How to start paleo guide for beginners diet healthy eating plan-min

How to do Paleo – a Beginners Guide

After listening to me talk about Paleo and seeing the positive changes, a few of my friends have been interested enough to actually try Paleo for 30 days, a whole30 approach, to see how it works for them.

I got a text message from one of my friends last week, which read:

“Hey, I want to try Paleo starting today for a month, that’s the whole30 right?  Where do you shop for your stuff?  What should I eat?”

How to start paleo guide for beginners diet healthy eating plan-min

I started to reply, but it quickly became far too long for an SMS, so I sent the email below instead.

OK, it was too long to text!

I would start by working out what you're going to eat for the next week.  Where you'll be each day; how many meals you'll have at home and how many meals you’ll eat out.  Write it down!

For the meals at home, go through the cookbook I gave you and pick out a few meals.  Also look on Chowstalker and filter on “Whole30” to find some great Paleo recipes.

Do a big shop for all of the ingredients for the recipes you picked out – the first shop may be quite expensive if you don’t have many herbs and spices (which make such a difference to the recipes) – it’s a good investment though as they’ll last a long time.

The basics you need are: –

Meat.  Where you can, get organic, at the very least free range (i.e. chicken) – and if possible grass fed meat.  I have a great organic butcher near me, but Woolies and Coles have a few organic ranges

Eggs.  I eat a lot of eggs.  Pastured & organic are best, Omega 3 enriched are great – at the very least make sure they are free range.  They usually last for a while and are great for quick food – so buy lots!

Vegetables.  If you can, get organic.  Try to get what's in season, rather than imported vegetables.  In the first week or two I'd recommend sweet potatoes and squash.  It's possible you'll find it really hard cutting out refined carbs, so that is what the sweet potatoes and squash will help with.  Other than that, get a good variety of vegetables.  Most recipes call for the basics like onions, carrots, garlic,  green leafy vegetables etc.  Ignore starchy tubers like potatoes (besides, you can substitute sweet potatoes any time you'd usually have regular potatoes).  I also tend to use a lot of zucchini, capsicum and mushrooms.

Fruit.  I don't have much fruit, as essentially it is sugar, but it might be quite good for you whilst you’re transitioning to this new way of eating.  Berries are great and other good choices include kiwi, pineapple & melon.  Eat fruit whole; don't make juices with it (this removed the fibre from the fruit which increases the insulin response – also it encourages you to consume a lot more than you'd eat whole)

Fats.  You'll need to not be scared of fats!  Only cook in coconut oil (coconut oil is only found in health food shops, choose unrefined virgin coconut oil) and animal fats.  Olive oil (and other nut oils such as avocado oil) are good for salad dressings, but shouldn't be heated.  Remember – no dairy (i.e. butter) for the 30-days.  Coconut milk is another great fat source.  Get this from the Asian section in any supermarket.  I'd only recommend Ayam as it has the purest ingredients of any brand I've seen.  Make sure you get the normal version NOT the light version.  Use this as a basis for meals (i.e. a curry) or even with berries to make a berry smoothie.  Avocados are another great fat source to go with a meal.

Nuts.  Occasional nuts are great, but don't go overboard (which is hard!).  Macadamias & Almonds are good.  Almond butter is also good (used sparingly) and can be found in the macro range at Woolworths.

Drinks.  With no dairy, think now about what you'll be drinking.  Most drinks should be water, but you can add a slice of lemon/ lime and the water can be hot or cold.  You can use carbonated water.  I get lots of different types of tea (but check the ingredients carefully; you should recognise all of the ingredients – nothing artificial).  Redbush, gunpowder, chai and green tea are some that I enjoy.  You can also have tea with coconut milk.

If you're going out and options are likely to be un-paleo my top tip is not to go out hungry.  If you eat before you go out you probably won't need to eat – and if you do it will be easier to look for better options without the distraction of immense hunger.  Most places offer meat and fish – I ask for it as plain as possible and check how it's cooked.  Avoid anything that is marinated or fried.  Ask for no sauces or dressings on your meal.  I usually substitute things like fries and mash for more veg or salad.

Breakfast is something people often find hardest.  It’s easiest to get over the fact breakfast “has” to be a certain type of meal and realise breakfast is just fuel, like any other meal.  Have good food; be it last night’s leftovers or cook something up.  I find eggs a great breakfast option and often have omelette or scrambled egg with avocado and bacon.   Noatmeal is another good option for an occasional breakfast, but not every day.  I think it's really important to try to consume breakfast as soon as possible after waking up, within 30 minutes if possible.

