My Personal Journey with the Autoimmune Protocol

My autoimmune disease symptoms started with puberty—fatigue, chronic constipation, migraines, steady and unrelenting weight gain that didn’t scale with my high activity level or caloric intake, a litany of skin problems, dry and thinning hair, brittle and thin fingernails, chronic joint pain, mild depression and anxiety. Throughout my teens and twenties, I just seemed to rack up the diagnoses, mostly labels for my symptoms (like Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease to explain my gastrointestinal symptoms), but also new conditions related to inflammation that often seemed to come out of nowhere (like adult-onset asthma so severe that it presented similar to a pulmonary embolism, resulting in me being housebound for months while taking very high doses of prednisone). I didn’t seem capable of losing weight and keeping it off no matter what I tried—two decades on the diet yo-yo left me completely defeated, with binge-eating disorder, morbid obesity, metabolic syndrome, and a virtually non-existent sense of self-worth. By age 30, I had over a dozen diagnosed health conditions, including two out of the four autoimmune diseases I now know I have, and a medicine cabinet full of prescription and OTC drugs.

I often say that my main motivation for everything I do now is to help people find the answers they need without having to hit the health lows that I did before finding the Paleo diet and the Autoimmune Protocol. But, I do also want to recognize that, in many ways, growing up with autoimmune disease forged who I am. While my intelligence and talent are innate, I believe that my ambition and work ethic were borne out of striving for academic excellence while feeling exhausted and in pain almost all of the time (being too tired to get into teenage mischief helped too).

My stubbornness and resolve arose from being mercilessly bullied as “the fat kid” on the playground, too often facing misogyny as a woman seeking a high-profile career in male-dominated scientific fields, and the experience of rising up from the poverty of my childhood. My passion for helping others was ignited by decades of seeking help from medical professionals and being figuratively patted on the head and told that I was just a stressed student who needed Prozac and to count my calories and exercise. Without the qualities developed from those experiences, I wouldn’t be able to do what I’m doing now: leading a revolution in the alternative health community by educating autoimmune disease sufferers on the role that diet and lifestyle play in both their disease activity and in disease management.

If you’d asked my in my teens or twenties, I would have told you that my health problem [problem, singular] was being overweight. Those dozen diagnosed chronic health conditions didn’t seem separate to me from being obese. And obesity, to me, felt like wearing a sign at all times that read “Look at me! I’m unhealthy! I’m a failure!”. Despite my academic achievements (including graduating with distinction with an Honors Bachelors of Science, earning my PhD in medical biophysics by the age of 26, numerous scholarships and awards for research excellence, securing post-doctoral research positions in some of the highest profile laboratories in the country, getting my own grant funding as a post-doctoral research fellow, and publishing highly-cited papers in top-tier journals), being morbidly obese was an undercurrent that eroded all sense of accomplishment that I should have felt. I made up for it by cursing regularly, dying my hair crazy bright colors (blue, purple, platinum, fire engine red…), wearing power suits, and generally putting on a show of assertiveness that I never really felt, covering up my impostor syndrome with a confident exterior. So, I naively thought that, if I could just lose the weight and solve that problem, everything in my life would fall into place.

Then in 2007, I had my first daughter. Still obese when I conceived, my pregnancy was complicated by gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia. My newborn had colic and rarely slept more than 45 minutes at a time. She wouldn’t latch onto a bottle, so I was up all night nursing her. And, I couldn’t do it. I was too sick to balance motherhood and applying to tenure-track faculty positions, the expectation being that I would continue to work 80-hour weeks until I had established my own research program and a perfect self-renewing cycle of grant funding, a process that typically takes years. I had wanted to be a medical researcher from the time I was 7-years old, and here I was, unable to take that final step. The autoimmune diseases that fueled my stubborn desire to succeed were now stopping me from achieving a two-decades-old life goal. And, yet denial is powerful force: I still blamed my weight; I said that I was inspired by my mom staying home when I was young; I credited a program by the National Institutes for Health (called reentry grants for women) for giving me the option to take a few years off; and I called it “a break”.

