What Is the Paleo Diet? The Principles That Will Lead You to Success

Paleo Recipes :

You must have heard about the Paleo diet, a.k.a. Blueprint Diet, a couple of times before but it is possible that you are not still sure of what really is and how can you apply it in your own lifestyle. You might also wonder how can it actually benefit you - what is its edge over other diets out there? The answers to these questions will be elusive unless you find the answer to one simple question: What is the Paleo Diet?

What Is the Paleo Diet? The Principles That Will Lead You to Success

The Paleo diet, also referred to as the hunter-gatherer diet or simply as the caveman diet, is one that recommends eating only those foods that was readily and naturally available to the humans that lived in the Paleolithic era. In this period, the humans hunted and gathered they food - they did not farm and they moved from one place to another. Typically, they would stay in a particular area until the food sources become scarce there.

As you would have already imagined, their diet was composed of meat from animals that can be hunted and killed with the use of their simple weapons, eggs, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds that can be gathered from the fields and forests. Moreover, since they did not know how to grow and breed poultry on their own, the quantity of eggs is limited. Fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds were regular staples because of its abundant availability. Meat is a key part of the diet but since animals still need to be hunted, the men had to work hard just to bring back fresh meat to their families.

If you are interested in following the Blueprint diet, you should always remember three important principles or concepts:

• Humans during the Paleolithic era did not know how to farm. Thus, following the Paleo diet requires the reduction if not total elimination of carbohydrate intake especially if it comes from processed food sources (rice, grains, cereals, etc). This diet, to be successful, should only include fresh produces that can be eaten in its original or raw form.


• The cavemen did not have means of refrigerating or preserving their food. Thus, a Paleo dieter must consume fresh foods - no packaged and preserved ones.


• The concept of using fire for cooking is very basic at that period of time. When the cavemen used heat to cook their food, the cooking style was limited to slight grilling. As much as possible, it would be best to eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and eggs in its raw form. Meanwhile, meat can be slightly cooked or grilled.

Although the Paleo diet seems to be different from other diets nowadays in more ways than one, you should consider how healthy and strong the cavemen were. Blueprint diet, combined with regular exercise (the cavemen walked, hunted and gathered back then - a great way to exercise), can really make for a strong and healthy body. Moreover, although the foods allowed in the Paleo diet is pretty limited, you can still enjoy great Paleo meals. What sets humans today apart from the cavemen during the Paleo era is the fact that they can already come up with great recipes even with limited ingredients. So, indulge yourself and try to learn more about the Paleo diet for you to reap its benefits.

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The Paleo Diet - Great Recipe Examples

Paleo Recipes :

The "Paleolithic Diet" refers to a hunter-gatherer type diet, where all processed, unnatural foods are completely eliminated, and everything consumed consists of animal proteins (anything one would be able to "hunt), and vegetables/fruits/plants (anything one would be able to "gather."). This allows its follower to stay satisfied, often eating more food than ever before, while remaining very lean and often gaining strength and muscle.

The Paleo Diet - Great Recipe Examples

We'll discuss this diet in detail in another article, but in this one, I'd like to share three of my favorite recipes that are fully compliant with the diet. All of the following are beneficial for the body in many different ways. They're brimming with vitamins, and will speed up your metabolism as they provide you with plenty of energy - all while tasting absolutely amazing. Enjoy!

Roast Pumpkin with Red Onions and Rosemary

Ingredients: 1/2 Butternut pumpkin, seeded and sliced

4 Red onions, peeled and sliced
4 Tbsp Fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
4 Tbsp Olive oil

Directions: Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.

Line your baking sheet with foil, place pumpkin, onion, and rosemary leaves on the baking tray, and coat with oil.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until pumpkin is easily pierced with a fork and the onions have browned. Serve and enjoy! Makes four servings.

