8 Tips for Starting The Paleo Diet

By Mangia Paleo October 20, 2014 Health and Nutrition 2 Comments

You have decided to jump on the paleo bandwagon, have you? Congratulations and welcome! You’re on the road to a healthier and more fulfilling life. But where do you start? How do you begin? Who can help you? What do you eat?

Here are some tips that will guide you into your paleo journey.

Remove all non-paleo items from your home.

This is crucial for any diet. It will prevent cheating during a hunger attack. Donate the unopened items to a food bank and you will feel good about parting ways with your non-paleo food. Saying, “I’ll keep this just in case” should never be said.
After I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis I began paleo immediately. It was the best way I knew how to jump right in!

If you’re entire family isn’t quite following your diet then simply separate the items. Designated non-paleo cabinets, shelves in the cupboard, and areas in the fridge will help keep temptation at bay. Also, it’s a great way to organize your kitchen.

Only grocery shop when you have the time.

Grocery shopping when rushed may result in forgetting an important item making it difficult to create a balanced meal later on. It may also result in impulse cheat-buying. Put the boxed macaroni and cheese down! Your first few shopping trips may take longer than normal. You’re still getting used to what foods are approved on the diet. It may take you longer to read ingredients or pick out the best meats and produce! It’s okay to search “is insert-food-ingredient-here paleo?” on your phone before purchasing the product.
Read more paleo grocery shopping tips here.

Read the labels.

I can’t stress this enough. If you are about to purchase any packaged food item read the label. Read the ingredient list. You’re not going to know every single ingredient that is paleo and that isn’t paleo when you first begin the diet. If you do… that’s really incredible! When I first started I was already a foodie so I was pretty familiar with the dos and don’ts. Some items like certain oils or canned goods confused me. I would spend an extra 30 minutes in the grocery store just because I was searching the internet to find out what cooking oils I could use and if baby corn was a grain or not. LOL! Educate yourself on what is in your food and where it comes from.
Read more on hidden fake paleo items here.

Maintain a food journal.

Once you start the diet you may notice changes in your body. You may even react to foods differently than other people. Documenting will help tailor the diet specifically to you. Maybe you’re still feeling gurgly every once in a while? Check the journal to see if a food trend is causing it. Noticing bloating every time you log brussels sprouts in your journal? Remove cruciferous vegetables from your diet. Maybe you are feeling extra tired since you cut back on coffee and removed sugar. By using a journal you can check back to see if a food group, vitamin, or mineral is missing from your diet. That way you’ll find out what you need to eat to boost your energy. Be vigilant of changes to your body. Everyone will respond differently to this diet…to any diet…so listen to your body and feed it well!

Involve family and friends

Many people are intrigued when someone starts a new diet especially one as restricting as this. At least, to them it’ seems restricting and silly. Educating your peers doesn’t mean pressuring them into eating the way you do. Instead, share the food you make for yourself. You don’t have to say a word. Simply bring them a paleo snack or cook them a main dish from Mangia Paleo and they will have a better understanding of why you have chosen to eat this way.

Meal Prep

The most common complaint with eating clean is that it is hard to find time to cook every meal. Double or triple any of the recipes in this e-book. Then portion in air tight containers for easy and quick access when you are in a rush for a meal.
My favorite dish to meal prep is my Tuscan Chicken for dinner and Sausage & Sweets Bowl for breakfast.

Avoid eating only ‘Regular Food’ recreations

It may be tempting to search for paleo pizza, paleo cookies, paleo pasta, paleo cake, etc. Remember, these are just treats. The concept of paleo is primarily meat and vegetables with some fruit and nuts. In order for the diet to keep you fulfilled and healthy you must have a balanced plate of these items. Most paleo cookies and cakes include copious amounts of almond flour or other items that should be eaten in very small quantities. It’s important to treat yourself once in a while, but be conscious of the ingredients and portions.
But if you must, this is a great paleo Blueberry Muffin recipe.

Research

What kind of results are you looking for? Digestive relief? Weight loss? Athletic performance? Whatever your reason you should expand your knowledge with other paleo resources. Understanding the diet in more depth will help tailor the diet to reach your results faster.