While my weekly meal plans service has successfully helped hundreds of folks get real food on the table, I've had an overwhelming request for paleo and grain-free meal plans.
So, even though I don't exclusively blog about grain-free eating, I'm super excited to share the new paleo recipes on Real Plans and talk about some good reasons to go paleo.
For those of you who live in a cave and have no idea what I'm talking about (pun totally intended), the paleo diet restricts modern processed foods, grains, legumes, and dairy . It's all the rage these days with everyday folks and celebrities such as Jessica Biel, Megan Fox, and Matthew McConaughey all eating like paleolithic ‘cavemen' for the sake of health and beauty. (If dairy is included, it's called a ‘primal' diet.)
Many folks jump on the paleo/primal bandwagon looking for yet another magic solution to weight loss or curing health problems. While this diet may seem like a fleeting trend, as a health professional, I find that paleo or primal diets can often be a useful strategies for steering health in a better direction.
What are the benefits of a paleo diet?
In a perfect world, we could all just ‘eat the food', feel good, and avoid chronic illness.
In reality, this isn't the case.
Our food supply is a mess, toxic processed foods are everywhere, and more and more folks are suffering from health issues as a result.
Personally, I've dabbled with grain-free diets (both paleo and primal) and have seen great success with healing my eczema, reversing dental decay, and slimming down my figure post-babies.
By eliminating processed foods and potential food allergens, the digestive system gets a chance to heal, inflammation reduces throughout the body, symptoms reduce and stubborn chronic conditions can even reverse.
Grains and legumes can be difficult to digest, even when properly prepared via soaking, sprouting, or souring. While raw dairy boasts many health benefits, pasteurized dairy can set some folks up for a whole host of health problems, even making raw dairy difficult to digest.
A paleo diet can have it's drawbacks – like cost, convenience, time – and should not be recklessly followed without heeding feedback from your body.
Contrary to the beliefs of its detractors, though, as long as you're careful not to over-restrict carbs or fat and you don't become obsessive, paleo can be pretty darn balanced.
Here are 10 GOOD Reasons to go paleo
#1 – You eat too much junk food – For me, one of the best reasons to go paleo is that it removes the temptation to eat junk. When your diet is limited to good quality meats, veggies, and some fruits and nuts, there's not room for internal chatter about whether or not to eat Doritos or chocolate chip cookies. You just don't.
#2 – You need to lose weight – Back in my perfect world, I would love to see everyone heal their metabolism and then be happy and healthy at whatever weight their bodies naturally find.
That said, for folks who need to lose weight, a good paleo diet can provide clear boundaries around what you should and should not eat without overly restricting any macro-nutrients (protein, fat, OR carbs) and probably helping your digestion to heal along the way.
Whether or not you decide to go paleo, I urge anyone interested in losing weight or healing metabolism to read Elizabeth Walling's ebook, The Nourished Metabolism.
#3 – You have food allergies – A paleo diet will eliminate many of the common food allergens (wheat, dairy, soy, corn) and give your gut a much-needed break from irritation. Also, by cutting out grains and beans your digestion will not further taxed by the anti-nutrient, phytic acid, that block the absorption of nutrients from your food.
#4 – You suffer from chronic pain – Many folks who go paleo notice dramatic improvement in back pain, joint pain, and chronic pain conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, headaches, and even fibromyalgia as inflammation reduces throughout the body.
#5 – You have chronic skin issues – Even if you don't think you have digestive problems, the best way to heal skin conditions – from eczema and psoriasis to acne and rosacea – is to heal the gut. Restored health to your digestive system will radiate outward with clear skin.
#6 – You have hormone imbalances and/or unexplained infertility – Your body needs the right fatty acids for maintaining normal hormone production, and if you are trying to conceive you'll need a whole array of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. By going grain-free you may reduce inflammation in your digestive tract, allowing proper assimilation of these essential nutrients for hormone balance and pregnancy.
#7 – You have PCOS and want to get pregnant – If you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are trying to get pregnant, eliminating grains, dairy, processed foods, and sugar will help to quickly circumvent the issue of elevated blood sugar and insulin resistance, improve ovulation, and increase the likelihood of a bun in the oven.
#8 – You suffer from anxiety, depression or other emotional imbalances – It all comes back to the gut, and psycho-emotional imbalances are no exception. From ADHD in children to bipolar disorders in adults, a paleo diet may help restore balance to your brain and nervous system.
#9 – You have tooth decay – More than just an issue of too much sugar or not enough brushing, cavities happen from a lack of essential fats, fat-soluble vitamin, and minerals being absorbed properly by the body. A paleo diet reduces the offending sugar and difficult to digest grains, while including the foods essential for reduced inflammation and teeth remineralization.
#10 – Paleo doesn't need to feel super restrictive or even permanent to be helpful. Paleo doesn't have to be all or nothing.You can go paleo as a seasonal cleanse, or just when you're body's feeling off-balance.