White Fish with Macadamia Salsa

Ingredients: 2 White fish fillets

1/4 cup Macadamias, halved
1/2 cup Tomatoes, chopped
1 Avocado, peeled, seeded, diced
3 Tbsp Coriander, chopped
3 Tbsp Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive oil

Directions: Pre-heat your grill (a George Foreman works great!) to medium heat. Grill the fish for about 4 minutes, or until opaque.

For the salsa, combine macadamias, tomatoes, avocado, olive oil, coriander, and parsley in a bow.

To serve, place the fish over (or right next to) the salsa. Serves two.

Broccoli and Pine-Nut Soup

Ingredients: 1 Onion, diced

1 Tbsp Olive oil
3 cups Broccoli florets
3 cups Chicken stock
1/4 cup Pine nuts

Directions: Fry onion in a pan coated with oil, until slightly browned. Add the broccoli and stock, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until broccoli has softened. Cool slightly.

Blend in a food processor or with an electric immersion blender until desired texture is achieved. Heat before serving, and sprinkle with pine nuts once plated. Makes two servings.

For detailed information on the Paleo lifestyle, please visit our Eating Disorder Forum.

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Paleo Diet Recipes: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Paleo Recipes :

Paleo Diet and recipes

Paleo Diet Recipes: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

On first impression you may be thinking that, like most diets, the Paleo diet is going to be too restricting/complicated and mealtimes could become an 'issue'. Not in the least! Do not even consider for a moment that Paleo diet meals and recipes are going to be boring, complicated or lack in variety. Paleo diet recipes result in wholesome flavoursome meals.

Protein plays a vital role in Paleo diet and meals should consist of approximately 60% to 70% percent of your daily food intake. The balance of course being fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds with additional oils used in preparation of the meals such as avocado oil, nut oils etc.

NO GRAIN OR DAIRY IS TO BE CONSUMED

Remember shop fresh, organic, natural and wild. To be totally Paleo, eat seasonal as well - this of course being carbon footprint friendly.

Lunch and dinner Paleo diet recipes and meals can be adjusted according to your own personal lifestyle and requirements. To start out take your usual recipes and merely substitute the 'cannot have' with a 'can have' - you will be amazed how quickly you adjust and how capable you are of making your own Paleo diet recipes.

Some ideas for your three main Paleo diet meals for the day:

Breakfast:

1. 2 Poached eggs on a bed of lightly panned spinach
2. Bowl of mixed berries with nuts and cashew cream
3. A 2 egg omelette with filling of your choice eg - no dairy though
4. Chicken liver and bacon with grilled tomato.
5. Fruit smoothy of choice eg banana and nut; berries and fresh coconut blended with ice cubes.
6. Steamed/grilled fish with grilled tomato and mushroom.
7. Absolutely nothing wrong with having the leftovers from dinner the night before.

Lunch and Dinners

These can be adjusted according to your daily routine.

1. Mushroom burger with salad
2. Roast chicken, vegetables and salad
3. Meat and vegetable kebab with broccoli and walnut salad
4. Bolognaise - made with zucchini spaghetti
5. Prawn, avocado and fresh asparagus salad
6. Wholesome chunky soup.
7. Steak, vegetable bake and salad.

Sauces/Dressings

Salads and vegetables can be enhanced with various sauces and dressings eg any easy to make dressing of the combination of honey, lemon juice, seasoning and fresh, finely chopped herbs of choice. Paleo tartar sauce made from Paleo mayonnaise can be added to seafood, be it fish, shellfish or crustacean. A basic Paleo diet recipe for mayo is as follows:

3 - 5 Garlic cloves peeled (large)

Approximately 2 cups of organic olive oil

2 room temperature, lightly beaten free range egg yolks,

juice of 1 organic lemon

small quantity of lukewarm waster

Crush garlic cloves into a paste and add to the lightly beaten egg yolks. Lightly beat with wooden spoon until the mixture turns pale yellow.

While blending the garlic and egg yolk very slowly (drop by drop) add 3 tablespoons of the olive.