My Paleo First Steps

After losing 100 pounds on a low-carb diet (spurred by realizing that I had developed type 2 diabetes when my oldest daughter was one year old, and facilitated by the fact that I wasn’t working), I was frustrated to discover that my life wasn’t magical unicorns and rainbows. In fact, while losing weight reversed my metabolic syndrome and normalized by blood sugar levels, all of my other disease symptoms worsened—my migraines were more frequent, my joint pain was more unrelenting, my asthma and gastrointestinal symptoms required higher doses of medication to manage, my depression was bigger, my anxiety attacks were more frequent, and my skin was a mess! I had eczema, acne, and my two autoimmune skin conditions—lichen planus and psoriasis—were in full flare. I had lost most of the weight I needed to lose, but it still felt like I was wearing that failure sign plastered across my forehead.

In the summer of 2011, I was sitting in my second daughter’s bedroom watching her play (she was 1 1/2 years old at the time), wearing long sleeves and pants to hide my skin, the weather in the mid-90s (mid-30s Celsius), hot, miserable and in pain… when I had my epiphany.

The words thin and the words healthy don’t mean the same thing.

I was active, and only 30 pounds from my goal weight, but I wasn’t healthy. I was missing something.

That’s when I started to think about diet in terms other than what I needed to eat (or not eat) to lose weight. Gazing at my inflamed skin, I remembered a tidbit I had picked up somewhere about eczema being linked to egg allergy; and, I began to wonder if my collection of skin conditions were caused by the food I was eating. I turned to Dr. Google and found an article on the original version of thepaleodiet.com talking about lichen planus and the Paleo diet; Professor Cordain linked to a few scientific studies at the bottom of that article. I thought three things:

1. “oh, this is that weirdo diet that Chad is doing” (my friend from undergrad who actually introduced me to my now husband);
2. “there’s no [expletive] way I’m doing this [expletive] crazy diet and cutting out all those foods”; and,
3. “ooh, scientific studies to read!”

The science was my hook. I took the next few months to read as much as I could about the Paleo diet. I read The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf and The Paleo Answer by Loren Cordain. I dove into PubMed and read the studies that Professor Cordain cited. And, it all started to make sense. I started to understand lectins and antinutrients. Despite conducting medical research on the immune system and the gut barrier, all of my research background was either focused on basic science or drug development (as most medical research is). I needed to teach myself nutritional sciences. Fortunately, I had experience switching scientific fields, so teaching myself a new branch of science was something I had the skills to do. Eventually I had learned enough to realize that I had nothing to lose, but I would see Robb Wolf’s “try it for 30 days and see how you look, feel and perform” and raise him another 60 days. On August 31st, 2011, I dove head-first into Paleo, with an initial commitment of 3 months.

From Paleo to The Paleo Mom

After two weeks of a standard Paleo diet, I was able to discontinue all six prescription medications I was on at the time (medications for asthma, allergies, GERD and IBS). I haven’t had a migraine since (except for the few times I’ve accidentally consumed dairy). My IBS and GERD completely disappeared. My anxiety attacks stopped. My energy improved. My aches and pains diminished greatly. My asthma no longer required daily medications to control. My weird allergies (like breaking out into a rash every time I touched cardboard) went away. My eczema and acne cleared. I started losing weight again despite having been plateaued for months. And, I became a zealot. I was all in. Like, let’s start a blog as an outlet for my enthusiasm level dedicated to the Paleo cause.

I never intended my website to become a career. As far as I was concerned, my plan was still to return to medical research once my youngest daughter was in school. I was simply nerding out over the science behind Paleo and enjoyed the exercise of writing about it in my own words—doing so provided me a link to the career I so deeply missed. I decided to transition my husband and kids to Paleo (read more about their stories in About Dr. Sarah’s Family) and I enjoyed sharing that experience with the anonymous internet. I was having fun experimenting in the kitchen and was proud to share my creations. ThePaleoMom.com was a great hobby. And then, it took off. People love the way I explain complex scientific concepts. They love my recipes. My story resonates. My audience grew, rapidly and completely organically. And, ten short months after I wrote my first blog post, I was offered book deals from two different publishers a week and a half apart from one another.

