11 Things You Should Give Up To Be Paleo
Ok, so obviously grains, legumes and perhaps dairy are no longer on the agenda – but what else should you give up as you embrace a healthy Paleo lifestyle?
1. Marking Every Event With Food
Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day – it’s all become about the food! Whenever there is a celebration of any sort it is so often marked with food – and it’s very rarely grass-fed beef jerky, omega-3 enriched eggs and avocados. Instead of taking in birthday cakes to the office – how about marking your birthday with an impromptu office trip to the park or a social event?
2. Relying on Everything But Your Own Two Feet
So you've got a car and a bus pass? That doesn't mean you should use them all the time. We’re supposed to walk, it’s good to walk; find a way to incorporate it into your day!
3. Trying to Please
When all of your friends eat differently, it’s easy to feel alienated in your Paleo diet. They might suggest a pizza restaurant – or cook a non Paleo dinner for you. In the short-term the easy option is to eat the food and avoid the risk of offending them. But it’s time to think long-term; this is how you want to eat; this is important to you – so be strong and stick to your principles! Who knows, they might even respect you for it.
4. Unrealistic Expectations
If you've come to Paleo looking to lose 15kg in two weeks, think again! Paleo is not a diet, but something to follow for life. It might take a while to achieve the results you seek, but give it time and they will come.
5. Your Doctor?
If your doctor is more interested in treating your symptoms with drugs, rather than finding out the underlying issue; perhaps it’s time to look for a new doctor?
6. The Past
Perhaps you used to struggle with making good food choices, or you used to make pancakes every weekend. Just because you used to do things, maybe now is the time to let go of the past and make some changes!
7. Fears
Whether you have an irrational fear of fat lingering from your conventional wisdom, low-fat days; or a fear of getting ill – there’s no room or purpose for that fear anymore, besides positivity is far more constructive.
8. Excuses
It’s too easy to blame a hectic travelling schedule, long working hours or bad finances for making poor nutrition and fitness choices. If you want to make it happen, you can make it happen – drop the excuses!
9. The Middle of the Grocery Store
Unless you enjoy studying packets of junk food, to see how many ingredients you can’t pronounce – it’s time to give up the middle of the supermarket. Everything you need will be on the perimeter – or better still, outside at farmers markets!
10. Avoiding Sunshine
Another phobia it’s time to let go of! Whilst it’s not good to burn, getting some sunshine and making your own Vitamin D is a good thing!
11. Your Shock Absorbing Running Shoes with Nano Technology
How did our ancestors manage without them? Have you tried running barefoot?
What have I missed from the list? What else should you let go of as you embrace a healthy Paleo lifestyle?
 |
 |
 |
I agree with all but number one. I may change the food I mark occasions with but I LOVE doing so. I don’t even need to belong to an ethnic religious group to do so- I’m a German Lutheran who loves Cinco de Mayo as much as Hannukah.
I think that’s the thing; you can make healthy alternatives to the traditional food used in celebrations…
I guess in addition to Number 3 Trying to Please, Be open and honest about eating primal, regardless of the reaction if people ask if you want to chip in for a banquet or all you can eat pasta night. I dont think I can ever eat to please anyone to avoid hurting their feelings. I feel like rubbish if I eat grains or wheat nowadays that If I eat just to please someone, then I am not pleasing myself and its I who suffers in the end and I dont want to do that anymore. After reading about those foods and what they do to the body I cant go back. I would offer tea or make a paleo/primal version of a meal and share it. If they are understanding friends then they wont try and sabotage you or make you feel inferior.
I find when I get the question “what is your nutrition like or what kinds of foods do you eat?” the second I mention things like meat, limited fruits, veges, eggs, raw nuts, bacon and coconut oil, the looks on the faces of whoever I am talking to they cringe like I said something dirty which I find quite amusing but at the same time they are curious. Ahh but I bet whatever I am eating is much tastier and has substance than the SAD diet.
In fact my gym stocks protein powders and low carb bars made with 20 different ingredients. that makes me cringe even more, and this is acceptable? Dont they want their clients to eat real food to achieve greater health? Shouldnt a gym give proper nutritional advice re Farmers Markets, put them in touch with local butchers and farmers, that to me would be useful rather than follow a stupid 1200 calorie meal plan with diet this and that, eat high carbs, low fat and have a protein bar or shake. pfftt boring! Their clients are sick weak and getting fatter. In fact since eating primal, I love working out, I am getting results, I have more energy and I am losing weight and not burning out. Not everyone knows that I now eat primal, Im going to a mates house tonight who asked me over for a homemade pizza. I politely declined but said I would come over for a tea. I guess I will talk about it then if the right moment comes up. Maybe I should bring over your paleo pizza recipe 🙂
Some great points Elissa. You’re right about the products on sale in gyms – it’s incredible isn’t it! What’s wrong with refueling with real food?!
