30 Day Paleo Reset Program
When it comes to your computer, unless there are noticeable hardware problems, generally, the first thing that comes to mind when it isn’t behaving in a way that you would consider ‘normal’ or ‘optimal’ is to turn it off and on again.
Surprisingly, rebooting is one of the most effective ways to fix problems with computer software.
So, if we consider that our bodies are our hardware and that its internal workings are the software, how do we set about ‘rebooting’ our internal mechanics to get our health back on track?
This is where the Paleo 30-Day Reset Programme comes in. With this program, we aim to identify which foods may be causing the problems within your body by eating like our ancestors during the Paleolithic era.
Keep in mind that we are not recommeding Paleo as a long term diet and just using it as a means to detrmine which foods may be causing your health problems over a 30 day period.
Table Of Contents
The 30-Day Paleo Reset Programme
The 30-Day Paleo Reset Programme is designed to improve your energy, sleep, digestion, increase your metabolism, improve mood, and generally have you feeling so much better in a 30-day period.
The 30-day paleo reset program is not meant to be a debate about what people actually ate during paleolithic times but to focus on eating real food for 30 days that has not been processed.
While it may seem amazing to get these results just from changing your diet and lifestyle in 30 days, I have seen so many people make incredible transitions in this time frame. This is due to the importance of your gut health.
In short, your gut health refers to the trillions of microorganisms known as the microbiome living in your digestive tract that play a pivotal role in breaking down the food you eat into nutrients your body requires to function optimally.
The Paleo Diet can help you develop a healthier gut by resetting your microbiome so that you have higher levels of good bacteria and lower levels of bad bacteri that can be caused by foods that negatively affect the microbiome.
If there are any lingering health problems at the end of the 30 days this is when some functional pathology testing is a good idea to take a deeper dive to investigate what may be wrong.
By the end of the 30 days, you can then start to re-introduce foods that you had eliminated to see which ones are causing negative reactions in your mood, energy, and weight.
What Foods Do You Eat?
I have divided this into three sections to make this as simple as possible and also eliminate any “grey” areas.
Foods to Enjoy!
The first section is the foods that you can eat as much as you like, there is no counting calories or rationing different macronutrients, we are just focusing on eating good quality foods.
This is not a fast or calorie-restricted weight loss program (though if you have weight to lose this is a great way to do it)
Meats and Poultry
This includes beef, lamb, chicken, pork, duck, kangaroo, or other game meats, ideally the meats will be free-range and grass-fed, but if this is not available don’t let that stop you from doing the program.
Organ Meats and Bone Broths
These are some of the most nutritious foods available both for their nutrient and amino acid content, with the organ meats, in particular, it is important that they are organic …. and if you don’t like the taste you can hide them in soups and stews!
Fish
Especially fatty fish like mackerel, sardines, salmon, and tuna which have a much higher omega 3 content than regular white fish. Wild fish is preferable.
Eggs
These should be definitely free range! The advice only a few years ago was to limit eggs due to cholesterol, but this has been well and truly been proven to be a myth and eggs are one of the most nutritious foods on the planet.
Vegetables and Salads
Most people do not eat enough vegetables and it is something that everyone can focus on eating more of, they provide so many vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and fiber.
Fermented Vegetables
This includes sauerkraut and Kim Chi, they are excellent sources of beneficial bacteria and great for gut health.
Traditional Fats
That’s right fats are in the “healthy category” and while they have been demonized for 30 years for causing obesity and heart disease the science shows that they are not the cause and the fact that most populations around the world have eaten a higher fat diet for thousands of years.
The good fats include coconut oil, olive oil, macadamia oil, and animal fats like duck fat, lard, and ghee.
Herbs and Spices
These are not only the best way to flavor your food but are an important source of nutrients.
Foods to Eat in Moderation!
Fruits
While fruits are nutritious they are still high in natural sugars and you do not want to overeat them, especially if you have weight or low blood sugar issues. I recommend 1-3 serves a day.
Nuts and Seeds
These are nutrient powerhouses and I recommend eating a handful a day of unsalted natural nuts and seeds.
Coffee and Tea
These are ok in moderation but avoid dairy milk and sugar that many people like to add! If you experience fatigue or insomnia it would be a good idea to avoid for the 30 days due to the effect that caffeine has on your adrenals and sleep quality.
Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is the best choice and can help stimulate digestive function.
Dark Chocolate
While dark chocolate is nutritious and often touted as a superfood, I would limit to only small amounts of 2-3 squares a night.
Restaurant food
I recommend limiting eating out while doing the 30 day reset or sticking to health-conscious restaurants.
The main problem with many restaurants is that they use industrially processed oils like vegetable oil and canola oil which are high in omega 6 fats and cause inflammation.
Foods to Avoid Completely for the 30 Day Paleo Reset!
Now for the controversial foods to avoid list! Some of these foods like industrially processed seed oils I believe should never be eaten, but some of these foods like dairy and legumes some people tolerate very well, and they can be nutritious, but for some people they create inflammation and the best way to find out if they do is to avoid them for 30 days.
Dairy
This includes milk, cheese, and yogurt from cow’s, goats or sheep, the one exception would be ghee as it has had the lactose and casein removed.
Grains
This obviously contains all the gluten-containing grains like wheat, spelt, rye, barley, oats plus other grains like rice and quinoa.
While many people feel better for avoiding gluten grains for the 30 days we are going to avoid all grains and then you can test grains like rice and see how they make you feel after eating them
Legumes
This includes all beans, legumes, and peanuts
Sweeteners
This includes both natural and artificial sweeteners like honey, rice syrup, maple syrup, Splenda, stevia, and any of the other concentrated sweeteners, it is easy to be “addicted” to the sweet taste and the need to have something sweet, the 30-day reset will help to overcome the need for sweets (this does not mean we can never enjoy treats)
Processed and Refined Foods
The general rule is that if it comes in a box or a packet, or contains any ingredients that sound like chemicals do not eat it.
This includes packaged protein bars and other foods marketed as health foods, plus highly processed sauces and condiments.
Industrial seed oils
These are highly processed and heat-treated oils that are high in inflammatory omega 6 fats, this includes canola oil, rice bran oil, soybean oil, and other “vegetable” oils
Soft drinks, sodas, and juices
These are highly processed and contain concentrated sugars
Alcohol: In any form (don’t panic, it’s only 30 days!)
So there it is! Don’t worry about the “Paleo” name, this is basically just a real food eating program for a month, and the types of foods that people would have normally ate only 200 – 300 years ago, we are not trying to replicate what the caveman or woman may have eaten but just focussing on real unprocessed foods.
Variations to the Program
For anyone with arthritis, chronic joint pain, severe gut issues or an autoimmune condition I would look at also eliminating eggs and nightshade vegetables which included tomato, potatoes, peppers, eggplants, and chili as these foods can create inflammation in some people.
If you have diabetes, insulin resistance or your main focus is weight loss I would look at limiting carbohydrates by reducing your intake of fruits and starchy vegetables.
If you are not ready to commit to a 100% 30-day paleo reset program, why not start with cutting out one or two things like gluten and sugar, while increasing your intake of vegetables. Start with what will work for you and work up to the 100% program later to get the optimal benefits.
Summary
If you need help with the program or are not sure how to get started let me know and we can set up a consultation to tailor a program just for you, this can include meal plans and recipes.
If you do this for a month I guarantee your health and wellbeing is going to improve in many ways. At the end of this time if you are still having any health problems I can organize some functional pathology testing to uncover what is the cause of the problem.