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15 of the Best Paleo Birthday Cakes on the Net (Grain & Dairy Free!)

April 30, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 6 Comments

15 Paleo Birthday Cakes

I wanted to post a nice collection of a good variety of Paleo birthday cake recipes. Many people ask me for a good recipe that I recommend. I, personally, always use this recipe because my kids love it. However, I know not everyone likes vanilla or coconut flour or they just want more options.

Let’s talk about butter. Many of these cakes use butter. I have found that substituting ghee in place of butter works perfectly! So, if you have a dairy-allergy, you should be able to use ghee in place of butter. Ghee is when butter is lightly cooked to remove all the milk solids (I love this ghee). It might be difficult to use ghee in place of butter when making a buttercream frosting, so if that is the case, try using a Paleo frosting like this one from Real Food Rn.

15 of the Best Paleo Birthday Cakes on the Net

Grain & Dairy Free!

(Click on photo to go to the recipe) 

Very Vanilla Cupcakes
Paleo Yellow Cupcake from A Girl Worth Saving
Chocolate Expresso Cake from And Here We Are
Grain-Free Chocolate Cupcakes from Honest Body
Barbie Birthday Cake from Real Food RN
The Grain-Free/Dairy-Free B-Day Smash Cake from Urban Poser
Deep Chocolate Cake from Butter Nutrition
Layered Chocolate Caramel Cake from Life Made Full
Paleo Citrus Celebration Cake from Grok Grub
Chocolate Banana Ice Cream Cake from Beauty & the Foodie
Indian Carrot Cake from My Heart Beets
Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes from Hollywood Homestead
Banana Mousse Cake from Strands of My Life
Grain-Free Birthday Cake from Thank Your Body
Vanilla Bean Cake with Chocolate Frosting from Paleo Fondue

15 Best Paleo Birthday Cakes  www.thepaleomama.com

Filed Under: My Recipes, Paleo Baby, Paleo Toddler, Round Up Tagged With: birthday cakes, dairy free, gluten-free, paleo

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

April 22, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 1 Comment

Strawberry Lemonade Cake 048 photo 2

I have been so busy lately. When spring rolls in, things really start to get busy around the farm. I’m thankful for people like my friend Stacey, from Beauty and the Foodie, who generously offers to write up a incredible recipe to share with my readers! Stacey has so many delicious recipes on her website. Make sure you go like her on Facebook and check out her website loaded with Paleo recipes! Please welcome Stacey! 

Hi there, I’m Stacey, and I blog at Beauty and the Foodie where I create Paleo, primal, low carb recipes and natural DIY beauty and health remedies. I love The Paleo Mama blog, and was thrilled and excited to guest post for her. Not only is her blog amazing and informative, she is also one of the sweetest, kindest, and most genuine individuals you could ever meet.

I love strawberry lemonade and decided that it should become a cake, a Paleo cake that is. I started with a grain free lemon cake, then topped it with a strawberry lemon fruit glaze. I also added some chia seeds for extra nutrients, and the seeds are optional if you have chia seed issues. This recipe is also nut free, although some viewers have said that coconut is a nut. I believe coconut is a tropical fruit, but realize that having the word nut in it can be confusing. So, I will say it is nut free, unless you’re allergic to coconuts. I would love to hear your thoughts on this debate: Coconut, is a nut, or a fruit, or something else?

