Guest Post by Tarah Chieffi: Selecting The Best Foods For Your Paleo Pregnancy

A Note from Camilla & Melissa:

Tarah Chieffi brings a great deal of knowledge and personal experience to the Paleo community which we so greatly admire. As the Founder of one of our favorite Paleo Blogs, What I Gather, and the Author of the latest Paleo Pregnancy book, The Everything Paleo Pregnancy Book (which we are so excited to have just received in our mailbox!), Tarah shares Paleo resources and recipes with thousands of fellow Paleo fans and we are so honored that she wrote this Guest Post exclusively for The Paleo Pact.

Selecting The Best Foods For Your Paleo Pregnancy

By Tarah Chieffi

If you are familiar with the Paleo Pact girls and their book, PALEO Cleanse, then you are well aware of the benefits of eating a nutrient-dense Paleo diet. Eating real food and cutting out all of the “fake” food is what brought me to love Paleo in the first place; I knew that everything I was eating was full of nutrients and contributing to my overall health. You certainly can’t say that about an extra value meal from the fast food drive thru!

During pregnancy, though, there are certain nutrients that become even more important because of the roles they play in your baby’s growth and development. These include folate, calcium, vitamin A, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, among others. Following is a list of my favorite pregnancy superfoods and some tasty ways to work them into your diet.

EGGS: If I had to choose one pregnancy superfood it would most definitely be the incredible, edible egg. There is a reason eggs are referred to as nature’s perfect food. They are packed with protein, choline, selenium, B vitamins, and they are one of the few food sources of vitamin D. Need I go on? I don’t think there are many new ideas under the sun on how to use eggs, but I can tell you they are spectacular in my Garden Veggie Omelet, an exclusive recipe straight from my new book that you can find at the end of this article.

BEEF: A good source of protein, B vitamins, zinc and selenium, beef should definitely be on your pregnancy plate. Take the time to search out quality sources of grass-fed, pastured beef for the best nutrient profile because happy cows make happy hamburgers, stir fries and pot roast. Ready to take it a step further? Although there are warnings about consuming too much liver during pregnancy because of the high levels of vitamin A, one or two servings a week is perfectly safe and provides even higher vitamin and mineral levels than muscle meat.

AVOCADO: One avocado contains about 20% of your daily folate needs during pregnancy, a level that can be difficult to meet through food sources alone. You can blend half an avocado into your smoothie, whip up a batch of guacamole or serve it up on the side of your favorite omelet, like my Garden Veggie Omelet.

BERRIES: Need a sweet treat? Berries have it all – fiber, vitamin C, folate and those ever-important phytonutrients. Strawberries are one of the stars in my California Salad, but you can also top a bowl of creamy banana soft serve with sliced strawberries or throw a handful of mixed berries into your smoothie (along with that avocado, perhaps).

BROCCOLI: Move over, oranges. A cup of broccoli provides almost all of your daily vitamin C needs and is also a good source of calcium and vitamin A. Broccoli is delicious eaten raw with salsa or guacamole and it is also a wonderful roasted with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper or as an addition to stir fries.

WALNUTS: Walnuts are a good source of plant-based protein, certain B vitamins (including folate), omega-3 fatty acids, copper and manganese. There are a lot of fun ways to use walnuts besides grabbing a handful every time you open the cupboard. You can mix them with berries for a true superfood snack, add them as a crunchy salad topping or roast them with veggies, like in my Roasted Green Veggies and Grapes recipe.

If you are ready to learn more about how a Paleo diet can help you meet your nutritional needs during pregnancy, check out my new book, The Everything Paleo Pregnancy Book. With exercise recommendations, breastfeeding support and advice for recovering from childbirth and adjusting to motherhood, The Everything Paleo Pregnancy Book is the guide a mom-to-be needs to navigate a Paleo lifestyle during pregnancy. To top it all off, I’ve included over 100 recipes and a four week meal plan to set you on the path for a happy, healthy pregnancy. You can order the paperback and Kindle versions now on Amazon or find it at Barnes and Noble in stores or online.

