We have recently noticed a "new" trend of cooking or food preparation called Paleo, which is gaining more and more momentum. But what exactly is Paleo food we wonder.
Wonder no more. Fortunately for us we do have someone who can help us (and that means you too!) understand this phenomena.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Paleo Cooking with Simone.
What is Paleo
Paleo (or Primal as some call it) is a modern way of eating based on the principle that our bodies evolved over millions of years to eat certain types of good and that our bodies have not evolved to eat foods introduced within the past 10,000 years or so, when agricultural took over from traditional hunter-gatherer practices.
The basic principles of Paleo are:
- Eat fresh whole foods and avoid packaged/processed food
- Eat organic/pesticide free fruit and vegetables (avoiding potatoes if you have blood sugar problems)
- Eat organic or grass fed/pastured meat
- Eat wild (not farmed) seafood
- Eat healthy fats which include coconut oil, duck fat, ghee, lard, tallow, olive oil
- Avoid seed oils including canola, sunflower, cottonseed, any oil labelled vegetable or rice bran oil
- Avoid all grains/cereals (including corn which is a grain)
- Avoid legumes (including soy)
- Include in moderation nuts and seeds
- And for some it includes avoiding dairy
For many people, ditching the modern standard western diet full of processed food, additives, sugar, seeds, oils and grains has had a life changing effect.
Most experience weight loss and many long standing health problems are resolved. For me, my dermatitis is all but gone, my skin is clearer, I no longer have aches and pains in my knees and my sleep quality is fantastic.
I also had long standing issues with panic attacks and anxiety which have disappeared and only come back when I cheat by bringing back some old eating habits. My husband who became Paleo by default (as I do most of the cooking) has lost nearly 20kgs, arthritic pain in his fingers has disappeared and he no longer snores.
I like to think I have eliminated all the food (or food-like manufactured goods) that my body was never designed to ingest or process. I am definitely eating my way to better health!
How well does produce purchased at Orange Grove Market fit into the Paleo world
Shopping at Orange Grove fulfils nearly all of our weekly shopping. I can get an amazing array of organic/chemical free/pasturised produce and except for a couple of the coconut products I source from another market.
I do about 95% of our weekly shopping here (ie. at Orange Grove Markets). We are the couple lugging around a couple of granny trolleys every Saturday filled to the brim!
It actually is the highlight of my week and it has made me purchase much more seasonal produce as well.
How easy is it to produce a Paleo meal
Much easier than you would thinking looking at all the above exclusions!
It's just good whole food using spices and herbs for flavour. At the moment in our household breakfast could be an omelette with bacon, mushrooms and spinach.
Lunch is normally leftovers or a salad of tinned tuna, and dinner could be anything from slow cooked lamb shanks with steamed red cabbage to a green chick curry served on a bed of cauliflower "rice" or a grilled pork cutlet with salad and sweet potato chips.
I tend to just stock up on what is seasonally available and base my cooking around that. If you search on the internet under "Paleo" you will find an amazing range of delicious recipes and ideas. There is usually a Paleo version of most of your favourite meals as well.
Do's and Don'ts
Do do your research. Some great websites for beginners are Mark's Daily Apple, Robby Wolf and also my own Facebook Page (see below for links) which you can find giving hints, tips and photos of what I cook on an almost daily basis.
Do leave your fears about saturated fat and what the loss of grains in your diet will do to your rear-end.
The websites mentioned above have bucket loads of scientific research showing how the low fat/high carb western diet is killing our bodies with record levels of obesity, diabetes, depression, Alzheimer's to name but a few.
Don't think of this as just another "fad" diet. It's a way of eating that you can follow to maintain a healthy, thriving body and mind for now and in to the future.
Don't over think it: try it for 30 days and see how you feel!
How has Paleo cooking changed your overall lifestyle
It's made me think a lot more about how our food is made and where it comes from. It's also really made me question a lot of nutritional information fed to us that is based on the lobbying by big agricultural companies.
I try to buy seasonal locally grown produce and cook based on what is available. It has also spilled over into me thinking about the products we put on our skin including "facial cleansing" products. Most of my make up/skin & hair care is now organic and as chemical free as I can get.
I only clean my house as chemically free as I can get using bicarb soda, white vinegar, eucalyptus spray, clove oil and other non-toxic ingredients.
In many ways my life is now much simpler
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Incredibly informative and to Simone thank you for enlightening and educating us and encouraging us to give it a go.
Useful links (as referred above) are:
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