Switching to Paleo

Now that the holidays are over I am ready to begin the switch to the Paleo way of eating. What is the Paleo way of eating?

The name Paleo stems from the Paleolithic era, and the way our ancestors ate during that time. Before farming man ate what was around, man ate what was available, plants, berries and whatever animals (meat) they could catch. Man did not suffer from any of the life threatening diseases that are common today. It is believed that many of these diseases are caused by the foods that we eat.

I once had a friend who had recently moved to America from another country and always seemed to have some type of gastrointestinal issues. He said it was from our food, his body was not used to it. He said "here in america our fresh food is not fresh". At first that sounded crazy to me, but then I realized that he was correct. Our farmers pump our produce full of GMO's, and chemicals that are meant to make them grow bigger, keep bugs away from them, and stay fresh longer. The animals we use for meat are also fed grains that have been formulated to make them grow bigger and faster. The grain has hormones and antibiotics intended to fight infections that the animals are exposed to in their poorly kept living environment. Then we eat them. Does any of this seem healthy to you?

The Paleo way of eating suggests that you eat the following:

Grass- fed meats (organic)
Fish / seafood (wild caught)
Fresh Fruits and vegetables (organic)
Eggs
Nuts and seeds
Healthful oils (olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, coconut)

The Paleo way discourages you from eating:

Cereal Grains
Legumes (including peanuts)
Dairy
Refined Sugars
Potatoes
Processed Foods
Salt
Refined vegetable oils

For all my friends currently doing the HCG diet, this should sound very familiar. The main difference is the serving sizes and lack of hormones, so making the switch should be easy for me. The other difference is the Paleo way of eating is a life change, not a diet. My hope is that by switching the way that I eat I can finally get of the dieting merry go round that I have  been on for the last 23 year  while still achieving a healthier body and size.