You can get the basics from Woolworths or Coles.  The “Macro” range at Woolworths, or the “Natural Health” range at Coles have a lot of good Paleo ingredients.  Butchers (especially organic) will be a better source of meat.  Farmers markets (if you have any locally) are a great source for most things.  Health food shops are the only places I've found for coconut oil and Himalayan or Celtic sea salt.

Take a photo of yourself before you start and let me know if you can't find anything or want ideas!

Top tip – be organised and plan before you start.

GOOD LUCK!

Suz

So how did I do?  I'm sure there are lots of things I should have mentioned that I forgot…  I think it’s going to be helpful to have a list to give to anyone who asks me this in the future.  What advice and tips do you give to people who turn to you for advice on starting Paleo?

Food & Health as Evolution Intended Nora Gedgaudas conference event paleo primal australia tour-min

Food & Health as Evolution Intended – Nora Gedgaudas

Yesterday I went to Nourishing Australia’s “Food & Health as Evolution Intended” seminar.  The seminar was held at the University of New South Wales in Sydney and featured five lectures by Nora Gedgaudas, and lectures by Bruce Ward on naturally grazing animals and Costa Georgiadis on the importance of where food comes from.

I’d heard Nora Gedgaudas speak at the Ancestral Health Symposium in August and really enjoyed her talk – it was just 45 minutes though, so the opportunity to hear her talk for a whole day, in my own city, was too good to miss.

meeting Nora Gedgaudas in Sydney

I was so pleased to see such a full lecture theatre yesterday.  The audience was a very varied mix of medical professionals, nutritionists, as well as people who had only recently heard about Paleo.  There were also a few familiar faces from the Sydney Paleo meet-up group.

Nora Gedgaudas Sydney

As much as I enjoyed the AHS in August, food wasn't included, and being on the UCLA campus good Paleo food wasn’t on hand.  At yesterdays seminar however, the event was catered and the food was fantastic.  Agape Organic Restaurant provided all of the beautiful food yesterday.  Whilst the food was organic and sourced locally, it wasn’t Paleo as it included a bit of dairy, quinoa, corn chips (!) and some sweetened dressings.  It was fairly easy to avoid these elements though and the good sized portion of beef and chicken at lunch was very satiating.

The seminar started with an overview of where we have come from and the food we evolved eating.   The other topics covered included fats and carbohydrates; grains, the link between nutrition & mental health & primal fitness.  The key messages I got from the conference concerned insulin and blood sugar.  Reducing the insulin requirements – by controlling blood sugar appears to be crucial in so many aspects of our health and longevity.  Gluten was also spoken about frequently – and I’m now going to be a lot more cautious to ensure I completely avoid it, especially when I’m eating out.

I really enjoy listening to Nora Gedgaudas, as she is a great speaker who has the ability to put across complex science and theories in a very accessible way.

If you’re in Australia and missed the Sydney seminar, they are going to be in Armidale on the 16th November and the Gold Coast on the 19th November; so it’s not too late to book!

nora_gedgaudas_sydney

Morning tea: Pumpkin, spinach and basil frittata, Ham, tomato and cheddar frittata. Salmon, pear, chilli, chive & quinoa tatare Corn chips Wagu & pork meatball & Cherry tomato relish

Nora Gedgaudas Sydney

Lunch: Grass fed wagu beef, Roast chicken

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Lunch: Roasted Vegetable & Honey mustard dressing salad Broccoli, daikon, carrot, zucchini, adzuki & miso sesame dressing salad Beetroot, parsley, sultana & honey yoghurt dressing Spiced poached pear & cream

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Nora Gedgaudas in Australia

I'm currently at the “Food & Health as Evolution Intended” Seminar in Sydney. Nora Gedgaudas is the main speaker and has just finished her first two lectures on “Diet and Evolution” and “Fats and Carbohydrates”. After first hearing Gedgaudas at the AHS, it's great to hear a lot more depth on these topics!

The lecture theatre is full of paleo curious Australians, the menu is provided by an organic paleo friendly restaurant – it's going to be a great day!

I'll post a full report about the day tomorrow!

Food & Health as Evolution Intended Nora Gedgaudas conference event paleo primal australia tour-min

Is milk paleo dairy primal lacto cheese-min

Dairy and Paleo

Dairy is one Paleo area I've been thinking about a lot recently.  A lot of people follow a strict Paleo diet, and include dairy, known as a lacto-Paleo diet.  Dairy is also the main difference between a Primal and a Paleo diet (Primal includes modest amounts of high quality dairy).

