Paleolithic Diet Beginners: Read This Guide To Get Started!

One problem that many newcomers to the Paleo diet, and beginners at just about anything, have is the tendency to fall into the habit of waiting until the timing is absolutely perfect before taking the first step into something new. It’s natural; people are afraid of change. How often have you heard yourself or others say things like, “I’m going to wait until vacation is over, then I’ll start exercising and eating right.” Or another one of my favorites: “Eating healthy costs too much, I’m going to wait until I can afford it.”

The problem with that mentality is that there is no deadline to do anything. The timing will never be perfect. The planets will never align and present you with the sign you are looking for. The best way to start is to do exactly that, get started! The most effective approach will always be to jump in and get your feet wet early on. Don’t worry so much about being perfect. We all know that perfection is unattainable anyway. Below are a couple of simple steps you can take today to set yourself up for success and lasting change with the paleo diet.

Step 1

Clean out the fridge and pantry: When I started the paleo diet, I was a broke, hungry college student. So naturally I found this step to absolutely suck! I tried to find reasons to hold on to everything, thinking it would be a waste of money if I threw away my sandwich fixings, hot pockets, canned soups, ramen and peanut butter – all breakfasts of champions! (not really) My initial thought was to finish all the unhealthy food I had and then I would start. Well, the problem with that line of thinking is that it doesn’t provide the impact to your system (metaphorically speaking) that this change can really bring to your life. You can even see it as a symbolic gesture. By clearing the house of all things that are not aligned with Paleolithic philosophy, you effectively say to yourself, “That’s it! I’m done putting all that junk on my body!” Go ahead, take off the Band-Aid. Don’t relax, just go ahead and do it! By diving in and experiencing growing pains now, you’ll set yourself up for a much better transition later. Remember, the hard way is often the easy way. Here’s a simple list of foods to save and foods to throw away to help you get started:

food to keep

• grass fed meats

• fish and shellfish

• fruit

• vegetables

• eggs

• Nuts and seeds

• healthy organic oils (olive, coconut, macadamia, avocado)

food to throw away

• cereal grains

• vegetables

• dairy

• refined sugar

• white potatoes

• processed foods

• salt

• refined vegetable oils

Step 2

Now that you’ve cleared the house of everything that’s not on the approved food list, take a quick trip to the store and fill in the spaces you now see you have in your fridge and pantry. Did you realize that you are missing fish and shellfish? or healthy fruits and oils? Fix it now. Don’t overthink things at this point. Many beginners to the paleolithic diet overthink and underdo. You can always make more adjustments later. It’s just about taking the first step.

So there you have it, two steps to start when you start the paleo diet. You’ve cleaned out all the bad stuff and replaced it with really good stuff. Of course, this is a bit simplistic, but it really is all you need to get started.

Best of luck!