Sunday, April 24, 2016
Thursday, April 7, 2016
What's Next? An Interview With Paleo Newbie Michael Collins
Making the change can be hard
when it comes to eating. So if you’re a wannabe Paleo follower or if you are
already on board but wondering what’s next, here are some suggestions to
overcome the common setbacks of this lifestyle change.
Dieting implies that one is
restricting oneself or even depriving oneself of food that they want to eat.
Luckily, the Paleo diet isn’t actually a diet at all – but an entirely new lifestyle that
allows you to eat delicious food AND feel great.
The Paleo diet is different from
other fad diets like Weight Watchers, Special K, and Nutrisystem because it doesn’t rely on marketing tools
and celebrity endorsements to sell food produced in lab. It relies on nature.
When one decides to go
full Paleo, he or she must have a plan in place to avoid any temptation to
revert back to old eating habits. This begs the question, now what?
The Paleo Story recently conducted
an interview with Paleo newbie and senior at George Mason University, Michael
Collins. During this interview, Collins talked about what he found to be the
hardest part about staying on the right track.
Collins said, “The hardest part
for me in the early stages was getting to know my body and realizing just how
much junk food I was craving without even realizing it.”
This is an example of how Paleo can open one’s mind to
reveal just how much the brain is influencing what the body is doing. This
applies to anything from the cravings to the cardio. When switching from a junk
food (RE: regular) diet to a Paleo diet, it’s essential to
establish a healthy (literally) relationship between the body and the mind.
Collins also revealed how he
initially struggled to find meals he could enjoy that met the Paleo requirements.
When asked how he overcame this
setback, he said, “I threw out all of my old sugar-laden cookbooks and
fattening recipes. I thought to myself, ‘If I’m going to do this, I need to do
it right,’ I had an all or nothing mentality, which for me, was helpful.”
While tossing out a cookbook
collection may seem drastic for beginners, it is important to realize how many
alternatives are available for finding usable recipes.
Blogs-turned-businesses like PaleOMG, Against All Grain, Primal
Palate, and Nom Nom Paleo are a few of the most widely known resources to find recipes
and cooking tips within the Paleo community.
When asked what his favorite
go-to recipe was, Collins answered, “I don’t like to narrow my options to one
particular meal. Instead, I focus on filling my plate with a lean protein and
loads of fresh veggies.”
Lean proteins and leafy
vegetables are a stellar combination for those looking to lose weight and boost
energy levels. However, it can be easy to fall into a rut of eating the same
thing over and over again.
To combat this, Collins
suggested that a Paleo newbie be fearless in creating his or her own recipes. He
said, “I have a lot of fun working in the kitchen to recreate recipes I once
enjoyed but can’t eat on a Paleo diet such as spaghetti or
even fried chicken.”
Not only did Collins discover
how many alternatives are available for Paleo meals, he also discovered
a new love and appreciation for cooking.
“Paleo has made me realize how
many options there are in the kitchen. Before Paleo, I would have never thought
to spiralize a zucchini to make ‘noodles’ or to mash cauliflower instead
of white potatoes,” Collins said.
Cooking shouldn’t be intimidating but inspiring for Paleo hopefuls. On the opposite
hand, however, the grocery bill might be something to adjust to.
Shopping for food at Whole
Foods may be more expensive than Wal-Mart, but there’s a good
reason for that. Food that is mass-produced and overly processed like sugary
cereals, potato chips and popsicles are cheaper to make than food that is naturally sourced and
farmed.
It makes logical sense that
“healthy” food will cost more, even though it doesn’t make moral sense. With
this in mind, Paleo newbies must face the fact that it can potentially be more
expensive to follow a Paleo diet opposed to a junk food diet.
Collins reflected on his
experience with price increases by saying, “I found it discouraging to pay more
for a head of kale – food that prevents cancer – than I would pay for a king
size chocolate bar. Where’s the disconnect in this country?”
He’s right. There is a major
misstep in America when it comes to the food industry. Is this why we are the
most obese nation in the world? It certainly contributes to that fact.
However, Collins said he
quickly got over the price difference between healthy and unhealthy foods once
he saw and felt the results from his Paleo lifestyle.
According to Collins, “[Paleo] is worth trying for one
month. One month is all it takes to feel like a brand new YOU. It’s hard, it’s
challenging and it’s inconvenient at times. It’s worth it. You will feel and
look like the very best version of yourself. That, to me, is priceless.”
---SEE VIDEO FOR MORE OF THE
PALEO STORY INTERVIEW------
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