Paleo Diet Basics

A helpful Link:

I have included a helpful link for all of my patients whom has listened and still have no idea what a paleo diet is.

In general, eating Paleo means eating veggies, fruits, meats, fish, certain fats, nuts, and seeds. And it means removing grains (breads, pastas, rice, etc), beans, soy, dairy, certain vegetable oils, and refined sugar from your diet.

FOODS TO EAT

VEGETABLES

All veggies are acceptable, including sweet potatoes. Here’s a blog post on sweet potatoes and Paleo. Organic veggies are great. Local and organic is even better. The less transit time there is between the farm and you, the more nutrients the produce retains. You can become part of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) where you’ll receive in-season produce from a local farm every week. To find a CSA in your area go to localharvest.org

FRUITS

In general, fruit guidelines are the same as veggie guidelines. Organic and local are best. If you’re really trying to lose weight and you’re not active at all, limit your fruit intake to one or two pieces a day, as the carbs can add up.

MEATS and EGGS

Eat meats and eggs freely, but in order to mimic our ancestors best, eat these products from animals that were grass fed/pasture raised. At the least, steer clear of meats with preservatives and color or flavor enhancers, particularly added nitrites, as they can be pretty toxic.

Game Meats
Organ Meats
Pork
Beef
Chicken
Turkey
Goat
Lamb
Eggs – from chickens, ducks, emu, quail, etc.

FISH, SHELL FISH, FISH EGGS

All species are fine – just be conscious of mercury levels and ecological practices. Know that smaller fish like anchovies generally have less bio-accumulation of heavy metals and toxins, and high levels of omega 3 fatty acids.

NUTS & SEEDS

All are good, as well as the butters that are made from them. Also on this list are coconut flour and almond flour.Peanuts are NOT NUTS – they’re legumes, and thus are not on the list. If you’re trying to lose weight, limit nuts and seeds to about 1 or 2 ounces per day, as the calories add up quickly!

SEA VEGETABLES

kombu, wakame, other seaweeds, algaes, etc. They’re all good – great, in fact.

FATS

tallow (rendered beef fat)
lard (rendered pork fat)
coconut oil/milk/manna
extra virgin olive oil
walnut oil
avocado oil
macadamia oil
hazelnut oil

Note: Unrefined palm oil used to be on this list, but because of its production is directly associated with the ensuing extinction of orangutans, we’ve removed it from the list. For more info, go here.

BEVERAGES

Filtered or spring water
Herbal tea
Coconut water
Freshly juiced fruits and vegetables

EAT IN MODERATION

Coffee
Chocolate
Dried fruit
Alcohol (all kinds)
Caffeinated teas
Sweeteners – Raw honey, stevia, coconut sap, grade B maple syrup

It is the best nutrition plan EVER!

Second, CLICK HERE to learn more!

–Dr. Samantha Du Moulin, Naturopathic Doctor

*Bio-Identical Hormones, Weight Loss, Hypothyroid, and Autoimmune Disease Specialist