What is the PALEO Diet? Put simply, it is the way cavemen ate back in the day. The PALEO Diet is a hunter-­‐gatherer approach to eating that is based on the quality of foods you eat. It mimics the diets of our ancestors – mostly consisting of lean meats, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. The goal is to avoid or minimize those foods that our bodies have not evolved to tolerate. Thus, dairy intake should be limited and all foods that come from modern agriculture or processing, such as grains and refined sugars, should be eliminated. Why? The basic concept of the PALEO diet is to consume those foods that we have genetically adapted to eat. Some of the major benefits of this philosophy that have been reported include a naturally lean body, improved athletic performance and recovery, and possible relief from numerous metabolic-­‐related and autoimmune diseases. SUMMARY: The Foods We Should Eat Mark Sisson, author of Mark’s Daily Apple and The Primal Blueprint, begins with a basic premise that “people who weigh a ton and exercise a ton, but eat a ton, still tend to weigh a ton.”1 Thus, no matter how active you are, the quantity of the food you eat must be limited to what your body needs to build and repair muscle and remain energetic. Something to consider… The Paleo diet generally focuses on the quality of foods that we eat, since the quantity required is different for each individual. So in a nutshell: Lots: Water ANY: Meats, fish, seafood, eggs (i.e., proteins) Plenty: Seasonal vegetables & fruits (i.e., carbohydrates) Moderate: Nuts & seeds, healthy fats Minimize: Dairy, starchy foods (for at least 1 month, to gauge the effects of these foods on your body) Eliminate: Processed foods, whole grains, wheat and wheat derivatives (including gluten), refined sugars, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils, canola oil, deep frying 1
Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-­‐guide-­‐to-­‐the-­‐primal-­‐eating-­‐plan/#ixzz2qbu0AB9z 1 Guidelines Prepared for you by The Coaches at CF SOBRO Proteins Protein is a nutrient needed by the human body for growth and maintenance. Aside from water, protein is the most abundant molecule in the body. It is the major structural component of all cells in the body, including not only muscle but also body organs, hair, and skin. Mr. Sisson postulates that a moderately active individual needs 0.7 or 0.8 grams of protein per pound of lean mass.2 Protein should be included with all your meals and most snacks. A palm-­‐ to fist-­‐size portion should be enough. If possible, buy local, grass-­‐fed, free-­‐range, and organic (for example, lean meats, wild fish). Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are a common source of energy in living organisms. However, no carbohydrate is an essential nutrient in humans. Ideally, most daily energy should come from fats, whether dietary or stored. Mr. Sisson suggests that individuals trying to lose body fat should limit their carb intake to less than 80 grams per day, while those looking to maintain their current body composition should eat 100 to 150 grams of carbohydrates per day. You should obtain your carbs not from breads and grains, but from fruits and vegetables. This is in large part because fruits and vegetables also have an adundance of vitamins and nutrients that are essential for the body to stay healthy and fight disease. Avoid foods high in sugars and carbohydrates, but low in nutrients – sweets, soft drinks, breads, pastas, beans, potatoes, bran, rice, and cereals. Certain vegetables are higher in essential nutrients than others. In general, you should eat colorfully and avoid starchy vegetables (corn, potatoes, rice, legumes) because they are generally lower in essential nutrients than others. 2
“A 155-­‐lb moderately active woman who has 25% body fat (and thus has 116-­‐lb of lean body mass) needs 93 grams of protein on average per day (116 x .8). If she gets 60 or 80 some days and 110 on others, she’ll still be in a healthy average range.” Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-­‐guide-­‐to-­‐the-­‐primal-­‐eating-­‐
plan/#ixzz2qbvX9HhZ 2 Guidelines Prepared for you by The Coaches at CF SOBRO A moderate amount of fruits are important as well. Fruits are great as snacks, with berries being preferred. It is generally better to avoid fruit juices, though, because you lose the beneficial fiber of the fruit but are still consuming all the sugars. Fats: The Good, The Bad, The Unsaturated As we have all heard by now, not all fats are bad fats. In fact, certain amounts of fat are essential to the proper functioning of your body. So we will break them into three categories – the good, the bad, and the unsaturated. GOOD – These include most animal fats and naturally derived plant fats and oils. UNSATURATED – These are really a sub-­‐category of good fats known as CIS fats, which are the most common in nature (avocadoes, olive oil, or coconut oil, for example). -­‐ Edible animal fats are obtained from fats in milk and meat, as well as from under the skin of an animal. They include lard, fish oil, butter/ghee, etc. -­‐ Edible plant fats include peanut, soy bean, sunflower, sesame, coconut, and olive oils and cocoa butter. BAD – Trans-­‐fats, hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils. Notice that these fats are a result of processing foods. Theoretically, if your intake of protein and carbs stays fairly constant (and carbs stay under 150), you can use fat as the major energy variable in your diet. If you’ve already met your goals for protein and carbs and you need more fuel, fats will satisfy the urge. Again, healthy fats, not processed fats – nuts, avocados, coconut, eggs, butter, olive oil, fish, lamb, beef, etc.3 The Foods to Eat Exactly which items do or do not fit into the Paleo diet food list is not always an easy answer to follow. In its purest form, the theory of the Paleo diet states that if your ancestors didn’t eat it – you shouldn’t either. On the other hand, some foods that our ancestors did not eat are now known to be very nutritious. For example, beans are a great source of numerous nutrients and dairy products can be a great source of calcium and protein. Some experts urge that a slightly less strict, more modest form of the Paleo diet should be followed for optimal health. (Often overlooked) KEYS TO A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE 3
Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-­‐guide-­‐to-­‐the-­‐primal-­‐eating-­‐plan/#ixzz2qnc2CLbz 3 Guidelines Prepared for you by The Coaches at CF SOBRO Hydration We are all guilty of not drinking enough water sometimes, but I cannot over-­‐stress the importance of staying hydrated. Every cell of our body consists mostly of water. Cells need fluids to function properly, and that need extends to the larger organs and muscles as well. Dehydration pangs can often be confused with hunger pangs. Rather than reaching for a snack if you feel hungry, drink some water first. Water is Awesome! It is, of course, the best hydrator. Coffee (black) and tea are also fine. Rest This is a very important piece of the healthy lifestyle puzzle. Get plenty of rest. It is essential that you make the time to rest and rejuvenate your body or everything else will be that much more difficult to do. It is during sleep that your body is repairing all the damage done throughout the day, and that time to repair is especially important in the initial weeks of a new exercise program. Joints, ligaments, tendons, and muscles all have different rates of recovery; so adequate rest is essential to ensuring that your body catches up and fully recovers each day. Keep in mind that beginning a new diet or exercise regimen that varies greatly and is more intense than your current routine is, while good, still a jolt to your body. It will take time for the body to adjust to the new lifestyle. So initially (partially because you will likely eat fewer quantities than before) your body will need more recovery time than you are used to. This means you need to get more sleep! As your body learns to be more efficient in processing these foods (and it will!), you will find that you will recover faster than before and your energy level will increase substantially. So have patience, stick with it, and get some rest! 4 Guidelines Prepared for you by The Coaches at CF SOBRO