Tarah Chieffi is an author, freelance writer, blogger at What I Gather and holistic nutrition educator in the Louisville/Southern Indiana area. Tarah’s passion is working with pregnant women, new moms and families to achieve health and happiness through physical fitness and a “real food” lifestyle.

ORDER YOUR COPY OF THE EVERYTHING PALEO PREGNANCY BOOK

BONUS RECIPE from Tarah Chieffi

Garden Veggie Omelet

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon ghee or coconut oil
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chopped spinach
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 green onion, diced
1 avocado, sliced

RECIPE

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add ghee or coconut oil to pan.
Crack eggs into a medium bowl. Add water, salt, and pepper. Whisk well.
Pour eggs into pan. When eggs begin to set around the edges, use a spatula to push cooked eggs toward the center of the pan, and tilt skillet so the uncooked eggs can spread to the bottom of the skillet.
When eggs are almost set, sprinkle spinach, cherry tomatoes, and green onion evenly over half of the omelet.
Use a spatula to fold the omelet in half. Cook for 2 minutes, until eggs are fully cooked.
Serve with sliced avocado.

Eat The Rainbow

You may have heard the term “Eat The Rainbow” recently. It’s picking up steam in a big way throughout the health industry. It’s meaning is pretty simple, you’re supposed to eat as many colored foods as possible during each meal.

Here’s an example of what “Eating The Rainbow” might look like:

Red- Tomatoes
Orange- Sweet Potato
Yellow- Yellow Squash
Green- Spinach
Blue- Blueberries
Indigo/Violet- Eggplant

Don’t get worried! I know that looks like a ton of food. The point isn’t to overeat, or to eat too much in the attempt to consume all the colors of the rainbow. The point is that you try to incorporate as many colors as possible into your meals. You also want to change up the types of foods that are a specific color. For example, you wouldn’t always want to eat sweet potatoes to get your “orange” in, you could try carrots or an actual orange.

The reason “Eating The Rainbow” has become popular is because nutrient (i.e. minerals and vitamins) composition and levels can lead to foods being a particular color. Foods that are a strong color are said to have more of particular nutrients. So the theory behind “Eating The Rainbow” is that if you eat various colored foods, you’ll gain a more diverse group of nutrients in your diet.

Here’s to “Eating The Rainbow”!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Order Your Copy Here

Find Out More About PALEO Cleanse Here

The Soy Scare

The soy phenomenon came in a whirlwind, died out due to mass-fear and has resurfaced again in recent years with the rise of the vegan movement. It’s a hot topic of concern in the Paleo community and there’s good reason for that.

Let’s take a moment to put soy in the spotlight.

The Infamous Legume

Soy is part of the legume family, a food group eliminated on the Paleo Diet because of the inability for our human digestive system to effectively digest and gain nutrients from the food.

Soy, like most seeds and other beans, were cleverly designed by mother-nature to propagate themselves. Thus, the bean is naturally coated with proteins that keep the bean intact, enabling it to pass through the body and grow into another bean-producing plant. Those proteins are, unfortunately, toxic to humans and result in intestinal irritation in the majority of our species. Internal irritation causes inflammation, triggered by the body having to attack itself to rid our cells of the unwanted food particles. This not only causes side effects such as bloating, cramping, headaches and sleepiness, it also distracts the body from its ability to stay youthful and from keeping disease at bay.

The Giant GMO

Soy is one of the largest genetically modified foods in the industry and is the second largest crop (after corn) in the United States, at the time of writing this post. Monsanto, the leading producer of genetically modified seed, currently grows genetically modified soy on 91% of the United States soy fields. That doesn’t leave much room for other soy options (of which less than 1% is organically grown). The US Department of Agriculture confirmed that over 90% of soybeans produced in the United States each year have been genetically modified to withstand herbicides. So not only are we left with an unnatural product, we are faced with one that’s been infused with chemicals.