Strawberry Lemonade Cake

Strawberry Topping Ingredients:

  • 1 ¼ cup strawberries, hulled and sliced (can use frozen defrosted ones)
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp coconut flour
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp lemon zest, I used this micro plane
  • ½ tsp chia seeds + 1 tbsp water *optional

Lemon Cake Ingredients:

  • ½ cup coconut flour, sifted
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 6 tbsp unsweetened coconut milk
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 ½ tbsp coconut oil, melted or ghee, melted
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 tsp organic GF lemon extract
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar, mixed in separate pinch bowl

Kitchen Tools:

  • 2 large mixing bowls
  • 1 small bowl
  • 1 8×8 baking pan or 9” cake pan
  • 1 pinch bowl
  • 1 lemon squeezer hand held
  • 1 micro plane zester 

Directions:

  1. Preheat Oven to 375 F, and grease or oil an 8×8 pan or 9” cake pan.
  2. If using chia seeds, mix chia seeds with water in small bowl, then put in fridge for 5 minutes to gel.
  3. In a large mixing bowl combine all the strawberry topping ingredients. Add optional chia seed mixture. Mix together and set aside for 15 minutes (will be brown and goopy but will melt and bake into cake).
  4. In a second, large mixing bowl combine all the lemon cake ingredients. Mix together well, breaking up any coconut flour clumps.
  5. Spoon lemon cake batter into prepared pan. Spread cake batter around evenly in pan.
  6. Spoon the strawberry topping evenly over the top of cake batter by spooning small spoonful’s of strawberry mixture at a time.
  7. Bake at 400 for 30 to 35 minutes, or until center is done.
  8. Remove from oven, cool, and serve. Store uneaten portions in the fridge.

Strawberry Lemonade Cake 070. photo 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: My Recipes Tagged With: cake, flour less, gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, primal, strawberry lemonade

Coconut-Lime Fruit Salad

April 10, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 1 Comment

coconut lime fruit salad horizontal

I’m so excited to have Arsy from Rubies & Radishes sharing a beautiful and delicious spring recipe with all my readers! Arsy creates some of the most amazing Paleo recipes I have ever seen! She has two Paleo cookbooks out, The Paleo Slow Cooker, and a BRAND new one, The Paleo Foodie! Her unique cultural flare gives all her recipes a distinct Arsy touch and I am so delighted that she is offering to share one of her favorites from The Paleo Foodie Cookbook!

Coconut-Lime Fruit Salad from The Paleo Foodie Cookbook

The coconut-lime dressing adds a tropical feel to this lightly dressed fruit salad, making it a perfect addition to a spring brunch or picnic. It’s also a great way for busy moms to prepare a healthy and exciting snack.

The coconut milk in this recipe adds a nourishing source of fat and additional nutrients to the fruit salad. The addition of the fat tends to keep you full longer too! I highly recommend using homemade coconut milk or choosing a brand of coconut milk that uses BPA-free packaging and does not add any gums or preservatives.

This recipe is easy to make and packed with flavor. It is a toddler favorite in our household.

This Coconut-Lime Fruit Salad is from the newly released cookbook, The Paleo Foodie. The Paleo Foodie is filled with gourmet yet simple to make Paleo recipes with fresh and vibrant flavors.

Click here to buy the newly released Paleo Foodie Cookbook today! 


Coconut-Lime Fruit Salad

Coconut Lime Fruit Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups strawberries, halved
  • 2 cups honeydew melon, chopped into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 mango, chopped
  • 1⁄4 cup coconut milk
  • 4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 teaspoons fresh basil, chopped
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon raw honey
  • dash of sea salt

Cooking Instructions 

  • Combine strawberries, honeydew and mango in a medium-sized bowl.
  • In small bowl, whisk together coconut milk, lime juice, basil, honey and sea salt.
  • Pour over fruit and serve.

Click here to buy the newly released Paleo Foodie Cookbook today! 

arsy_RR_102

Arsy Vartanian is the founder and chef of the Paleo recipe and lifestyle blog, Rubies and Radishes and she is also the author of the cookbooks, The Paleo Foodie and The Paleo Slow Cooker. In an effort to achieve optimal health and wellness, she discovered the Paleo diet and Crossfit in 2008. Arsy started feeling better than ever and was eventually able to recover from health issues that she had struggled with for almost a decade. Arsy deeply enjoys spending time in her kitchen creating healthy, grain-free recipes for her family and her blog readers. She resides in a quaint beach town in California with her husband and daughter. Connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

Paleo Coconut Lime Fruit Salad Vertical

Filed Under: Guest Posts, My Recipes, Natural Living Tagged With: coconut lime salad, fruit salad, gluten-free, paleo, primal

8 Ridiculous Myths About Meat Consumption and Health

March 6, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 9 Comments

8 Ridiculous Myths About Meat Consumption and Health.001

There is a lot of nonsense in nutrition.

