Some of you may associate the Paleo diet with impressive chunks of meat and… well, more chunks of meat. But the idea behind eating “as our ancestors did” isn’t to become carnivorous, but rather to fill ourselves with vitamin and nutrient rich-foods, mostly vegetables, and eliminate the “empty calories” and inflammatory compounds that are in foods like processed sugar/ any form of sweetener, dairy, legumes, grains, and alcohol.
I have been having stomach issues for years. So when I came across a month-long eating plan called the Whole30 that combined the ancient paleo diet with a modern-day knowledge of science and our bodies, I decided to give it a shot. The result? After 30 days of eating nothing but healthy fats, root vegetables like sweet potato and beets, salads, eggs, fruit, and meat proteins, I feel great! I have noticed that my skin is smoother, I have more muscle tone, I have more energy, and I am far less likely to crave sweets.
My favourite part about the paleo diet is that it’s so simple; I find it far easier to cook meals when you don’t have to worry about a grain like rice or pasta. Here are some of the meals I came up with during my time on the diet! 
Chocolate pancakes:
(Just as a disclaimer, this is a meal they say explicitly NOT to have on Whole30, only because it is made to resemble a “cheat” food. However, I have just enough rebellion in me to allow me a great deal of satisfaction from thwarting this arbitrary rule, and thus I put this recipe to good use during my time on the eating plan.)
Ingredients:
1 banana
2 eggs
cocoa powder
(optional) raspberries
Mash the banana in a small bowl, and add the eggs. Mix thoroughly, and add the cocoa powder and raspberries. Cook in a pan on medium heat, using coconut oil. Yield: 3 awesome pancakes.
Sweet potato hash browns
(Can you tell I like breakfast?) Note: the picture above is actually of some sweet potato sliders I made that are equally delicious! The recipe below is for breakfast hash browns.
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
2 eggs
cinnamon
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 350. Peel the sweet potato and chop it into small cubes. Using avocado oil, cook the sweet potato on medium high in a pan until slightly browned, about 5 minutes, adding cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Then, transfer to a pan and cook in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Place the sweet potato cubes back in the pan and add your eggs, making sure to coat all of the sweet potato. After the eggs have cooked, remove from heat.
But even if you don’t want to commit to a whole month, just try one of the Whole30 healthy recipes once in a while!
For more great tips and recipes, visit the Whole30 website, whole30.com!