Prior to my trip to the AHS in August, my diet was a lot closer to Primal than it was Paleo.  Pedro Bastos gave an excellent lecture at the AHS on Dairy, Hormones & Human Health, which was quite an eye opener for me.

When I got back, I started the Whole30 which meant excluding dairy for 30 days.  I used to drink lots of tea everyday, with milk (I am English after all) – but luckily I got over this in America, as tea just didn't seem to be as common place over there.  I also used to have a fair amount of yoghurt and cheese, which I also gave up.  I expected to be counting down the days when I could resume my dairy habit, but it just didn't happen.

Since August I haven’t had any milk, but I have had cheese a couple of times and yoghurt once.  And the strangest thing?  I just don’t miss it at all.  I now enjoy drinking lots of different types of tea without milk, or hot water with a slice of lime.  I'm not really sure how I’d include milk again now!  I do like the taste of cheese and yoghurt, but I just don’t feel the need to include them in my diet.  Since I've gone stricter Paleo, I've been feeling fantastic.  My skin, sleep, mood, focus and general well being– everything has improved.  I should probably reintroduce dairy to identify exactly the effect it has on me – but given that I don’t miss it, I’d rather just continue to avoid it.

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I'm often asked how I can possibly get enough calcium without dairy.  I eat a good amount of dark green leafy vegetables, which are a great source of calcium.  From what I have read calcium balance is far more important than calcium intake.  When eating a diet high in acid-producing foods, such as the standard western diet, the kidney balances the acid load using the alkaline calcium salts from the bones.  As I don’t eat any processed food or grains and have a good balance of alkaline and acid foods in my diet, I have a good calcium balance – and therefore a lower calcium intake is not a problem.

Taking an evolutionary standpoint, obviously milk would not have been drunk until relatively recently, as ruminants weren't domesticated, so certainly wouldn't have been milked.  The purpose of milk is to nourish the offspring of the mother and enable it to grow – when you consider we are the only animal to eat another animals milk, it does seem a little odd?

One of the main arguments against dairy is IGF-1 (insulin like growth factor 1).  IGF-1 is increased by the cow’s growth hormones, which cause the cow to produce more milk.  IGF-1 is believed to promote cancer by increasing cell division and multiplying of cancer cells.  Commercial dairy cows are kept in gestation (by being artificially inseminated) almost constantly to ensure they produce milk.  They are milked ten out of 12 months – whereas a more natural milking pattern would involve only milking during early pregnancy.  It’s obviously in the interests of the dairy producers to do this, as they want to produce as much milk as possible.  The further into the pregnancy the more growth hormones are contained in the milk (as clearly the purpose of the milk is to support a growing calf).

For me, the jury is still out.  However, if I do decide to consume dairy again, I’ll go out of my way to find raw milk – I don’t think I could ever be happy with any commercial, pasteurised milk as I feel far to removed from the process and will never really know what is in it – and the condition of the cow(s) it came from.

What do you think about dairy?  Do you feel better of worse including dairy in your diet, or leaving it out?  I'd love to hear your views!

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Paleo Birthday Resolutions

It’s my birthday today, which is the perfect time to evaluate my achievements this past year – and to focus on what I want to achieve in this brand new, unchartered year.

This past year can be summarised by one word for me: Paleo!  I’ve travelled to America twice for PrimalCon and the Ancestral Health Symposium and met so many amazing, lifelong, Paleo friends along the way.  I’ve refined my Paleo nutrition and found what works for me.  My housemate and a few friends have adopted a Paleo lifestyle, which I am thrilled about.  I’ve spent a lot of time this year researching and reading in the Paleosphere – and of course, I started this blog.  My biggest personal achievement this year has been my fitness.  I have never been as fit as I am now and it enhances almost every aspect of my life.  Linked into all of these factors, my sleep has been another huge transformation this past 12 months.  I used to really struggle to fall asleep, sleep very poorly, then struggle to wake up in the morning.  The last few months however, I’ve been tired at bedtime, sleeping soundly and waking up before my alarm almost every morning!

