you know what it's all about.  Curious as to how I have made the transition?  It's simple.  First I started buying fresh fruits and vegetables.  That was easy as I my office is a couple of blocks from the phenomenal Flint Farmer's Market. Then I started researching for markets where I could purchase pasture raised beef, pork and poultry.  It turns out this is not as tough as I thought.  Not only are many of the major grocery store chains starting to carry grass-fed products but so do most health food stores.  And now, the butcher at my favorite Farmer's Market is also carrying these products and will custom cut for me as well.

Getting the food was only half the battle.  One then has to learn what to do with the food.  That was really the hard part.  I am not a trained chef or nutritionist so compiling my own recipes was quite a bit like trial and error.  Sometimes more on the error side.  Thanks to Suzy for being a guinea pig with me and giving me honest feedback on some of my efforts.  This is especially true of the baked goods.  I still have a lot to learn about replacing wheat flour in baked goods.

Most of the rest came over time.  Meats, poultry, vegetables and soups have become relatively easy. If I really want to get creative I can always turn to one of the many Paleo web/blog sites for ideas.  Michelle's Nom Nom Paleo is one of my favorites but there are many good ones from which to choose. (Oh and did I mention that I am also taking cookie classes?)  I am still trying to learn the relationship between different foods, herbs and spices.

If you have questions about Paleo eating, give me a shout.  If I can't answer your question, I can certainly point you to a few people that are better suited to field the questions.

Have a great and healthful day.