Before you embark on this journey, take a few moments to think about thoughts. Remember that you control what you think about so get rid of the negative thoughts about your body and health and focus on how you want your body to feel. Know that you are capable of achieving the goals you desire by thinking positively.
The 1st 30 days is about cleansing your body of all the harmful offenders that lead to leaky gut syndrome. This is the amount of time that allows your gut to heal and clear your mind of your emotional dependence on the harmful foods. You will succeed at this if you are mentally and physically prepared. You’ll be mentally prepared when you cleanse your minds of negative thoughts and say “ENOUGH!!!” You will fill them with thoughts of how proud you will be to change your life for the better. You’ll be physically prepared when you cleanse your pantry, shelves, refrigerator, freezer, and any hiding places you may have (you know you have one!). Set a date to start and get ready.
Look ahead at the calendar to be sure you won’t encounter an event that may tempt you too much such as a vacation, wedding, holiday, etc. You must not have a cheat day or even meal during the 1st 30 days! It’s imperative that you commit yourself to a full 30 days of eating the Paleo Way. This may be tough, but it is essential to your success. Therefore, it is essential to have the support of your family and friends. Explain to them how you feel and why this is so important to you.
Children are a different matter. While we can’t expect them to go through such a drastic change, we must acknowledge that it is up to us as parents to so they will have good health. When we understand what these foods do to their guts (and it will happen over time), we will make better choices at the grocery store. Some kids tolerate it better than others. If a child is overweight or obese, they are NOT tolerating it. It is our responsibility to limit—not omit-their access to these foods. We are responsible for their health!
Read more about CHILDHOOD OBESITY. I’m a bit obsessed with the subject.
You could designate one drawer or shelf for them and others in the family that aren’t joining you in this endeavor for their goodies.
You will be replacing your empty spaces with nutrient dense, totally satisfying foods of a different kind.
You will be eating such fantastic meals that your need to snack will diminish.
You will lose your emotional dependence on comfort foods that you’ve counted on for years.
You will heal yourself from the inside out.
After you’ve purged your kitchen, it’s time to go shopping.
You should provide yourselves several days of meals and snacks so you will not be tempted to go off track.
I suggest:
Boiling eggs and making deviled eggs from some if you like them. See my RECIPE (really gourmet. Lol).
Make a big salad and add different proteins for variety.
Grill or bake several varieties of protein like chicken, pork chops, steak, seafood, and ground beef or turkey.
Grill or bake a variety of vegetables like peppers, zucchini, squash, eggplant, onions, and whatever else suits your fancy.
You’ll want to shop for:
Protein-see above
Fats-ghee, butter from pasture raised cows, avocado, olive, and coconut oils, avocado mayo, and salad dressing or marinades made from Paleo approved fats.
Vegetables-for the salad and grilling or baking. Avoid starchy ones like potatoes and corn.
Fruits-I’d stick with berries and apples for starters.
Snacks-tree nuts and especially macadamias which are the best in omega 3s (good) vs omega 6s (bad), jerky (make sure it’s Paleo friendly with no sugar added) and bone broth.
Remember that any of the proteins, vegetables, and eggs can be used as a snack.
Seasonings-fresh basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and garlic which can be used on your vegetables and proteins.
There are thousands of recipes out there on Paleo websites, books, magazines, and Pinterest so I’m not devoting a lot of space to these.
I don’t enjoy cooking, so under my RECIPES you will find shortcuts and easy peasy ways of getting Paleo meals and snacks into your kitchen.
Luckily, my husband does enjoy cooking so we are working on his more gourmet Paleo recipes to post on here.
The following DO’S and DON’TS worked for me and I hope they will help you.
DO-tell family and friends that you can count on to support and encourage you. You may even post it on social media. Studies have shown if you share your commitment with others, you are more likely to stick to it.
DO-get your thoughts in a positive state by repeating to yourself that you are strong and capable of anything! When a negative thought invades, replace it with positive ones. You are in control of your thoughts.
DO- keep pictures, post-it notes, scriptures and motivational sayings….anything that motivates you to succeed. Place them where you will see them every morning.
DO-keep a journal and share your daily feeling and thoughts. Start with an honest look at yourself and why you want to change. It’s fun to look back and appreciate that you went through tough times but you did get through it. It gets easier every day.
DO-expect to go through withdrawal symptoms the 1st few days. You will likely experience fatigue, sluggishness, foggy brain, and aches. Take comfort in knowing that this will pass and you will transition into feelings of near euphoria and clarity with a body that will have more energy and fewer aches and pains than you’ve had in years!
DO-get outside rain or shine. Take a walk and appreciate the beauty around you. Clear your mind of any stress or worry. Think about the good works you are doing for your health.
DON’T-give up or give in. Think about your goals and focus on them. See yourself achieving them.
DON’T- count calories. You will be changing the way you think about food. By eliminating the empty calories from grains, processed foods, and sugar your body will be liberated by the nutrient dense Paleo foods and you will no longer be a prisoner of calorie counting.
DON’T- be afraid of fat! You will be thrilled with the satisfaction of consuming Paleo friendly fats and how wonderful your food will taste with the addition of them to your daily diet.
DON’T-neglect the importance of protein. My philosophy differs here somewhat from most Paleo platforms in that I advocate consuming a larger amount of protein. Our muscles depend on protein to grow. They use the amino acids found only in protein, not in carbohydrates or fat. I try to eat 1 gram of protein/pound of my desired body weight and I recommend that anyone trying to build muscle (which is imperative to longevity) to do the same. As long as you have healthy kidneys and a desire to build muscle you are safe in doing so. Check with your doctor if you have any doubt. I have been doing this for over 10 years and my most recent lab work was excellent. After you recover from the 1st few days, start adding muscle building exercises to your regime.
DON’T- obsess over carbs. Most of the vegetables you will be eating are so low in carbohydrates that you can eat them in large quantities. In fact your should eat them in large quantities! They are packed with nutrients that your bodies need to optimize health. Be aware that when you add fruit you should keep track of the carb count in a general way. If you want your body to burn fat as fuel, you should keep your daily carb consumption between 50-100 grams/day. Mark Sisson calls this the sweet spot. Berries are the best choice as they contain fewer carbs per serving than most other fruit and they taste delicious!
DON’T- go crazy at the end of the 30 days by eating the toxin producing foods back into your diet. Hopefully you will appreciate how good you feel and decide that you can live the Paleo Way as a lifestyle.
If you want to see what effect these foods have on your body, only reintroduce one variety at a time for several days. Evaluate how your body feels and you will know if that particular food group is harming your health. Remember the word moderation in your consumption of them.
I wish you the best of luck!
GOGOPALEO!!!
