Some of the pancakes filling from my book Mila’s Meals: The Beginning & The Basics.

Paleo?

I have avoided admitting to myself that I follow a Paleo Diet for a long time. In fact- I consciously refused to do it. Not because there’s anything ‘wrong’ with Paleo – but because I really don’t like the idea of a “diet”. But I do, and I am – I am Paleo!

This has got nothing to do with weight loss. Or following a trend. Actually I am the most reluctant Paleo Person you will find! I ate this way before I knew it was a “thing”. I eat this way because I listened to my body and how it responded to certain foods. I eliminated what aggravated it (reluctantly after also eliminating gluten, sugar and dairy) – and what did that leave me with? A Paleo way of eating!

Why am I a reluctant Paleo?

Because I crave a bowl of brown rice, soaked for 24 hours in apple cider vinegar, cooked in bone broth and smothered with coconut oil. Surely that can’t be ‘bad’ for you?

Why do I not eat what I crave?

Because it makes my skin itch. That is – it aggravates my eczema (the skin on my hand splits open), makes my tummy bloat (aggravates my Leaky Gut), and it makes me grumpy (yes, like PMS-mad the next day for no apparent reason).

So what is the Paleo way of eating? (I refuse to say ‘diet’.)

“The Paleolithic diet, also known as Paleo or Primal diet, is rooted in the belief that sticking to food our caveman ancestors would have eaten leads to optimal health. This includes meat, fish, vegetables, wild fruits, eggs, nuts, and more. The goal of the Paleo approach is to consume the foods cavemen did millions of years ago, before the cultivation of grains and legumes, and well before the invention of processed, packaged foods. According to Paleo advocates, if a caveman wouldn’t eat it, modern people shouldn’t either.

Guidelines include eating a relatively high amount of healthy fat such as coconut oil, avocado, ghee, and olives. Vegetables, raw or cooked, are the primary source of carbohydrates, rendering the diet relatively low-carb. Animal protein, including its naturally occurring fat, should be included in the diet. Red meat, poultry, pork, eggs, and organ meat are all encouraged. Some followers of this approach choose to emphasize vegetables and minimize meat; however, all devotees put a high premium on organic and grass-fed meats. Although included, fruits are limited since cavemen encountered these “treats” infrequently.” – Source: Institute For Integrative Nutrition.

The Paleo Food List

Since I don’t adhere to a ‘diet’, I don’t follow a list of what you ‘can’ and can’t’ eat. But, as a basic guideline of what Paleo is about:

You can find a more specific list here.

Obviously (since I have always been reluctant to fit in a box), I don’t agree with some of those recommended foods on the list (like bacon). I am more inclined to ‘label’ the way I eat as Dr. Axe’s ‘Healing Foods Diet’ which you can find in his article ‘Why I don’t Eat A Paleo Diet But Close’ article.

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