My AIP First Steps

As magical as those first few months of Paleo were, it wasn’t enough to actually fix everything. I still had lichen planus lesions and scalp psoriasis. I was convinced of the role of diet in my health, but I needed to dig deeper. That’s when I discovered that lichen planus and psoriasis are autoimmune diseases. Autoimmune. That word. Where had I seen it before? Ah yes, page 201 of The Paleo Solution, a three-quarter-page inset titled “Autoimmune Caveat”. Robb recommended additionally eliminating eggs, nuts, seeds, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants and peppers for a month or two for anyone with autoimmune or inflammatory issues (in addition to grains, legumes, dairy and manufactured foods—a typical definition of the Paleo diet in those days was a list of foods to avoid). In Chapter 9 of The Paleo Answer, Professor Cordain recommends that autoimmune disease sufferers additionally eliminate nightshades, alcohol, NSAIDS, oral contraceptives, and antacids (again in addition to strict avoidance of grains, pseudograins, legumes, and dairy—no 80/20 rule for us autoimmune folks). I found two websites at the time that combined these two overlapping-but-not-identical lists of foods and that dubbed them “The Autoimmune Protocol”. I decided I needed to try it, so as a New Year’s resolution for 2012, I eliminated all of the above.

The scientific explanations for these additional eliminations weren’t robust enough to satisfy me (I continue to this day to dislike the typical diet book formula, where the assumption is that the reader doesn’t care about science so all of the scientific evidence is glossed over, oversimplified, and reduced to ridiculous analogies), so I dove into the scientific literature on immune function and the intersection with prolamins, agglutinins, phytates, glycoalkaloids and lysozyme. Dr. Terry Wahls’ TedxIowaCity talk had just gone viral and I was learning about the roles of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, phytonutrients, and fiber. I was sold on nutrient density, so I worked on upping my vegetable intake and eating organ meat. My oldest daughter started sleeping through the night for the first time (at 5 years old!) after we eliminated gluten from her diet, and how much better I felt got me interested in the role of sleep in immune function. That got me interested in other lifestyle factors. All of the immunology that I had learned in grad school suddenly became very relevant. And, already, my website was transitioning from a mommy blog to the comprehensive health education site that it is today.

I felt like I was figuring out what the Autoimmune Protocol even was while I figured out how to implement it—not because there was a need for additional communication (although there was), but because the protocol itself was so rudimentary at the time that it was hard to even apply the term protocol. I researched all of the details, expanding the protocol and writing about each facet as I learned, adding the pillars of nutrient-density, sleep, stress management and activity, and making calls on those gray-area foods for which there was no guidance, solidifying the eliminations. I was integrating my other knowledge into the protocol, changing its focus from the negative what to avoid, to the positive what to eat, emphasizing lifestyle in addition to diet. I was developing recipes, trying to figure out how to eat AIP on a tight budget, and trying to understand what was specific to my body versus generally applicable and supported by scientific consensus. I bonded with a small group of other bloggers who were also implementing the AIP for their own health reasons, and who were following along with my research and also refining and writing as they went, and helping to spread the word to their own audiences (Mickey Trescott and Angie Alt of Autoimmune Wellness, Eileen Laird of Phoenix Helix, Christina Feindel of A Clean Plate, and Whitney of Nutrisclerosis). We were the small seed of what is now a vibrant AIP community, and we supported each other in both our health and professional journeys.

Popularizing the AIP

While technically the Autoimmune Protocol predated by entry into the Paleo and AIP communities, I recognize that it would not be what it is today without my research and my writing. Truly, I was just trying to figure out the missing pieces of my own health, but I intuitively understood that I’m not alone in this struggle, nor am I the only supernerd hungry for the scientific evidence in the world. As I researched the reasons for each AIP elimination, I started being able to rank their importance, and make judgment calls on the many foods and ingredients for which no prior determination had been made. And I started to understand the nutritional requirements of the immune system, I integrated a nutrient-density focus to the AIP. As I took a more holistic approach for my own health, I started to write about how lifestyle factors impact immune function. I didn’t realize at the time that my research was transforming the Autoimmune Protocol from an obscure fad based on a basic list of eliminations to a valid and comprehensive dietary strategy to support people with autoimmune disease. I didn’t realize that my core belief in the importance of representing scientific evidence in an unbiased and nuanced way brought scientific validity to the AIP. And I certainly didn’t realize that, while I was counting down the days until my youngest started kindergarten so I could return to the research lab, that I was actually creating a new career for myself, something much more important.