A Leading Cause of Deforestation

Soy, along with corn, has become feed for most animals farmed to butcher in the United States. It’s cheaper than grass lots and it fattens up the animals quickly because, just like us, they are not able to digest legumes properly. As a result of the demand for soy feed, companies like Monsanto are planting growing numbers of genetically modified soy fields, which is having an increasing effect on deforestation, along with the displacement of indigenous people and smaller farms worldwide. Take Brazil for example, home to the world’s largest rainforest with incredible species of fauna and flora, including superfoods like acai berries. Each year, more of the Brazilian rainforest is destroyed and, in it’s place, soy fields are planted (as shown in this post’s featured image). Brazil has become the second largest global supplier of soy, after the United States, and supplies large food chains, such as McDonalds. This change has also affected the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the region and is subsequently affecting the people and Brazil’s climate.

Here Comes the Coconut

With all of the above concerns in mind, the coconut–as a substitute for soy products–is becoming more and more popular. Coconut milk is a great substitute for soy milk and coconut aminos work well in replace of soy sauce. But, even more significant is how one’s body benefits from leaving soy behind and turning to the superfood, coconut, instead:

Coconut is rich in omega 3 fatty acids and fiber that is easily digestible, metabolizes quickly, provides a natural source of energy, supports heart and brain health and nourishes skin and hair.

Sorry soy,

Camilla Carboni

@camillacarboni | camillacarboni.com

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Order Your Copy Here

Find Out More About PALEO Cleanse Here

Battle of the Omegas

It seems to have been commonly accepted that omegas, despite their high natural fat content, are necessary for human health.

Our bodies don’t produce these fatty acids naturally, so we need to get adequate amounts from food in order for our cells to function. What is still in question however, and what surfaces more and more with the growing amount of vegetable oils on our shelves and in our food, is the question of the appropriate omega 3 to omega 6 ratio.

What’s the difference between omega 3 and omega 6?

Both are polyunsaturated fats, also known as fatty acids. Omega 3 is primarily found in fish, such as salmon and tuna, as well as in walnuts and flaxseed. Omega 3 aids the body with blood thinning and reduces inflammation. Omega 6 comes largely as linoleic acid from plant sources, such as corn oil, soybean oil and sunflower oil. Omega 6 helps with blood thickening and immune response. Both fatty acids are vital components of the human diet, however, due to the large amount of vegetable oil, processed food and candy that contain high doses of omega 6, the average American is getting a much greater amount of omega 6 than necessary, and too little omega 3.

Why is the omega 3 to omega 6 ratio important?

Because each of the omegas have opposite functions, a healthy body relies on a balance of both fatty acids. An excess of omega 6, so common in the Western diet, is thought to be directly related to the increase of diseases like asthma, heart disease and cancer, and attributing to the alarming rise of obesity and depression.

What are a few easy ways to ensure I maintain a good omega 3 to omega 6 ratio?

Eat grass-fed beef
Eat wild-caught fish
Eat flax seeds
Eat walnuts
Eat olive oil
Avoid all vegetable oils
Avoid fast food
Avoid industrial food
Avoid candy

Here’s to a healthier You!

Camilla Carboni

@camillacarboni | camillacarboni.com

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Order Your Copy Here

Find Out More About PALEO Cleanse Here

How To Stay On Track This Holiday Season

Trying to maintain any type of healthy lifestyles during the holidays can be challenging. Things are constantly coming up, you’re going to parties with non-paleo foods and you have little time to get anything done. We have you covered this holiday season, the following is a list of tips that will help keep you on track during the holidays.

Tips To Stay On Track

Prepare ahead of time- The more you can prepare in advance the better. Try cooking and freezing your meals for the week or make sure you’re loaded up on healthy snacks. If you know you’re going to a party, think about bringing a Paleo side dish or appetizer, that way you know there will at least be one option for you there.

Cheat days- Sometimes you’re going to have non-paleo friendly meals. It’s human and that’s ok. To help minimize how often you cheat during the holiday season try to plan your cheat days ahead of time and limit them when possible.

Stay hydrated- We’re so busy some days that we forget to drink water. Often times when you’re thirsty your brain will get mixed signals and think it’s hungry, staying hydrated will help to prevent these mixed signals.

