What Paleo Is

When I posted this image to Modern Paleo’s Facebook Page, so many people liked it that I just couldn’t resist re-posting it here. And no wonder: It’s beautiful, tasty, and paleo! (Click to enlarge.)

It’s by Diane Sanfilippo of Balanced Bites (Facebook and Twitter).

Modern Paleo

My Paleo Story

A year ago I was 255lbs. My waist size was 44. I ate a diet of cheeseburgers, steak and potatoes, soda, and lots of dessert. I was tired all the time, out of shape, unfocused, I snored, I felt an unholy pain in my chest whenever I exerted myself, and I hated looking in the mirror.

After looking up Objectivism on the web for the first time I joined a popular Objectivist site and got on the chat room. I mentioned having a problem with acne and struck up a conversation with Rob O’Callahan privately in the chat room and he said that he was able to get his acne under control just by changing his diet. I was dubious at first but he explained some of the foods he eats and it reminded me of the Atkins diet, which is what my mom has advocated as the best diet …

My (Mostly) Paleo Thanksgiving Menu

I am starting to get in the mood for Thanksgiving! Even though there are many happenings happening between now and next Thursday, I’ve planned out our menu.

Before I tell you what it is, here’s a big difference between this Thanksgiving and Thanksgivings Past–I’ve been cooking lots and lots of real food all year long, so THIS Thanksgiving is going to be a snap! No stressing out about where to put the meat thermometer or what to do with certain side dishes. Even the things I’m not really quite sure how to make–no worries. I am confident I can figure out how to make them palatable, and if they turn out to be inedible, oh well! There will be plenty of other food.

So, here’s what I’m making:

  • Roasted Turkey
  • Sausage Stuffing
  • Gravy
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Some other side veggie–maybe asparagus, green beans, or brussel sprouts
  • Salad with balsamic vinegar and

FormSpring Questions on Starting Paleo

Over the past two months, I’ve answered a slew of questions on FormSpring. I’ve covered all kinds of topics, from sex to academia to fallacies to paleo. My answers are not so fine-tuned as my blog posts, but I think they’re still of interest — at least as fodder for further discussion in the comments. I’ve got about four posts worth of paleo-relevant questions and answers that I’ll be posting here on Modern Paleo. (Almost everything I’ve done so far will be posted to my personal blog NoodleFood over the next few weeks.)

Some FormSpring Questions and Answers with advice on starting a paleo diet:

Does the paleo diet “work” if you don’t adhere to it strictly, or do the benefits only come if you completely cut out the forbidden foods, like wheat?

Health isn’t an all or nothing proposition: it exists on a continuum. So if you eat better, …

PaleoTreats: NOM NOM NOM

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to receive this sample pack from PaleoTreats, in exchange for blogging about it:

Paul and I enjoyed these goodies immensely… so much so that we ordered more for ourselves, plus some for friends for Christmas too. We particularly liked “Mac Attack” and “Mustang Bar.” They keep nicely in the freezer, and they’re substantial enough to split for dessert.

They’re also strictly paleo — meaning: no gluten, grains, dairy, stabilizers, preservatives, or other junk. You can check out the ingredients and nutritional information here.

You can order them here. I’m delighted to be able to recommend them!

Modern Paleo

Paleo in College?

Recently, I received the following e-mail from Nick, a college student considering going paleo. I’m hoping that some college students can offer him some advice on sticking to the diet in college in the comments.

I’m nearing completion of a summer internship in Africa since late May, and have noticed that the change in diet (in living with a host family in a rural town) has also dropped my weight and I have lost fat. As a college student who has been putting on the pounds with an unhealthy diet, this is awesome news! I largely attribute it to the fact that the food I’m now eating here is ACTUALLY food, not processed (although the diet in Uganda is extremely high-carb). As an Objectivist and follower of your blog, I knew of your connection to paleo and wanted to explore it more. What I’m afraid of is going back to

How to Eat Paleo on a Budget

 

 

Whether you’re a college student, a college dropout like me, or even a college graduate, you’ll find it can be hard to stick to a paleo diet when there’s not much in the bank. But don’t reach for the ramen just because you can’t afford grass-fed beef! There are many ways to eat healthy and save money.

  • Invest in filling foods. I find that eating meals high in fat keep me satiated throughout the day. A salad is perfectly paleo, but you might be hungry again soon. Buying foods that will fill you up longer will cut down your snacking and your spending. I recommend ground beef, fatty meat cuts, coconut oil, and nuts.
  • Make casseroles, stews, soups, and other nutrient dense meals. And make them big. By buying meats and veggies in bulk, you can create a cheap meal that will feed you several times over and

Paleo Community Survey

As you might have seen elsewhere, David Csonka of Naturally Engineered invites you to participate in the 2011 Paleo Community Survey:

The purpose of this survey is to collect information about paleo diet community members, including demographic information, medical conditions, dietary preferences, and physical activity.

The resulting data will be invaluable in terms of understanding the nature of the paleo movement. It will be provided to other bloggers and researchers with the goal of providing a clearer picture of how the paleo diet has affected the lives of its adherents.

Survey respondents will remain anonymous, your name or other identifying information will not be collected. The survey itself is relatively short and should only take a couple of minutes to complete.

Several incentives for completion of the survey have been provided, and will be explain further at the end of the survey. These include a coupon code for Paleo Treats

Modern Paleo in The Daily Camera

The paleo diet was recently the subject of an article in Boulder’s newspaper, The Daily Camera: Paleo diet advocates claim increased energy, health benefits. Very unexpectedly, Modern Paleo was mentioned!

With more than 90 active members, the Denver paleo group on Meetup.com provides a way for paleo dieters to connect, support each other and share tips. In Boulder, more than 45 people are on a waiting list anticipating the start of a similar group. With the objective of creating an online community, University of Colorado graduate Diana Hsieh started ModernPaleo.com.

The article is pretty good, as much as I groan at the paleo “pancakes” featured in the opening and the closing.

Modern Paleo