When deciding between my book deal offers, I was choosing between writing a Paleo desserts cookbook (one specific book deal offer) or a book of my choosing (the other offer). It was actually a really easy decision! The world needed a book about the Autoimmune Protocol. And, I had the glorious opportunity to write a book the way I wanted to, not shying away from science, but instead leaning into it. I didn’t need to gloss over scientific evidence, nor to condescend to banal analogies to belabor my points; but instead, I could take the time to explain detailed scientific concepts in a way that was approachable and accessible to a general audience. I could respect my audience, break free of the diet book mold, and create something unique both in format, and I hoped, in usefulness!

It took about 14 months from signing the contract to The Paleo Approach making it onto book shelves. Originally, The Paleo Approach and The Paleo Approach Cookbook were going to be one book, but my publisher realized when I turned in the first part, that my original plan was too ambitious and the book needed to be divided into two. Because I worked on both in tandem, they were both published in 2014. It was such an amazing learning experience to write a book, and I loved it (why I continue to write books!), like working on a review article (or seven) but dropping all the pretentious scientific jargon. I had not only found something that I was uniquely qualified and skilled at, but I also found something fulfilling beyond what I had ever experienced working at the lab bench.

Thanks to referencing over 1200 scientific articles and to my writing style, The Paleo Approach became the definitive guidebook on the Autoimmune Protocol — creating the comprehensive protocol that exists today. I subsequently wrote two AIP cookbooks, The Paleo Approach Cookbook and The Healing Kitchen (the latter a collaboration with Alaena Haber of GrazeandEnthused.com); collaborated with Mickey Trescott and Angie Alt of AutoimmuneWelness.com to create the AIP Certified Coach practitioner training program; and created the AIP Lecture Series for autoimmune disease sufferers and their caregivers. My other interests led me to write Paleo Principles (now the definitive Paleo guidebook), The Gut Health Guidebook and The Gut Health Cookbook, and found Nutrivore.com, which will be launching soon.

But it took me years to release an e-book guide on the Autoimmune Protocol, something that, looking back, seems like it should have been an obvious resource for me to have created from the very beginning. The reason for the delay is wrapped up in my reluctance to take ownership of the AIP (holdovers of having worn that failure sign for so long), and, because my career as an author and health educator is an accidental one, my lack of understanding, until recently, that the most robust online educational medium that I can use to communicate with people is all of them, everywhere, all at once.

Taking Ownership of the AIP

This is the hardest part of my AIP journey for me to write about, and something that I’ve never discussed publicly before. I was reluctant to be viewed as an, or even the, AIP leader and creator. I acknowledge that the AIP would not be what it is today without my extensive work, the overly simplistic origins would likely have fizzled into obscurity. I took something that existed only in a very rudimentary form, and through my research and writing, I expanded it, refined it, fine-tuned it, gave it scientific credibility, and popularized it. But at the same time, like a master baker creating a gorgeous wedding cake using a collection of ingredients that likely came from different sources, I had a starting place, inspiration and mentors, colleagues and likeminded individuals, all in addition to my research skills and my own passion—my own ingredients to use to create something beautiful. And, just like that master baker needs a community to elevate them, so too did I have that community, an amazing group of AIP bloggers to amplify my work so that it could take on a life of its own. This is why I resonate with the term creator, rather than founder or inventor or originator or architect or engineer or developer, because it can encompass both my invaluable work to make the AIP what it is today but also acknowledges the contributions of so many others…. like the master baker could not create her masterpiece without the chocolatier or the florist or the farmer.