Blend gently until the mixture is thick and creamy then add ½ to 1 tablespoon of water and 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice.

Continue stirring while adding the olive oil in a very fine stream. If the mixture becomes too thick once again add 1 teaspoon of water and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.

Continue like this until all the oil is used.

Always mix by stirring in one direction only.

Should the mixture split - put it over into a clean bowl and add a teaspoon of lukewarm water and mix continue like this until fixed.

Most important have fun inventing your very own Pale Diet recipes and meals.

NOT FORGETTING YOU GET DESSERT AS WELL!

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Nutritional Benefits of the Paleolithic Diet Plan

Paleo Recipes :

The Paleolithic diet is known by different terms. Some use the term caveman diet, while others call it as Stone Age diet. Yet another group of people call it by the name hunter gatherer diet. No matter what name you use, Paleo diet means only one thing and that is a return to our older food habits. To be more precise, it is a diet plan that advises us to go back to the eating habits of our ancestors.

Nutritional Benefits of the Paleolithic Diet Plan

Today, we have processed food that comes with huge amounts of calories. This has resulted in several health problems. Advocates of the Paleo diet say that a return to old food habits might save mankind from the deadly diseases caused due to unhealthy food consumption. According to them, early man didn't have access to dairy products. They were also not aware of the presence of sugar and salt. So, a Paleo diet avoids the consumption of foods that have milk, sugar and salt content in them. Other food materials that are banned include beans, potatoes and some varieties of grains. This is because of the toxic content in them.

Food materials that are edible according to the Paleo diet include lean meat, fish, fruits, eggs and nuts. Carrot and beetroot that are highly nutritious root plants are also encouraged in this type of diet. There are still more food variants that the Paleolithic diet plan allows people to consume. However, there are different theories to this diet plan. But all these theorists of this diet agree on one thing. They believe that since Paleolithic men were the earliest to have set foot on the earth, the things which they considered edible are the ones that are designed for humans. It is their diet that kept them healthy and any deviation from that plan would cause imbalance to their body make up.

The Paleo diet nutritional benefits are wide and varied. Advocates of this nutritional plan say that going back to the basic food habits will get rid of several degenerative diseases. Some of these diseases like heart attack, high blood pressure and arthritis can be avoided, if you go back to the food habits of our ancestors. They also opine that this will also consequently help you to lose weight and tone your body shape. This has been a scientifically proven fact. While examining the body structure of our ancestors, it was found that they lead a healthier life because of their food habits.

Studies were also conducted in human beings that today lead a primitive lifestyle. The results proved that people who follow the food habits of primitive people didn't have much body trouble. Some of the major Paleo diet nutritional benefits are as follows.

These food materials are unprocessed and therefore don't contain any artificial ingredients that will damage the body. Because of the absence of salt, this kind of diet will make you feel less bloated. It provides a healthy diet because of the increased presence of fruits and vegetables. It also contains rich healthy fat and because of the specific nature of the diet, you won't grow hungry.

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Paleo Diet Cookbook: 6 Tips to Making the Perfect Steak

Paleo Recipes :

The Paleo Diet Cookbook provides many tools and tips on how to, not only cook healthily, but also on how to cook food that is oh-so delicious. This includes tips on how to cook the perfect steak.

Paleo Diet Cookbook: 6 Tips to Making the Perfect Steak

Serving up the perfect steak can be intimidating for many people, but it doesn't have to be. You can prepare the most delicious and healthy steak you have ever had by following a couple basic tips.

Please note that the following tips are appropriate for all the most popular steak cuts including:
-Rib
-T-Bone
-Porterhouse
-Tenderloin and
-Strip Lion

1st Tip:
Make sure that your beef is grass fed. Grass fed beef is better for your overall health and well-being than grain fed beef.

If you have the opportunity to select your meet before you buy it, choose beef that is a deep red, with white marbling fat. Also make sure that it is firm to the touch (this makes for a more juicy tender steak.

