Tips for the Paleo-curious in reset programme

Paleo-curious. That’s the word I use to describe my friends who are curious about my new(ish) lifestyle and want to know how I’m not miserable even though I’m “dieting”.

When one of these friends asked me to help him through his first Paleo reset, I drew up a tip sheet for him as it’s that time of the year that we’re waking up from winter, determined to eat healthier and get fitter. I’m going to share some of those tips here as well.

Plan ahead: familiarise yourself with what you’re allowed to eat during the reset programme and think about how you’ll incorporate these into your meals. When shopping, stock up on fresh protein sources like meat, chicken, fish, as well as fresh fruit and vegetables.

Clear out temptation: if you’re trying to steer clear of sugar, dairy, bread and sweet treats, it’s going to be more difficult if you have a stash of them in your kitchen.

Get active: your mind is going to be your major challenge during this programme, reminding you of all the things you “can’t” eat rather than all the things you can.

Keep yourself busy so that you don’t find yourself sitting around fixating on food.

Anticipate discomfort: because you’re cutting grains from your diet, you’ll automatically be cutting down on your carb intake, which your body will react to if you’re used to eating a high carb diet.

You could experience crabbiness, headaches, cravings for bread or sugar and flu-like symptoms. It gets easier.

Keep it simple: it’s important to focus on eating what’s allowed rather substitute what’s not allowed, with Paleo versions of those foods.

Learn to read labels: rule of thumb if you’re buying packaged foods: look for the label with the least number of ingredients.

Also learn to recognise ingredient names that refer to added sugar.

Drink lots of water: because your body needs it.

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