Now, the majority of people find the AIP through my work, and the now vibrant community of AIP bloggers who all rallied behind The Paleo Approach as their singular definitive AIP guide. With the success of The Paleo Approach (it’s a New York Times bestseller), I became the deciding voice on whether or not some ingredient would be considered part of the Autoimmune Protocol or not. I actually always enjoyed this responsibility — for me, it just means spending a few hours searching around PubMed for compelling reasons to include or exclude the food in question based on its impact (or lack thereof) on the immune system, hormones, the gut barrier or the gut microbiome. That’s fun for me. Many AIP bloggers then took it upon themselves to police the AIP, calling out any recipe or packaged food labeled as such that included verboten ingredients, to protect everyone following the AIP from erroneous information and potentially problematic foods, maintaining the clarity and integrity of my AIP messaging. And, this wonderful group of AIP bloggers enhanced the AIP community with their recipes, tips, strategies, and personal stories.

Also, I’m a scientist. And as such, I believe that knowledge belongs to everyone. The Autoimmune Protocol is based on scientific knowledge, something everyone should have access to. It felt conceited and power-hungry to view the AIP as my singular responsibility, as my possession. I’m also terrible at self-promotion, perhaps driven by some lingering impostor syndrome (I can’t express how challenging it is to write about myself and my vulnerabilities like this!). I’m much more in my element when I’m reading scientific papers, writing or teaching. It’s taken years for my perspective to shift, and not to one where I feel like the AIP belongs to me, but rather I feel like, as the person who created what it is today and best understands all of the science that goes into it, I am best equipped to protect the Autoimmune Protocol. Not ownership per se, but stewardship. That doesn’t mean keeping the AIP static. In fact, I strongly believe the AIP needs to adapt and update as new scientific studies that inform various aspects of the AIP are performed and as we start so see the results of AIP clinical trials (see Updates to the Autoimmune Protocol). But, I want to protect the AIP from commercialization, pyramid schemes of supplements that somehow mean you don’t need to do the hard work, from bastardization, unjustified modification to the point where the therapeutic potential is lost, and from dilution, where the central message behind the AIP is drowned out by a cacophony of unfocused, useless recommendations.

I am indebted to the Autoimmune Protocol for my current good health, for the influence I’ve been able to have on the medical community and the alternative health community, and for my ability to truly make a different in people’s lives. And, the best way for me to return the favor is to work to maintain the integrity of the AIP, to keep it freely available, to support the AIP’s current transition into the mainstream, and to embrace my role as the world’s leading expert and authority on the Autoimmune Protocol. It’s not a position I sought, but it’s one I feel obligated and honored to have.

Part of my transition to feeling comfort in my role as the AIP creator and steward was recognizing the need to enhance my ability to communicate with the hundreds of thousands of people using the Autoimmune Protocol to mitigate their diseases. That was the major driver behind creating The Autoimmune Protocol e-book. In one digital resource, I was able to update the Autoimmune Protocol, provide a quick-start for anyone new to the protocol, help everyone well into their AIP journeys hone in on the most important facets of the protocol to get the most out of it, and develop a method to communicate directly with you regarding all things AIP.

In a normal world, I would have written The Autoimmune Protocol e-book long before ever getting a book deal. The e-book would have gone through iterations, and when I did finally write an in-print book, it would have been based on a refined version of my e-book. Because my audience grew so quickly out of the gate, I ended up writing The Paleo Approach first. And then, I was scared that if I released an e-book on the Autoimmune Protocol, that it would cannibalize sales of The Paleo Approach, a terrifying prospect given that I have long relied on book sales to support my website and team. That’s why it took me 5 years to put together The Autoimmune Protocol e-book. I think I needed the experience of creating the AIP Certified Coach practitioner training program and teaching The AIP Lecture Series to realize that my resources layer on top of each other, that each of these ways of learning about the Autoimmune Protocol support each other. The best way that I can increase recognition of the Autoimmune Protocol, to perform my stewardship duties, is to provide as vast a collection of AIP resources, all at different levels of detail, as possible. And on the bright side, The Autoimmune Protocol e-book is a really darned awesome resource, far better than I could have created five years ago!

