Paleo for Beginners: The Guide to Getting Started
Reviews (167)
Our Paleo ancestors were healthier and heartier than we realized!
The theme of this intriguing cookbook is to learn about the foods eaten by of our hunting and gathering cavemen and cavewomen ancestors, while we discover the healthy and disease fighting benefits of their diet. First of all, this is an eating style that you can ease into without stressful, immediate must do changes. Anyone would like that. Being a bit of a carnivore myself, I was instantly drawn to an appetizing menu of healthy fed beef or even wild caught salmon garnished with organic vegetables and fruits. What's not to like? In fact, you can even test drive this diet for 30 days to see if it's the diet for you. You determine what your goals are. For instance, why are you considering this diet? Is it athletic performance, weight loss, or simply achieving good health from this diet. The beauty of this diet is that you decide, and take as much time as you need. No one is pushing you to make instant progress. But then the Paleo for Beginners:the guide to getting started strikes gold! I discovered that it has an 80-20 rule that gives us a mulligan, some room for error. Again, there's no stress if we follow the diet 80% of the time, because that leaves us 20% of free time to eat what we want. I love that philosophy. I also appreciated the valuable medical information proven to be associated with todays unhealthy diets. The New England Journal of Medicine has pinpointed 55 diseases and conditions which are directly caused or made worse by eating gluten. "I know, my first thought was a warm, buttered homemade dinner roll." On this diet you can have plenty of treats. Most developed countries have a sweet tooth and cancer cells are proven to feed on sugar. On the planned Paleo diet, you can starve out this disease by eliminating sugar and processed food for starters, along with bad carbohydrates. The Paleo diet includes: meats, fish, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, nuts, tubers (potato's, etc,) and seeds. These proven ingredients for good health may very well defend you against many gluten promoted diseases. In this four-part cookbook you will learn why you need to eat healthier, shop healthier and stock your kitchen with the proper utensils so that you can begin enjoying the Paleo lifestyle. A 10-step process with shopping list included, as well as a laid back 30 day meal plan and 150 outstandingly healthy recipes. Day 1: Almond pancakes for breakfast, mushroom soup for lunch and baked salmon with roasted beets and garnished with greens. Don't forget the lime cookies for desert! Paleo for Beginners: it's easy, natural and builds good health.
A friendly, helpful introduction to Paleo!
Reading about the basics of the Paleo diet was very enlightening, especially from a guidebook that doesn’t take a pious approach to teaching us how to eat. And that’s what Paleo for Beginners does perfectly: it shows someone completely new to the Paleo lifestyle (or someone, like me, who is a little familiar with it through friends/articles) how to integrate Paleo into your life without going crazy: "You can be enthusiastic about eating and feeling healthier without being self-righteous about it.” - well said! Paleo has restrictions, but this book understands that many people seeking to eat healthy may not be able to do EVERYTHING perfectly. I really enjoyed reading about all the different ways to incorporate Paleo into my life, from an 80/20 approach, to adjusting the diet for pregnant women, vegetarians, or people with diseases such as diabetes, cancer, or kidney disease. The book is friendly and not overly technical. But it’s not so basic that it’s boring: Chapters 10 and 11, which discuss Paleo for athletes and weight loss, go into more specific detail and talk about the nutritional science behind the diet. THAT said, there are scientific and anthropological claims that are basic, and could be debated. But like ANY diet/lifestyle book, those claims could be argued from both sides of the debate. In my opnion, the claims are, like the rest of the book, not self-righteous, and meant to guide rather than judge. The recipes are just ridiculous: I was drooling over the sweet potato quiche and the banana french toast (breakfast), crabmeat stuffed mushrooms (snacks, though i’d totally eat these for dinner), and the Moroccan chicken (dinner). Many of the recipes are familiar to me, but with very reasonable adjustments; using coconut flour instead of wheat-based flour, for example. And I LOVE coconut! So that’s easy…. I think this book is best suited for people, like me, who don’t like a heavy-handed approach to diet and nutrition. I’d once been told by a nutritionist that the donut I had eaten earlier that week - the ONLY donut I had eaten in over a month - was bad for me (well, duh). Paleo for Beginners is more realistic: "Do your best and live your life with joy, not as if you are in culinary prison."
Good reading if curious about the Paleo lifestyle!
