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Are Nuts Paleo? Includes 15 Nutty Paleo Recipes (+ Printable Paleo Food List)
Whether it’s trail mix, peanut butter, or chestnuts roasting on an open fire during the chilly time of year, Americans seem to be completely nuts about nuts.
They’re delicious, packed with protein, and are super convenient—you can just grab a handful and go! If nuts are really that amazing, it would be great if they were Paleo too.
But are they?
In order to find out whether or not nuts have a place on the Paleo plate, there are a few things we have to keep in mind.
What You Should Know About Nuts
Nuts can be made in a multitude of ways; one of the most common is to roast them. But as it turns out, roasting nuts changes the structure of their protein composition. One study that explored this found that Americans, who roast their nuts, are much more likely to be allergic to them than, say, Chinese people who boil nuts.
In addition to these allergenic properties, nuts also contain phytic acid. Being Paleo is all about avoiding toxins—especially those found in grains and legumes. Unfortunately, nuts have more phytic acid than grains! That’s a problem, because phytic acid binds to minerals in our guts and keeps us from absorbing those nutrients.
On the other hand, the human body is equipped to deal with some phytic acid (a few studies show that it may reduce the incidence of kidney stones), so perhaps the benefits of nuts will outweigh that negatives.
One HUGE Trick To Being Less Hungry. This Works ALL The Time.
One HUGE Trick To Being Less Hungry. This Works ALL The Time.
A lot of medical and nutritional research is focused on reducing signals of hunger, so that people will eat less.
Personally, I don’t think that the best way to get healthy or lose weight is to simply eat less. If you’re still eating junk, then it how much you eat is of secondary concern.
However, I have always liked the idea of being less hungry.
Protein + Breakfast = Happy + Full
Here is a recent article from Science Daily:
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4 Signs that You Don’t Understand the Paleo Diet at All
In college, I had a roommate who was vegetarian. Awesome guy, and I think he was vegetarian mostly because he had moral qualms with eating animals.
I’m quite certain that he wasn’t vegetarian for health reasons. Let’s just say that his diet – which consisted mostly of pizza and Little Debbie snacks – didn’t do him any favors.
So you can imagine my surprise years later when I found out that there were people in the world who thought vegetarianism was a healthy way to eat. Clearly they were all crazy and had never met my roommate.
What You Know About the Paleo Diet
All joking aside, my roommate’s diet obviously wasn’t exactly representative of all vegetarians, although I’ve known more than a few who seem to follow that same template.
As of today, I’ve followed a Paleo diet and lifestyle for about 8 or 9 years (it’s been a long time), and one of the things that surprises me most is how many people write about the Paleo diet (both in favor of and against it) without really knowing what it means to be or eat Paleo.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but here are 4 facts that will keep you from looking like a complete idiot when you talk to your friends, family, and colleagues about the Paleo diet:
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Paleo Mini Meatloaf Recipes
Regular (large-size or regular loaf-size) Paleo meatloaves are delicious and easy to make, so if you’re not already making Paleo meatloaves for dinner, then you should get started.
But Paleo mini meatloaves are also fantastic. They can be a fantastic snack that you can take with you on the go, a great appetizer to impress your family and guests, or a fun way to get kids to eat vegetables and organ meats.
So, here are some of our favorite Paleo Mini Meatloaf Recipes (sometimes they’re also called Paleo Meatloaf Muffin Recipes or Paleo Meatloaf Cupcake Recipes, or sometimes something completely different too, like the first two recipes on our list).
Is Coconut Water Paleo?
Coconut water in its purest, most unprocessed form is the thin liquid that builds inside the shell of a young coconut.
Not to be confused with coconut milk (made by grinding coconut meat and pressing out the liquid), which contains a lot of the fat and proteins from the coconut.
General Health Facts About Coconut Water
Coconut water is a naturally-sourced food without additives or added sugar. However, it is relatively high in natural sugar (16 grams in 12 ounces), something not always welcome on a Paleo regimen.
Coconut water is also high in potassium, a great source for fluid replacement and for hydration after exercise. It also offers several different electrolytes essential to our health.
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Listen Up Men…How You’re Hurting Your Kids and Grandkids
There is a vast array of research showing that a woman’s diet and lifestyle dramatically influences the health of her children.
Every expecting or soon-to-be-expecting mom is usually aware of this.
But the research and awareness is much sparser for men.
Guys, It Matters What You Eat and How You Live
Epigenetics has been a particularly popular topic lately (over the past couple years). If you’re not familiar with the concept, the general theory is that it’s not just genetics (genes) that get inherited by our kids. A lot of other information is also stored and passed by our bodies to our children.
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7 Surefire Ways to End Sugar Cravings and be Less Stressed about Eating
I love frozen yogurt.
In fact, there was a month last year when I had frozen yogurt probably 15-20 times. A full-fledged crisis, if you will.
On days that I would walk to the gym (3-5 times per week), I would stop on the way home and get frozen yogurt from one of the many “off-the-wall” shops. And I didn’t like just the frozen yogurt. Nope – I loved the M&Ms and chocolate chips that I would mix in.
Everyone who worked at the shops knew my name. I, on the other hand, made it a point never to learn their names. Let’s just say that I wasn’t excited to be their favorite regular.
I Can Justify Anything!