It seems like a timely point to work out what I want to achieve between now and my next Birthday, with the help of some “New Years” resolutions.  So, from tomorrow: –

1.       I’m going to see the sunrise and sunset every day.

This is going to be quite a challenge, but it seems a really important link, to the body’s natural circadian rhythm.  After all, we should live alongside the natural day; staying up until 4am isn’t good for us.  Here in Sydney Sunrise is between about 5:15am (this month) and 7am in the winter months.  This should be fairly easy.  I’ll get up just before sunrise, so I should see the sunrise on my walk into work.  The time of year will then determine how long I spend in the gym/ swimming pool before I go to work – or perhaps I’ll even start work early?  Sunset will be a lot more of a challenge, as in Sydney it varies from around 4:50pm in June to about 8:10pm in the summer months (I do miss those long summer evenings in the UK!).  I’m not sure how I’ll tackle this one in the winter, but the summer should be quite achievable.

2.       I’m going to get rid of five things every day.

One Primal area I really struggle with is minimalism!  I have a lot of “stuff”.  My friend Lars over at Primal Minimalist has recently started a new daily habit of de-cluttering his house by five things every day.  I could honest do this every day for the next year – and probably still have quite a lot left by my next birthday.  So this is what I’m going to do!

3.       I’m only going to eat local food.

I think I’m probably fairly compliant on this one already, when I eat at home.  When I eat out however (which is all too frequently), I often have no idea where the food is sourced from.  I need to know this.  I think it’s really important to eat local food (and ideally, organic).  This should also mean I am only eating seasonally, which is also important.  I can hopefully achieve this by bringing in my lunch to work, and eating out less.  When I do eat out, I’ll be very careful to select somewhere that uses local food – and I won’t be afraid to ask!  One area that might not be possible is coconut oil; I’ll investigate further, but may need to make an exception here.

4.       I’m going to up the ante on my chin-up & fitness mission.

By my next birthday I want to be able to do ten unassisted pull-ups and be working towards hand-stand push-ups!  I also want to be considerably fitter and stronger than I am today.  As I have never been as fit and strong as I am today, this is all very exciting new territory.

Are you still sticking to your New Years or birthday resolutions?  Which new Paleo habits would you like to adopt?  What do you think of my resolutions?

paleo diet birthday resolutions-min

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I Quit Sugar

I recently bought Sarah Wilsons “I Quit Sugar” ebook, which is currently selling for $15.

 

I've been following Sarah’s blog and was very interested to read this book.

Whilst I don’t think Sarah would describe herself as “Paleo”, her ideas are very similar.  I also really like how she has tried this approach herself, so is able to explain the positive differences quitting sugar made to her.  The book explains, in simple terms why we shouldn't eat sugar, and then lays out exactly how to quit sugar – which is no easy task for sugar addicts!  Keeping with the Paleo theme, Sarah encourages increased consumption of fats and talks at length about fruit and fruit juices.  This is one area I get a lot of questions on, as many people don’t seem to appreciate the sugar content is not a good thing; Sarah does a great job of explaining this.

Whilst Sarah does eat dairy and some grains, I think this book would be a great starting point for a friend or family member who has expressed an interest in Paleo, but doesn't know how to start – or why they should.  To go from Sarah’s no Sugar plan, to a full Paleo diet would not be much of a leap and this book would be a great tool for the journey.

Sarah has recently spoken with Nora Gedgaudas, and her blog seems to mention Paleo more and more since this conversation.

Have you read her book – Did you Quit Sugar?  I’d be very interested to hear what you think about it!

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Paleo Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast seems to be the meal people struggle with when moving over to a Paleo diet.

The word breakfast may be synonymous with cereal, toast, pancakes and many other refined carbs – but it really doesn't have to be.  Breakfast is simply the first meal of the day the “break” the “fast” you've carried out since your last meal the previous day.

I'm thrilled to announce I've just finished my first recipe book; the Paleo Breakfast Recipe book, with over 100 pages of beautifully photographed step-by-step recipes – check it out and let me know what you think! I hope you love it as much as I do.

A Paleo Breakfast?

I think the first step is to remove the association of breakfast with a specific type of meal.  Breakfast does not equal cereal, swimming in skim milk.  Think of breakfast on its nutritional merits; that is, base your first meal of the day around a good protein source and marry this with a good fat source and some vegetables.  You may initially find the idea of having meat for breakfast odd, but it’s worth persevering with this, as good quality meat can be a great way to start the day.

If you don’t have much time in the mornings you need to be organised and prepare as much as you can the night before.  I find it helps to plan all of my meals for the whole week in advance, at the weekend.  I then buy the ingredients, so I have no excuses and everything I need on hand.A lot of people skip breakfast, which might be the right thing to do.  If however your reason for skipping breakfast is that you can’t get out of bed in time to make breakfast – this indicates to me that you need breakfast!

