Paleo Friendly Foods

When I talk to people about leading a Paleo lifestyle, the question that I get the most is "If you don't eat grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugars and processed foods, what can you eat?"  This is a very good Question! 

What you eat can become as routine as cooking it.  Most people who choose to cook at home tend to create the same dishes week in and week out.  This can become bland and boring over time for both you and your family.  When people hear that, in order to live Paleo, they must remove some of the very staples in their already boring diet (grain and dairy), they tend to shy away from the idea.

I like variety in my diet, so I like to try things that I have never tasted before.  This allows me to expand my menu, therefore preventing my diet from getting stale and boring.  With the Paleo lifestyle the options for great food are endless and the recipes allow you to use ingredients that are fresh and healthy.  It's surprising, the amount of healthy foods that can be used as substitutes for the traditional unhealthy ones.  I've learned to use things like unsweetened applesauce to make yummy brownies and cauliflower to make a crunchy pizza crust.

I decided to start this list of Paleo friendly foods in order to show that the Paleo lifestyle has an exspansive variety of delicious foods to choose from.  Hopefully this will give you enough information and inspiration to change not only your diet, but also your life.

Acceptable Foods for the Paleo Lifestyle

Meat
Beef, pork, lamb, veal, rabbit, goat, sheep, horse, bison, wild boar, …





Game Meat
Deer, pheasant, bear, moose, woodcock, elk, duck, rabbit, reindeer, wild turkey …

Poultry

Chicken, turkey, duck, quail, goose, …




Fish
Salmon, tuna, trout, bass, halibut, sole, haddock, turbot, walleye, tilapia, cod, flatfish, grouper, mackerel, anchovy, herring, …





Shellfish
Crab, crawfish, lobster, shrimps, scallops, clams, oysters, mussels, …





Fats
Avocados, avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, butter, clarified butter (ghee), lard, tallow, duck fat, veal fat, lamb fat, fatty fishes (sardines, mackerel, salmon), nut butters, nut oils (walnut, macadamia), coconut flesh, coconut milk, …





Eggs
Chicken eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, quail eggs, …







Vegetables
Celery, tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, leeks, kohlrabi, green onions, eggplants, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, cucumber, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, artichokes, okra, avocados, …



Green Leafy Vegetables
Lettuce, spinach, collard greens, kale, beet top, mustard greens, dandelion, swiss chard, watercress, turnip greens, seaweeds, endive, arugula (rocket), bok choy, rapini, chicory, radicchio…






Root Vegetables
Carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, rutabaga, sweet potatoes, radish, jerusalem artichokes, yams, cassava, …





Winter Squash
Butternut squash, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, pumpkin, buttercup squash, …





Summer Squash
Zucchini, yellow summer squash, yellow crookneck squash, ...






Fruits
Bananas, apples, oranges, berries (strawberry, cranberry, cranberry, blueberry, blackberry), grapefruit, pears, peaches, nectarines, plums, pomegranates, pineapple, papaya, grapes, cantaloupe, cherries, apricot, water mellon, honeydew mellon, kiwi, lemon, lime, lychee, mango, tangerine, coconut, figs, dates, passion fruit, persimmon, …


Nuts and Seeds
Pistachios, Brazil nuts, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, chestnuts, cashews, almonds, hazelnuts




Mushrooms
Button mushroom, portabello, oyster mushroom, shiitake, chanterelle, crimini, porcini, morel…





Fresh and Dried Herbs
Parsley, thyme, lavender, mint, basil, rosemary, chives, tarragon, oregano, sage, dill, bay leaves, coriander, …





Spices and other Natural Flavor Enhancers
Ginger, garlic, onions, black pepper, hot peppers, star anise, fennel seeds, mustard seeds, cayenne pepper, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, vanilla, cloves, chilies, …

So you see!  There is an endless array of scrumtious foods out there just waiting to be eaten.  If I left anything out, please feel free to comment with any foods that you like that may not be listed.  Just make sure they meet the Paleo criteria.  Hostess Twinkies don't count! 

What are you waiting for?  Make the switch.  You'll look and feel better.

Battle of the Beans--The stinky truth about legumes

There's much debate out there as to whether beans (legumes) are as healthy as we've been led to believe.  As with everything, there are two sides to every story.  Some folks may say that beans are a great source of protein and fiber and are a necessary staple in every diet.  Others would debate that they are high in starchy carbohydrates and should be avoided at all cost.  I decided to explore both sides of the argument and this is the information I dug up from a blog entitled, "To Bean Or Not To Bean".  This was his take on the good ole "musical fruit". 

The Good

1.  Beans are high in fiber and protein!  Not everyone enjoys a big hunk of meat at the dinner table.  Some people prefer to get their protein from beans and other sources.  For these individuals, beans are a great way to get the protein they need and because beans are also a great source of fiber, they are quite filling.

2.  Beans provide a steady source of glucose, which is great for energy.  Fructose (the sugar found in fruit, agave nectar, and corn syrup) in high amounts has been linked to gaining belly fat, increased risk of heart disease, and higher LDL levels.  Table sugar is even worse because it contains both glucose and fructose.  It's best to keep any fruit intake in moderation and try to avoid fruit after 4pm.

3.  Beans have been reported to reduce the risk of colan cancer.  If this is true, then beans do serve a purpose as part of our diets.  Colan cancer is serious and any help in preventing it is worth looking into more.

4.  Beans provide an impressive amount of vitamins and minerals.  They are not void of nutritional value.

The Bad

1.  Beans are high in starch and carbohydrates.  Consuming too many beans can restrict weight loss.  Individuals trying to lose weight should cut back on their intake of legumes or drop them all together.

2.  Beans are difficult to digest.  Beans that are not properly prepared before cooking can cause severe digestive issues.  Before they are okay for consumption they must be soaked, drained, boiled, drained again, and then slow cooked.  Even in doing these things, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a belly full of gas and a sudden drop in your friends.  Let the farting begin!

3.  Beans contain estrogen mimics which can be bad for your health.  Beans contain phytoestrogens, otherwise known as weak estrogen mimics which interfere with hormone function.  Male infants and toddlers are especially vulnerable to the negative effects of a high bean diet.  Causing them to be flabby, high strung, lethargic and sometimes embarrassed by breasts and underdeveloped genitalia.  Whatever you do, don't feed your children Soy formula.

4.  Beans can upset auto-immune diseases.  All legumes contain leptin.  Some leptins have been linked to things such as:  Type 2 diabetes, allergies, peptic ulcers, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and Crohn's disease to name just a few.

5. Beans can make your brain smaller.  Here's something to wrap your brain around.  A side effect of  frequently eating soybean is brain shrinkage.

The Verdict

After hearing both sides and weighing the good against the bad, I am choosing to completely remove legumes from my diet.  Although both sides had really valid arguments.  I feel that I can get my fiber, carbohydrates and protein from other foods such as meats, green veggies, nuts and seeds.  Not to mention, I won't have to walk around with a can of Airwick trying to disguise the smell surounding me like a cloud of smoke.  I'll stick to having a lean waistline and large brain.  However, I will miss those New Orleans cajun redbeans.