Classic Collard Greens
Lately I’ve been posting a bunch of grain free/Paleo recipes.
Every time I try explaining why I’m not devouring cupcakes or traditional fried chicken at a party, and I respond with Paleolithic I get the oddest looks.
It’s sounds more complicated than it is.
I’ts a lifestyle I found that allows me to enjoy good food, without counting calories, sugar contents, or points. I may not be able to enjoy those grocery store cupcakes but I can still enjoy a batch of delicious and healthy ones from my own kitchen.
I get to eat good food and maintain healthy skin and weight. I ended up losing more weight than I ever wanted, and my skin is cleared.
I attribute the weight loss to getting rid of wheat. Wheat can actually stimulate your appetite. You can read more about that in the New York Times best-selling book Wheat Belly. Which I found very informative and a great look at the effects of wheat on the body and it answers the why.
That’s where this whole Paleo diet comes in. Paleolithic diet is an adaption of what our Cro-Magnon ancestors.
In simpler terms I have adapted in some forms a cave man diet.
This diet is based on the fact that our agricultural system has evolved far faster than the actual genetic makeup of our bodies. We have cultivated crops and used laboratories to make these crops more available and cost-effective which in turn has expanded incident of diseases and waistlines.
I say I’ve adapted some form of the diet because I don’t limit my foods to what was available in the Paleozoic time era completely,
and even if I did I can’t actually hunt and gather my own foods,
and if I did go and try to hunt and gather all my own foods I wouldn’t be able to enjoy this delicious tropical Mango smoothie on a cold autumns day in central Virginia.
The only parts of the Paleo diet I am strict about are my consumption of pastured raised, free of antibiotics, and hormone meat. And no grains. No grains for me ever. I am allergic to all grains which makes that portion pretty easy and is the reason I discovered this way of eating in the first place.
I was searching for desserts that didn’t use wheat flour, rice flour or any type of corn product.
But what I discovered was loads of people who had already adopted this kind of diet for health reasons. Than I found the AIP or Autoimmune Protocol which I followed for over 90 days straight and had healing and relief of my eczema. Awesome!
Plus I lost over 30 Lbs! That’s a whole other story, but let me just show you a chart of what you can and can’t eat on the Paleo and Autoimmune Paleo Protocol. Than I’ll tell you what I actually allow for myself.
Paleolithic Diet Dos and Don’ts……..
Allowed
Vegetables
Fruits
Nuts (Did you know peanuts are actually a legume? Therefore they are not allowed.)
Eggs
Seeds
Pastured Raised Animals
Wild Caught Seafood/Fish
Oils and Fats (Avocado, coconut, olive, macadamia, flaxseed, fish oils, leaf lard, ghee)
Not Allowed
Dairy
Excessive Salt
Carbonated Drinks
Processed Foods (including soy and soy derivatives)
Refined Sugars
Legumes
Refined Vegetable Oils
Grains (wheat, rice, corn, oats, bulgur, faro, sorghum, spelt, barley, amaranth)
AIP Protocol goes on to be even more restrictive. This is a healing diet which in my short experience works! If you have an autoimmune disorder this might be the diet for you ( with physician supervision). I’ve read countless testimonies of how the AIP Paleo diet has healed or lessen symptoms of an onslaught of Autoimmune diseases, with the root cause an inflamed gut.
The current standard American diet is overall pro inflammatory. AIP Paleo lifestyle in anti-inflammatory so this can help anyone who suffers from a plethora of ailments to include general lethargy and eczema all the way to Multiple Sclerosis or Crohns disease. This diet can be helpful for anyone who simply want to feel better.
I would suggest reading the Paleo approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal your body by Sarah Ballantyne PhD if you suffer from.
This takes the Paleolithic diet further and includes a few more restrictions.
AIP Paleo
Continue to eat…..
Vegetables (Taste the veggie rainbow, and eat up!) (except nightshades)
Fruits (limited to about 1-2 a day)
Pastured Raised Meats (organ meats are the best)
Pasture raised Poultry
Wild Caught Seafood/Fish
Fermented Veggies, coconut milk kefir, coconut milk yogurt
In addition to Paleo eliminate……
Grains (including potential gluten cross reactive foods)
Seeds
Nuts
Eggs
Nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, paprika L, peppers, tomatillos, eggplants)
Alcohol
NSAIDs (click link for a list of the drugs)
Non–nutritive Sweeteners and Stevia
Any known food allergies or sensitivities
After playing around with my diet this last year I find that I feel much better without grains. My skin has improved eczema, hyper-pigmentation and dryness included.
I consume a fair amount of fatty foods, such as avocados, bone broth, salmon, and coconut oil. I’m sure this has a lot to do with the overall suppleness and glow of my skin.
Eliminating Dairy is not something I will continue to do! I’ve never had a dairy intolerance and it is one of the common allergies that I tested negative for. I do however limit my intake of dairy. I notice my skin complexion has improved and those “that time of the month” breakouts don’t happen anymore.
I’m allergic to most nuts so those will stay on my no touch list.
No Soy or soy products ever!
No Processed Foods!
No refined vegetable oils. ( except for 100% pure canola oil)
No refined sugars.
Absolutely no inhumane massed produced, hormone & antibiotic injected meat or poultry!
I’m constantly evolving as a home chef, and learning new information on health and nutrition daily.
I am obsessed with finding the perfect balance for enjoying good food and optimum health.
Yummy Zoodles!
Disclosure: There are Amazon affiliate links within this post.
