Paleo Questions, Answers, & Discussion

[swormofbees]

The Paleo diet is all about eating foods that have not been processed. It’s about feeding your body with the foods that would have been available to people of the Paleolithic era. This means eating lean meats, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and healthy fat sources like olive oil and avocados. Donuts, pizza, potato chips, candy bars, McDonald’s, all of these things, which lead to obesity and heart attacks, were not available back in the Paleo times.

The ground rules are as follows:

1. All the lean meats, fish, and seafood you can eat
2. All the fruits and vegetables you can eat
3. No cereals or grains
4. No legumes
5. No dairy products
6. No processed foods

The seven keys of the Paleo diet according to Loren Cordain, Ph.D.

1. Eat a relatively high amount of animal protein compared to that in the typical American diet.
2. Eat fewer carbohydrates than most modern diets recommend, but eat lots of good carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, not from grains or refined sugars.
3. Eat a large amount of fiber from nonstarchy fruits and vegetables.
4. Eat a moderate amount of fat, with more good (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fats than bad (saturated) fats, and nearly equal amounts of omega 3 and omega 6 fats.
5. Eat foods with a high potassium content and low sodium content.
6. Eat a diet with a net alkaline load.
7. Eat foods rich in plant phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

The seven keys optimize health, minimize the risk of chronic disease, and cause excess weight to melt away. This is the way we’re genetically programmed to eat.

[toppin34]

You can't prove they didn't have donuts in the paleolithic era, and until you can, I will continue to eat them as my primary source of carbs, protein & fat.

[swormofbees]

Well I would say they couldn't have doughnuts yet because they hadn't even invented the wheel... Or maybe they did have doughnuts and that's where they got the idea for the wheel... hmmmmmmm

[JerilynM]

I also remember when we were studying the paleolithic era in school, seeing something about a now-extinct dirty martini tree...

[elise_reinert]

I have a few questions/comments, so bear with me here.

First, the main problem I've encountered with the Paleo Diet is with breakfast. Knowing that we should have protein in the morning to stave off hunger, the only thing I can think to eat for breakfast is eggs, which requires cooking in the morning--time I don't typically have. During one of the first challenges I allowed myself some cottage cheese, but this time I want to cut out more dairy. So I usually end up not eating a lot (coffee and fruit), and I'm ravenous by the time I get home for work. (Meaning I head for the bread drawer.) So any creative ideas for breakfast? I have a feeling that sausage and bacon don't fit the model.

Second, what is the consensus on protein shakes? Do they generally have so much sugar that they should be avoided? Or there is a brand/recipe that is acceptable?

Third, do we have a specific place to post recipes yet? I would love some ideas.

Thanks all!

[JerilynM]

Hard boil your eggs in advance then you can eat them on the go. Also, Lindsay, can we have one cheat meal a week? I don't think I can do this if we the answer is no.

[swormofbees]

Elise... I'm not sure what Lindsay has planned as far as rules for this challenge, nor what the rules are on the shake factor for Paleo. I can say I'm a lot like you. In the mornings I'm usually on the run and don't always have time for a sit down breakfast. So I take a blender to my office and make a protein shake most mornings (followed by a cup of coffee). I would say that 90% of the time I eat Paleo, but when I do make a shake, it goes a little something like this...

Scoop of Elite Protein Powder
Almond milk
Spinach
Broccoli/cauliflower
Baby carrots
1 apple
Almond butter
Mixed frozen berries

It's great and filling!

[Bitty BoDank]

Hey, I concur with Brody! I also have a good shake each day with the base protein, greens and other supplements in mine. Women might want to be calorie conscious of what we put in ours cuz we can't get away with as much as the guys can I also throw things to eat in my bag. Just now I packed baby carrots, snap peas and an apple with my 'James Nuts' for between meals snack! If I eat JUST a fruit or veggie, I'm hungry within 30 mins....If I put almond butter with my apple or some nuts with the veggies, the food lasts a lot longer. Consider the 'blood sugar' factor and how quickly the foods you're eating turn to sugar in your blood. Good mixing of protein, carbs and fats WILL keep you SATISFIED longer. I suggest making a list of foods you LIKE that are paleo friendly, then considering how many different ways you can prepare it. The trick to being successful, in my opinion, is to
1. PLAN AHEAD (meals, grocery shop, bring food with you etc)
2. MAKE YOUR DECISIONS AHEAD OF TIME (if you're going somewhere that will have temptations for you, decide before you show up, NO EXCUSES)

Elise, we were discussing today WHERE on our website we will provide a place to post and share paleo recipes. We're working on that, so that we can help each other out. As it is, follow the paleo links, I found a bunch of fun recipes online last night.