One of the worst examples is the constant propaganda against meat consumption.

Here are 8 ridiculous myths about meat consumption and health.

1. Meat Rots in Your Colon

Some people claim that meat doesn’t get digested properly and “rots” in your colon.

This is absolute nonsense, probably invented by dishonest vegans in order to scare people away from eating meat.

What happens when we eat meat, is that it gets broken down by stomach acid and digestive enzymes.

In the small intestine, the proteins are broken down into amino acids and the fats are broken down into fatty acids.

After that, they get absorbed over the digestive wall and into the bloodstream. There’s nothing left to “rot” in your colon.

If you want to know what really “rots” in your colon, it’s indigestible plant matter (fiber)… from vegetables, fruits, grains and legumes.

The human digestive system doesn’t have the enzymes necessary to break down fiber, which is why it travels all the way to the colon.

There, it gets fermented (rots) by the friendly bacteria in the intestine, which turn it into nutrients and beneficial compounds like the short-chain fatty acid butyrate (1).

This is what keeps the friendly bacteria alive and many studies are showing that feeding these bacteria properly is incredibly important for optimal health (2, 3).

So, meat doesn’t rot in the colon. Plants do… and this is actually a good thing.

[box]Bottom Line: The nutrients in meat are broken down and absorbed way before they reach the colon. However, fiber from plants does ferment (“rot”) in the colon, which is actually a good thing as it feeds the friendly bacteria.[/box]

2. Meat Is High in Harmful Saturated Fat and Cholesterol

One of the main arguments against meat, is that it tends to be high in both saturated fat and cholesterol.

But this really isn’t a cause for concern, because new science has shown both of them to be harmless.

Despite being seen as something to be feared, cholesterol is actually a vital molecule in the body.

It is found in every cell membrane and used to make hormones. The liver produces large amounts of it to make sure we always have enough.

When we get a lot of cholesterol from the diet, the liver just produces less of it instead, so the total amount doesn’t change much (4, 5).

In fact, in about 70% of people, cholesterol in the diet has negligible effects on cholesterol in the blood (6).

In the other 30% (termed hyper-responders), there is a mild elevation in LDL cholesterol, but HDL (which is protective) also goes up (7, 8).

The same is true with saturated fat, it also raises HDL (the “good”) cholesterol (9, 10).

But even when saturated fat and/or cholesterol cause mild increases in LDL, this is not a problem because they change the LDL particles from small, dense LDL (very bad) to Large LDL, which is protective (11, 12).

Studies show that people who have mostly large LDL particles have a much lower riskof heart disease (13, 14).

Therefore, it is not surprising to see that in population studies that include hundreds of thousands of people, saturated fat and cholesterol are not associated with an increased risk of heart disease (15, 16).

In fact, some studies show that saturated fat is linked to a reduced risk of stroke, another very common cause of death and disability (17).

When they put this to the test in actual human experiments, making people cut saturated fat and replacing it with “heart healthy” vegetable oils (which happen to lower cholesterol), it actually increases the risk of death (18).

[box]Bottom Line: It is true that meat tends to be high in saturated fat and cholesterol, but this is not a cause for concern because they do not have adverse effects on blood cholesterol or increase the risk of heart disease.[/box]

3. Meat Causes Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes

8 Ridiculous Myths About Meat Consumption and Health | www.thepaleomama.com.001

Strangely enough, meat is often blamed for Western diseases like heart disease and type 2 Diabetes.

Heart disease didn’t become a problem until the early 20th century and type 2 diabetes only a few decades ago.

