With any type of food intolerance or allergy it can feel as if you are drowning with nowhere to go and nothing to grasp on to.

It’s easy to feel lost in a sea of gluten-free prepackaged foods (which are often nutrient void and extremely expensive).  The high cost and lack of good recipes can make committing to an allergen-free diet an overwhelming prospect.

I have spent countless hours searching the net for gluten-free and dairy free bread recipes that don’t contain yeast or sugar.  Often times, I’ll end up with bread that tastes like cardboard.

One day I stumbled upon the Paleo diet.  I was introduced to a world of delicious food this is all dairy free, gluten-free, soy free, grain free and refined sugar-free.  Luckily, the diet is not taste free or nutrition free – it’s quite the opposite actually!

Oh and did I mention the recipes are super simple to make?

After years of struggle it was the elimination of grains that cured me of my severe stomach bloating and distension.

So what is the Paleo diet you ask?

The actual Paleo Diet definition as per Wikipedia:

The contemporary “Paleolithic diet” consists mainly of fish, grass-fed pasture raised meats, eggs, vegetables, fruit, fungi, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, potatoes, refined salt, refined sugar, and processed oils.

The simple breakdown:

Paleo Friendly Foods commonly used:

• Meat (Grass Fed)
• Fish
• Seafood
• Veggies
• Squash & Sweet Potatoes/Yam (in moderation)
• Fruit
• Nuts (some include Almonds/Cashews/Walnuts/Macadamia)
• Seeds (some include Pumpkin Seeds/Sunflower Seeds)
• Almond Flour
• Coconut Flour
• Coconut Oil
• Avocado Oil
• Macadamia Oil
• Grass Fed Butter
• Raw Local Honey & Maple Syrup

Non-Paleo Friendly foods:

• Dairy
• Soft Drinks
• Store bought Fruit Juices
• Grains (including Wheat, Oatmeal, Regular Wheat Pasta, Rice, Millet etc.)
• Legumes (all Beans, Peas, Peanuts, Tofu, Soy, Lentils) Yes this includes peanut butter!
• Potatoes
• Energy Drinks
• Most Alcohol
• Sweets (including Refined Sugar)
• Refined Sugar
• Refined Sodium

Personally, I have found having a majority Paleo diet has worked wonders for my body and general health.  I still eat rice, beans, legumes and potatoes occasionally.  I’m truly happy with my current diet and owe a lot of that happiness to Paleo principles!

My favorite part of the Paleo diet? Using almond and coconut flours to create fluffy breads, irresistible cookie dough and delicious batters (super simple & amazingly tasty!)

I use the grain attachment of my Vitamix blender to make all my almond flour and the regular attachment to make coconut oil. Grinding your own flour and making your own oil dramatically reduces the cost.  Not to mention the added “freshness” factor when you make your own.

Use this list as a starter base into the world of Paleo…It’s also a great list to follow if you are trying to pin point food intolerance.  The closer to whole foods (least amount of processing) and the elimination of trigger causing foods the better.

Here are a few of my Paleo friendly recipes to help you get started!

Coconut Protein Pancakes

Paleo English Muffin

Crazy Cacao Nut Butter Balls

Roasted Asparagus

Are any of my followers currently on or considering the Paleo diet ?  If so, I would love to hear from you!  It would be great to hear your experiences with the Paleo diet, and how long you have been following it!

Here is a list of 25 Paleo & Allergen friendly sites that anyone interested in learning more may find useful.

Until next time,

Simply Hollie

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