Going Paleo: Discussing the Diet and Lifestyle with Paleo Boss Lady

Let's Talk About Paleo

Q: What drew you to first consider and then adopt a paleo diet?

A: My health was declining at a rapid pace and my physical therapist knew it. Long gone were the days I could ‘work out’ in the gym. My physical therapist had just been diagnosed with celiac and saw huge changes when she gave up gluten. She suggested I try it. At the time, I would have cut my arm off if I believed it would have helped. Within a short time, it began to make a difference with my limb spasms, so I knew food was my missing piece. I worked with a nutritionist who led me close to a Paleo lifestyle. Eventually, Mark Sisson’s blog titled Mark’s Daily Apple inspired me to make more Paleo/Primal lifestyle changes until I saw Dr. Terry Wahls's TEDx and became a Wahls Warrior following The Wahls Protocol.

Q: Is paleo “just a diet” or “quick fix” or do you consider it a way of life?

A: I guess for some it could be “just a diet” and I have met many who go in and out of a Paleo lifestyle. For me, it is not. Today I practice a bio-hacked version of Paleo. Meaning as my healing continues, I have been able to introduce foods like grass-fed butter without issue. However, my consciousness regarding food will always be a way of life. I will avoid gluten, grains, legumes, and refined sugar. If it weren’t for grass-fed butter, I believe I would always be dairy-free.

Q: How is Paleo different from or the same as Ketogenic diets or Whole 30 diets?

A: Paleo is an ancestral approach to food. In a Paleo lifestyle, one consumes grass-fed and wild-caught protein, organic fruits and vegetables. A ketogenic diet focuses on limiting carbs to increase ketone production in the body. Basically transitioning from using carbs/sugar for fuel to becoming a fat burner and Whole 30 is a 30 day reset program similar to Paleo with strict rules that remove participants from the standard American diet.

Q: What were the first positive changes you personally noticed when you went paleo, and what changed after the first, say, 30, 60, or 90 days?

A: Once I gave up gluten, the spasms I experienced in my arms and legs started to diminish. Pain would also begin to leave intermittently. Once I began the Wahls Protocol, which is a modified form of Paleo that includes 9 cups of vegetables a day, I had all limb jumping end within 3 weeks. Within 18 months, the left side of my body that had been ‘asleep’ for 25+ years woke up, and 2 years later, I was able to drive for the first time in years. Today I am 8 years in and move my body freely.

Q: Who benefits most from a paleo diet? If a Paleo lifestyle supports your best life, then you yourself benefit most. Who would benefit least?

A: I think style of eating is an individual decision based on your body and how it works best. The only thing that’s really important is getting conscious about what ingredients you are consuming and learning the truth about why we eat.

Q: You routinely take your message “to the streets” as you tour America in your BAM van. What paleo insights do you bring to those you serve?

A: Most often, the homes I visit have not begun their conscious journey with food. My first message is to spend time in your pantry reading ingredients. If you don’t know a word or if it is not a whole food, don’t buy it ever again. Next, go to the store or blogs to find healthy replacements for the things you are concerned about missing. I was worried about muffin-less breakfasts, so I batch-cooked a recipe I found online for the first 6 months of my Paleo lifestyle.

Q: How can you eat paleo on a budget?

A: You can eat Paleo on a budget by following the dirty dozen and clean 15 when buying vegetables. You can also work directly with a local farmer or CSA. Also, try buying less desirable cuts of meat to slow cook for optimal yum while saving on the per pound price. The ultimate way is to plant your own food.

Q: Food preparation can be a major challenge for many Americans, as it can take so much more time to prepare real, whole foods from scratch. What quick tips do you have for our audience?

A: Roasting and crockpot cooking are huge time savers. Batch cooking is also a great tool. If I am not doing those, I find myself making one-pan meals.

Q: Do you have any favorite quick-fix dishes?

A: I have tons of recipes you can find that I have published for both Whole Life Challenge and Breaking Muscle. Most of them fall into the quick-fix category because I still have to be mindful of my daily hand usage. I’ve included a couple of my favorite recipes at the end of this article.

Q: Are there particular chain restaurants you love that have paleo-friendly options?

A: I would not say I “love” them but Chipotle offers a salad option. I honestly prefer to eat at home unless I’m in California where there are many options like Burger Lounge, GreenLeaf, and Café Gratitude, which are a few of my personal “home away from home” favorites.

Q: Do you think “paleo” is a fad that will fade into the background? Is it already fading / being replaced by Ketogenic or Whole 30 diet plans?

A: I see Paleo as being a lifestyle that many have lived and are living. In the current context, Paleo enthusiasts are simply shining some light on what others might have been doing since the paleolithic era. I see Whole 30 and Keto as therapeutic resets, not lifestyles.

Q: Are there benefits to going part-way on a paleo journey? Or are the benefits “all or nothing”?

A: I took a slow and steady approach and experienced benefits before I went full Paleo. I gave up gluten first and then all cow dairy, and went on from there.

Q: What key takeaways would you like our audience to better understand about living a paleo-based lifestyle?

A: Slow, steady, sustainable steps are the best way to lifestyle changes. I gave up gluten first, then all cow dairy, and went on from there. Community matters. Paleo is not limited to food.

Q: What additional resources do you recommend someone review if they want to get more serious about living a paleo lifestyle?

A: I would of course recommend you follow me at www.paleobosslady.com and on social @paleobosslady. I love The Paleo Mom, Paleo Magazine, and Practical Paleo.

Try Some of V's Delicious Paleo Recipes