8 Tips For Embarking On The Paleo Diet

By

Eating the way our cavemen ancestors ate has become a very popular diet. There are many benefits, and I’ve jumped on the wagon myself. I feel better, and I’ve lost some weight. I’d like to tell you that these tips will keep you from wanting to kill yourself, but honestly, at some point on the Paleo diet, you’re going to feel like your dead or wish you were dead. Here’s some ways to help ease the transition:

1. Don’t get carried away at the grocery store. 

You’ll think you need to load up on every vegetable and meat in sight, but if you purchase too much, a lot of it will go bad before you can eat it. On the Paleo diet, you will eat a higher volume of food, but it’s important to plan out what you’re going to eat and when. That way, you’ll buy just enough.

2. Smoothies will be your new best friend.

If you eat a lot of heavy, processed food now, it will astonish you how much food you’ll have to eat when you’re Paleo. The best way to get full is to cram a bunch of those fruits and vegetables into a blender and drink them. Use almond or coconut milk as a base and try to find a Paleo-friendly protein powder to really make your smoothies count.

3. Spices will be your other new best friend.

I promise that even though you think you can grill up some chicken and veggies and eat that all the time, you won’t be able to. Invest in some good spices and really mix things up. There are thousands of Paleo recipes online, some simple, some not, so whatever level you’d like to cook at, it’s important to spice things up (literally) in order to stay on track.

4. Use nuts with caution.

While this may seem silly, somewhere along the way, you’ll find yourself eating almond butter out of a jar and mumbling to yourself how easy going Paleo really is. Nuts may have protein, but they can also be very fattening. Next time you’re craving nuts, try a crunchy vegetable or some protein packed beef jerky.

5. You’ll have days where you feel like shit.

Becoming Paleo helps you have more energy, and you’ll start feeling great because you’re eating foods that are good for your body. Once you stop eating all the other stuff though, your body will need some time to adjust and get rid of toxins. This will make you feel like complete shit. Some refer to this as “Paleo flu”, and it usually happens a week or two after starting your new diet. If you get a bad case of this flu, have a small piece of wheat bread to calm your stomach.

6. HYDRATE.

This goes along with the last one, but when you switch to Paleo, it’s so important to drink a lot of water. This will help your body adjust, and it will just make you feel so much better.

7. When you think you can’t, you can.

For many people, there comes a time when they think, “If I even smell one more vegetable, I’m going to puke.” This is another normal part of adjusting. If this happens to you, just drink some (more) water and try to have a small snack that won’t upset your stomach. If you’ve been eating a lot of the same things over and over, then you may get physically sick of them.

8. You will mess up but don’t give up.

Nobody’s perfect, and taking on a completely new diet is going to be tough. That macaroni and cheese your mom made may call out to you, and you may answer that call. That’s ok! Some people adopt an 80/20 diet where 80% of their food is Paleo, and 20% is not. Some people have a cheat day every week. The great thing about Paleo is that it leaves room for foods that you still love. Make it your own, and it will change your life!

image – Shutterstock