Baby Steps to Paleo

If you're not ready for a full Paleo commitment, there are still choices you can make to reduce inflammation-causing foods and improve health via a "baby steps" approach. Although this can make the transition less daunting, the health benefits and hormonal balancing that results from anti-inflammatory Paleo foods will be delayed...and food cravings tend to lurk. However, making some change is better than none.

​

Sometimes all that's needed to stimulate healthy food changes are some ideas to get started - so here you go. This is not a comprehensive list by any means. There is some overlap between ideas as some are more advanced than others. There's no specific order to this list - you can decide which ones you'd like to try first. Consider implementing two or three at a time. Altering just a few key behaviors could make a notable impact on your health. 

Beginning Steps to Paleo-Eating

​

Stop Drinking Sweet Liquids - Eliminate juice, soda, sweeteners, sports drinks, coffee drinks (known as milkshakes with espresso), alcohol, diet drinks, protein shakes, etc. Focus on water, herbal tea, sparkling water, kombucha, kefir, and even unsweetened coffee and teas. Coconut water is an option if weight-loss is not a personal goal (has natural carbohydrates with electrolytes, ideal for cardio sports). It doesn't take long to start appreciating the real flavors of food once we're less accustomed to consuming sweet substances.

​

Soda is ubiquitous in our culture and devastating to our health; it's also addictive and can be a difficult habit for some to break. For addicted soda drinkers, try transitioning to healthier options gradually: choose flavored carbonated water like La Croix and Klarbrunn brands. If you crave something sweet, try sodas sweetened with stevia like Xevia or Blue Sky brands; If you're at a convenience store looking for a soda substitute, try Sobe Zero or Vitamin Water brands that use stevia in place of sugar. Note that stevia is a crutch and not a long term solution. Read more about stevia. 

Go Gluten-Free - Eliminate all sources of gluten:  wheat, barley, rye, triticale, and sometimes oats due to cross contamination (look for specifically labelled gluten-free oats). This also includes products made from these ingredients such as baked goods, soy sauce, beer, brewer's yeast, seitan (vegetarian mock meat), veggie burgers, cream sauce made with a roux, malt products like vinegar, etc. 

Beware: Replacing favorite gluten products with the store-bought gluten-free products is not recommended. Not only are they expensive but those products are only a step healthier than the gluten-laden item - they're still made with other processed starches and chemicals. Instead, focus on using vegetables as a replacement such as lettuce wraps, sweet potato pie without a crust, pumpkin porridge, red pepper slices instead of sandwich bread, zucchini noodles... the possibilities are endless and truly steps you into a Paleo diet. There are many online resources devoted to a strict gluten-free lifestyle for those with celiac disease, but they also offer beneficial information for those of us just looking for better health in general.

​

Commit to a Paleo Breakfast - The hardest meal to change is often breakfast with all the sugar and starch in traditional choices of cereals, baked goods, juices and jams. Get in the habit of eating a vegetable, a protein, and a healthy fat for this meal. Omelets or scrambles are a great option, but also consider having tuna salad on greens or sweet potato hash with sausage or last night's leftovers. No one said breakfast has to "look like breakfast." That being said, there are numerous Paleo breakfast recipes that replicate muffins or pancakes for when you want to recreate a favorite (for a special occasion perhaps).

Go Dairy-Free - If you're a milk drinker, try the dairy-free milks available - coconut, rice, almond, hazelnut, cashew (though we encourage you to steer away from soy because of its phytoestrogen content). Carrageenan is a common thickener which should be avoided - carefully read the labels of the refrigerated or boxed milks. Canned coconut milk is our favorite for adding creaminess to coffee, tea, soups, smoothies, eggs and desserts. Butter can be replaced with clarified butter called ghee. Nutritional yeast gives a cheesy flavor but if you want the creaminess you could purchase a vegan cheese substitute or make your own cashew cheese. Read more about the problems with dairy.

​

Some people tolerate dairy in small amounts. If you want to include dairy, these suggestions will minimize your risk:

• Try goat or sheep milk or cheese

• Choose dairy products that are not only organic, but from pasture-raised animals

• Stick with hard cheeses and stay away from processed cheeses

• Use more easily digested forms of dairy such as kefir or plain yogurt which contain beneficial probiotics

Eliminate Flour-Based Foods - Take all baked goods, or foods created with flour, out of your diet. This includes crackers, bread, pasta, pancakes, bagels, seitan (vegetarian mock meat ingredient), cookies, muffins, waffles, pretzels, bars, etc. If it was made with flour, leave it at the store.

​

Remove Vegetable and Industrial Seed Oils - The chemically processed oils we regard as "heart healthy" are actually NOT healthy at all. They're not available through nature and they are highly sensitive to light and heat, meaning they oxidize quickly and become rancid. Avoid all forms of canola, safflower, cottonseed, peanut, sunflower, corn, soybean, vegetable, and partially hydrogenated oils. Eliminate shortening and margarine immediately! Focus on using health-promoting oils (ones that you could potentially make at home) - coconut oil (see below), olive oil, avocado oil or ghee (clarified butter); be sure the olive and avocado oils are in dark bottles. Sesame, macadamia and other nut oils are acceptable, but purchase in small amounts and use them up quickly as they, too, tend to oxidize with light and heat.