Good luck everyone...........USE THIS DISCUSSION BOARD! It's checked often, and like Lindsay said in todays' WOD post, if you have a question, post it, because more than likely you're not the only one with that question. As you eat clean, listen to your body and NOTICE when you feel satisfied and what you ate, how your energy is. I promise, it is absolutely worth it!

[Lindsay]

Some questions people have:
1. protein powder- I know in a true paleo and what Robb Wolf (the paleo guru) would say is that they prefer your calories to be chewed up, not drank. Robb believes it is part of the whole digestion process, and whey and cassin protein are dairy base products as well. With that said, I still drink whey protein it is faster to digest and I make sure I use a good brand with the least amount of sugar but I do not use that as a meal replacement, I have it as a snack to take the edge off. The most important meal of the day is breakfast I believe it sets that tone for the rest of the day, so take some time and prepare yourself something the night before if you have to, you will feel much better throughout the day if you get something that will last.
2. Cheat days- I am a big believer in rewards, we where always taught if you do things right you are rewarded in the end, well I use that philosophy. I try and be as strict as possible Sunday-Friday on saturday I reward myself with two cheat meals and a snack that I have been wanting or craving. I find that if I do that I have something to look forward to as the week goes on and if you are eating clean all week and stuff your face with a whole pizza you will feel sick as a dog afterward and cant wait to get back to eating clean.
3. Recipes you can share on the discussion board, here is a good one for those of you on the go in the morning.
Breakfast Egg Cups
Make these in muffin cups and they are easy to grab and go for breakfast—either hot or cold. This is the doubled version, which makes about 16 muffin cups.

· 1 whole package of ground turkey or turkey sausage, over 1 lb.
· 1 yellow, red or orange bell pepper, chopped
· 1 whole medium onion, chopped
· 1 package of sliced white mushrooms
· Salt and pepper
· 10 large eggs
· ½ cup shredded cheddar or Mexican cheese (reduced fat if you want)
· Sprinkle of fresh chives, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup (or two 6-cup) muffin pan with paper baking cups. Using only one paper baking cup per muffin is best.

In a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the turkey, pepper, onion and mushrooms for 5 minutes or until the turkey is no longer pink. Add salt and pepper (a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper is fine). Spoon this mixture into a larger bowl and cool slightly, about 5 to 10 minutes (if the turkey is not cooled it will cook the egg, which is bad). Stir in the eggs. Evenly divide the mixture among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with cheese and chives.

Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until the egg is set.

Remove from oven. Let the egg cups cool in the pan for about 5 minutes. Remove the egg cups and place them in a Tupperware container and refrigerate. The egg cups will last for up to a week.

Reheating instruction: Leave the egg “muffin” in the paper cup. Heat in the microwave loosely wrapped in a paper towel for 25 to 30 seconds. Peel off the paper cup and enjoy! Two egg cups makes a great breakfast.

[elise_reinert]

Thanks for the input and recipe ideas! I'm excited to have some new things to try! Now I'll make those egg cups tonight instead of agonizing over the cupcakes I promised to make for my daughter's day care tomorrow.

And Jerilyn, I do the same thing Lindsay does where I allow myself 1-2 cheat meals on Saturday. I also note in my food journal during the week the foods I'm craving but can't have--then reward myself on Saturday for eating clean all week. As he said, after a cheat day following a week of eating clean, I tend to get so sick that I can't wait to start eating clean again.

And also going off of what Bitty said about planning ahead--before we started the challenge, I looked at my calendar for the next few months and identified days or events that are potential obstacles for eating Paleo: birthdays, a camping trip, St. Patrick's Day (I am so eating Irish oatmeal and having an Irish car bomb tomorrow, and nobody can stop me!), etc. Then I decided whether I would let myself have a cheat meal for that occasion and, if so, what it would be and how much. I wrote down my decision in the food jouranl, and having made that decision I'm much more likely to stick to it.

Also, you or Brooke mentioned something about having no energy during a workout and asking what to eat before a workout. In addition to what Chase and Brody said about eating fruits to get a natural sugar rush, I've also noticed (with the help of keeping a food journal) that days I crash during the WOD are ALWAYS the same day to within 2 days of a day that I either skipped a meal or ate poorly--especially related to the amount of protein I ate that day or whether I ate a good post-workout snack. So that's something else to consider.

Thanks again everyone for the input!