These diseases are new… but meat is an old food. Humans and pre-humans have been eating meat for millions of years (19).

Blaming an old food for new health problems makes absolutely no sense.

Fortunately, we do have two very large, very thorough studies that can put our minds at ease.

In a massive study published in the year 2010, researchers pooled data from 20 studies that included a total of 1,218,380 individuals. They found no link between consumption of unprocessed red meat and heart disease or diabetes (20).

Another major study from Europe that included 448,568 individuals found no link between unprocessed red meat and these diseases (21).

However, both of these studies found a strong increase in risk for people who ateprocessed meat.

For this reason, it is very important to make a distinction between the different types of meat.

Many studies apparently showing that “red meat” is harmful didn’t adequately make the distinction between processed and unprocessed meat.

Processed foods in general are pretty awful… this isn’t just true of meat.

[box]Bottom Line: Many massive studies have examined the relationship between meat consumption, heart disease and diabetes. They found a strong link for processed meat, but no effect for unprocessed red meat.[/box]

4. Red Meat Causes Cancer

One common belief is that meat, especially red meat, causes cancer.

This is where things get a bit more complicated.

It is true that processed meat is associated with an increased risk of cancer, especially colon cancer (22).

But when it comes to unprocessed red meat, things aren’t as clear.

Although several studies suggest that even unprocessed red meat can raise the risk of cancer, review studies that pool the data from many studies at a time show a different picture.

Two review studies, one that looked at data from 35 studies and the other from 25 studies, found that the effect for unprocessed red meat was very weak for men and nonexistent for women (23, 24).

However… it does appear that the way meat is cooked can have a major effect on its health effects.

Several studies show that when meat is overcooked, it can form compounds likeHeterocyclic Amines and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, which have been shown to cause cancer in test animals (25).

There are several ways to prevent this from happening… such as choosing gentler cooking methods and always cutting away burned or charred pieces.

So the answer is not to avoid red meat, but to make sure not to burn it.

Keep in mind that overheating can cause harmful compounds to form in many other foods. This is NOT exclusive to meat (26).

[box]Bottom Line: The link between unprocessed red meat and cancer is very weak in men and nonexistent in women. This may depend on the way meat is cooked, because overheating can form carcinogens.[/box]

5. Humans Are Naturally Herbivores and Not “Designed” For Meat Consumption

Some vegans claim that humans aren’t “designed” to eat meat.

They say that humans are naturally herbivores like our primate ancestors.

However… this is completely false. Humans and pre-humans have been eating meat for a very long time and our bodies are well adapted to meat consumption (27, 28).

Our digestive systems really don’t resemble those of herbivores at all.

We have short colons, long small intestines and lots of hydrochloric acid in the stomach to help break down animal protein (29).

The length of different parts of our digestive system is somewhere in between the lengths typical for both carnivores and herbivores, indicating that humans are “designed” to be omnivores (30).

It is also believed that our consumption of animal foods helped drive the evolution of our large brains, which set us apart from any other animal on earth (31).

Humans function best eating both animals and plants. Period.

[box]Bottom Line: Humans are well equipped to make full use of the nutrients found in meat. Our digestive system reflects a genetic adaptation to an omnivorous diet, with animal foods as a major source of calories.[/box]

6. Meat is Bad For Your Bones

Many people seem to believe that protein is bad for the bones and can lead to osteoporosis.

High Protein Foods

The theory goes like this… we eat protein, which increases the acid load of the body, then the body moves calcium from the bones and into the bloodstream to neutralize the acid.

There are in fact some short-term studies to support this. Increasing protein does lead to increased calcium loss from the body (32).

However, this short term effect does not appear to persist because the long-term studies show that protein actually has beneficial effects on bone health (33).

There is overwhelming evidence that a high protein diet is linked to improved bone density and a lower risk of osteoporosis and fractures in old age (34, 35, 36).

