For many of us, staying healthy is both a challenge and a goal. Though we are more than aware of its importance to our quality of life, it is always a struggle for us to follow a healthy and balanced diet.
We start a new diet with so much zeal, only to falter after a few months, or weeks even.
However, one should not get discouraged with our failure to follow through. In many ways, our health is the key to living a fulfilling life. This is what you should keep in mind every time you cringe at the thought of eating yet another healthy and “not-so-appealing-to-the-palate food.” Much is at stake here so you should not simply give up at the first sign of resistance.
Individuals on the Paleo diet are no exception. In fact, many people following the diet have struggled hard with certain staying off from “prohibited” food items.
If you are new on the Paleo diet, here is a step-by-step guide on how you can stick to your diet or make it easier for your family or close friends to stick to theirs.
Take It One Meal At A Time
We all know that changing one’s diet is not as easy as turning on a switch. It entails sacrifices that cut into your old habits and family traditions. No longer will you be able to partake of that family recipe, dine in your favorite childhood restaurant, or go to a drive through for your favorite guilty pleasure because these do not conform to the Paleo diet.
Indeed, it may not be painless but you can make the transition smoother and easier by gradually introducing one Paleo meal at a time into your diet. This meal should be something that is easy to prepare, satisfying to the senses, as well as tasty. An example would be by changing your old favorites into a meal that conforms to the Paleo diet, say steak and asparagus without the potatoes.
The good thing is it is easy to find recipes online and in the bookstores.
All Paleo Even At The Office
As hard as it is to stick to a diet, it is even harder when you are already in the office where the lunch bar serves just about every item which is definitely a no-no for the Paleo diet. The solution? Bring food to the office. If this is impossible for you, simply pick items which are Paleo.
Great examples of these is the chicken salad, a simple, no-fuss fare which you can find in just about any restaurant in the U.S. – Greek, Italian, American, name them and they will most probably have chicken salad on the menu.
Another option is the no-bun burger. You can simply request this from the crew of the restaurant. You could also opt to exclude cheese and substitute your fries with vegetables.
What you should avoid are foods which are breaded, deep-fried or those which are soaked in soy sauce.
Be a Do-It-Yourselfer
More often than not, being on Paleo diet means that you have to personally prepare your food to ensure that you do not digress from your plan. To make it easier, you can prepare large batches of Paleo meals in advance which you can just reheat when you do not feel like cooking.
