Today is February 1, and that means that my family has just made it through one whole month of a lifestyle change with regard to food. Yay! I can’t say it’s been easy, but it’s definitely been worthwhile. We’re still on a learning curve, so I was very pleased to receive a preview copy of the new book from the Paleo Parents, 3 Phase Paleo. Since I have 3 kids, the Paleo Parents’ website was one of the first ones I discovered when I began researching “how to go paleo” back in late November/early January of last year. Little did I know that a blueprint was right around the corner—and this is it! I spent the entire month of December piecing together the type of information that you can read in their book in just a few hours.
The simple philosophy behind the e-book is that transitioning your family to a Paleo lifestyle can be more easily accomplished if you look on it as a 3-stage process: Swap, Remove, and Heal. This is what I knew instinctively when I started to implement this for my own family, so it was encouraging to read that it really does work (Stacy and Matt have lost over 200 pounds together and their whole family has experienced better health as a result of their dietary changes). I don’t know that my family will ever reach the point where we are as entirely paleo as them, but if this is your goal, this book will provide you a blueprint to follow.
I’ve purchased several paleo-related books over the past couple of months and here’s what I especially appreciated about this one:
- Food Swap Chart. I love a good chart and this one, in particular, was very interesting to me. Organized in a “better/best” type format, it starts with the standard American diet item (breakfast cereal) and then provides a better substitution (gluten-free ceral) and a best one (grain free granola). In that example, it even provides the page number for the recipe for grain free granola that’s included in the book. I like this because it echoes their philosophy that this is a process.
- Checklists. From what to stock in your pantry to a basic shopping list for various types of markets, this shows you the basic staples that you’ll need to keep on hand in order to prepare paleo meals.
- Color-Coded Recipes. This is the payoff for reading about the 3-phase system described at the beginning of the book: over 75 pages of color-coded recipes for each phase. At a glance, you’ll be able to tell whether a recipe is appropriate for phase 1, 2, or 3 (or a combination thereof).
- Helpful Resources. Not only are the recipes color-coded by phase, but they also include super helpful indexes in the back that group the recipes by phase as well as Nut-Free and Egg-Free for those with additional dietary restrictions. Also, there are links to recommended products, books, kitchen tools, other paleo experts, and even some coupons!
The book itself is an e-book, which means that you can instantly download it upon purchasing. The pages are sized 8.5 x 11 for easy printing if you wanted to print it out and put it in a binder.
The book sells for $22.95 (you can purchase a copy directly here) but I am happy to be giving away a copy for free! To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below. The contest will end on Friday, February 7. If you want to read more about the book from the Paleo Parents themselves, click here to read more about 3-Phase Paleo.
I’ve been eating an (almost preservative) free diet since mid-July of 2013. I’ve also eliminated potatoes, breads, pastas, and most sugars from my diet. I’ve lost 68 pounds and feel so much better nutritionally from not eating all of the processed foods that I had been eating. It’s been an extreme ‘lifestyle change’ for me to do this, but I have become so much more aware of what I am putting into my body. I have also been trying to get a lot more educated about the foods I eat and am always interested in reading about different food modifications (diets) that other people endorse. I might not follow to a “T” what these different diets suggest, but I have been incorporating many things from many diets to fit my own best interests.
I’m very interested and would love to learn more!
I am thinking about doing this for the whole family. This book would help!
I have dipped my toe in, but not more than that. I am very interested though. How’s it been working for you, Melanie?
It’s made me much more aware, Shyla. We’re certainly not at the point where we’re eating 100% organic fruits and veggies, grassfed meats, and pastured eggs–we don’t have easy access to all of those nor could we afford it if we did. I’ve realized how much I depended on processed food in the past, though, and so we’re focusing on quality whole foods as much as possible. It’s forced me to spend more time in the kitchen which is good, but getting used to all the extra dishes and allowing extra time for food prep has been a big adjustment. Going gluten free is also challenging, but not quite as hard as I’d expected. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at some of the baked goods I’ve made with coconut/almond flour and haven’t missed bread nearly as much as I thought I would. It’s a process, and I guess you could say we’re at least moving in the right direction. 🙂
I am interested in beginning to learn more about Paleo stuff.