This is a great example of where blindly following the conventional wisdom in nutrition will lead to the exact opposite result.

[box]Bottom Line: Despite protein causing increased calcium loss in the short term, the long-term studies show that a high protein intake is linked to improved bone density and a lower risk of osteoporosis and fractures.[/box]

7. Meat is Unnecessary

It is often claimed that meat is unnecessary for health.

This is actually kind of true… most of the nutrients in it can be found in other animal foods.

But just because we can survive without it, it doesn’t mean that we should… quality meat has many nutrients that are good for us.

This includes quality protein, vitamin B12, creatine, carnosine and various important fat-soluble vitamins, which vegans and vegetarians are often lacking in.

Whole foods like meat contain way more than just the standard vitamins and minerals that we’re all familiar with it. There are literally thousands of trace nutrients in there… some of which science has yet to identify.

The fact is, humans evolved eating meat and evolution designed our bodies with these nutrients in mind. They are an essential part of the immensely complex biological puzzle.

Can we live without meat? Sure… but we won’t reach optimal health, making use of all the beneficial nutrients that nature has provided us with.

Although we can survive without meat, the same could be said of most other food groups… including vegetables, fruits, legumes, fish, eggs, etc. We just eat more of something else instead.

Quality meat is pretty close to being the perfect food for humans. It contains most of the nutrients we need.

There is even a study in the literature where two guys ate nothing but meat and organs for a year and remained in excellent health (37).

Of course, not all meat is the same. The best meat comes from animals raised on pasture, fed the types of foods they would eat in nature.

Unprocessed meat from properly raised, properly fed animals (like grass-fed beef) has a much better nutrient profile (38, 39).

[box]Bottom Line: Some claim that meat is unnecessary. Although it is true that we can survive without it, there are still many nutrients in there that are important for optimal health.[/box]

8. Meat Makes You Fat

Meat is often believed to be fattening.

This seems to make sense on the surface because most meat is pretty high in fat and calories.

However, meat also happens to be one of the best sources of highly bioavailable protein. Protein is the most weight loss friendly macronutrient, by far.

Studies show that a high protein diet can boost metabolism by up to 80 to 100 calories per day (40, 41).

There are also studies showing that if you increase your protein intake, you automatically start eating less of other foods instead (42).

Several studies have found that by increasing the amount of protein in the diet, people automatically cut calorie intake by several hundred calories per day, putting weight loss on “autopilot” (43).

Eating more protein also tends to favour increased muscle mass. Muscle is metabolically active and burns a small amount of calories around the clock (44).

Also, let’s not forget that low-carb and paleo diets, which tend to be high in meat, lead to significantly more weight loss than diets that are lower in meat (45, 46).

If anything, the more you eat of high quality meat (and less of other foods instead), the easier it should be for you to lose weight.

9. Anything Else?

Are there any other myths about meat that you keep seeing pushed?

Feel free to add to the list in the comments!

 

*Original article posted at Authority Nutrition*

Filed Under: Grassfed Beef, Living Sustainably, Natural Living, Nutrition, Paleo Education Tagged With: gluten-free, meat consumption, myths about meat, paleo

A Paleo Diet Meal Plan and Menu That Can Save Your Life

February 19, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 7 Comments

Paleo Diet Meal Plan.001

[box]This is a detailed meal plan for the paleo diet. What to eat, what to avoid and a sample paleo menu for one week.[/box]  

The paleo diet is based on emulating the diet of our hunter-gatherer ancestors. It includes whole, unprocessed foods that resemble what they look like in nature.

Our ancestors were genetically the same as modern humans. They thrived eating such foods and were free of diseases like obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Several studies suggest that this diet can lead to significant weight loss (without calorie counting) and major improvements in health.

Eat Plants and Animals

Photo by Fit Bomb.

A Paleo Diet Meal Plan

There is no one “right” way to eat for everyone and paleolithic humans thrived on a variety of diets, depending on what was available at the time.

