I get excited when people are open to changing their food and adopting Paleo principles because I know it gets great results. I’ve said it before, but the best part of working in this industry is seeing people get good results! I’m not just talking about changes in body composition here either. Don’t get me wrong that’s good to see too but what really brings on the ‘warm and fuzzies’ is seeing someone who for the first time really believes in themselves and has full confidence that they are in total control of their health.

Unfortunately not everyone immediately see’s the dramatic changes they’ve heard and been told to expect when ‘going Paleo’. Some people’s results start to plateau sooner than they expect. It saddens me when these people decide that ‘Paleo just doesn’t work for me’. Finding what works for you is a process and a journey and in this article I aim to spell out some of the common Paleo pitfalls that prevent people from reaching their genetic potential when they first ‘go Paleo’!

1) Going nuts: Too many nuts. Nut’s are delicious but they can be quite moreish. ‘Moreish’ – causing a desire for more i.e. these cashews are very moreish. Nuts are very easy to over eat and due to their innocuous size and satisfying, crunchy mouth feel they lend themselves to mindless consumption. I’ve seen clients achieve great results simply from reducing their almond intake from over 100 per day to <15. Most nuts (with a couple of exceptions) are high in Omega 6 fatty acids and over consumption can contribute to system inflammation. If you can’t stop once you start there’s plenty of other good sources of fat out there.

2) Being too Fruity: Too much fruit can put too much fructose (fruit sugar) in your system. Too much sugar in the system can create a situation whereby your body burns this fruit sugar instead of dietary and stored body fat. Shifting towards more vegetables and less fruit will have a positive impact on your bodies fat burning potential. I’ve written extensively on this topic here.

3)The ‘Paleo’ Green Light: ‘If it’s Paleo it’s good for me isn’t it? No. ‘You can’t over eat on Paleo right?’ Actually you can

a) Eating too much of the right things. At the end of the day quantities do matter. One of Paleo’s appeals is that being higher in protein and good fats and lower in carbohydrates than the traditional western diet it lends itself to feeling full and satisfied while eating less calories. Weighing and measuring everything that goes in your mouth is largely accepted in the Paleo community to be unnecessary for that reason.

This does not mean that it is impossible to over eat when eating Paleo. It’s true you should eat until you’re satisfied but too many calories, irrespective of their source will result in weight gain. Even on Paleo foods.

b) Just because it says Paleo doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Paleo brownies, Paleo biscuits, Paleo pizza, Paleo pancakes. If it exists, there’s a Paleo version out there. Often these foods are made exclusively by ingredients that while technically are ‘Paleo’ (i.e. almond meal, honey, cocao), when combined and processed you end up with a high calorie, often high Omega 6 (bad) product . Damien and Melissa Hartwig from Whole 9 describe the eating of these foods as “sex with your pants on” and actually put almond meal on the ‘not recommended’ list for their program.  The real reason that Paleo works is that it puts un processed plants and animals on your plate and takes processed foods off it. Processing your own treats out of paleo ingredients misses the point of Paleo. They should be treated as any other treat and be eaten on special occasions if at all rather than as part of your routine.

4) Over liquification: Juicing fruits and vegetables  puts them in liquid form which rapidly increases their rate of absorption leading to greater rises in blood sugar and insulin response. This can result in a subsequent reduction in blood sugar as insulin does it’s work and a craving for something else sweet often follows. Often these smooothies and shakes are made with dairy which also has this insulin spiking effect. Not chewing the food yourself  reduces your stomaches ability to break down the food and absorb all the nutrients from these foods further down the line. Eating the vegeetables and fruits whole is always a better option and gives you a better sense of your portion and will often lead to greater feelings of fullness and satisfaction from a smaller amount of food.

Post workout is a better time for liquified food as a faster increase in blood sugar can be a good thing for training recovery,  muscle growth and repair.

5) Dairy: One of the most controversial topics in the Paleo world: We don’t recommend all people cut out all dairy as a matter of course with our eating paleo program. Dairy is full of growth promoting proteins, sugars and fats (depending on the degree of processing). Therefor it is not something we recommend people eat sparingly, if at all, for fat loss.   We often see people over relying on dairy as a protein source and not getting the fat loss goals they are after. Compared to poultry, meat, seafood and eggs, dairy  is a poor source of protein.

The Bottom Line: Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. If you’re not getting the results you’re after it may be you are eating too much nuts, fruit, dairy, smoothies, paleo treats or you’re simply over eatin gon the right stuff. A few tweaks could change everything!!