Since we began Paleo Parents, we’ve been increasingly and routinely asked to review books and products by people in and adjacent to the paleo community. At this point, we get so many we are unable to actually do the reviews of the products in a timely manner! That’s why we recruited the Paleo Parents Review Team to fill in the gaps. Look forward to reviews on Tuesdays!
This week, our friend Amelia talks about three recent books that have recently come out. What are they about? Are they good additions to your paleo library? Find out here!
I absolutely love reading Paleo blogs and books. That is how I found The Paleo Parents after all! But these days it seems like a new Paleo-related book or cookbook comes out at least every week. Even I can’t keep up. Taking on the role as a reviewer seemed like a great way to check out at least some of what is coming down the pike. In this first installment, I’m taking on The Paleo Coach
My favorite thing about Jason Seib’s perspective is his focus on health over aesthetics. Getting away from the scale and the mirror as the barometers for success is vitally important. If we put our energy on such shallow goals, we’ll never get to the deeper transformation. However, if we start with doing the hard work on the road to true health, better vitality and yes, attractiveness usually follow. My favorite line is on page 20 when he says, “it makes much more sense to get as healthy as possible on purpose while you get hot by accident”.
One of Jason Seib’s more controversial stances is about Paleo treats. He’s pretty hard on folks who rely on them as a staple. Reading his book, though, gave me a little more insight into his thought process. Treats should be treats – a safe birthday cake or cupcakes or the occasional pancake breakfast, not an everyday addition to the diet. Context matters here, too. If you’re an active kid, you’re probably going to burn off those Paleo muffins. If you’re trying to lose fat, it’s best to steer clear. This is something I struggle with to this day, over two years into my Paleo journey. I might not want to hear it, but I know in my heart that the grain-free chocolate chip cookies are doing me no favors. I love the element of normalcy and fun they add to my life, but my over dependence on treats is indeed holding me back. I personally need to find a way to make peace with letting go of the crutches and giving my sugar addiction the heave-ho for good.
Something I needed to hear on page 47 was, “…if you have a sugar addiction that is hindering your progress, your desire to appease your cravings outweighs your desire to get healthy and fit.” True words (at least for me). This book is tailored to people just like me – those either first starting out or those who are struggling to reach their goals. If what you’re doing is working for you, by all means, keep doing what you’re doing. But, if you’re feeling stuck, like me, maybe it’s time to reexamine your lifestyle and commit to some further tweaks. If so, this is a good book to help motivate and inspire you to take on the challenge.
In addition to the recipes, the author includes great tips for living this lifestyle without rehashing too much background/science. I loved the page about insulin sensitivity – just enough information to get me interested without going into too much depth. I like how she tied it to food – cinnamon is often touted as an insulin sensitizer but the research is inconclusive. Good thing it tastes great, so why not!
The section of the book I was most excited about were the appetizers. They are particularly great for introducing Paleo food to guests at parties. I can’t wait to put some of these recipes to use at our next get together. For this review, I decided to try out the Paleo Spicy Rib Appetizer recipe. I’d never attempted ribs in the slow cooker before, so I was a little hesitant. They turned out amazing! My husband and I got to enjoy them for a couple days and were so sad when they were gone. That success makes me want to try out more of Arsy’s creations and I look forward to doing so over the next few weeks. If you enjoy using your slow cooker or would like to try it out, this is a wonderful collection of Paleo recipes to get your started.
As someone who has been living a Paleo life
But this book is much more than just recipes. It strives to give a comprehensive, if not in-depth, overview of not just Paleo eating, but the lifestyle as a whole. Themes stressing the importance of stress reduction, sleep, and exercise are all covered. I was most drawn to the section addressing common pitfalls. Every possible excuse that might stand in the way of adopting and/or maintaining this way of life was taken on – from how to deal with non-supportive folks in your life to how to manage eating out. The importance of living Paleo for the whole famility was underlined and the authors gave some decent tips on how to help your kids go Paleo.
The only drawback to this book was that it seemed to over-promise on what a Paleo lifestyle can deliver. Yes, it may help you lose weight and/or shed lingering health issues, but I get uncomfortable when I see it presented as the pancea to cure all ills. I do believe that pretty much everyone would be helped by improving diet and lifestyle, but many will need further assistance to undo all the damage our modern lives have already inflicted so far. I would hate for someone to read that “when you eat Paleo, your body naturally loses body fat until you’ve reached your ideal weight” and think it is smooth sailing, only to be disappointed when the inevitable bumps in the road come along. I was happy to see some trouble shooting advice later on in the book to help folks who might stall out at some point. Those minor concerns aside, I do think that this book can be a good introduction for someone just getting started with Paleo. It gives just enough information and background to get someone motivated to give it a shot. And as we all know, the proof is in the results, so getting started is the biggest hurdle.