Eggs For Breakfast?

Eggs are an obvious breakfast choice.  They are quick, nutritious and very versatile.  I often have bacon & eggs, scrambled eggs with avocado or an omelette, with whichever vegetables I have in the fridge.  I always cook in coconut oil.  Another favourite is making up a batch of egg muffins at the weekend.  I make these up as I would an omelette, but pour them into muffin cases and cook in the oven.  These last for a few days in the fridge and are perfect for busy days when there isn't enough time to make something from scratch.

I’ll also often cook extra chicken at the weekend which is great to base a breakfast around and doesn't need to be reheated, I think it’s great cold.  Chicken and avocado is a great combination.

Leftovers are another great breakfast, once you've got used to the idea of having “untraditional” breakfasts.  You can’t get much quicker and easier than that!

Occasionally at weekends I’ll make Paleo pancakes (using coconut or almond meal).  This is great served with a berry sauce, made with fresh berries, blended in coconut milk.   Noatmeal is another infrequent Paleo indulgence which is a great way to start the day.

Paleo-Pancakes-breakfast-min

Whilst strictly, I guess it is Paleo, I never have just fruit for breakfast.  I always base my meal around protein and include fat.  To have fruit (carbohydrate) as a meal on its own would be depriving myself of essential fats and proteins, would raise my blood sugar level and I’d very quickly be hungry.

What are your favourite Paleo breakfasts?  I’d love to hear, in the comments below.

Paleo Breakfast Ideas primal diet suggestions recipes list-min

A Typical Day in Paleo Meals primal diet meal plan suggestions idea list breakfast lunch dinner snacks-min

A Typical Day in Paleo Meals

Despite trying not going overboard talking about my Paleo diet, it often comes out, especially when I'm out in a group, quizzing waiting staff about exactly what is in each dish and how it’s cooked.  It also becomes quite obvious when I'm the only person tucking into fish and vegetables – instead of eating pizza! I'm always asked (in disbelief) what a Typical Day in Paleo meals looks like.

I explain what I eat and why I don’t eat grains.  This stage often seems to happen whilst the person asking the questions, is tucking into their grain based meal.  Once they've got their head round the impossible – life without grains – they’ll almost always ask me what I actually eat.

So I thought I’d show some photos of a fairly typical working weekday, in Paleo meals.

Breakfast. 

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A Paleo breakfast of bacon, eggs & avocado

On this particular day I had bacon, eggs and avocado.  I avoid supermarket bacon as it’s often very heavily processed with all sorts of ingredients I don’t want to eat.  My local organic butcher makes the best bacon I've had since I've been in Australia.  It’s fresh, made in store, with minimal ingredients.  It comes from organic, non factory farmed pigs.  And the taste really is testament to this.  I cook this in coconut oil (I'm currently using organic, virgin cold pressed, unrefined Melrose Coconut Oil).  Once the bacon is almost ready I cook the eggs in the same pan.  I always use organic, free range eggs – and where I can find them I’ll also often get Omega-3 enriched eggs.  I complete the meal with a few slices of avocado.  This breakfast is a great source of great fats and protein.  At the moment I'm trying to eat within 30 minutes of waking up and it really does seem to be making such a significant difference.  You can read my Paleo breakfast post for more breakfast ideas.

Lunch. 

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Paleo Lunch in the City; Roast Beef & Vegetables

Lunch should be something bought in from home so I know I'm eating the best possible ingredients.  However, in the real world I invariably don’t get round to making lunch every day.  This was one such day, where I had to find the best possible Paleo meal in the city.  In this situation, I often choose a roast dinner, on this occasion with roast beef and seasonal vegetables.

Dinner. 

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Paleo Dinner, Stuffed Capsicum

Dinner is the meal where all the effort, creativity and amazing ingredients go!  I usually plan the week’s dinners at the weekend, then shop to make sure I have all the required ingredients.  This dinner was stuffed capsicum (bell peppers) with a filling of minced beef and lots of veg, herbs and spices.  I have something different most days as I enjoy trying different recipes, cooking and introducing a lot of variety to my diet.

And to Drink?

I drink water all day long with the occasional cup of tea, or hot water with a slice of lemon or lime thrown in for good measure.

How does a typical day in food look for you?  Do you tend to repeat the same meals or go for maximum variety in your diet?

A Typical Day in Paleo Meals primal diet meal plan suggestions idea list breakfast lunch dinner snacks-min

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Is a “Fat Tax” Coming to Australia and New Zealand?

