Portion Control on a Paleo Diet
The paleo diet is easy. …Shop at the perimeter of the grocery store, stay away from the isles!
The Paleo diet is very effective for a lifetime of fat loss and weight loss BUT if your portions are way too big and your goal is to lose weight it will not work. Anytime you eat more than your body needs you will store it as fat. On a scale of 1-10, 1=starving and 10= Thanksgiving dinner STUFFED eat until a 6 or 7. Eat slow, listen to your body, take your time and enjoy every bite. When you have had enough your brain will tell you so. Anytime you eat too much (8, 9 or 10 on the scale) you will cause a surge of insulin in your body and you will then store any additional calories your body does not use for energy as fat. Small meals frequently is the key to stop cravings, lower body fat, lose weight and to be healthy and fit. You will turn your body into a fat burning machine instead of a fat storing machine. It is a balancing act just as in life!
Paleo portions for the average person
As Dr. Barry Sears recommends divide your plate into 3 sections:
1/3 low fat protein
2/3 colorful fruits and vegetables
Dash of good fat (olive oil, macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, avocado)
If you don’t have a food scale to measure your protein portion simply use the palm of your hand and the thickness of your hand as a guide to how much protein you need. Your thumb size is a guide for a tablespoon.
An example of a balanced breakfast for the average medium female:
3 whole eggs (free range, organic, check this article out about the best eggs to buy)
3 3/4 cups spinach
1 cup mushrooms
1 cup grapes
2 teaspoons coconut oil
Heat coconut oil in pan over medium heat add spinach and mushrooms. cook 5 minutes. Whisk eggs add to pan.
Perfectly balanced dinner for the average medium female:
3 ounce chicken thigh stuffed with pureed dates and wrapped in bacon
1.5 cups steamed broccoli
1/2 cup sweet potato mashed (see below for recipe)
Caitlin’s Sweet Potato Mashed
- Wrap 4-5 medium sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and place in crock pot for 6-8 hours on low, 4 hours on high or until potatoes are soft in center.
- Remove skins from sweet potato
- Put sweet potato in large bowl
- Add 2 tablespoons of grass fed butter, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp cinnamon, drizzle all natural syrup* all over potatoes. Mash everything together.
- Serve. Yum!
*all natural syrup is optional