Claire Yates - Optimum Health the Paleo Way: A 28-Day Plan to Adopt the Paleo Lifestyle With A Diet Designed to Help You Get Healthy and Feel Great

A 28-Day Plan to Adopt the Paleo Lifestyle
With a Diet Designed to Help You
Get Healthy and Feel Great

By Claire Yates

Copyright 2014 by Claire Yates

All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press.

OPTIMUM HEALTH THE PALEO WAY
EDITED AND TYPESET BY DIANA GHAZZAWI

Cover design by Joanna Williams Design
Printed in the U.S.A.

To order this title, please call toll-free 1-800-CAREER-1 (NJ and Canada: 201-848-0310) to order using VISA or MasterCard, or for further information on books from Career Press.

Text Copyright Claire Yates
Exisle Publishing Ltd 2012
Published by arrangement with Exisle Publishing Ltd.

The Career Press, Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
www.careerpress.com
www.newpagebooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Yates, Claire.

Optimum health the Paleo way : a 28-day plan to adopt the Paleo
lifestyle with a diet designed to help you get healthy and feel great / by
Claire Yates.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-60163-334-7 (paperback) -- ISBN 978-1-60163-428-3 (ebook)
1. High-protein diet. 2. Prehistoric peoples--Nutrition.

3. High-protein diet--Recipes. 4. Cooking (Natural foods) I. Title.

RM237.65.Y38 2014
613.282--dc23

2014008085

To my husband, Paul.
Thank you for believing in, supporting,
and adventuring through life with me.

It truly has been an amazing experience writing this book, and there is no way I could have done it without the huge amount of support from so many. I really do have many people to thank!

Paul, Abi, and Betty Yatesmy gorgeous family. Thank you, my amazing husband and best friend. There is just no way I could have done this without you. You have been my chief photographer, editor, computer-tech support, and just about everything! Your support never wavers, and you have helped me every step of the way. You had the confidence in me when I didnt, and you have allowed me to shinethank you! I love you and I love adventuring through life with you. My two little fur babies Abi and Bettythank you for your wet kisses and stress therapy. You are magical and just light up my life.

Mum and Dadthank you for always believing in me and telling me, even from a young age, that I could do anything I put my heart into. I love you.

Janine Flanaganmy sister, chief editor, and cheer squad. You helped me so much when you were so busy with your own work and always gave me the pep talk I needed. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I love you.

Liv Butcherthank you for always being there when I needed you and for sending over emergency supplies. You kept Paul and me going.

Wendy Brissendenmy amazing naturopath! Thank you for keeping me alive with supportive herbs and equally supportive chats.

Irena Macrithank you for sharing one of your prized recipes with me. I look forward to more amazing creations from you in the future.

Lola Berrythank you for your continual sound advice and support, and for sharing your recipe in this book.

Beth McGregorthank you for your feedback and your technical eye! I really appreciate it.

Warren Maginnthank you for your time, knowledge, and technical expertise. I really appreciate all you have contributed to this book.

Anouska, Monica, Tracey, and the Exisle teamthank you for giving me this opportunity and for having such patience with me! You have been amazing.

While this book is intended as a general information resource and all care has been taken in compiling the contents, this book does not take account of individual circumstances and is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a qualified practitioner or therapist. Neither the author nor the publisher and their distributors can be held responsible for any loss, claim, or action that may arise from reliance on the information contained in this book.

Im a nutritionist, so I guess that must mean that I am blessed with gorgeous skin, a perfect body, never get stressed, and eat only organic, green food all the time, right?

That statement couldnt be further from the truth, except the part about me being a nutritionistI have the degree on the wall to prove that one!

Through the years, while practicing as a nutritionist, I have learned many things about myself, but I think one of the most important things has been that every persons nutritional needs are individual. So often we read about how something is good for us or something is not good, or we should be eating X amount of something if we want to be healthy or only a small portion of Y if we want to lose weight. But, you know what? We are all individual! Goji berries might be the best super food in the world, but it does not mean they are right for everyone. Low-carb eating may have worked for some people, but that doesnt mean it is right for you.

Food is fundamental to our lifewe all need to eat! What you may not know, however, is that how much of what you eat not only affects your weight, but also your health, happiness, and outlook on life. But food is just one part of the puzzle; there are many other factors just as important to good health.

Through this book I want to share with you the bigger picture relating to our healthwhat has happened to it, how our food system has changed, and how things like stress play a crucial role in our health. Hormones, gut bugs, inflammation, sleep, and nature are all very important parts of the health puzzle, so it is important to get a better understanding of how they all connect to our wellbeing.

Adopting a Paleo template is essentially about eating fewer processed foods and more whole foods that do not cause you any ill effects (for example, possibly excluding foods such as some grains, dairy, and legumes, as these can upset many). Sounds easy enough, but it can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning. I have included a great 28-Day Reset Protocol to help you start eating the Paleo way, and I give you guidance and tips on how to stick to the template, while still allowing you to make individualized choices to suit you.

I will help you with food choices, stocking your pantry, and deciding what to eat for the first few weeks to get you started. I even have more than 100 yummy recipes for you to try! You dont have to worry about restrictive eating; these recipes are easy to make, taste great, and are packed full of nutrients.

While you are reading this book, I would like you to take the information given and test things out for yourself, because ultimately, no one knows your body better than you. You may be feeling unwell, lethargic, or just out-of-sorts because you simply have forgotten how to listen to your body. We are all guilty of that! To start to feel good again, all you need to do is allow your body time to heal after getting off the junk food you have been eating. Begin treating your body as a whole by evaluating your lifestyle and eating habits, and learn to recognize what is right for your body and what is not. Treat your body with love, nourish it with proper, real food, and it will look after you in return. Turn off the TV, tune in to your loved ones, feel the dirt on your feet, eat wholesome food, and start to feel alive. There is no better way of looking after your health and wellbeing than investing time in you. No one else can do that for you, and Im sorry, no magic pill will do it either!