1. What are the quantities/portions I should eat?
Here is the "easy" thing about Paleo - you don't have to measure your food exactly. A serving of meat should be roughly the size of your hand. A serving of eggs is what you can hold in one hand...about 3-5. Veggies should take up 2/3 of your plate. A serving of fruit is about the size of a closed fist. Oil...1-2 thumb-sized portions. Nuts/seeds - a closed handful. Deli meat - fold individual slices and stack to approximately the thickness of your palm. Don't sweat the EXACT portion size of food!!
2. I love bread...got any suggestions?
Umm...don't eat it. It's hard at first to cut this out...but you'll get use to it. I promise. I RARELY have grain products and I definitely NO NOT miss that bloated belly feeling. I've learned to like a lot of veggies I didn't know I liked because of getting creative with meals. Sandwiches/burgers - wrap in lettuce instead.
3. What about sweets to satisfy those cravings?
The worst thing you can do when your brain throws a sugar tantrum is give in. Satisfying those cravings with the "natural" sugars in fruit means those cravings are bound to continue. Commit to sticking it out, because each time you resist those cravings, they lose a little bit of their power. BUT...IF you still need something - check out this blog: http://paleomg.com/category/treats/. Eat in moderation - it's easy to overdo "mindless snacking" of nuts. If you do choose to have a nut based "treat", macadamias and hazelnuts are your best choices. And no NOT eat Paleo "treats" daily...those sugar cravings will NEVER go away.
4. How do I dine out?!?!
As the server to not bring bread to the table - be proactive to set yourself up for success. Trim visible fat from meat. Skip the starches and other side dishes. Vegetables swimming in sugary sauces, cheese or soy sauce do not count as "healthy". Ask for veggies to be steamed instead of cooked in vegetable oil. Don't be afraid to drop the "A" word (allergy) if your waiter is giving you a hard time about substitutions. Be creative - ask for a sandwich without bread, dump pasta fixings onto a plate of fresh spinach instead of noodles, or mix the side dish from one meal with the main course from another. A few places in Bham that I love to eat: Zoes (grilled chicken salad), Urban Cookhouse (Lime marinated steak and veggies), Chipotle (salad bowl - no rice or beans), Tazikis (Greek salad), Rojo (Kate Salad), Whole Foods - salad and hot food line...they list the ingredients right there!
5. What's the deal with white potatoes?
White potatoes are really starchy and not a dense source of micronutrients like vitamins and minerals. I'd much rather you eat nutrient-dense sweet potatoes. A 4-ounce serving of sweet potato (about 1/2 cup) provides 390% daily value of vitamin A, 40% DV of vitamin C, 18% DV of fiber and 13% DV of potassium, plus vitamin E, iron, magnesium and phytochemicals like beta carotene.
6. Can I still eat bacon?
Yes...but in moderation, please, because there is no such thing as "high-quality bacon". Pigs will eat almost anything, and there is no such thing as grass-fed pork. Plus, bacon usually contains harmful byproducts of the curing process that are not awesome, even if you get the nitrate-free kind.
7. Can I drink juice?
I'd MUCH rather you eat the fruit. Juicing strips fiber and nutrients from the good and turns it into a process, concentrated source of sugar. And eating a food is much more satisfying that drinking it.
8. But I like alcohol...what do you suggest?
I suggest you learn to be the DD. Honestly, no alcohol is considered to be Paleo. Beer is made of barley and grains. Vodka is made from potatoes. Whiskey and bourbon are made of grain mash. Wine is made from grapes but is packed full of sugar. In general, the less alcohol you drink, the healthier you'll be.
9. What about condiments?
Most commercial sauces are less than healthy - because of the sub-par ingredients and hidden sugars. You can make your own salad dressings at home, using an olive oil base, fresh lemon and/or a variety of fresh herbs and spices. You'll also be hard-pressed to find a unsweetened ketchup, but many mustard's are good to go. (Just read labels.) Fresh salsa and/or guacamole makes for a delicious addition to eggs, burgers, chicken, etc.
10. I dont like meat...help!!
If you are a vegetarian and will be eliminating grains, legumes, and dairy from your diet, you will be removing a huge source of calories. If you are willing to eat eggs and/or fish, use them as your primary protein sources. If you are not willing to eat any eggs or fish, you'll have to use a processed soy product and other legumes as a protein source. The inclusion of these products will mean you are not following Paleo as prescribed, however, and will likely not experience the full benefits. That's not to say that you couldn't obtain some significant benefits from making some of the other changes suggested.
11. It's super expensive to eat this way...and I have to buy all those crazy ingredients.
If you shop the perimeter of the store and buy only fresh meats, veggies and fruits, you will never enter the land of endless aisles. The money you would normally be spending towards those pre-packaged foods, canned veggies, fake juices, chips, etc can be put towards better produce and high quality meats. Your pantry isn't complete without these "staple" items. You will invest with these purchases in the beginning, but they will last you a LONG time. A few: chicken broth, coconut butter, coconut milk, coconut oil, curry paste, fish sauce, mustard, olive oil, sesame oil, shredded coconut flakes, sunbutter, tomato paste, vinegar, sea salt, cumin, black pepper.
12. Do you eat like this ALL the time - this seems NO fun, Chelsey...
No. I'd be lying to you if I didn't admit to drinking cream/splenda in my coffee daily. When I go to Zoes, I sometimes eat the pita bread. I eat chicken salad with crackers from O'Carrs probably once a week. I go to Pinkberry or Steelcity Pops or have a similar "treat" every other week. I am a typical girl - and have cravings for chocolate...my favorite: almond M&M's or skittles. BUT I do not purchase grains, sweets, dairy for my house. If they are there, I will eat them. I don't have iron will power...so what do I do, I avoid. I avoid restaurants that serve bread, I avoid grocery store aisles, I avoid being in situations where I will be tempted. And I'm vocal about my eating. I tell people that I eat healthy, that way they EXPECT that from me. When you are expected to be a certain way, you feel guilty for cheating and do it less and less. Now...as for the week I will be spending in France next week - I'd be lying again if I didn't confess that I plan to drink wine, eat croissants and enjoy some French Toast. Like I said before - save "bad" eating for something special. This is special. And, honestly, I'll probably feel like crap when I get back, have gained 5 lbs, and will resume PERFECT eating because I know a Paleo lifestyle makes me not only feel my best, but I perform at my best when I'm eating clean. I heard a saying once: "Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels." So true!
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