How I converted to a Paleo Vegan diet

It was many years ago, I was looking at the new year and wanted to do something to change my life, not quite yet Paleo Vegeo yet. I had already gone almost completely organic, and was getting all of my pastured meats locally, and just wanted to try something more. I happened to watch FOOD Inc, at the same time as picking up Veganist by Kathy Freston and realized what I was looking for. On January 2nd a decade ago I started the 21 Day Vegan Kickstarter program and it was a huge change that impacted my life. Think about what just going meat free once a week could do for your body? The impact on our microbiota is huge. 

So for the first few years I was just vegan, not paleo yet. I think I ate mostly quinoa, if that doesn't sound familiar to other new vegans out there I will be shocked. And I ate a lot of wheat based meat-free products. I thought I was doing the best for myself, but I still didn't really feel great, which is probably why when we moved to Washington I found my body and my adrenals went bonkers. That's when I added back in eggs and wild caught salmon immediately. I can only imagine it was the omegas I was desperate for. It took me a lot of years to realize that healthy fats were really lacking in my diet. I have an allergy to latex so I can't eat avocado as well as kiwi, banana and some other tropical fruits. I am allergic to nuts and some seeds so there is also a huge disconnect for me in that area. So my brain and my body craved fats. I added that and an undenatured whey protein in, but eventually that leads to cheese. Cheese is the nemesis of most of you trying to get away from dairy. And we have to break up. Cheese is not our friend and nut cheese is not mine. I do a lot of algae oil now, and it's been very heart healthy for me to get those extra monounsaturated fats that make the Mediterranean diet so healthy. 

If you take the time to read up on the entire Organic industry you find that they are worried, and with good reason, about what could happen to their industry if they aren't protected from the genetically modified products, but one in particular alfalfa. Monsanto's genetically engineered (GE) Roundup-Ready alfalfa has already cost farmers millions of dollars, and now, a new study by the USDA, the same agency that re-approved it, has found that GE alfalfa has really gone wild, literally. So if alfalfa is in your greens and you think you're doing well by it, you could be wrong. I am careful about any product that I get because of these cross contaminants and I know that if a company is doing a good job at testing their farmers, then you are likely to get some bad mojo. Read the article and think about what your choices are doing to the rest of the world, and how little nutrition we will have left if we don't start supporting GMO-free companies now. I love that there are no genetically modified products being use in the creation of the vegan products I use now, they go out to the farms and test the soil on the bottom of their shoes as well (ssshhhh ... don't tell the farmers) and I am fully engaged in where this next chapter of my health and well being is going to go, because I'm in... all in!

I have been able to give up the quinoa. When I first read up on becoming paleo the wheat was easy to give up but the quinoa was insanely hard to let go of. But I did it. You can too! Now when I have tried to reintroduce quinoa it just makes me bloat immediately. So obviously not for me. I eat lots of vegetables now, some fruit, I sometimes have potatoes or white rice (I don't eat brown rice because the hulls tear up my gut) just to give my gut a little extra resistant starch. I will very rarely when traveling and busy have a pastured egg, but I am over fish. Just have your husband cook up some salmon on the grill a few times and it will GROSS you out from every wanting it again. I keep wanting to share my algae oil with Bob Harper because he has the same genetic sticky blood platelets that I do.




I have found the Follow Your Heart VeganEgg product that has been a lifesaver on occasion. We sometimes do Daiya cheese although it's definitely a processed food. The only time beyond that when I will lean into grains is when we hit Southern California and I get to go to Blaze Pizza. They have a GF pizza that they do with Daiya cheese and it makes me happy. We all have to have a cheat sometime, right?

So what about the protein? We really don't need that much in our diets. Really!! Do your research. I get protein in lots of veggies including my favs which are cauliflower, artichokes, leafy greens. I also love my vegan protein gf meal replacement shake. It isn't grain-free but what I have learned about oats is something we should all research. There is no such thing as gluten-free oats, because they are gluten-free. However there is such a thing as certified oats that have been tested to make sure they do not have any gluten cross contamination.

I offer a lot of amazing tools for free to my Healthy Living Revolution group members when they start our 10 Day Shred Life Challenge group, or you can start on your own with my FREE 5 Day Challenge, which just gives you a basic five day meal plan, recipes and a place to start. 




The movement towards more healthy, sustainable, compassionate food is happening now! But, there’s lots of conflicting information out there about what’s good for us and the planet. That is why I wrote my first nutritional book, "Nourished In 30", and why I am writing the new book, "Ketolicious Reset". You need to learn the truth about how our food is grown and where it comes from, what’s in it, what it does to and for you, and what you can do to make informed and better choices to get your wellness on the right track. You work hard for your money and health so you deserve want to know that you’re supporting systems that are aligned with your values. I know I do.