I can hear the crying and wailing as I put pen to paper. “How to get started?! What about breakfast?! What about my favorite cereal?! No bread!!!! No pasta! I can’t do this!!!”
You CAN do this and you WILL succeed. I realize I am suggesting a way of eating that is completely new to you. But, behold! I care about your success and won’t throw you to the wolves without a spear to fight back. So, this week I am providing a shopping list and a week worth of food choices to help you transition into this seemingly impossible but oh, so worthwhile journey towards a healthier you.
So where to begin?
- Empty your fridge
- Empty cupboards
- Empty the secret stash of goodies in your underwear drawer…
The point is to get of rid anything that has gluten, sugar, wheat, and flour. If it’s not fresh meat, fruits, vegetables or healthy fat (from coconut oil, avocado, nuts), it needs to go. Now that your cupboards are empty, you’re ready to fill them with goodness.
“But wait…! Isn’t Paleo or Ancestral eating expensive?” Yes, if you only purchase organic, pastured meats and vegetables. The process of purchasing organic, grass-fed and pastured products sounds great, but in these unsettling times where every penny counts, I am believer in purchasing the best food that you can afford. If you can afford WholeFoods, that’s great but don’t feel bad if you can’t. Purchasing wholesome, healthy, non-organic foods from your local grocer is better than consuming sugar-laden, gluten-filled, processed products.
Okay. The beginning of the week is fast approaching and we need to get prepared.
Step One: plan your meals for the week. This takes the guesswork out of what to eat and makes avoiding the consumption of gluten easier. (I’ve arranged the following template around a three meal and one snack diet but feel free to change the quantity of meals dependent on your goals. This meal plan is based on my own. I am 6’1, 250 pounds … it may be too much food for the average person.)
Monday
Breakfast
7- eggs (cooked in coconut oil)
4 slices of bacon
1 large sweet potato
and water.
Lunch
Three cans of Tuna (mixed in olive oil) no canola for this guy.
Dinner
Whole roast chicken w. broccoli and a whole avocado (leftovers for sure)
Snack
Post workout Snack
1 can of coconut milk, blended with a half a can of sweet potato and cinnamon
Tuesday
Breakfast
Left over roasted chicken from the night before and broccoli with Traders Joes
Lunch
6-8 oz grilled salmon, asparagus, mushroom, bamboo shoot, and coconut milk curry.
Dinner
Baked pork loin with ginger cabbage and olive oil
Snack
2-4 oz grilled chicken, handful of almonds or macadamias.
Wednesday
Breakfast
4-8 egg omelet with 1 whole avocado. 1/2 cup blue berries.
Lunch
Canned salmon salad with olive oil, avocado
Dinner
Steak and a couple of Sweet Potatoes.
Grilled Rib eye with grilled shrimp. Large mixed salad with greens, red onions and ginger sesame dressing.
Snack
4 boiled eggs and half of an apple.
Post workout Snack
Thursday
Breakfast
Coconut milk shake, with 6 eggs, 1 can of sweet potatoes, 1 banana and a dash of cinnamon.
Lunch
Four can of tuna, one whole bell pepper and Olive oil and paprika.
Dinner
2-3 whole Turkey legs, sautéed kale in garlic and sweet potatoes.
Friday
Breakfast