The Common Themes of My Journey

Let’s face the bitter truth: my experiences of facing prejudice and bullying, of not being taken seriously by my doctors, of struggling with symptoms for decades before I knew the name of my autoimmune diseases, of being so defeated by my symptoms that I believed I deserved how I felt. . . those experiences aren’t unique to me. Variations of those experiences are the common theme of life with autoimmune disease. And it just shouldn’t be that way! But what’s also amazing is that my experience of feeling so inspired and indebted to the AIP that I committed my life to educating others about it isn’t unique either! There are so many talented AIP bloggers out there creating AIP resources, recipes, cookbooks, all to help drive this movement forward. And, each one of them has an inspirational story of healing. Here are just some of my favorite stories from AIP bloggers:

• Phoenix Helix: My Experience with the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol
• A Squirrel in the Kitchen: Reversing Hashimotos The Story of my Recovery
• Joanna Frankham: Hidradenitis Suppurativa My Story (Video)
• Wellness Unraveled: My Autoimmune Protocol AIP Story
• LissMS: AIP and ME. Why I Started and my First Three Months
• Lichen Paleo, Loving AIP: My Health Journey
• Real Food and Love: Healing Update (Hopefully the Last?)
• Emotional Autoimmunity: Part 1 – Getting Sick, My Autoimmune Disease Symptoms & Part 2 – Diagnosis, Cronic Disease and the ‘New Normal’
• The Unskilled Cavewoman: My Health Journey (Podcast)
• Adventures in Partaking: My Story: Endometriosis and Infertility
• Healing Family Eats: Children and the AIP – a Teens Honest Account
• Kirstie Howard Living Well: Hashimotos, AIP & Me!
• Bon AIPpetit: My Autoimmune Story
• Reversing Autoimmune Disease: My Five Year Anniversary on the AIP
• Healthy Fat & Fit: What it’s Really Like to Live with Hypothyroidism
• Real World AIP: My AIP Story- how I put celiac into remission and fixed my leaky gut & brain fog! (Video)
• Cook 2 Nourish: This is my Fight
• Hashimoto-co.de: My experience with the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol (AIP)

I hope that my story and those of the above AIP bloggers inspire you to learn more about the Autoimmune Protocol, dive deeper, and take your next step on your path to health. So, if you want to learn more about the AIP or share resources with a friend or family member, here’s my suggested order to go through my resources:

1. Read my summary webpage on the Autoimmune Protocol here. (There’s lots of links to specific articles too.)
2. Get my free AIP Quick-Start Guide here.
3. Grab a copy of The Autoimmune Protocol e-book (it’s only $20 and your purchase helps support this website).
4. Read The Paleo Approach. (You can also cook out of The Paleo Approach Cookbook and The Healing Kitchen.)
5. Sign up for the next session of The AIP Lecture Series.
6. If you’re a healthcare professional or wellness provider, check out the AIP Certified Coach practitioner training program.

And please note that any purchase from ThePaleoMom.com helps to support me, my team (without whom I couldn’t do even a fraction of what I do), and the costs of operating this site. Thank you!

The post My Personal Journey with the Autoimmune Protocol appeared first on The Paleo Mom.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Make the Paleo Diet Fit Your Lifestyle?

Paleo living isn't just about eating right. It's about changing your life from the inside out, covering everything from nutrition and fitness to relationships, career, and mental health. It takes effort and dedication to ensure that it fits in your schedule.

Understanding what foods are included in the paleo diet and which alternatives can be substituted is key when making this transition. Many people find that shopping and meal prepping become a big part of their weekly routine. Paleo-followers must pay attention to every detail. Before you buy any item, make sure to inspect it.

For those on-the-go lifestyles, it makes sense to find consistent ways to make eating healthy easier while supplementing with snacks or meals prepared ahead of time. While takeout may not be an option for those who want to maximize their nutrition intake, there are plenty of restaurants that offer low carb or gluten-free options. You can have a great night out with creativity and premeditation without having to compromise your goals.

You don't have to be overwhelmed by it. But planning will help you keep on track with your paleo diet, and allow you to include delicious gourmet dishes in your daily schedule! Make sure to prioritize nutrients-dense ingredients and not processed products. Focus on high-quality protein sources such as grass-fed beef or seasonal vegetables. You can still indulge in Paleo-approved treats if you want to stay energized throughout the day.