2nd Tip:
Let your steak sit outside of the fridge until it's about room temperature before cooking (this may take 30 minutes - 2 hours). Doing this will give you a more evenly cooked, juicer steak.

3rd Tip:
Pat the steak dry and season it. Usually sea salt and pepper is enough. You can use more elaborate seasonings and rubs when making a tougher less flavorful cut.

4th Tip:
Rub clarified butter, tallow, lard or coconut oil on the steak. DO NOT use olive oil. Olive oil used at high temperatures is bad for your cells.

5th Tip:
When cooking your steak on a frying pan, the trick to note is when to flip it. Your steak will be ready to flip once you see little drops of blood surfacing to the top of the uncooked side. After you flip it let it cook until it's at the desired done-ness. Also when you flip your steak, use tongs, instead of a fork. When you use a fork you prick the steak, causing the flavorful juices to seep out.

6th Tip:
Even though your steak is cooked. There is still one last, important tip to remember. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving; this allows the juices to set in.

Optional Topping Tips:
Before you are ready to impress your guests with your fabulous steak, you can top it off with one of the following suggestions:
1) Lemon Juice and Melted Cooking Fat
2) Juice from the Steak and Red Wine
For both options just put the mix in a sauce pan and let the liquid reduce a little and you are ready to serve.

All this talk about steak is making me really hungry. Until next time, eat well.

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Grass Fed Beef - What You Need to Know About the Different Cuts

Paleo Recipes :

In comparison to market/industrial grade beef which has been experiencing a steady decline in demand, grass-fed beef is starting to become the beef of choice for most people. The reason is simple enough - grass fed beef offers more in terms of nutrition and taste. The beef is leaner and contains higher percentages of valuable nutrients like Omega-3, beta carotene, Vitamins A and E, along with CLA or conjugated linoleic acid (which is proven to be an effective cancer fighter) making it a wiser choice for consumers.

Grass Fed Beef - What You Need to Know About the Different Cuts

Grass fed beef, much like commercial grade beef also comes in various cuts and sizes. The cuts that you choose will depend on the preparation that you are planning to make as well as the number of people that will be eating. Just to give you an idea, here are some of the cuts available for grass fed beef along with some recommended methods of cooking.

Round: The round is a cut for the cattle's rear, including the hind, shank and the rump. The meat from the round is very lean but is not as tender, making it perfect for moist preparations.

Chuck: Although rich in flavor, chuck cuts are not as tender as the middle steak primal. They are typically suited for cooking options like pot roasts and braised recipes. This is also the perfect source for ground beef because of the balance in meat and fat.

Shortloin: The muscles for this primal are some of the least used by the cattle making them particularly tender. Because of this feature, shortloins are not suggested for preparations with long cooking times. Suggested preparations include Delmonico steak, T-bone steak and tenderloin. Shortloins are the most expensive cuts available in the market as of the moment.

Flank: The flank is the primal cut just below the loin primal. The primary cut for this part of the cattle is the flank steak. The best preparation for this cut is, not surprisingly, the steak.

Tenderloin: The tenderest muscle in the animal. Tenderloin is a great cut that can be used for a lot of preparations. Due to its nature, cooking time is short and never loses its tenderness even if its fried or served cold.

Other cuts include top sirloin, rear shank, rib, plate and brisket. Each of these cuts serves different purposes in cooking due to the individual characteristics of the meat. So do take into consideration what you will be cooking and the number of people that you will be preparing it for. This will help you to better prepare for what you are planning as well as prevent cooking disasters that can originate from choosing the wrong cuts.

But no matter the preparation, you will always stand to gain from using grass fed beef as they have more character and distinction in terms of flavor and aroma. You can check your local supermarket for grass fed beef as some do offer them, if not, you will also be able order them through online stores. Explore your options and find out why more and more people are starting to shift sides when it comes to beef.

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