Simplify– The easier you make things for yourself the more likely you’ll succeed at it. Don’t get crazy with your meals during the holidays. Keeping it simple like a piece of protein and a side of steamed veggies will keep you from wasting time or getting off track.

Don’t stress out- Stress for most people is the number one factor for eating poorly. Try to keep from stressing out, maybe take a walk or a few deep breaths when you feel the pressure.

Restart- Sometimes no matter what you do you get off track. If you get off track, acknowledge that it happened and try to figure out what caused it. Then get back on track(restart), PALEO Cleanse is a great tool to help you get back on track after the holiday ride.

Don’t worry, you’ve got this under control. Here’s to a happier and healthier holiday season!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Order Your Copy Here

Find Out More About PALEO Cleanse Here

Go Nuts!

When we say “Go Nuts”, we don’t mean the crazy kind. We mean the raw, unsalted, omega 3-rich, natural kind!

Nuts boast large quantities of protein, fiber and essential fatty acids and are an easy and nutritious on the go snack that won’t leave you crashing. Plus, you can sneak them in to all kinds of recipes, from smoothies to salads and Paleo breads to power bars.

Each nut has it’s own unique composition and it’s own great benefits.

Let’s take a look at what we can go nuts for!

Almonds

Calcium-rich and high in vitamin E, almonds (particularly with their skin in tact), provide the body with essential oils that aid the heart and skin.

Brazil Nuts

Full of selenium, Brazil nuts help with the production of the active thyroid hormone, support the immune system and assist the body with healing.

Cashews

Full of protein, iron, magnesium and zinc, cashew nuts provide minerals that help with memory function.

Hazelnuts

A great source of folate, hazelnuts help to lower homocysteine levels, which reduces the risk of degenerative diseases.

Macadamia Nuts

High in natural fat, fiber and minerals, macadamia nuts support the heart and brain and make a good addition to a variety of dishes.

Pecans

Antioxidant-rich and full of vitamins B and E, pecans provide natural energy and help lower cholesterol levels.

Pistachios

Offering plenty of vitamin B6, potassium, fiber and antioxidants, pistachios are believed to help balance hormones and protect the eyes.

Walnuts

Very high in antioxidants, walnuts help keep disease at bay and provide a healthy source of natural fat.

Note: You don’t find peanuts on this list as peanuts are actually a legume and are not considered Paleo-friendly because of the digestive complications they cause within the human body.

So there you have it–our full permission to go Nuts!!

Camilla Carboni

@camillacarboni | camillacarboni.com

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Order Your Copy Here

Find Out More About PALEO Cleanse Here

Guest Post by Z Zoccolante: 3 Easy Ways to Avoid the Stress of Holiday Sweets

A Note from Camilla & Melissa:

We love to have guest posts and we’re so grateful that others want to share their stories and experiences with all of us. Every individual is entitled to their own health beliefs and we respect everyones wishes. While some of the comments in our guest posts may not be reflective of a true “Paleo Diet”, it is our hope that the common goal of a healthier life will help to guide you in your own health choices.

3 Easy Ways to Avoid the Stress of Holiday Sweets

By Z Zoccolante

The holidays can be stressful for so many reasons: gift shopping, family events, the collection of parties, making memories for the kids, and of course the sugar filled goodies that tease us from every co-workers desk.

As a child, I overheard the adult conversations about holiday weight gain and their resolutions to rid themselves of it. We have all refused the beautiful dessert, or forgone the second spoon of a dish we truly wanted.

The most stressful part of the holidays, for me, used to be the collective mass of food available. At fifteen, I developed an eating disorder and bought into the lie that skinny was beautiful.

I longed for holiday joy, but was faced with dread, self-loathing, and self-distrust. How could I be happy when I was a big fat failure?

When I recovered, I studied the source of what robbed my holiday joy. I realized that we tend to set rules for ourselves instead of listening to our bodies.

Rules like:

“I will only allow myself one cookie.”

“I will bake cupcakes with my child, but I won’t eat any.”

