Paleo Lifestyle

The Paleo diet focuses on unprocessed whole foods, lots of healthy fats including saturated fat, grass-fed, free-range meat and eggs, lots of fish and seafood, vegetables, fruit, berries, nuts, seeds and some natural sweeteners. It excludes grains, legumes, processed sugar and most dairy. Some people include healthy dairy foods like kefir, full fat natural yogurt, some aged cheese and butter, but of course it really depends on your sensitivities. Paleo also focuses on local, organic produce and good farming practices.
A common misconception about the Paleo diet is that it's a low-carb diet with a focus on meat. While a lower amount of carbohydrates may be consumed compared to the standard diet through the exclusion of grains and refined sugars, plenty of carbs are still consumed from vegetables, fruits and nuts.

What's In:

• Meat and poultry (including offal): grass-fed, free range meat is not only a kinder and more ethical way to consume animal products but it is also much higher in nutrients because of the way the cattle was fed and raised. 
• Fish and seafood: try to choose sustainable, wild fish and seafood when possible.
• Eggs: free-range, pasture raised whenever possible.
• Vegetables: non-starchy and starchy tubers and root vegetables.
• Fruit and berries: stick to low sugar fruit and berries and keep high sugar fruit like bananas and mangos for days when you need a higher carbohydrate intake or when in season and tasting delicious.
• Nuts and seeds: in moderation. They are nutritious but many nuts and seeds are high in Omega-6 fatty acids which can be pro-inflammatory if consumed in large quantities and when your diet is not balanced by an equal amount of Omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish like salmon and sardines, eggs and leafy greens. 
• Spices and herbs
• Salt: use good quality sea salt or Celtic salt to get beneficial minerals and be sensible with it. 
• Healthy fats: coconut oil, coconut milk and cream, ghee, butter (it's mostly fat so no big problems with lactose), duck fat, olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, fish oil, sesame oil as well as from grass-fed meats, poultry and fish.
• Condiments: mustard, good quality vinegars such as Apple Cider or aged Balsamic, olive oil, mayonnaise, low sugar tomato sauces and paste, anchovies, olives, gherkins, capers, salsas and pestos, are all fine, just make sure no nasty chemicals and preservatives are added. Wheat free soy sauce such as Tamari and naturally derived oyster sauce are ok every now and again.
• For baking: nut meals, coconut flour, tapioca and arrowroot flour, sweet potato flour, chestnut flour, use in moderation as these are either still high in carbohydrates or may contain high amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids.

What's Out:

• Grains: especially wheat and anything with gluten. 
• Legumes: beans, lentils, chickpeas and so on. 
• Refined sugars and carbohydrates: bread, pasta, cookies, white sugar, artificial sugar, high fructose syrup, sodas, fruit juices and so on.
• Dairy: especially milk and low fat dairy and for those with damaged gut or gluten/lactose intolerances. 
• Processed vegetable oils and fats such as canola oil (rapeseed), soybean oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil and margarines and spreads made with such oils. 
• Products containing Gluten

All of the above are the same guidelines for Whole30 but here is the difference with Paleo 

Ok, on occasion:

• Natural sweeteners – honey, maple syrup, molasses, dried fruit, dark chocolate, palm sugar, rice malt syrup for those avoiding fructose.
• Alcohol – dry wines, clean non-grain based spirits.
• Pseudograins like quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat are less harmful but they are still dense sources of carbohydrates and contain similar antinutrients to grains. They should be prepared carefully to remove some of the anti-nutrients such as phytic acid. Soak such grains in salted water for 8-12 hours, rinse and then cook well before consuming. Chia seeds also fall in this category. Buckwheat is the safest out of these.
• Fresh corn, green beans and green peas fall into grain/legume category but in our eyes they are totally fine to use every now and then and especially when in season and local.

So today I went to Drug Emporium, Granary, and Albertsons today while I was in longview and got some Whole30 approved and Paleo items. 

After doing this for a little over a month I feel like this is a lifestyle that I can easily maintain 90% of the time. I have seen the benefits by how much better I feel. I used to have stomach issues a lot with pain in my stomach after eating and it was not from overeating it was from something I was eating. (grains and dairy) I have been able to easily lose weight without counting calories or starving myself. 

Shared information found here

Some other great info here 

Some great paleo recipe ideas here