The Paleo Diet Review – Nikki Youngs Paleo Cookbooks

Eating Like Our Ancestors Did

I am skeptical of most diets, and I have heard of some ridiculous ones in my time; even the Atkins diet always seemed slightly nonsensical to me. But I took up the paleo challenge after hearing about the hunter-gatherer diet from a friend who lent me Nikki Young’s paleo cookbook series. She challenged me when I said there would be little left to eat if I went paleo, “Bet you didn’t know you can make cakes without using flour!” She replied.

Eating like my hunter-gatherer ancestors did would certainly be far healthier than the way I have eaten in the past. Our forefathers didn’t have access to ice cream or sweets, and I guess a dessert 1000 years ago was a few berries and seeds mixed up with some water. Luckily for me, the paleo diet has evolved since then to even include chocolate brownies!

The Paleo diet is based upon the principle of eating naturally harvested foods such as meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. The basic premise is if you can harvest it without processing it you can eat it. Paleo encourages organic grass fed meat, and buying vegetables untouched by deadly agrochemical treatments.

Foods Excluded From a Paleo Diet:

• Pasta
• Bread
• Rice
• Potatoes
• Lentils
• Dairy
• Processed sugar
• Preservatives

Benefits of the Paleo Diet

The exclusions of the Paleo diet are far outweighed by the potential benefits, these benefits include:

• Lower blood pressure
• Lower cholesterol
• Increased Energy
• Increased Sex Drive
• Clearer, Smoother Skin
• Weight Loss Results
• Better Performance and Recovery
• Stronger Immune System

I have personally experienced clearer and smoother skin, increased energy and weight loss down to 13.5 stone, a weight I haven’t been in 5-years. If you do a quick surf on the net you will see that paleo is fast becoming a popular choice for those seeking sustainable weight loss rather than quick fix fads that put weight back on faster than you lose it. Paleo is also synonymous with crossfit training and endurance type exercise regimes.

Ease Yourself Into Paleo

I am somewhat of an unorthodox Paleo follower because I still eat brown pasta, yet I have kicked bread and have a flatter stomach for it. I eat a lot of chicken breast and vegetables, plenty of fruits and nuts and seeds for snacks. Dairy, processed sugar and preservatives are the three areas I have heavily excluded from my diet. I still slip in a chocolate bar or pudding once a week, but I always think a treat is a well deserved reward for being so healthy. Instead I use honey and organic maple syrup as sweeteners, also almonds and berries in my desserts. I hope to gravitate away from the little pasta I do eat, but I am not sure it is entirely necessary seeing as I am achieving the desired results.

Easy and Delicious Paleo Cooking

One thing that normally puts people off diets or thwarts their progress early on is the lack of available options when it comes to cooking. Luckily for me I had Nikki Young’s Paleo cookbooks from the start. Nikki provides a recipe for nearly everyday of the year, and there is a great variation of starters, mains, desserts and snacks on the go in all three of her cookbooks. Unlike many digital products the books are easy to follow, with step by step recipe instructions and glossy pictures of what your meals should look like!

Paleo – A Way of Living

Paleo is essentially a way of living rather than a diet, and once you get into it you really start to feel human again, connected with nature in a big way. Paleolithic living extends way beyond food consumption, and also focuses on limiting exposure to chemicals found in house-hold cleaning items and personal care products. Everything Paleo is geared towards a natural existence and eradicating toxins and chemicals. Quite simply Paleo living makes common sense, if you live it you will live healthier, look younger and last longer!

Read More About The Paleo Cookbooks Here