What am I allowed to eat?

The Paleo diet is based on exclusive consumption of foods that were already available in the Stone Age. The easiest way to teach yourself is to focus on what can be hunted or gathered in nature.

a.) Protein

The nutrient protein should make up about 20% of daily calories. The best sources are:

• Beef and lamb: ideally grass-fed
• Pork and poultry: Here the quality depends very much on the food
• Innards: both an excellent source of vitamins and minerals
• Eggs: best if organic
• Wild game: Free game is usually raised outside
• Fish: wild-caught, oily, cold-water fish such as herring, sardines or salmon, and also freshwater fish from the region

b.) Fat

Fats are considered the best source of energy, which is why our body stores excess energy in the form of fat. In addition, long-chain fats fulfill important functions as building blocks in muscle or nerve cells.

Good sources of fat are animal fats like:

• Butter: best from grass-fed cows
• Beef and lamb fat
• Organic eggs
• Fatty cold-water fish
• Pork and goose fat from ethical animal farms

And certain vegetable fats:

• Coconut oil: good for frying
• Olive oil
• Avocados
• Macadamia nuts and coconuts
• Other nuts in moderation because of their high omega 6: omega-3 ratio

c.) Carbohydrates

The body needs carbohydrates to feed the brain, all of the cells and also our musculoskeletal system with energy. However, these carbohydrates don’t have to necessarily be supplied through food. The body can pull them by gluconeogenesis from protein and fat if need be. With little movement or the desire to lose weight, the carbohydrate consumption should be kept below 100 grams per day.

Vegetables are excellent sources of carbohydrates. In moderation, and especially after physical exercise, you may eat very starchy vegetables such as potatoes or sweet potatoes.

Fruit is also an important energy supplier. If you want to lose weight or if you suffer from metabolic diseases such as diabetes, eat no more than 2 – 3 units a day, depending on physical activity and weight. Berries are ideal, because they contain little sugar.

d.) Liquids

Drink lots of water! Have lots of herbal teas and treat yourself occasionally a cup of coffee.

Things to avoid

• All grains and grain oils
• Milk and milk products
• Legumes, including peanuts and soy products
• Industrially produced food
• Industrially processed oils
• “Foods” that end in “-ose” (sugar)
• Soft drinks of all kinds, including fruit juices as well as sodas