Some ate a low-carb diet high in animal foods, others a high-carb diet with lots of plants.

Consider this as a general guideline, not something written in stone. You can adapt all of this to your own personal needs and preferences.

The Basics

Eat: Meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, healthy fats and oils.

Avoid: Processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, grains, most dairy products, legumes, artificial sweeteners, vegetable oils, margarine and trans fats.

This is a simplified paleo food pyramid:

Paleo Food Pyramid

Photo by Mark Sisson.

Avoid These Foods

Avoid these foods and ingredients:

  • Sugar and High Fructose Corn Syrup: Soft drinks, fruit juices, table sugar, agave nectar, candy, pastries, ice cream and many others.
  • Grains: Includes breads and pastas, wheat, spelt, rye, barley, etc.
  • Legumes: Beans, lentils and many more.
  • Dairy: Avoid most dairy, especially low-fat (some “versions” of paleo do include full-fat dairy like butter and cheese).
  • Vegetable Oils: Soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, grapeseed oil, safflower oil and others.
  • Trans Fats: Found in margarine and various processed foods. Usually referred to as “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oils.
  • Artificial Sweeteners: Aspartame, Sucralose, Cyclamates, Saccharin, Acesulfame Potassium. Use natural sweeteners instead.
  • Highly Processed Foods: Everything labelled “diet” or “low-fat” or has many weird ingredients. Includes artificial meal replacements.

A simple guideline: If it looks like it was made in a factory, don’t eat it!

If you want to avoid these ingredients, then you MUST read ingredients lists, even on foods that are labelled as “health foods.”

Foods to Eat on The Paleo Diet

Base your diet on these real, unprocessed paleo foods.

  • Meats: Beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, pork and others.
  • Fish and Seafood: Salmon, trout, haddock, shrimp, shellfish, etc. Choose wild-caught if you can.
  • Eggs: Choose free-range, pastured or Omega-3 enriched eggs.
  • Vegetables: Broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, tomatoes, etc.
  • Fruits: Apples, oranges, pears, avocados, strawberries, blueberries and more.
  • Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turnips, etc.
  • Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, macadamia nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and more
  • Healthy Fats and Oils: Lard, tallow, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil and others.
  • Salt and Spices: Sea salt, himalayan salt, garlic, turmeric, rosemary, etc.

Try to choose grass-fed, pasture raised and organic if you can afford it. If not, then just make sure to always go for the least processed option.

There are some things you can do to minimize cost while still eating high quality foods. Read a great article on this here.

Maybe Eat

Butter

In the past few years, the paleo community has evolved quite a bit.

There are now several different “versions” of the paleo diet. Many of them allow some modern foods that science has shown to be healthy.

This includes quality bacon from pasture raised pigs, grass-fed butter and even some non-gluten grains like rice.

Many people now think of paleo as a template to base your diet on, not necessarily as a strict set of rules that you must follow.

Sensible Indulgences

These are perfectly healthy in small amounts:

  • Wine: Quality red wine is high in antioxidants and beneficial nutrients.
  • Dark Chocolate: Choose one that has 70% or higher cocoa content. Quality dark chocolate is very nutritious and extremely healthy.

What to Drink When You’re Thirsty

When it comes to hydration, water should be your go-to beverage.

These aren’t exactly paleo, but most people drink them anyway:

  • Tea is very healthy and loaded with antioxidants and various beneficial compounds. Green tea is best.
  • Coffee is actually very high in antioxidants as well. Studies show that it has many health benefits.

You Should Watch This Video

This short video is a must-watch, it will teach you everything you need to know about the basics of paleo.

A Sample Paleo Menu For One Week

This sample menu contains a balanced amount of all the paleo foods.

Feel free to adjust this based on your own preferences.

Monday

  • Breakfast: Eggs and vegetables, fried in coconut oil. One piece of fruit.
  • Lunch: Chicken salad, with olive oil. Handful of nuts.
  • Dinner: Burgers (no bun), fried in butter, with vegetables and some salsa.

