Welcome to my blog! I am a graduate student, a newlywed, and a strong believer in using proper medication, diet, and lifestyle to manage chronic illness. When I first decided to try going paleo I was completely lost. I used online resources to create a diet that worked for me, and I hope to share the information I gained with others diagnosed with autoimmune disorders.
So, to begin… What exactly is paleo?
The Paleo Diet was created for today’s busy population to return to the good ole’ days, the caveman days, when all food was natural and nothing was processed. People on the paleo diet eat lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. We avoid inflammatory foods like dairy, grains, soy, refined sugars, legumes, alcohol (ok…I do drink red wine), and processed foods.
For me, as someone diagnosed with an intestinal autoimmune disorder, I also limit the amount of nuts, seeds, nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, white potatoes, eggplant) and raw vegetables in my diet. If you want to take the paleo diet a step further, you can try the autoimmune protocol (AIP) version of the paleo diet.
I, without medical or scientific evidence, highly suggest beginning carefully with foods on the diet that you can tolerate. I began my diet journey closer to AIP and slowly introduced other paleo foods as I became stronger and braver. Changing my diet actually expanded my food choices. I went from eating 10 foods every day, every meal, to eating everything (and more) shown in the pyramid below.
Everyone is different and foods affect everyone completely differently. The goal is to get to a diet that makes you feel as strong and healthy as possible!
The Amazing Resources I Learned From:
againstallgrain.com
mangiapaleo.com
nomnompaleo.com/paleo101
http://autoimmune-paleo.com/
Quick Switches On The Paleo Diet:
White Sugar = Palm Sugar/Honey/Maple Syrup
Rice = Cauliflower Rice
Potatoes = Sweet Potatoes/Mashed Root Veggies
Vegetable/Canola Oil = Coconut Oil/Olive Oil/Avocado Oil
Butter = Ghee
Flour = Almond Flour/Coconut Flour
Mayonnaise = Avocado (There is also paleo mayo)
Milk = Coconut Milk/Almond Milk
Parmesan Cheese = Nutritional Yeast
Soy Sauce = Coconut Aminos + Fish Sauce
Pasta = Spaghetti Squash/Spiralized Zucchini or Squash