Paleo Mistake #2: Too Many “Treats”
Up next in my little ‘Paleo Mistakes’ Series is another very commonly made error by those new to Paleo: inclusion of Paleo Sweets and Treats. I cannot tell you the number of times clients have shared their latest version of a ‘Paleo Pancake’ or “Paleo Banana Bread’ that they’ve created.
Yes, they use only Paleo friendly food, but they’re completely out of balance.
For example, one client made a large batch of ‘Paleo Brownies” using dates, raw cacao, honey and a touch of coconut oil. He snacked on this concoction throughout the day for several days (when he should’ve been snacking on fresh veg and protein with some fat), until they ran out…and then he made more.
He didn’t share the small detail that he’d added this ‘treat’ to his diet until two weeks had elapsed, and even then, it wasn’t until he and I were trying to trouble shoot why he’d not lost any weight in his first two weeks of being Paleo.
Rather than eating his five balanced Paleo meals I’d written for him, he’d been eating some of them, but the focus for snacks (and a dessert he’d decided to add) was on this high-sugar concoction.
Yes, the ingredients were Paleo but the formula he used, as well as how often he decided to eat it, was well off kilter.
One of the most important principles with Paleo eating is balance.
Balance in terms of macro nutrients (Paleo is roughly 40/30/30 in favor of complex carbs we get mostly through veggies and some fruit) as well as eating frequency.
Remember, a dessert is still dessert, a brownie is still a brownie and we do not need to be eating things like that with any regularity whatsoever.
Once in a while, on a rare occasion; similar to what cavemen did on the rare occasion they’d probably have encountered a beehive and subsequently indulged on the sweet nectar.
Please don’t kid yourself that you’re following the Paleo diet properly if you’re eating these sugary concoctions with any regularity.
Are they more favorable than ice cream and cookies?
Probably, but neither are good things to eat on a regular basis.
Go grab some kale & some raw salmon & let your balanced energy level flow!