My husband can tell when he's tipped the scale with too many days that include pasta or beer with friends, and he then he goes into grain-free-mode. By including enough starchy fruits and veggies, and not getting obsessive about food ‘rules', you can customize your paleo journey and enjoy the benefits without creating a mountain of stress around your new way of eating.
What are your reasons to go paleo?
Share in the comments!
So Emily do you find the paleo or the primal diet more beneficial? I am leaning toward cutting out grains and eating more primal-ish but I love my raw goat milk too much to give it up at this point! Thanks for this post!
Hi Rachel, thanks for your question. If you tolerate raw dairy well, i would definitely go primal!
I don’t care what color the Vitamix is; I have always wanted one. I would make lots of soups and veggie drinks with it.
If you are not eating rats, mice, lizards, worms, bugs, etc. on a regular basis, you are not truly following a paleolithic diet. Early humans basically ate whatever didn’t eat them first and whatever they needed to eat in survival situations–including other humans. The research proves this with evidence of human bones from that era showing evidence of roasting and pot polish. I like people–just not in that way.
I’m not saying this is a bad diet, but it has a misleading name.
This is the best, most convincing argument to go Paleo that I’ve ever seen. Six of the ten apply to me. Yikes! Time to make changes.
Thank you.
Thanks Amanda! Good luck with the changes!
Hi Emily!
What a great list, I’m sharing it on FB and with some specific friends and family, too. I’d only add one more reason to consider Paleo/Primal: If you have blood sugar issues. Often this way of eating levels out the glucose in the blood and MANY end up drastically reducing or even eliminating insulin or oral meds!
Thanks!
Kelly
Emily, you have done it again. I already subscribe to your meal plans and but since we’ve gone grain-free recently I haven’t been able to use your recipes as much- and was thinking of asking you to offer more grain free options- you must’ve read my mind! Would it be possible to switch over to the paleo meal plans?? : )
Hi Abby, thanks for your comment. You can email support(at)holisticsquid.com to switch over to the paleo meal plan.
Hi, We’re super interested in going grain-free at home but we’re pescatarians and we love love love our dairy. We don’t drink cows milk but we do eat a lot dairy in the form of cheeses (usually raw milk) and yogurt. Will the grain-free diet have the same health effects if we still eat dairy? Thanks in advance!
Hi Caroline, thanks for your question. You can certainly go grain free and still include dairy. This is commonly called a ‘primal’ diet. This may be especially important since you aren’t meat or poultry.
Thanks SO much!
I was recently diagnosed with candida and a variety of other health concerns that stem from a messed up digestive tract and the main way that I am helping to restore balance to my body is by following a diet that is very similar to primal/paleo. I’m feeling better than I have in years and I feel like I have my life back! 🙂
I recently tried your chili recipe from one of your free meal plans and I LOVE it. So did my boyfriend. I’ll be making it again this week. Thank you some much for putting these meal plans together. They’ve helped me out a lot when the question of what do we do for dinner? comes up.
Hi Nicola, thanks for your comment. So glad that you are enjoying the meal plans! I also love the chili recipe and it’s a firm favorite in my house! I hope you continue to enjoy the meal plans!
Hi Emily!
I have PCOS and have had infertility issues in the past. I used the primal diet (along with a slice of sprouted grain bread almost everyday) to lose a LOT of weight last fall, not to mention my cycle regulating. I’m considering being strict again to “finish” losing weight, and improve fertility, but I know that I can drink raw cow & goat milk and have absolutely no reaction, and have no trouble with yogurt or cheese. Is it still necessary for me to remove dairy if I have had fertility issues in the past?
Thanks!
Nice post. I’m glad to see more people from the Real Food/WAPF world open to Paleo, just as more Paleo people are learning about bone stock, organ meats, quality of fats, fermented foods, etc.
I just wish you hadn’t used the stock photo with a stack of raw steaks to illustrate a post about Paleo. It just reinforces ridiculous stereotypes that it’s all about eating lots and lots of meat. I’m not 100% Paleo but it, like WAPF guidelines, heavily informs my food choices. And I easily eat more vegetables now than when I was a vegetarian!
Hey there!
I just found your blog today when I googled “grain free September challenge” & it brought up your challenge from last year. I love your blog & am definitely gonna stick around! I am interested in trying out grain free living this month for 2-4 weeks, but I do SO much better when pursuing goals alongside others. Are you planning to hold another grain free challenge in the near future? Or know of anyone who would want to try this with me? 🙂
Have a wonderful week!
The Zone Diet is a bit different than the Paleo Diet. Trail mix ideal snack for breakfast, lunch or
dinner. The FDA, national trade associations representing the
dietary supplement industry and various regulatory commissions are all struggling to
halt these deceptive practices.