As a long-time pescetarian, I have been curious about the Paleo diet, especially since it seems to be THE healthy diet right now. This book is what it claims to be - Paleo for beginners. It is set up in four parts which makes it easy to read from front to back or jump around a bit. The first part explains the basics of Paleo - what it is, what to avoid and common issues surrounding not following a Paleo diet. Part two explains how to make the transition to Paleo while part three explains different types of paleo diets. Part four consists of pages and pages of recipes, that made me hungry while perusing them! I really liked that the authors presented the information in a realistic way - at one point, it states that you should be a mindful eater, "but try not to get lost in the details". I appreciate that when starting a new diet, because it takes me awhile to assimilate my tastes. My critique of the book is largely based on the diet plan itself - it is a very expensive lifestyle to lead! Many of recipes require a food processor and you are encouraged to eat all organic and meat that is grass-fed or pasture-raised. There is one other "fact" that stuck out to me and bothered me a bit - although the authors suggested frozen, organic veggies, they also claim they might lose a little nutritional value. I have never heard that before and I'm fairly educated in nutrition. Overall, this is a great book to start with if you are contemplating a Paleo lifestyle - I'm not sure I'm making the switch yet, but I'll put it on the backburner.
... that our ancestor had a healthier diet and had good health than modern people before the notable farming people ...
Paleo diet is a well known diet founded on the basic that our ancestor had a healthier diet and had good health than modern people before the notable farming people were hunter gathers who maintain on a diet of meats fish nuts fruit and vegetable rather than the process sugar,dairy,grains,salt and foods that are prevalent today common foods .the general principles behind the Paleo diet is the people body lead to many infirmities plaguing modern society cardiovascular disease ,obesity ,diabetes,stroke,and even infertility can be link to present diet changes because people sennetically incline.When eating out most people are commited to a healthy life style are stress stressed eating in restaurant.Paleo diet can be discourage by looking at a menu and trying to pick a paticular meal.Some restaurant don't take issues like fat,calories,or sodium into account when creating their menus it's all about flavor,cost,and effective time the only time healthier foods will be in the forefront is when the intent is to yield a particular kind of food,the Chef world more aware and active when it come to various diet it is prevalent today.You often see special food on the menu. When eating out there are few strategies you can follow to ensure you don't go too far off the Paleo course.The strategy you engage will depend on how comfortable you are asserting yourself.Try to pick the restaurant.This might seem like a small issue,but some restaurant have more Paleo options than others.It is a good ideal to search the internet for different restaurant this will give you a good ideal of what type of food and recipe is out there.The only cuisine that is hard to put into Paleo diet is chinese because of the sauces ingredients some cities have Paleo restaurant.Ask question about their ingredients so you would know what you ar
Guide to eating healthy the way our ancestors did
After reading this book, I got the impression of how poorly we treat something so essential to our function and existence: eating. Most cultures view the very act of eating as something sacred. As modern culture grows and work slowly begins to engulf our lives, there is less and less time to shop for the correct food, prepare it, and eat it properly with satisfaction and enjoyment. In response, we begin to eat fast food, processed food in cans or Styrofoam cups made in one minute, and “nutrient bars” full of refined sugars. In short, food becomes an afterthought. It becomes something to get out of the way. After time, the food we eat reflects on our health and we see the rise of chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular problems, etc. With that being said, The Paleo Diet for Beginners is a concise guide to eating the natural “caveman” diet. Based on the assertion that human beings in the Pre-Modern era were healthier, stronger, and more vigorous due to their natural diets, the Paleo diet aims to correct a person’s diet by eliminating the refined sugars, carcinogens found in processed foods, and grain deficient found in our modern diet. The aim of the book is simple: provide historical and scientific evidence to persuade a change in diet, establish a step-by-step lifestyle to achieve a stable diet, and provide a large variety of natural tasteful recipes to keep a person eating the diet. The book is very insightful in bringing to light the important role of grains, exercise, fish, fruits, and vegetables in body and brain function and how modern foods lack in all these essential nutrients because of the demand of cheaper mass produce and poor lifestyles.
It's a cave mans life!
imagine your self living a happy life of a caveman, or woman in the paleolithic age. your life mainly consists of gathering, preparing and cooking food. its hard work, it takes planning,(remember "Naked and Afraid"?) it may be exhausting. that's not so far off from the modern day version of "paleo" dieting. while this cookbook will provide you with a plethora of healthy, delicious recipes, it will literally make you work for it. to be a true "paleo" eater, you have to use first rate ingredients, as close to mother earth as possible, all organic, grass fed, free range, wild caught and fresh of a tree food is sure to make a dent in your wallet. it is worth the effort, though, if you can afford the hunting and gathering of the right ingredients. this diet is all inclusive, with several chapters specifically targeting those with food allergies, athletes and people with special dietary needs. this part of the book reminds me of Mayo Clinic's Health Encyclopedia, and can make you never want to eat again. But be brave, dear caveman, there is silver lining to this informational cloud, it has loads of information on recipe modification and even a healthy approach to feeding your family "paleo" while avoiding becoming a "food nazi". dieter's ethics are rarely mentioned in other cookbooks, so read carefully :) if you are a breakfast person, fear not - this cookbooks is full of amazingly creative "granola", "muffin", and even "pancake" recipes, which are full of flavor and are relatively easy to make. there are delicious, warm soups, and beautiful deserts, great for any party. however, the greatest achievement are the main course meals, which are basically, home made restaurant style dishes, presentation and all... when healthy meat is beautifully garnished with an array of vegetables, seeds, and sauces, color and texture literally "pop" out of the plate. my suggestion is using this cookbook to try out several recipes at home, rather than religiously following the "paleo" lifestyle.
