Paleo cookbooks are having their moment
For CrossFit aficionados, following a back-to-basics Paleo diet is essential to getting lean, very lean, being fit and feeling great -- at least that's the promise. And the movement is enjoying a heydey, with a bounty of new cookbook and lifestyle guides -- from "Cave Women Don't Get Fat" to "The Paleo Chocolate Lovers Cookbook" - expected in the coming months.
Paleo diets are based on a simple premise -- if the cavemen didn't eat it, you shouldn't either. The diet encourages you to load up on vegetables, protein, and some fruit, all while eschewing grains, legumes, dairy and processed foods.
For CrossFit affiliates around the globe, about 90 to 95 percent abide by the Paleo diet, according to Robb Wolf, author of the movement's seminal book "The Paleo Solution" and former CrossFit nutrition advisor.
Just a few of the Paleo-focused books hitting the shelves in the next six months are "The Paleo Effect: 150 All-Natural Recipes for a Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Lifestyle" by Meghan Little and Angel Ayala Torres (October 8), The Paleo Chocolate Lovers Cookbook" by Kelly V. Brozyna and Elana Amsterdam (October 15), "The Paleo Approach" by Sarah Ballantyne (October 22), "Paleo on a Budget: Saving Money, Eating Healthy" by Elizabeth McGaw (December 10), "Cave Women Don't Get Fat: The Paleo Girls' Diet for Rapid Results" by Esther Blum (January 2), and "The Paleo Cookbook" by Anna Conrad (January 4).
Another, "Paleo Lunches and Breakfast On the Go," by US nutritional therapist and Paleo community activist Diana Rodgers, aims to give Paleo dieters options for what are often the toughest meals of the day -- breakfast and lunch.
"I think my book would be very helpful to someone new to Paleo as they tend to get stuck when thinking about breakfast and lunch," Rodgers tells Relaxnews. "If they've eaten cereal and sandwiches for the last 15 years, it can be a tricky transition."
Recipes include lettuce-wrap sandwiches, egg muffins, chicken salads, cherry tarragon breakfast sausages, and a Paleo-friendly bubble and squeak.
Benefits one can expect to see from adopting a Paleo diet include weight loss, more energy, better skin, better sleep, and improved athletic performance, she says. "This is because they are switching to a diet lower in inflammatory foods like breads and pastas."
"Most people do their 'intro' phase for 30 days strictly Paleo, then do an 80/20 (80 percent Paleo, 20 percent non-Paleo but usually gluten-free) after their intro phase as a maintenance Paleo diet," she explains.
Rodgers, who runs a sustainable farm outside of Boston with her husband, is a nutritional consultant to several Crossfit gyms and does Crossfit herself three times a week. "I happen to be much closer to 90 percent Paleo personally," she says.
Are most CrossFit fans die-hards? "It depends on the CrossFit gym since they are all so very different," she says. "In general, I'd say most CrossFit folks are more dedicated because the gyms cost more. They are more social because of the group classes, and they tend to attract more athletic folks. It's much more of a community than other gyms."
Coming up July 22-28, California welcomes the Reebok CrossFit Games, the final competition in a series in which the world's fittest, who have triumphed in regionals and sectionals around the world, come together to compete for grand prizes. This year's CrossFit Open, an early qualifying stage for the Games, attracted nearly 140,000 participants around the globe.
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