“I’ll have just one forkful.”

“No thanks, I’m watching my shape.”

Many of us share a collective predicament: the focus on our bodies as a measurement of our self-worth. So how do we stop this ridiculous war?

Here are 3 simple things you can do, this holiday season, to bring the magic back into food, and peace to your heart and mind:

1) Get Rid of the Rules.

Have you devised certain written or unwritten rules about how/what you’re allowed to eat? Throw them in the trash. Seriously. The best thing I ever did for my body was to make no food taboo. The psychology is simple. The more we resist something, the more it persists because we’ve given it a strong focus. Take the power away from food.

DO THIS INSTEAD:

Allow all foods, but pay attention to how your body feels when eating each food. The body is amazing and will tell us what it truly needs, if we let it. Allow foods that you want too, like that delectable cupcake. Then, when you are enjoying that cupcake, actually enjoy it. Use all your senses to appreciate taste, color, and texture. Don’t just shove it down your gullet, in the car, hating yourself the whole time. Treat foods like treasures, whether they are body needs or body wants.

2) Get Rid of Naughty/Nice food labels.

It’s become quite boring to hear people talk about food being on the “good” or “bad” list, as though foods must compete for a “naughty” or “nice” award. Food is food. You are not sinful because you ate a brownie for dinner. Likewise, you are not a saint because you refused the brownie and had a salad instead.

DO THIS INSTEAD:

When you notice that you’ve just put a food on the “naughty” list ask yourself, “Why is this food naughty?”

Often, we crave sweet food when we need more “sweetness” in our lives. Sometimes our eating masks an emotional need. Other times we just wanna eat the cupcake.

If you want to eat the cupcake, at least know why you’re eating it. Then eat the darn thing, with love.

3) Get Rid of Being a Grown Up.

When I was a kid, the holidays were full of special moments. Time spent in the kitchen baking cookies with my mom. Dancing to Christmas music while flinging tinsel on the tree. Palm trees glowing with rainbow Christmas lights. As we grow up, some of the sparkle we felt as a kid dims.

DO THIS INSTEAD:

Bring the sparkle back.

a) Does your family sit around after meals, watching TV? Suggest an alternative. Build a snow family in the front yard. Take a walk and see who can capture the best photo on their camera or iPhone. Create arts and crafts for the house or mailbox.
b) Tired of the same holiday goodies? Is your body craving a more natural treat? Try out a new recipe. There are numerous people today creating recipes from ingredients your body might process better. For example, you could start with the free holiday recipes on this site.
c) Make a secret family recipe and gift it to a neighbor.
d) As a child, what did you love most during the holidays? How can you recreate that sparkle in your life today?

If you find yourself struggling with food stress this holiday season, please contact me here. I LOVE coaching and want to support you.

Mele Kalikimaka and joyful holiday wishes to all.

With Love,
Z 🙂

Z Zoccolante is an author, actress, and fairytale dreamer. Her debut memoir will one day help others, who are trying to recover from eating disorders, attain happiness and freedom. As a coach, she specializes in uncluttering and defragging the mind. Originally from Hawai’i, she now lives in LA.

You can visit her blog at zzoccolante.com or connect on Twitter @ZZoccolante.

Top 5 Paleo Kitchen Tools

Paleo baking & cooking can be very easy and most of the time we can use the kitchen tools we’re familiar with or have on hand. One thing you’ll notice as you transition into the Paleo lifestyle full-time is that you bake and cook a lot more. There are a few tools that I use regularly and wanted to share with you. While these tools aren’t mandatory for Paleo living, they make my life a lot easier. So I wanted to share in case they help you.

Top 5 Paleo Kitchen Tools

Food Processor- Food processors are great. I’ve used mine for baking and cooking, whether it’s making pesto or date energy bars. I personally use the Kitchen Aid food processor but any sturdy one will work.

Salad Shooter- Salad shooters are great for shredding and grating. I use it often to shrewd zucchini and sweet potatoes that I use in various baked foods. The best part about salad shooters are that they’re relatively inexpensive.

