The term ‘Paleo’ has gotten a lot of flak in mainstream media over the past few years, Pete Evans having copped the majority of it. The word Paleo evokes an image of cavemen in loin cloths – which feels irrelevant our modern world!  How could we possibly emulative the life of a cave man – and who would want to?  Didn’t they die aged 32?

I am here to debunk Paleo for you .

Thankfully going ‘Paleo’ doesn’t mean trying to be a caveman. Paleo just means ‘old’.  Paleo is about going back to the way we used to eat and live, before we messed it up with processed food.

It’s an anti-inflammatory nutrient dense diet of meat, fish, fowl, eggs, nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, fats & oils and excludes industrial seed oils like canola, sugar & grains.  Paleo meats are wild caught, or grass fed, and vegetables are seasonal, local and spray free.

Each person needs to find their own shade of Paleo and work out what works best for them in their own little N=1 experiment.  Usually this involves eliminating dairy, sugar and alcohol as well and then gradually adding them back in and seeing how you feel.

Paleo lovers see food as medicine and generally marvel at how quickly their niggling chronic health conditions like constipation, bloating, fatigue, rashes, anxiety, depression, pain, insomnia and brain fog disappear.

It starts with food but going Paleo involves making lifestyle changes too. No amount of organic vegetables and wild caught protein can undo the stress from that job you hate or the lack of sleep from being staying up too late.

A Paleo lifestyle is all about slowing life down and enjoying the present moment.  Getting adequate sleep & sunshine, spending time in nature and connecting with friends, family and community are all key components for an extraordinary life.

Paleo is a healing way of life and not a magic pill.  Going Paleo means living this way for the rest of your life and prioritising sleep and stress management, especially if you want to lose weight.  It can take a while to get used to such a massive lifestyle change and it can be so liberating to lift the burden of time and allow yourself a good three to five years to find what works best for you.

http://www.primalalternative.com/thrive