One problem many paleo diet beginners and beginners at almost everything have is the tendency to fall into the habit of waiting until the timing is absolutely perfect before taking the first step into something new. It is natural; People are afraid of change. How often have you heard yourself or others say phrases like: “I’ll wait until after the holidays, then I’ll start exercising and eating right.” Or another one of my favorites: “Eating healthy costs way too much, I’ll wait until I can afford it”.
The problem with this mentality is that there is no deadline to get something done. The timing will never be perfect. The planets will never align and present you with the sign you are looking for. The best way to get started is to do just that, get started! The most effective approach will always be to jump in and immediately get both feet wet. Don’t worry so much about being perfect. We all know that perfection is unattainable anyway. Below are a few simple steps you can take today to set yourself up for success and lasting change with the Paleo Diet.
Step 1
Clean out the fridge and pantry – When I first started the Paleo diet, I was a hungry and broke college student. So of course I absolutely hated this step! I tried to find reasons to hold on to everything and figured it would be a waste of money if I threw away my sandwich fixings, hot pockets, canned soup, ramen and peanut butter, all breakfasts by champions! (not really) My first thought was to finish all the junk food I was eating and then I would start. Well, the problem with that mindset is that it doesn’t (metaphorically speaking) give your system the shock that this change in your life can really do. It can even be considered a symbolic gesture. By ridding the house of all things that are inconsistent with paleo philosophy, you are effectively saying to yourself, “This is it! I’m done putting all this crap in my body!” Go ahead and peel off the band-aid. Don’t get caught up in it, just do it! By diving in now and experiencing the growing pains, prepare yourself for a much better transition later. Remember that the hard way is usually the easy way. Here’s a simple list of foods to save and throw away to get you started:
food for storage
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grass-fed meat
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fish and seafood
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fruit
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vegetables
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eggs
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nuts and seeds
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Healthy organic oils (olive, coconut, macadamia, avocado)
Food to throw away
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cereal grains
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legumes
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dairy
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refined sugar
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white potatoes
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processed foods
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Salt
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refined vegetable oils
step 2
After ridding the house of anything not on the approved food list, make a quick trip to the store and fill in any blanks you now have in your fridge and pantry. Have you found yourself running out of seafood? or fruits and healthy oils? fix it now Don’t think too much at this point. Many new Paleo dieters think too much and do too little. You can always make further adjustments later. It’s all about taking the first step.
So there you have it, two steps to get you started on starting the Paleo diet. You removed all the bad stuff and replaced it with really good stuff. Of course, this is a bit oversimplified, but it’s really all you need to get started easily.
Much luck!
Thanks to Alec Terry