Tuesday

  • Breakfast: Bacon and eggs, with a piece of fruit.
  • Lunch: Leftover burgers from the night before.
  • Dinner: Salmon, fried in butter, with vegetables.

Wednesday

  • Breakfast: Meat with vegetables (leftovers from night before).
  • Lunch: Sandwich in a lettuce leaf, with meat and fresh vegetables.
  • Dinner: Ground beef stir fry, with vegetables. Some berries.

Thursday

  • Breakfast: Eggs and a fruit.
  • Lunch: Leftover stir fry from the night before. A handful of nuts.
  • Dinner: Fried pork, with vegetables.

Friday

  • Breakfast: Eggs and vegetables, fried in coconut oil.
  • Lunch: Chicken salad with olive oil. Handful of nuts.
  • Dinner: Steak with vegetables and sweet potatoes.

Saturday

  • Breakfast: Bacon and eggs, with a piece of fruit.
  • Lunch: Leftover steak and vegetables from the night before.
  • Dinner: Baked salmon with vegetables and avocado.

Sunday

  • Breakfast: Meat with vegetables (leftovers from night before).
  • Lunch: Sandwich in a lettuce leaf, with meat and fresh vegetables.
  • Dinner: Grilled chicken wings, with vegetables and salsa.

There is usually no need to track calories or macronutrients (protein, carbs or fat) on the paleo diet, at least not in the beginning.

However, if you need to lose a lot of weight then it is a good idea to cut carbs somewhat and limit your intake of nuts and potatoes.

If you’re a vegetarian, then read this article for some tips on how to do paleo without meat.

How to Make Your Restaurant Meals Paleo

It is not very difficult to make most restaurant meals paleo friendly.

  1. Order a meat or fish-based main dish.
  2. Get extra vegetables instead of bread or rice.
  3. Ask them to cook your food in coconut oil, lard, olive oil or butter.

There’s an excellent article on eating paleo at restaurants here.

Simple Paleo Snacks

There really is no need to eat more than 3 meals per day, but if you get hungry then here are some paleo snacks that are simple and easily portable:

  • Baby carrots.
  • Hard boiled eggs.
  • A piece of fruit.
  • A handful of nuts.
  • Leftovers from the night before.
  • Apple slices with some almond butter.
  • A bowl of berries with some coconut cream.
  • Homemade beef jerky.

Simple Paleo Shopping List

There is an incredible variety of foods you can eat on the paleo diet.

This simple shopping list should give you an idea of how to get started.

A Paleo Diet Meal Plan | www.thepaleomama.com .001

  • Meat (beef, lamb, pork).
  • Poultry (chicken, turkey, etc).
  • Fish (salmon, trout, mackarel).
  • Eggs.
  • Fresh vegetables: greens, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, carrots, onions, etc.
  • Frozen vegetables: broccoli, spinach, various mixes, etc.
  • Fruits: Apples, bananas, pears, oranges, avocado.
  • Berries: Strawberries, blueberries.
  • Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts.
  • Almond butter.
  • Coconut oil.
  • Olive oil.
  • Grass-fed butter.
  • Olives.
  • Sweet potatoes.
  • Condiments: Sea salt, pepper, turmeric, garlic, parsley, etc.

If you want a more advanced shopping guide, read this.

It is a good idea to clear all unhealthy temptations from your home, including sodas, pastries, cookies, crackers, bread, ice cream and cereals.

How to Find More Info

If you’re interested in more articles like this one, make sure to subscribe to free updates.

There is an entire world of information out there on paleo eating. Just google something like “paleo recipes” or “primal recipes” and you will find a ton of stuff.

