If Paleo is a fad diet, it’s the oldest fad diet out there

–      Dr. Loren Cordain in The Paleo Answer

Stephanie Greunke – a rare breed of Paleo-centered registered dietitian.

Stephanie tells us how paleo differs from other diets.

Paleo is a style of lifestyle and it is much more than just a diet

The word diet really freaks people out. Right off the bat if you mention the word diet people switch off and run a mile.

How paleo differs…

–      Paleo foods are nutrient dense

–      There is MUCH scientific support

–      No fat-phobias

–      No gimmicks, no shakes, no bars , no point systems, no calorie counting etc.

–      Anti-inflammatory diet meaning low allergenic, gentle on your body and eating the right foods for you.

You can say you are eating foods that are lower in allergens and all natural.

It’s NOT another flavor of the week or a diet fad!

Paleo diet is easy to maintain! You have the ability to eat larger portions of food to fill you up. There is a vast array of food choices… fruits, vegetables, tons of meat choices, nuts. (even dark choc and red wine… I added that bit – Kate )

If you follow a paleo diet for a month and then go back to grains you’ll feel like a truck has hit you so it kind of verifies that your paleo choices are the best.  Then with weight loss and energy level increasing it really becomes a no brainer in my mind – Kate

Paleo is personalized. Not set in stone diet, no calorie restrictions. You tweak it to meet your own needs to get it right for you. Need dairy? Then add a little, Need more good carbs because you are an endurance athlete? Then you add them.

Paleo has the best community, the most support through blogs and Facebook groups and most importantly, credible science!!!

Kate says… In only 4 months of being Paleo I have felt this support so much, so much so that I want to be a part of it. It really is a movement group, a community!

Stephanie gives her take on the short term paleo diets: 21 Day Sugar Detox and 30 Day Challenge. She says it…

–      Reset taste buds, helps recognizes your strengths and faults

–      Help with understanding food and how it makes you feel

–      Paleo is generous

There are some techniques that can be adopted from common diet strategies

–      Document your food intake in a journal

–      Weigh and measure your food in the beginning is a good idea to get a grip of portion sizes. How big is 4oz or what does 7oz of meat look like etc.

Kate says…. I would also add: measure yourself as well as weighing yourself if you are wanting weight loss. I personally found that even when the weight loss wasn’t showing on the scales my clothes were still getting loose and I looked leaner. It is a great motivator to me able to re-measure yourself and find that you have lost inches, which lets face it ladies equates to dress sizes and I have personally found that my weight has plateaued out and stayed the same over the past month but I still continue to get leaner and my clothes looser!

Stephanie wraps up her presentation by saying…

“As we approach Paleo as a lifestyle and as a template for eating instead as a diet, I think we will not only reduce the amount of people we scare away, but show that we’ve got multiple components to this type of living”

Great presentation Stephanie – THANK YOU!!!