What are three foods you can eat when following the Paleo diet

Rejuvenating your dietary habits is simple with a Paleo diet. It involves eating only whole foods and unprocessed food that were available to our ancestors at the Paleolithic era, such as grass-fed beef, fish, fruits, or vegetables. This ancestral plan includes three delicious, nutritious foods.

1. Savory Grass Fed Beef - Cuts of 100% grass fed beef are a good source of protein that can be enjoyed in many different ways. Whether it's burgers or stews, there's no shortage of ways to make grass-fed beef taste amazing!
2. Satisfying salmon: This fish is full of essential omega-3s and can be grilled or poached to make it a delicious choice. Freshly harvested herbs can be added to the salmon for an extra gourmet flavor.
3. Fibre-rich Avocados: Avocados are an amazing source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat - plus, they're packed with fibre! Use them in salads and as a part of a smoothie.

Can you eat popcorn on the Paleo diet?

Paleo can be a confusing diet. You need to know what foods and snacks are allowed. Popcorn can be a confusing food item to include. Can you eat popcorn on the Paleo diet?

The answer isn't simple--while it's made from corn, a vegetable that doesn't adhere to Paleo guidelines, it isn't inherently unhealthy either. Traditional popcorn is not recommended if you are strictly following Paleo guidelines. This is because of the high-carb count.

However, this eating plan allows for some other options. You can satisfy your cravings for sweet treats with coconut milk popsicles. You can also make your own snacks by making almond flour and cauliflower crackers.

No matter what snack you choose to eat, be sure to carefully read labels and all ingredients before buying any packaged food. This will ensure that you don't compromise your nutritional goals by eating foods with refined carbs or added sugar.

So explore all options available when deciding which snacks will work for you on the Paleo diet - including popcorn - to find those that fit into your daily meals perfectly!

Can I eat as many fruit as I wish on paleo diet?

It may surprise some nocturnal eaters to learn that they won’t find processed snacks on a Paleo diet. It instead focuses on healthy meals and snacks that are made from whole foods like the ones our ancestors ate: fruits and vegetables, nuts and meats.

But how much can you eat fruit? It all depends on your nutritional needs. Although the Paleo diet doesn’t restrict the amount of fruits you can eat it is important to keep in mind that high sugar intake can lead to several health issues like weight gain and changes in blood sugar.

For added nutrients and fibre, we recommend that you eat 1-2 portions of fresh fruit each day. This can be 1/2 to 1 cup depending upon the type or frozen/dried fruit. We suggest not eating more than 2 tablespoons at a time. Choose fiber-rich fruits like pears, berries and melons to fill your belly. These can be added to smoothies, salads, or used as toppings for snacks with nut butter or greek ghee when you feel the need.

Add low-sugar alternatives like avocados and olives, which are high levels of healthy fats.

Paleo makes it possible to indulge in delicious ripe foods by practicing moderation and incorporating other nutritious foods. You should also enjoy your food.

Can you eat bananas while on the paleo diet

It can be overwhelming to plan your nutrition. What should you do? When it comes to eating healthy and making better choices, it always pays off to do some research.

The paleo diet has become a very popular mode of eating. It is all about eating foods that are processed and packaged, but it also tries to mimic the diet of our ancestors thousands of years ago. The main focus is on fruits and vegetables, not carbs like bread, pasta, or other grains. What about bananas?

The short answer: yes, you can eat bananas on a paleo diet. They are one the oldest snacks found in nature, and have been a staple in many diets around the world since ancient times. They are a great way to get an energy boost before, during, or after a workout, and they're full of nutrients such as potassium and dietary fiber, vitamins C & D6, manganese, magnesium, and vitamin B6.

Bananas can be a healthier option to sugary snacks. They are low in calories and provide additional nutrition that conforms to strict paleo guidelines. To avoid overindulging in this naturally delicious fruit, moderation is key.

So go ahead and enjoy some tasty sliced bananas added atop Greek yogurt or served over shredded coconut for breakfast - without guilt!

Can you gain weight on a paleo diet?

Unwavering in your approach and proactivity is the key to success. Consider your lifestyle and make tweaks to ensure you have a long-term healthy diet. To accurately evaluate whether the paleo diet is right for your body goals, it is important to understand its underlying principles.