Garlic Press- Garlic is a great way to season foods, unfortunately it can be a pain to peel and dice. I use the Pampered Chef garlic press to do all the work for me. I’m much more likely to include garlic when I use a press because the use and clean up is fast and easy.

Citrus Grater- A citrus grater is an awesome addition to any Paleo kitchen. Grated citrus is a fantastic flavor addition to any meal you’re cooking. Citrus is also a natural way to add flavor to your baked goods. Another way I utilize a citrus grater is to grate ginger, I often add this to fish dishes that I cook.

Mason Jars- Mason jars are a universal lifesaver. They’re an easy way to store your foods without having to worry about plastic containers. They can also be used to make mason jar salads. I personally use them to store my coconut milk yogurt and coconut milk whey that I make.

While these 5 kitchen tools aren’t necessary to live a Paleo lifestyle, I find them very useful. Do you have a kitchen tool that you think is necessary for living a Paleo lifestyle? Share it with us in the comments below.

Here’s to a healthier you!

Melissa Van Dover

@mvandover | melissavandover.com

PALEO Cleanse made the Amazon Best Seller list!

Order Your Copy Here

Find Out More About PALEO Cleanse Here

Our Book Is Here!

We have some fantastic news for you…our book, PALEO Cleanse: 30 Days of Ancestral Eating to Detox, Drop Pounds, Supercharge Your Health and Transition into a Primal Lifestyle, is officially here! It is in stock at Amazon and will be reaching your doorsteps soon. Don’t worry though you can still take advantage of the 25% pre-order discount for the next few days.

We wanted to celebrate the launch of our book so we decided to share some fun facts and information with you about it. Let’s do this…

Book fun facts:

For a limited time you can save 25% on Amazon and 24% on Barnes&Noble on the book, that’s about $4.00(or a pack of bacon, 3 sweet potatoes, etc.)
We’ll be launching a PALEO Cleanse page soon with motivational videos for each week of the cleanse and a few bonus recipes.
Paleo superstar, John Durant; and the “Founder” of the Paleo movement, Dr. Loren Cordain; have both agreed to review our book! This is crazy, exciting, amazing news for us and as soon as we get them in we’ll share!
You can win a FREE, signed copy of PALEO Cleanse here.
The majority of the book is dedicated to following a 30 Day PALEO Cleanse, however we managed to pack in a ton of recipes at the end of the book for your transition to a full-time Paleo lifestyle. Here’s a sneak peek of our post-cleanse recipes: Paleo Pizza & Vanilla Latte.
PALEO Cleanse is packed with 100+ delicious recipes.
PALEO Cleanse was published by Ulysses Press.

More about the book:

Paleo Cleanse: 30 Days of Ancestral Eating to Detox, Drop Pounds, Supercharge Your Health and Transition into a Primal Lifestyle

TRANSFORMS THE PROVEN APPROACH OF THE MEGA-POPULAR PALEO DIET INTO A HARDCORE, MONTH-LONG DETOX

By eliminating virtually all foods, most detox programs leave participants hungry and malnourished. The Paleo Cleanse takes a smarter approach. By allowing, but limiting, readers’ meals to only those natural foods that the human body is designed to properly digest, the program in this book guarantees that readers can quickly and effectively drop pounds, gain energy and feel great without starving themselves.

The benefits of the mega-popular paleo approach to eating are widely known, but putting its principles into practice are not so simple. Luckily, The Paleo Cleanse makes it easy by guiding readers step by step into paleo eating with everything from specific food replacements and helpful tips to customized meal plans and 100 delicious recipes.

Easy to follow and stay with, this unique cleanse has readers eating full meals while simultaneously flushing more and more unhealthy items from their system. Addressing unhealthy eating as well as all major food allergens, it also ensures that anyone can achieve renewed health after only one month of paleo eating.

Your authors: Melissa & Camilla

To buy the book:

Right now you can purchase the book through Amazon, click here to purchase on Amazon, and Barnes&Noble, click here to purchase on Barnes&Noble. PALEO Cleanse will be in stores shortly!

