OK some of you may have read my article about what the Paleo Diet is and the benefits of the Paleo lifestyle on your health and well being. I will repeat this quote again,
‘Paleo is not a diet. It’s about eating real foods that do not harm your body. It’s about maximising your potential by eating what you were meant to eat. It’s about feeling amazing inside and looking better on the outside.’ (Instaquote, 2013).
So why should we eat real foods? Why should I follow this lifestyle plan and give up the wonderful foods I already eat? how do I do it? How can I make it kid friendly?
Why...Well the benefits of course! Why would you NOT want to feel amazing and live to your full potential? The benefits include and are not limited to... (I can assure you I experienced all of these).
· Weight loss
· Improved mood
· Increase in lean muscle mass
· Increase in energy
· Improved digestion
· Clear skin
· More efficient workouts
· Stable blood sugar
· Decreased allergies
· Improved sleep
· Less inflammation
· The list goes on…
Why should I give up what I already eat? Those cakes, sandwiches, easy processed muesli bars, easy breakfast cereal, not to mention white bread, pasta, white rice, pre made sauces....SUGAR!!! The 'killer' in other words.
It's important that we know about the other names for sugar and what effect it has on our health and well-being. If you look at the back of food packages sugars can be identified as glucose, sucrose, cane sugar, syrup, corn syrup, brown sugar, honey and so on. Check the back of food labels and you will see some of these names. Those foods we love like white bread, pastries, white pasta, white rice, and baked goods all turn into sugar in our blood stream.
Sugar has many negative effects on our body and how the body functions. Sugar feeds cancer, decreases growth hormones (prevents you from staying young and lean), interferes with the absorption of protein, causes food allergies, causes hyperactivity, anxiety and worsens the effects of stress. Sugar also weakens the immune system and creates hormonal imbalances. Anyone who suffers from depression, anxiety or who is trying to conceive children should stick to a low sugar diet. It is addictive and promotes a spike in insulin which shortly after consumption you experience a drop in blood sugar levels.
Studies have shown that the body changes sugar into two to five times more fat in the blood stream than it does with starches. With so many negative effects there has to be some good ones right? Yup there is ONE, sugar looks good, tastes great and temporarily for the whole three seconds makes us feel good. So is three seconds of feeling good really worth a lifetime of health problems? I'll leave that up to you to answer! Don't get me wrong I believe in a balance, and I love sugar myself but I don't think some of us realise the amount of sugar we are actually consuming through the foods we eat daily, like breads, cereals, milk, muesli bars, fruit, plus that dessert at the end of the night!
Check out this article on calories vs sugar. I found it rather interesting.
Where do I start? I have kids and a family, how can I make it kid and husband friendly?
My answer to this is disguise it!!! There are so many resources, recipes, support groups, tips, and information out there that really there should be no excuses if you REALLY want to make the change. All it takes is a little bit of organisation and preparation. Search clean eating or paleo recipes online. Pick one that you find manageable for you. Try it, taste it and serve it to the family. It's as easy as that. You have to start somewhere and don't be scared! There are millions of recipes out there, your family would have to like at least ONE of them! This blog for instance is probably 1% of the information out there and I have a range of beautiful recipes for you to try.
Tips to Starting Out
- Make herbs and spices your friend. Get to know which ones mix well together and just experiment. Once you start seeing the benefits you will not want to look back.
- Set a goal and make an action plan. For example 'I will begin by making one new recipe a week using only natural ingredients and whole foods for the first month.' In the second month I will try two recipes a week.' 'After three months I will aim to have my family eating whole foods four out of seven days of the week.' 'In the fourth month I will increase it to five out of seven days.'
- There is that saying 'it's easier to replace rather than erase.' So instead of erasing certain foods from your family's diet, replace them with healthier yet tasty options.
- Limit your treats to once a week. I can't stress it enough, sugar, processed foods and foods high in fat are addictive and effect your hormone response making you need more! Break the habit. Go one week, then two, then three without and you have broken the habit.
- Don't buy supermarket sauces, soups, mayonnaise, or stir-fry flavourings. They are PACKED with preservatives and sugar! Use olive oil, lemon juice, juice of an orange, coconut milk/cream, nut butters and create your own.
So your first task: Omit sugar from yours and your families diet plus live by the 4 simple rules I posted yesterday and I can assure you, your health will change dramatically. Next we will work on grains and dairy :)
Check out this Paleo for Kids Website. It has some simple meals to get you started.
Kids Paleo lunches
The Paleo Mom (great website)
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