Starting Down the Paleo Path

People have said to me, "I could never be as Paleo as you."  There are a few things about that statement that drive me absolutely crazy: there is no Paleo heirarchy, and you are free to do anything to any degree that you wish.  I am comfortable with the way my family eats, and you need to find a way of nourishing your body that you are comfortable with.I now eat what many consider to be a "clean" diet (squeaky clean at this point, as I am in the reintroduction phase of the Autoimmune Protocol, or AIP), but it hasn't always been this way.  My friends from high school and college would not describe my eating habits as healthy.  But over the past 5 years, I have gradually changed my habits to what they are today.  I think it's important to note that I approached these changes gradually, which is in large part why I find my diet sustainable.Sustainability is key for making lifestyle changes.  Everyone knows the consequences of yo-yo dieting, but that is essentially what you set yourself up for if you dive into lifestyle changes without physically and mentally preparing to make these changes lasting.  Rather than lay out a plan for you - that's your job - I'll just offer a few tips that I think can help you start down the Paleo path, and more importantly, keep you headed in the right direction.1. Set yourself up physically: eat the foods that you have in the pantry that are not Paleo (because you don't want to be wasteful), and with each trip to the grocery store, make your pantry less full of grains, processed foods, and sugars, and stock it instead with fresh, unprocessed foods.2. Don't simply trade in the old foods you ate with "healthier" versions of the same foods.  Embracing the Paleo lifestyle means changing the way you think about food.  Vegetables, meats, fruit, and nuts give you plenty of options for things to eat.  Additionally, the gluten-free version of foods tend to have a lot of fillers and involve a lot of processing: they may even be less like real food than their gluten-laden counterparts.  Our pantry has no gluten-free cereals, breads, or pastas.  We don't eat those foods because we don't need them.  Yes, on occasion we'll splurge on some GF/DF goodie, but we regularly don't have these things in our house.  Eating eggs, smoothies, or even last night's leftovers is way more normal to us than eating cereal for breakfast.3. Surround yourself with positive support.  It seems simple, but even changing the things you see in your Facebook or Instagram feeds can influence your success.  (See below for some great pages to follow for recipes, support, etc.)  The more support you have - in any endeavor - the easier it becomes to succeed.  Talk to your friends or family and see if any of them would be interested in joining you as you improve your health.  As a side note, maybe your partner has no interest in your lifestyle change now, but hopefully after seeing how happy and healthy you are, he/she will come around.4.  It's easier to add than it is to take away.  Maybe you're not keen on giving up bread yet, but you can still benefit from eating more vegetables.  Or maybe you're adventurous and want to try adding organ meat to your diet (if so, try this liver recipe - it's so good!).  You can benefit from the wonderful aspects of the Paleo diet before you ever say goodbye to breads, cereals, pastas, sugars, or dairy.5. Don't beat yourself up for not following the Paleo diet 100%.  Until your new changes become habits, it's going to be easy to slip back into your old ways.  That's okay.  Most people who follow a Paleo diet don't do so 100% of the time, anyways.  As I said before, there is no Paleo hierarchy.  You must find the path that works best for you, and is sustainable for the long haul.  My husband loves corn on the cob.  Corn is a grain, but he thoroughly enjoys having a few ears in the summer, and has no guilt associated with it.  We sometimes have beans or other legumes, too, and do enjoy these donuts which are in no way Paleo.Specifically to my last point, Chris Kresser's bookYour Personal Paleo Code is a wonderful resource for finding your own version of the Paleo lifestyle that suits you and you can enjoy for a lifetime.  If you've tried to follow a Paleo diet but felt discouraged or like you couldn't keep up with it forever, check out his book for some inspiration and guidance.As promised, here are some of my favorite sites for Paleo recipes, support, and info.  Check them out, "like" their pages, and add their array of knowledge and helpful tips to your tool belt.  Congratulations on choosing to improve your health, good luck on your journey, and let me know if I can be of any help along the way!http://sweetpotatoesandsocialchange.com/ - Samantha's local, she's our nanny, and she's incredible.  She has great AIP recipes and wonderful homesteading advice.http://www.ancestralizeme.com/ - Laura is an RD who is also local, and an incredible resource.http://chriskresser.com/ - follow Chris Kresser for great information on everything from fertility to sun exposure as well as nutrition.http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ - Mark's Daily Apple has great insight on living a primal lifestyle.http://againstallgrain.com/ - Danielle Walker is the author of two cookbooks - her first was a NYT best-seller!  A no-grain cookbook that went to the top - you know it's good!http://www.thepaleomom.com/ - Sarah Ballantyne wrote The Paleo Approach, which details how to use a Paleo diet to heal the body and help reverse the symptoms of autoimmune diseases.http://paleomg.com/ - As in "OMG, that's Paleo?!"  Find some delicious recipes (and cute fashion finds, if that's your thing) here!http://realfoodliz.com/ - Author of Eat the Yolks, Liz offers info on food, skincare, and farming via her blog, podcasts, and videos.http://paleononpaleo.com/ - If you need a pick-me-up, you can almost always find inspiration here!http://www.health-bent.com/ - A perfect example of sustainable, delicious recipes that are this couple's version of Paleo. Be sure to follow me on social media, too.  I share health tips, info, great Paleo recipes, or whatever else I find that might benefit you and your health!https://www.facebook.com/TriangleCRChttps://plus.google.com/+Trianglecrc/https://twitter.com/trianglecrc