Caveman Foods - Blog

Posted: 02 Jul 2021 08:35 AM PDT

The Paleo diet has become widely popular since Caveman was founded ~10 years ago due to the basic concept that we are better off following our early ancestors' eating habits. That said, bringing the past to the present can be hard with modern foods and eating habits we've adopted today. Here are some helpful tips that can make following this primitive diet more realistic in today's society.

85/15 rule

As with all diets, you must give yourself some leeway so it can be more enjoyable and effective. Experts have suggested after being on the paleo diet for a month or so you should give yourself the 85/15 rule. This rule implies you follow your diet "to a T" for 85% of the month, leaving you 15% of the month to enjoy a family BBQ or a night out with friends. With this rule you may notice some discomfort the day after splurging, but it can often motivate you to get back on the train the next day.

Make some extra

As you might know, lunch can be one of the hardest meals to eat paleo friendly. Our quick and easy solution is to make extra food at dinner and grab some leftovers for lunch. This can also be a huge time-saver if you're in a pinch and need a quick healthy meal that fits the pelao parameters.

Bust out that crock pot

For the folks who rarely have time to make a full meal in the evening (or are just exhausted at the end of the day), here is our paleo hack. We do a little prep the night before (like cutting vegetables), then we wake up 10-15 minutes early to start one of our easy paleo crock pot dinners. When you get home from that exhausting day, you'll be welcomed with the delicious scent of your food ready to be eaten.

Make this an opportunity to try new things!

A recurring theme I see is people getting bored of just some meat and veggies every night or almost every night. Take this as an opportunity to start to expand your palate with recipes from different cultures or with ingredients you've never tried. With paleo becoming more and more popular, there are loads of websites that have only paleo friendly recipes. You never know, you might find your new favorite dish! Here's our personal favorite to find new recipes. https://nomnompaleo.com

Clean out the kitchen

I know this seems like a pretty straightforward basic tip, and it is… but without those junk foods and processed foods at your fingertips you'll be less likely to indulge and break your diet. Make your fridge and pantry reflect your diet and its restrictions so you'll have no other option but to follow your diet. Those junk food cravings are tough at the beginning, but eliminating the temptations is often easier than white-knuckling in front of the pantry. Luckily we know a guy that has some fantastic products to fill those shelves back up...

https://www.cavemanfoods.com/collections/all

5 Tips to Keep Your Diet on Track

Posted: 01 Jul 2021 08:43 AM PDT

Dieting can be very overwhelming when you first realize how much effort goes into being precise about what you put in your body. It's always easy to eat what youre craving or what you think tastes the best but the real challenge is being in control of your body and thoughts. I'm glad you've made the decision to better yourself, it's the first step down a long worthwhile journey you won't regret. Thankfully your journey doesn't have to be alone, we're here to help you down the path to a better lifestyle.

Small consistent meals

Now I know what you're thinking, "I kinda figured that...since it's a diet?". Well you're right, but the thing is if you have 4-5 smaller meals a day consistently spread out you won't be haunted by those terrible hunger pains. The goal isn't to starve yourself, it's not healthy, we just want you to plan your meals and make them smaller than normal. You're still going to eat as much but it will be spread out in the day so your body can properly process the food. Studies have also shown you will feel more full throughout the day compared to eating only 3 meals a day, so give it a try!

Slow and steady wins the race

A big misconception with diets is that you will instantly lose weight in a couple weeks or a month. Again, that wouldn't be healthy, and you would end up gaining that weight back if it is done too rapidly. The key to keeping those pounds off is to slowly widdle them off, I know that's probably the last thing you want to hear but wouldn't it be worse if you lost all that weight just for it to come back in a month? As a little mile marker system, weigh yourself every week and document how much you have lost. This is a great way to motivate yourself to have that number keep going down with consistency and commitment. Even if you don't notice those results in the first week or two, keep going!! Set a healthy goal of 1-2 pounds a week, it only takes losing 5-10% of your body weight to have major health benefits.

Food Diary

You'd be surprised how much you can eat in a day or week. Writing down what you ate and when can give you some major insight into how much you're actually eating. It sounds small but just writing down every time you have a snack or a meal can really help you stay on track. A study was done with a group of people keeping a food diary for 6 days out of the week compared to a group only recording 1 day out of the week, and the group who recorded more was found to have lost almost double the weight to the other group.

Keep active

Again doesn't sound like anything new to you, but going for that 20 minute walk or just doing stuff around the house can be tremendously beneficial to you. Instead of sneaking that candy bar in because you're just craving something sweet, get up and move around for a little, it can be anything just move! This has been shown to help reduce cravings while promoting eating healthier. You'd be surprised but once you start burning some calories you won't be craving a sweet treat, but rather a nutrient dense snack or some fruits and veggies.

Don't get discouraged!

I know it is hard especially when you aren't seeing the results you want too, but remembering why you started has always helped me personally. On average it takes 66 days to form a new habit, if you are consistent and committed, being healthy will turn into something you won't give a second thought to. Also finding a partner is a great way to be held accountable to your diet, even if they aren't on it with you, just ask them to check up on you to see how the progress is and make sure you're doing what you planned on doing.

A+ Beef Jerky

Friday, July 2, 2021