With Denmark having just been the first country to introduce a “Fat Tax”, the online community has been awash with criticism.  Will governments in Australia and New Zealand impose similar legislation onto us in the future?

What’s happening in Denmark?

Denmark already had additional taxes on sugar, chocolate and soft drinks, but they have just introduced a tax on saturated fat.  A tax of 16 kroner ($2.95 AUD/ $3.72 NZD) per kilo of saturated fat, where the product contains over 2.3% fat, will be passed onto the consumer.  This would add about 50 cents AUD to the price of a pack of butter.  So if my calculations are correct, that would add on about $2.50 AUD to the one litre tin of coconut oil I bought last week – but under 30 cents AUD to the same volume of cheap, nasty vegetable oil?  The calculation sounds overly complex and it based on the fat used in creating a product, rather than the percentage fat in the final product.  This sounds like a recipe for Frankenfoods, rather than whole, unprocessed foods…

The motives of Denmark, which are to increase the countries average life expectancy, may be honourable.  However, their execution is based solely on the incorrect lipid hypothesis; despite it now becoming more widely accepted that saturated fat is not the cause of obesity and heart disease.

I also have serious concerns about a government deciding what we should or should not eat.  Where people have access to health information and resources it should be their choice what they eat.  This is even more imperative where the government in question is basing their health views on incorrect, outdated fads such as the lipid hypothesis.  Such a fat tax penalises eating a healthy Paleo diet, despite this being, what I would consider, the healthiest diet going.

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Would a “Fat Tax” target the right fats?

What about Australia?

With 60% of Australian adults and 40% of children being classed as obese, the “Obesity Policy Coalition” is lobbying for a “fat tax”, using the proceeds gained from “unhealthy” foods to subsidise “healthy” foods.  I've found it very hard to get to the bottom of what this coalition considers “unhealthy” foods, but have written to them to ask them to clarify this (I'll keep you updated if I get a response).  Looking on their site however, I fear they subscribe to the lipid hypothesis – which may mean they would endorse taxing on a similar basis to Denmark.

A proposal was bought to the Australian government in 2009 by the “National Preventative Health Taskforce” calling for a tax on “unhealthy foods” (again, I've not been able to see exactly what they define as “unhealthy” in this context).  This was not responded to by the government.  Indeed the federal health minister Nicola Roxon has recently said that the government are putting their efforts into tackling obesity using methods other than administration.  Hopefully this means no “fat tax” in Australia in the near future.

And New Zealand?

The “Food Industry Group of New Zealand” last week spoke out on the new tax in Denmark, saying it is very unlikely to have any positive effects on obesity levels.  They feel the tax will make food more expensive and could actually put health of children and elderly at risk.  They will not be recommending a similar fat tax in New Zealand.

So it looks like in this part of the world, we’ll continue to be free to make our own food choices.  I'm interested to see how the new tax is received in Denmark and how it changes the eating habits and health of the nation.

What do you think?  Should government dictate what we eat, using taxes?  Would a tax on all foods that aren't Paleo be justified?

Paleo primal tea hot drink recipe more-min

More Paleo Tea

As I mentioned in my previous post, I love tea!  I used to take my tea with skim milk and two sugars, then I “progressed” onto sweeteners with whole milk.  Now, I have it on it's own – I don't think I could go back to how I drank it before, my tastes have changed so much.  Tea is surely the perfect Paleo drink, naturally low carb and nothing artificial (if you're careful with the type you select).

I try to drink a lot of water, but there are times when it's great to have a hot drink.  One favourite is hot water with a slice of lemon or lime, but I've recently got I've finally ventured away from the mass produced tea bags, to a fantastic specialist tea shop near my office in Sydney.

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I'd rather not have caffeine, but I have my tea fairly weak so I'm not too worried about it.  It's probably a worthwhile exchange for the antioxidants anyway.

I started off with Gunpowder tea and today I added a few more to my desk collection.  I thought I'd try “Glogg”, which is black tea, cinnamon, orange, almond, ginger (I seem to have ginger in everything at the moment), cloves & cardamon.  I got an organic Sri Lankan Ceylon tea, for my morning cup of tea.  Then, as I was paying I spotted “Japanese Lime” which is the most amazing combination of green tea, lemon, lime & lemon-grass.  I'll be trying that one as an iced tea too.

Tea-Leaves

What is your Paleo drink of choice?

Paleo primal tea hot drink recipe more-min