These are some really excellent paleo recipe blogs:

  • Stupid Easy Paleo 
  • Nom Nom Paleo
  • Amazing Paleo

 

*A Paleo Diet Menu Plan originally posted by Kris Gunnar and is republished with permission.*

 

 

Filed Under: Living Sustainably, Natural Living, Nutrition, Paleo Education, Shopping Local, Starting Paleo Tagged With: gluten-free, meal plan, paleo, starting paleo

Keep Yourself, Your Pets and Your Home Healthier with Apple Cider Vinegar

February 17, 2014 by Jackie Ritz 8 Comments

Apple Cider Vinegar .001

Apple cider vinegar is an age-old remedy that has a surprising number of uses, and while whole books have been written on this amazing remedy, many of us are still unaware of just how usful apple cider vinegar (ACV) can be. The following are just a few of the ways that we can use ACV to add to our health and our lives:

1. Tummy troubles, indigestion and bloating

Mix one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into a glass of water and drink before meals to improve digestion. This will also help prevent indigestion and bloating, and a little ACV taken in water at the first sign of heartburn will usually stop it in its tracks.

Because ACV is antibacterial, it can also help prevent the bacterial infections that may cause food poisoning.

2. Healthy hair

Rinse hair after washing with a mixture made of two tablespoons of ACV and 500 ml of water. It will balance the pH of the hair, leaving it thicker, smoother and healthier. The vinegar smell will dissipate once the hair dries.

3. Alkaline body

Apple Cider Vinegar for Your Health and Home .001

ACV is commonly used as a health tonic mixed in water with honey, as it promotes alkalinity. This means that it can be of benefit for many of the diseases caused by an overly acidic body such as arthritis, gout and even cancer.

4. Cure hiccups

A teaspoon of undiluted ACV is said to sometimes stop hiccups immediately!

5. Post-exercise drink

ACV mixed with water has been used as an antidote for lactic acid and fatigue after working out, as it provides potassium and other nutrients as well as valuable enzymes that assist with recovery.

6. Night cramps

One or two tablespoons of ACV mixed with water and honey to taste can be sipped prior to sleep to prevent night cramps.

7. Diabetes

ACV may be of benefit to diabetics, as it has been shown to reduce blood glucose.

8. Candida

Regular consumption of ACV can assist with improving gut flora and reversing the overgrowth of Candida and other unwanted bacteria or yeasts.

9. Weight management

ACV has a history of being used as an aid for weight loss and weight management. It has been shown to not only have beneficial effects on blood glucose and insulin levels but also appetite control.

10. Pet health

ACV can also be used to keep your dog healthy. Add a little to drinking water or food as a general health tonic, to help digestion, reduce allergies and prevent parasites. Spray a water/ACV mixture on skin conditions, ear infections and thinning fur and use as a rinse after bathing.

11. Nontoxic cleaning

Make a nontoxic cleaning spray using a 50/50 mixture of water and ACV in a spray bottle. Use this to clean hard surfaces. It absorbs odors and has antibacterial properties.

12. Spider and insect bites and stings

Make a simple poultice using Slippery Elm Bark powder, a couple of drops of lavender oil and ACV to mix into a paste. Spread thickly on bites, stings or splinters and cover with a dressing. Repeat as often as necessary until heat, pain and swelling has gone.

Of course, don’t forget to use apple cider vinegar in salad dressings and always ensure that you buy raw, unpasteurised ACV with the mother, which can be identified by cloudiness or floaties in the vinegar.

Sources for this article include:

  • https://www.rd.com
  • https://www.earthclinic.com
  • https://www.naturalnews.com
  • https://gerson.org
  • https://www.naturalnews.com
  • https://science.naturalnews.com

(Original Source: Natural News)

Filed Under: Natural Living, Nutrition Tagged With: apple cider vinegar, gluten-free, how to use apple cider vinegar, paleo, primal

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Hi, I'm Jackie Ritz and welcome to The Paleo Mama! I'm a published author, certified herbalist, and voracious researcher of natural medicine and nutrition. I'm glad you're here and I hope you stick around for awhile!

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