I would add ‘being sick’ to the list of things you give up! This weekend I caught a cold from my feral toddlers (thank you childcare!). I used to take a week or so to recover…. but instead I was back out of bed by that afternoon and completely fine the next morning. Did two WODs this morning that were pretty uncomfortable but that’s not strange given the number of push-ups and burpees we had to do! I’m AMAZED at the tangible results from this way of eating (from fat loss, to getting rid of mucus/heartburn/headaches to recovery times) – YAY! p.s. I am not even a strict paleo nut (dairy is my weakness) – just aim for 70-80% of the time and still reaping the benefits. : )
That’s a great addition Amanda – so true!
nice succinct yet effective post
Thanks Chuck!
I regularly encourage people to give up the second car, the TV and whatever service feeds it, the smart phone, the oversized house that the oversized sofa fits into, the microwave, the gym membership, and all manner of things if they want to afford clean food. Priorities MUST be made, and yes, it’s a choice between “comfort and convenience” or health and welfare.
Whichever choice you make will determine how your path diverges into the future. People who claim they can’t afford the Paleo diet are on a path different from me–I gave up the TV, the car, the microwave, grocery stores, and other stuff because clean, healthful eating was a more important priority. Now I can cheerfully afford to plunk down about $800 at the farm for a month’s worth of pastured meat and eggs, and have absolutely no regrets about it.
Great point Wenchypoo – when you think how much people spend on their cable TV/ Foxtel subscriptions, it probably equates to a lot of high quality food…
Paleo diet is good. It would be difficult adjusting at first but it’s worth it. Actually,
If you’re going to search the web, there are thousands of ways on how to lose weight. But based on my personal experience, I just focused on 3 things:. I do exercise, eat fruits and vegetables and undergo sugar free diet. Sugar free diet is the method of not using or putting sugar on all of your oral intakes. Instead, you are using natural sweeteners.
Sugar free is a great start Kat
I’ve just got back from holiday (so just catching up with your information). I found what you said for No: 8 excuses, interesting as my holiday was all inclusive and the restaurant had a good choice of whole foods right down to all the non Paleo type things. So no excuses, or extra cost, so is it just habit that makes people choose a plate of (lovely looking) chocolate donuts, rather than something healthy?
Thanks Geni, Hope you had a good holiday. Isn’t that great that the restaurant had a good choice of whole foods!
Number eight and 11 are points I’ve struggled on. I travel _a lot_ with work. Hotel breakfasts and dinners are pretty easy to work around but lunches can be a nightmare. Trying to find a paleo compliant lunch in a city you don’t know can be challenging. Would be interested to hear some ideas from others what they do and look for when traveling.
As for barefoot running, I’m always interested to hear other people’s opinion on it. I switched to barefoot running for quite some time. My speed and stamina increased. Then I saw a podiatrist and it was quite graphically shown to me how the barefoot stride was not only inefficient but damaging. With correct orthotics and the correct running shoe, I’m now able to run even faster and longer. So for me personally, those Shock Absorbing Running Shoes with Nano Technology sit in the same category as computers. Neither were around 50,000 years ago but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t necessarily use them now 🙂
Love the web site btw.
I think an addition to this list would be subscriptions to “health” magazines/newsletters, reading government nutritional guidelines, etc. I used to LIVE on “healthy living” websites, I was subscribed to all the email lists, etc. Eventually, it just got too frustrating to be reading all of the “LOWFATHEALTHYWHOLEGRAINSLOTSOFLENTILS!” articles, which are so diametrically opposed to my own nutritional paradigm. Some of my family members are interested in Paleo and what I’m doing, but they’re still getting ridiculous information and advice from these sources that seems to really confuse them. I’m trying to direct them to Mark’s Daily Apple, Robb Wolf, and (of course) paleo.com.au instead, but it’s baby steps 🙂
AMEN to #5. Your doctor is NOT God, contrary to what they may think or believe. I have seen SO MANY people’s lives destroyed from blindly trusting their doctor and ingesting drugs from Pharma.
DO. YOUR. OWN. HOMEWORK!!
I adore running barefoot, in saddles, or in moccasins, it is good for you and really strengthens the feet. Also there is something to be said for our feet connected to the soil. I just have to be careful as I live in the desert and the ground gets hot and is full of thorns. LOL!
Good advice for a beginner like me!