Paleo Diet
The Paleo Diet is based on the idea of eating like early humans. Early humans ate whole foods, that is not processed and natural. For me personally, I feel 100% more energy, lost over 12 pounds, got rid of my rash, and I look and feel better.
Because I eliminate some of the groups of foods including sugar, junk and processed food, I end up eating more vegetables and fruits. That automatically makes me feel so much healthier.
In the book "It Starts With Food", it talks about how the modern day diet with tons of franken food have caused a lot of diseases. It has testimonies of people who have cured high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes from just eating this diet. (Disclaimer, I am not a doctor. I am only offering my experience with the diet. You should check with your doctor to see if this diet works for you.)
Here I share with you what you should eat and avoid in the paleo diet. This is a partial list as it is impossible to list everything. But it will give you an idea. I would encourage you to do more research on your own online and otherwise.
1) Meats and Fish
Any meats preferably grass-fed and organic. Some examples of good for you meats include chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, lobster, turkey, eggs, lamb. Some examples of fish you can eat include salmon, tuna, sardines, tilapia and trout. If it swam, then it's a must!
NOTE:
Processed meats such as hot dog, spam, salami should be avoided as they are not whole foods. They have been cured, treated, processed with chemicals and have high salt content. None of which is good for your health.
For Fish, always opt for wild caught fish rather then farmed fish if possible.
2) Vegetables
Almost all veggies are good with the exception of potatoes. Minimize your intake for potatoes as they are high in carb and low in nutrition. Opt for Sweet potatoes instead. Some examples of paleo friend veggies include avocado, carrots, spinach, eggplant, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts.
3) Oils
These are the preferred oils for people on the paleo diet. Coconut Oil, Avocado Oil, Macadamia Oil and Grass-fed Butter.
4) Nuts and Seeds
You can eat most nuts and seeds such as flaxseed, sesame seed, sunflower seeds and almonds, cashews, and walnuts etc.
NOTE:
Peanut is NOT paleo as it is considered a legume.
5) Fruits
All fruits are paleo friendly. But don't overdo it on fruits if you are trying to lose weight. They contain natural sugar and can still cause weight gain. One serving of fruit per meal is plenty. Some fruits include banana, pineapple, dates, apple and grapes.
Do Not Eat List
Here I give you some examples of each food group that you need to eliminate. Obviously, these are just some examples and not the complete list.
1) Legumes
Soy, peanuts, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeasm soybeans
2) Diary
cheese, milk, yogurt, frozen yogurt, ice cream, cream cheese, and butter
3) Grains
bread, cereals, crackers, corn, pancakes, hash browns, pasta, pizza, oatmeal, quinoa, cream of wheat
4) Alchohol
Anything including beer and wine are not paleo
5) Sugar
candy bar, candy, chocolate bar, ice cream, artificial sweetener, soft drinks
source
Other Guidelines:
-Avoid too much fruits as they contain lots of sugar
-Avoid too much fruit juices also as they also contain lots of sugar
-If you must use sweets, use honey or maple syrup. Those are paleo. But again, minimize too much sugar!
-Too much nuts can be fattening. Please don't eat too much but a moderate amount.
-Be aware of too much starchy veggies such as potato, sweet potato, yucca and beets
-Eliminate all soft drinks and processed foods.
-Do not use refined vegetable oils or Partially Hydrogenated Oils
-Avoid all junk food, fast food or processed food