Ok, so answering the question “what is paleo?” is probably a post I should’ve written at the start of this blog. Better late than never, right?

If you’ve been around this blog for a little while (or even if you haven’t), you’ve probably noticed that most of the recipes I share on here are paleo.

To be honest, I’ve somewhat avoided talking about the paleo diet and why I like to eat paleo, because it’s not a simple answer for me.

Yes, it’s called the paleo (paleolithic) diet, but I actually hate that d-word.

As someone with disordered eating in her history, the word “diet” is pretty taboo for me. When I was in high school and into college I experienced extreme anxiety around food, and couldn’t stop thinking about how I would eat less, cut more fat out of my diet, or make up for the “bad” food I ate the day before.

I thought I was just being “healthy,” but over time, thankfully, I realized that my obsession was actually really unhealthy, and I started to work on developing a healthy relationship with food.

My journey to intuitive eating, or learning to recognize what my body needs and building trust with it, has been a long one. Thankfully, today I seldom experience anxiety around food anymore, and my past fear of eating unhealthy food has transitioned into mindful eating and learning to balance times of indulgence with taking good care of my body.

So if I’m opposed to diets, why do I share paleo recipes?

For me, eating paleo is not about losing weight or trying to manipulate my body. I eat paleo because I have a history of digestive issues, hormone and thyroid imbalances, and tired adrenals.

Through years of experimentation, as well as work with a digestion specialist and a naturopath (more about that process here), I found that eating a diet that was gluten-free and very low in grains, dairy, and sugar, helped my body heal and function much better.

Since eating this way (and undergoing treatments and taking lots of supplements), my digestive health is currently the best it’s been in years! Plus, I have more energy, less bloat, and a much faster metabolism than I have in a long time.

I found out that there’s a name for the way I was basically already eating – the paleo diet!

So What is Paleo?

The paleo diet is an approach to eating that involves eating real, unprocessed foods that are high in nutrients, and avoiding foods that wouldn’t have been available to humans in the paleolithic era. (That’s where the term “paleo” comes from!) Paleo eating includes a focus on meat, vegetables, and fruit, while excluding grains, dairy, refined sugar, and legumes.

Eating Like Cavemen

Some people refer to the paleo diet as the “caveman diet,” because the idea of the paleo diet is that we should eat today more like early humans did who were hunter-gatherers. It’s believed that our digestive systems weren’t intended to process many of the chemicals and additive ingredients in modern food. But they also suggest that our bodies weren’t meant to digest the amount of grains and sugar that we eat, either.

The Paleo Diet for Fighting Disease

The founders of the paleo diet and many followers also believe that many of widespread diseases like cancer, heart disease, and auto immune disease, as well as obesity are largely due to the modern diet. The average person’s diet today is typically lacking essential nutrients and involves highly processed foods. Many people (myself included!) experience amazing improvements to their health when they eat paleo.

You can read more about the health benefits and research behind the paleo diet on the website of one of the biggest paleo researchers.

I’ll be honest, since I started eating mostly paleo I really feel like I’ve been eating more food overall – and yet my body has naturally slimmed down over the long-term. (This is proof that counting calories or grams of fat isn’t actually what’s important! Looking at the quality of the food and the nutrients gained from it while learning to give your body what it needs is much more important.)

What Can You Eat on the Paleo Diet?

If you’re looking for a strict set of rules for the paleo diet, you’re not really going to find any. There’s no single authority on what you can and can’t eat on paleo (unlike the Whole30, or many other diets).

That might be frustrating to some people, but I actually love that about it. Although I eat paleo much of the time, I’m not super strict with myself about it. I think it’s important for all of us to find balance in our eating. Indulgences are ok (as long as you aren’t going to suffer serious health consequences)!

The paleo diet is centered mainly around meat, veggies, and healthy fats.

Foods that Are Generally Considered Paleo:

Meats that aren’t highly processed (avoid deli meats and hot dogs); preferably grass-fed
All kinds of fish and seafood
Fresh fruits
Fresh vegetables (starchy vegetables like potatoes in moderation)
Eggs
Nuts and seeds
Healthy oils, like coconut, olive, and avocado oils
Natural forms of sugar, in moderation, including raw honey and real maple syrup

Foods that Aren’t Paleo:

All grains (including wheat, oats, and quinoa)
Legumes and beans, including peanuts
All dairy (although some paleo eaters include grass-fed butter)
Refined sugar and artificial sweeteners
Processed foods of any kind
Refined vegetable oils (including canola and sunflower oil)
Highly salty foods
Alcohol

Is It Hard to Eat Paleo?

I think that depends on what kind of diet you’re transitioning from, and how strict with it you’re going to be. I had already been eating gluten-free for a couple of years before I started eating less dairy and grains, and the transition wasn’t very difficult for me.

If a day of eating for you looks like cereal, sandwiches, and pasta, transitioning to paleo might be a challenge. But at least for me, I feel so much better that it makes it extremely worth it and motivating!

But I’m also not strict with myself about it. I eat what I know makes me feel good, and often those happen to be paleo-compliant foods. But I also eat things like full fat dairy yogurt, popcorn, beans, cheese, and even ice cream – which aren’t paleo compliant – on occasion without feeling one bit badly about it. I think it’s really important to figure out what works for you. Everyone’s bodies are different.

Even without going full-blown paleo, many people will experience health benefits by simply eating less gluten, grains, sugar, and dairy. That’s especially true for people who are dealing with leaky gut syndrome, IBS, candida overgrowth, or food intolerances.

Want Some Amazing Paleo Recipes?

Many of the recipes in my Food Archives are paleo. Here are links to a few of my all-time favorites:

Are you on Pinterest? If so, pin this post to save it for later!

Come follow my Health & Wellness Pinterest board for more ideas!

What is Paleo?