An awesome read !
This book is about eating what our ancestors ate long ago in order to improve our health. The author describes the reality of the difficulties you'll encounter according to your own personalized eating habits. His honesty is refreshing. He recommends only adhering to the diet 80% of the time, taking a lot of pressure off of the reader, and making the diet seem more do-able. I liked his ideas about educating children in nutrition and not micro-managing their food choices. Alterations and tips are given to help people with chronic health conditions such as diabetes adapt to the diet. Being a vegan I was disappointed with the limited choices for protein options and the restriction on a few carbohydrates. However, the author makes so much sense that I am thinking of incorporating fish into my diet in the future. 150 recipes and a 30 day meal plan are given. For people like me, living in a house of big eaters on a limited budget this diet is a bit pricey, but possible. Also the book recommends that you modify your lifestyle to improve your health. Suggestions on how to reduce stress, getting quality sleep, exercising etc. are incorporated in this lifestyle approach. This is not just a diet cookbook. Much information is given on the cause and effect that food has on our health. It certainly gave me a new way of looking at our current American diet.
Back to the basics with diet
In my efforts to change my diet and habits, I took a chance with this purchase. One of the best chances that I have ever made in getting my life changing eating habits together. This book is full of delicious, healthy, 'clean' recipes. Not to mention, even though I haven't completed the entire 30 day meal plan I have tried a week straight and jumped between day plans. I have never felt so full of energy and make of the recipes my kids even loved. One focus that I enjoyed reading and even pay very close attention to is the danger of gluten. At first it seemed like a new fad to say, 'I'm gluten free'. But now I understand the logic behind it how the protein and grains effect our body. Trust me, it is worth doing your research on, especially those of us looking to raise healthy families. Overall, I really like the knowledge provided in this book. They refer to it as caveman but I'm not sure that's the best term. Cavemen had no concrete knowledge of why their diets worked. But now we do have research and its proven to work.
The Caveman's Diet
Founded on the premise of our ancestors and their healthier diets, the Paleo diet mimics the “caveman’s” dietary habits. Using modern equivalents, this diet is based on the theory that the human body has not yet adapted to grain-based nourishment. Grains contain gluten which leads to a variety of diseases. The idea of this diet is to eliminate all processed foods, grains, processed sugars, oils and dairy products from your diet. Foods on the diet include: meats, fish, seafood; eggs and veggies; fruits; healthy fats; nuts and seeds. Ideas on how to transform your kitchen and pantry; use of tools and equipment to enhance your recipes; as well as maintaining your diet at work, home and eating out are included. Detailed meal plans guide you through a gradual transition. “Ten Steps” guide you through the switch to this diet and make it successful along with a questionnaire to help you analyze and decide your relationship with food. By seeking a reverse evolution diet standard, you can choose to pursue a diet that aids in better nutrition and reduces risk of diseases current plaguing our modern society. This book is a detailed guide to achieving your Paleolithic diet.
Good Book if your End Goal is to Be Healthy!
Paleo for Beginners: The Guide To Get Started by Sonoma Press is an eye opener and excellent for anyone that wants to mimic how our ancestors ate during the caveman days by eliminating processed foods, sugars, dairy and legumes. The book goes in great depth about the dangers of gluten, and foods that have been altered and filled with pesticides and herbicides.. While somewhat scary to read about its affects on our health; it’s empowering to know. Reading the book convinced me that its time to take the food I eat much more seriously, if I want to be healthy during this modern age.. The Paleo for Beginners offers a 30 day plan with easy recipes such as flank steak with caramelized onions and sweet potato quiche…there is actually over 150 recipes, so no need for guessing what to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The book is comprehensive. There is a chapter for people with special needs, such as pregnancy or vegetarian, and chapters for athletes and anyone that wants to lose weight. If you or a family member is suffering from any of the “affluence” diseases such as depression, autism, or any of the autoimmune diseases, I encourage you to read the Paleo For Beginners: The Guide To Get Started by Sonoma Press.
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