THE PALEO DIET – WHAT IF?…

If I told you to give up your car, wear a loin cloth, not shave for a year, and start heating all your water over an open fire, you’d think I was mad. And you’re right – the men in white coats would probably turn up and take me away if I genuinely believed this would be of benefit. But EATING like a caveman? Well that’s a different matter. Let me tell you my story …

IT STARTED 4 YEARS AGO

I was doing my daily trawl of health and fitness websites to kill some time, when I came across something that was to eventually become my Bible.

I really can’t remember exactly how I stumbled upon it (it was probably through perusing some random forum) but I was directed toward a book and accompanying website.

The book in question – ‘The Primal Blueprint‘ by Mark Sisson

…and the website – Mark’s Daily Apple.

(See resources section at the end of this post for links to ALL the sites and products in today’s post.)

Now this guy – Mark Sisson – didn’t seem your typical health and fitness guru.

Yes, he had an amazing physique (this guy’s now 60+), but he wasn’t “jacked and ridiculously tanned” and there were no pictures of him lifting huge weights on his website.

But something about him stuck with me.

It was his whole ethos toward life. Not just about his dieting methods and his fitness advice, but rather, how he approached life itself – with determination, enthusiasm, living for the moment, and taking a relaxed 80-20 approach.

I liked this, and so I thought – ‘Hey, why not give his Paleo diet recommendation a shot?’

‘PALEO? WHAT’S THAT?’

These days, everyone has an idea of what Paleo is.

Whether they think it’s low-carb, gluten-free, involves eating NO grains, beans and dairy, or they imagine you have to seek out a woolly mammoth steak in Asda, it’s been around long enough now that you’d have to have been living on a different planet not to have at least heard the name.

Rather than delve into all the misconception-busting though, I’ll give you what the Primal Blueprint (that’s Mark’s take on the Paleo Lifestyle) advises…

EAT AS CLOSE TO NATURE AS POSSIBLE
This comes first and foremost. Our DNA is still wired in a very similar manner to our Paleolithic ancestors, therefore, when making food choices, think “natural.” Always opt for whatever has the least added crap in it, and look for food from the land, sea and air.

EAT LOTS OF TASTY, TASTY ANIMALS!
Our ancestors had access to plenty of animal flesh, and protein is the most powerful macronutrient for building muscle mass and burning fat. Your best sources include high-quality meat, fish and eggs.

AVOID MODERN GRAINS
While the Paleo Diet isn’t low-carb, it does discourage a high intake of refined grains – your breads, pasta, cereals – that kind of thing. These drive up insulin levels (which can lead to fat gain) and make you feel sluggish, sleepy and not at all productive. Instead, get your carbs primarily from veggies (and fruits – avoid these, if you’re trying to shed some fat).

BE A FATTY
As you won’t be eating LOADS of carbs, you need something to give you energy. Enter our good friend … fat! Yep, that dietary “devil” that for so long has been demonised by the nutrition industry is just about the best thing you can use to boost your energy levels, increase mental sharpness and clarity, and burn body fat. We’re not talking chilli-flavoured salted peanuts, or Danish pastries full of hydrogenated oils here though – fats need to be natural, which means extra virgin olive oil, avocados, raw nuts and seeds, oily fish, and so on. Along with these, you clearly need to avoid processed foods chocked full of artificial ingredients as much as possible. Just think – “would a caveman have had access to a food like this?” – and if you answer “no” it’s probably best to skip it!

BUT WHY?

Okay, here’s where I take the stage, and stand up in defence of Paleo.

Why, exactly, should you follow Paleo?

First up, I don’t think you HAVE to, but I do recommend everyone gives it a go.

The results I got were pretty instantaneous, and just downright mind-blowing.

In fact, you can forget going to networking meetings, hiring a business coach, or paying for expensive courses – for any aspiring entrepreneurs, going Paleo is pretty much my top tip for increasing your leverage, influence and productivity.

(You’ll burn a ton of body fat too – which is also pretty cool!)

Here’s what happened to me: I….

• Never felt hungry. Ever.
• Slept better. My 6 hours of tossing and turning, waking up 2 or 3 times during the night and taking an hour to drift off turned to 7 hours of high-quality, uninterrupted rest.
• My headaches and migraines disappeared, as did my brain fog.
• I lost weight. Without even trying. I never started Paleo with the intention of it being a diet for fat loss.
• Learned exactly how to tweak my nutrition, and make easy choices that worked with my own genetic makeup and metabolism without needing to count calories.

WHERE TO GO NEXT…

Check the resources section for some great starter guides on Paleo (including Mark Sisson’s work).

Then … give it a try!

Just for 21 days.

Actually, not just for 21 days – you’ll be doing it far, far longer than that. Because you’ll be astounded at the results, and amazed at the complete 180 effect Paleo can have on your attitude, mind-set, energy levels, and physique.

After all, you’ve got nothing to lose. I just KNOW that Paleo is the way forward if you’re the kind of guy I think you are.

RESOURCES

• 1. You can purchase a copy of Mark Sisson’s original book – The Primal Blueprint – here, direct from Amazon: The Primal Blueprint
• 2. Get started with some great free resources and definitive guides on the Primal Lifestyle at Mark’s Daily Apple: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/primal-blueprint-101/
• 3. Robb Wolf (author of The Paleo Solution) also has an incredible blog with some incredible free resources on all things Paleo: http://robbwolf.com/blog/
• 4. Loren Cordain was another early proponent of all things Paleo. It’s another great place to dig deep: http://thepaleodiet.com/
• 5. Able James – The Fat Burning Man developed a similar eating style called The Wild diet. It’s certainly worth a look