You may find that a paleo diet is able to help you achieve your fitness goals, depending on how strict and what foods you choose from each group. This method can also help you lose weight.

The best way to achieve dramatic, tangible results is to have practical meals that match your daily caloric intake and your level of physical activity.

Consider increasing the portion size by adding more fatty foods such as nuts or sweet potato to your diet.

A balanced lifestyle that focuses on nutrition will result in optimal health. Make sure that you are focusing on nutrition. That way everyone can achieve the results they desire while sticking to their diet plan.

How fast can I lose weight with paleo?

It's impossible to accurately predict how quickly you will lose weight on a Paleo diet without knowing more about your dietary history and habits. A Paleo-style diet consists of high amounts of protein, fiber, and healthy oil. This will help you feel fuller between meals, and decrease your overall calorie intake. This can make it easier and more enjoyable to reach and keep a healthy body weight. Also, cutting out refined grains and other refined carbohydrates will help with blood glucose control which can aid in weight loss. Regular exercise is essential for any weight loss program. With dedicated adherence to these core principles, the paleo approach can be a powerful tool for achieving lasting changes in your body composition.

Along with a healthy lifestyle and regular exercise, it's important to get adequate rest and manage stress levels. A lack of sleep can lead a person to have a higher appetite, craving unhealthy foods, and stress can increase cortisol, which can cause weight gain. You need to make sure that your lifestyle is in line with your weight loss goals.

Statistics

• As we learn more about the Paleolithic age, we discover that those who lived during it ate a plant-based diet, with merely an estimated 3%Trusted Source of their diet coming from animal-based foods. (medicalnewstoday.com)
• You can throw these into any delicious paleo recipe (or make up your own) and be 100% sure that you're paleo diet compliant :). (ultimatepaleoguide.com)
• Plus, some of these foods — particularly beans — offer many compounds and are linked to positive health outcomes, such as a lower risk for metabolic disease, heart disease, and diabetes, according to a 2014 study. (everydayhealth.com)
• Carbon Footprints and Diet Quality of 5 Popular Eating Patterns as Reported by US Consumers". (en.wikipedia.org)
• One study cited in the article, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that calcium intake levels among followers of the paleo diet were as low as 50 percent of the recommended daily value. (everydayhealth.com)

External Links

[TAG164]

• Regular Consumption of a High-Phytate Diet Reduces the Inhibitory Effect of Phytate on Nonheme-Iron Absorption in Women with Suboptimal Iron Stores - PubMed


• PubMed

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• Metabolic and physiologic effects from consuming a hunter-gatherer (Paleolithic)-type diet in type 2 diabetes

[TAG169]

• The Place of Dairy in a Paleo Diet


• All About Rice

[TAG172]

• Home


• Loren Cordain, Ph.D.

How To

How do I get started with the paleo diet?

It can be difficult to start your journey towards a more balanced, healthier lifestyle by eating Paleo. You don't have to feel lost or confused. In no time, you will be reaping the benefits from this ancestral approach.

Start small and make a difference. You can start by eliminating processed and packaged foods that contain sugar, wheat, corn or grains, as well as dairy and trans fats. Next, add some fresh fruits and veggies to your meal plan each day and include healthy sources of protein such as lean meats and fish. Wild-caught seafood can be another great option.

Keep in mind that you should try new dishes with lots of flavour. Also, meal prepping is key. This will keep your busy days on track. You will never be bored by the endless variety of recipes available through YouTube, cookbooks, or apps.

It is important to be consistent with any diet. If you place emphasis on quality over quantity and drink plenty water throughout the day as well as exercising regularly, then you are already off to a great starting point. Paleo can be intimidating at first, but if you do it right, Paleo can help you reach your ultimate nutrition goals for both body and mind in no time.

It is important to keep in mind that Paleo isn't based on the hunter-gatherer lifestyle. However, you don't have to eat exactly like your ancestors. Instead, eat whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and lean proteins. Make sure you include different food groups in your diet. Finally, don't forget to listen to your body and adjust your diet as needed.

Resources:

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