The worst part is that although I enjoyed the 5 minutes of eating the fro-yo, I was stressed for the other 23 hours and 55 minutes about NOT going to the frozen yogurt shop.
In the morning, the first thing I’d think about was that today would be a better day, and I wouldn’t give in to my cravings. Before I’d go to the gym, I’d tell myself that there was no way I was going to be weak on my way home. And yet, every time, I’d end up savoring the cookies-and-cream flavored fro-yo.
And afterwards, I’d start stressing about why I’d given in. Many days, I’d even find ways to justify it to myself.
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Natural Alternatives to Ginger Ale and Pedialite
Got this question from a reader recently:
My young daughter has the flu. My doctor recommends saltine crackers, Pedialite, and ginger ale, but I’d like to find Paleo or natural alternatives. Can you help?
This is a great question.
In particular, I love her desire to stay as natural as possible.
Natural Alternatives to Ginger Ale and Pedialite
As it turns out, recreating Ginger Ale and Pedialite is actually quite simple.
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Why 80/20 Paleo is a Recipe for Disaster
You can call me the Paleo police or a bad person or whatever you want.
But this needs to be said, because I hear SO many people tell me that they’re 80/20 Paleo. And it’s a recipe for disaster.
80/20 Paleo is Completely Backwards
The term “80/20” originated (at least popularly) with a guy named Vilfredo Pareto, who noticed that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. He went on to develop a general principle that 80% of the effects you get come from 20% of the actions/causes.
For instance, in business, 20% of your clients often account for 80% of your business.
Let’s think about this in the case of diet, nutrition, and Paleo.
What you’re trying to get is 80% of the results. You want to feel 80% as good as you would if you were 100% strict.
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Is Edamame Paleo?
If you’re like many people, you hear the word edamame and go, “Eda-what?”
Edamame, which is the Japanese word for “twig bean” (eda=twig, mame=bean), is—you guessed it—a kind of bean.
Basically, you can think of edamame as boiled green soybeans, and their healthful benefits have been touted far and wide ever since Faith Hill started snacking on them backstage during concerts. But are edamame really a healthful Paleo option?
What You Should Know About Edamame
Edamame are the babies of the soy family—young, and still in the pods—but that doesn’t make them any less of a soy product.
Soy contains powerful toxins, especially phytoestrogens (note the term “estrogen” in that word). These toxins interact with estrogen receptors in the body, which can throw off hormones and lead to a whole host of unwanted side effects; one study discovered a possible link between phytoestrogens and irregularities in the prostate, including cancer.
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Are There Any Long Term Side Effects of a Paleo Diet?
Besides living longer and feeling better?
🙂
I really want to give a 100% definitive answer to this question, but I don’t think that would be fair.
Long-Term Clinical Trials
They don’t exist.
Not for Paleo. Not yet, anyway.
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3 Sure-Fire Ways to Stop Stress Eating
Food plays an important role in pretty much every culture.
And in the US, it often seems that the biggest role food plays is as stress-relief.
When we’re tired, sad, or upset about something, we eat. And then maybe we eat a little bit more for good measure.
Stress-Eating Starts When We’re Kids
It’s not hard to understand why we stress eat.
It makes us feel better.
Part of the reason it makes us feel better is because food causes the release of certain hormones in our body. But there’s something else.
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Is Almond Milk Paleo?
This may surprise you, but almond milk has actually been around since medieval times.
As an alternative to cow’s milk, almond milk has been used for cooking, baking and straight up as a drink. Unlike animal milk, this milk-like drink made from ground almonds contains no lactose and is helpful for those with allergies to gluten or casein.
Nutritionally, almond milk offers many of the same benefits that almonds do, including magnesium, vitamin E, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, selenium, iron, fiber, zinc, calcium and several phytochemicals. Unsweetened versions are also low in calories, containing about 40 calories per 8-oz. serving.
Compared to cow’s milk, almond milk certainly offers less protein, with only a gram per serving, compared to the 8 grams that cow’s milk offers. In addition, almond milk won’t have the nearly the same levels of Vitamins A, D, or K as good grass-fed cow milk.
What Do Other Paleo Experts Say?
Is Paleo Safe for High Cholesterol and High Triglycerides?
Is Paleo Safe for High Cholesterol and High Triglycerides?
I’ve been asked this question a lot lately, and I know it worries a lot of people who are starting or who are thinking about starting a Paleo diet.
First of all, I can’t give anybody specific medical advice (I’m not a doctor, and I don’t know the particular situation).
But I can share my thoughts and personal experiences.
In General, Eating a Paleo Diet is Excellent for Cholesterol Issues
For many years, many doctors have believed that fat and cholesterol in our foods were a problem, but it turns out that those things have very little impact on cholesterol for the majority of people.
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5 Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Gluten-Free Diet
It sounds so easy.
Just avoid gluten, right?
How could you possibly mess that up?
Actually…
It’s Quite Easy to Fail on a Gluten-Free Diet
You may not achieve your goals, you may not stick to it, and you might just make things worse.
But making gluten-free work for you is entirely possible, so long as you have your eyes wide open when you start, and so long as you’re smart about how you approach it.
To help you out, here are…
The 5 Biggest Mistakes When Starting a Gluten-Free Diet
1. Not Knowing Why You’re Going Gluten-Free.
This is the biggest mistake you can make. And it’s the one that will cause you to most quickly give up.
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