Jenna Shannon is a Betterist in Healthy Eating/Nutrition with a specific focus on the Paleo diet and lifestyle. Not sure what it means to “Go Paleo”? Read on and let Jenna explain how it has transformed her life and can potentially do the same for you.

Our bodies are the result of millions of years of evolution. Despite all of our cool, modern technology, our bodies are nearly the same genetically as they were 40,000 years ago. Unfortunately, our food supply has changed dramatically, leaving lots of us overweight and unhealthy. The solution is to return to eating the traditional foods our bodies recognize. We can do this by eating the original human diet, also known as the Paleo diet.

Paleo is short for Paleolithic. The Paleolithic era ended approximately 10,000 years ago, before the invention of agriculture. The Paleo diet  is made up of foods that were available to our hunter-gatherer ancestors in their environment: meat, fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables, and nuts. These are the foods our bodies thrive on even now.

The Paleo diet doesn’t include packaged foods, processed foods, diet soda, sports drinks and “health foods” like reduced-fat frozen diet meals and protein powders.

The Paleo diet also doesn’t include some of the modern foods you might think of as healthy like  grains, legumes, soy and dairy. Although we’ve been told again and again to eat these foods, they’re actually responsible for many of our health problems. Many people experience  immediate positive results just from eliminating grains.

How To Start

Everyone can find a version of the Paleo diet that works for them, depending on their needs and personal preferences. The main goal is to eat real, whole foods. You’ll discover that Paleo foods are colorful, taste really good and fill you up, too. You don’t have to be perfect when you eat Paleo; strive to eat mostly Paleo foods and you’ll get major results.

Start by learning how to make some basic Paleo meals like roasted chicken, beef and vegetable stew, omelets, grilled salmon and colorful salads. Make sure you’re getting enough protein and fat with each meal. My favorite fats are avocado, walnuts, almond butter, coconut oil and olive oil. You can also get fat from protein sources like salmon (a great source of the highly-touted omega-3 fatty acids), grass-fed beef and chicken (you can even eat the skin).

If you’re interested in losing weight, you’ ll have an easier time if you keep your sugar levels low by limiting the amount of fruit you eat. When I feel like having something sweet, I eat berries topped with coconut milk and chopped walnuts. It’s really satisfying. You can put the ingredients in a blender if you prefer smoothies.

What To Expect

Once you begin eating a Paleo diet, you’ll notice some exciting changes like weight loss, increased energy and an improved mood. One of the biggest changes I noticed was that I wasn’t hungry all the time. You might also discover that your sleep improves and that your workouts become easier. All of that just from eating real food!

There is nothing mysterious about Paleo foods, which makes food shopping easier. When you walk into a supermarket, the number of choices can be overwhelming, and if you’re trying to decipher food labels, it can get really confusing. Food makers want to entice you by telling you their product is “low-fat” or “low-calorie” or “made with whole grains.”  We hear a lot about how we should avoid trans-fats and high-fructose corn syrup, but what about the long list of unpronounceable ingredients in foods? What about additives and preservatives? Eating Paleo means never having to decipher another food label. You’ll be eating single-ingredient, whole foods like chicken, shrimp, apples, broccoli, spinach, walnuts, blueberries, avocado and many other real foods that don’t even have labels. You won’t need to count calories, calculate fat grams or be an expert at the glycemic index.

The Paleo Lifestyle

Once you get comfortable eating a Paleo diet, you’ll notice a shift in the way you view yourself and your place in nature. That’s when this gets really exciting. You’ll begin to understand that getting a little sun is healthy. You’ll view sleep as one of the best things you can do for yourself (and not just an extravagance).  You might even start taking naps. You’ll notice that your newly-lean and energetic body wants to be active. Take advantage of your new enthusiasm by learning a sport, taking long walks outside and building functional strength. You’ll discover that being healthy feels good and is easier to achieve than you thought.

The most important thing you can learn from the Paleo diet and lifestyle is that by getting back to basics and understanding your true nature, you can live a healthy, vibrant life almost effortlessly.

Jenna Shannon is the creator of LeanMachineNYC. She lives and works in New York City, and an expert in the Paleo diet and lifestyle. If you’re looking to get long, lean and strong, contact Jenna and let her help you start your journey.

Not in NYC? Check out Betterfly’s other nutritionists and personal trainers to get fit in your local area.