Thank you!

Thank you all for the massive support we’ve received during this journey. We can’t wait to hear your feedback on the book and bring you even more Paleo wonderfulness! We’ve had two major goals at the start of this all. The first was to help people lead a healthier & happier lifestyle through Paleo. Our second goal was to further our journey towards becoming best-selling authors. Wether you purchase the book, share our story or send us well wishes we appreciate all your support.

Here’s to the release of PALEO Cleanse!

Camilla Carboni and Melissa Van Dover

thepaleopact.com | @thepaleopact | facebook.com/thepaleopact

Reversing Heart Disease with the Paleo Diet

The topics of “Paleo” and “Heart Disease” come up frequently together of late. High-protein, high-fat diets were traditionally blamed for contributing to heart disease, but research shows that high-protein, high-fat diets don’t appear to correlate with heart disease at all, in fact, the theory might just be the opposite.

The latest studies, the numerous doctors standing behind this notion, and the case studies showing evidence that high-protein, high-fat diets, like the Paleo Diet, have in fact helped many people improve and even counteract their heart condition, is making the world think twice.

A couple of months ago we had the pleasure of meeting an incredible gentleman at one of our Cooking Demonstrations. He stayed behind afterwards and chatted with us about his personal journey to health and it was so inspiring that we asked him if we could share his story with you.

His name is Rich Melrath. The three of us recently had an enjoyable morning at Starbucks chatting about health. Rich’s personal health led him down numerous paths until he found the diet that made him feel best–the Paleo Diet. Surprise!

This is the story of Rich Melrath, may it touch your hearts as much as it has ours:

Prior to 2009, Rich lived a life similar to most Americans. He ate microwave dinners and commonly consumed processed, industrial foods and large quantities of sugar.

When he was diagnosed with heart disease, Rich knew he needed to change his diet. Like most people, he thought fat was bad, so Rich turned to a purely Vegetarian Diet. He felt a little better, but lacked energy, which eventually led him to realize that something was missing from his diet.

After moving to Colorado, Rich consulted with a nutritionist who felt that he wasn’t consuming enough protein. Rich finally agreed to add animal protein back into his diet and the result was instant: he had more energy, felt stronger and his overall health began to improve.

Inspired by his newfound wellness, Rich began to cook for himself more often and realized just how much sugar and sodium is added to pre-packaged foods (including Vegetarian ones).

He began to do research on sugar and grain and found out something interesting: that it wasn’t fat but rather high quantities of refined sugar and carbohydrates that seem to correlate with heart disease.

That’s when Rich found the Paleo Diet and he remembers thinking, “Ahhh, that’s what I should be doing!”

Rich also discovered that the elimination of other food groups as advocated by the Paleo Diet, such as dairy and legumes, along with giving up grains and refined sugar, improved his overall mental and physical state, not to mention his heart health.

Rich recalls happily that he “didn’t think [he] could feel this much better.”

Fast forward a few years. Rich is now off traditional heart medication and committed to practicing a Paleo lifestyle. He began attending health discussions at Natural Grocers, where he met Dr. Daniel Cobb, a Doctor, Professor and Author of Reversing Heart Disease the Easy Way. Dr. Cobb applauded Rich’s Paleo lifestyle, reiterating that healthy fats are not in fact, despite popular belief, the common cause of heart disease.

Rich’s Paleo lifestyle has dramatically improved his health and wellbeing. He particularly likes the fact that the Paleo Diet is “easy to follow” and continues to research more about it, discovering more benefits of the diet every day.

“My enthusiasm about how well I now feel is what’s driving me to continue,” Rich told us. He then left us with an inspiring message which we hope will now inspire you:

“Your health depends on you.”

We’d like to thank Rich for his openness and willingness to share his own remarkable journey to health.

If you have a health story that you’d like to share, we’d love to hear it!

Camilla and Melissa

thepaleopact.com | @thepaleopact | Facebook.com/ThePaleoPact

SAVE 26% on our upcoming book release, PALEO Cleanse. Preorder Your Copy!