Begining My Vegan Paleo Diet

I have been Vegan now for just over a year with great results for the most part I have increased energy sleep well and love the food I eat on daily basis. My reasons for becoming Vegan began with a political economy of food class in university and continue to expand daily as I learn more about food and the food industry. From compassion for animals, the planet and those who work in the meat industry to the boundless benefits to my over health and just that good feeling of compassion are all reasons why I choose the vegan lifestyle. That said I have been experiencing some lower levels in energy lately due to my increased levels of activity since adding crossfit to my daily routine (crossfit.com) so in an effort to insure I don’t go for fatty sugary substitutes to fill my energy needs I am going to work towards a vegan paleo diet and see how I feel.

Paleo diet:

This diet is made up of lean meats, roots, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sweet potatoes, fish and fruit. The idea behind it being that the above are the foods our hunter and gatherer ancestors ate and thus our bodies are better adapted to these types of foods and is more in line with the mechanisms of our digestive system. Robb Wolfs site and book have lots of information and recipes for this lifestyle (http://robbwolf.com/).

Veganism:
Those who adopt a vegan lifestyle do not consume and animal products; fish, meat, eggs or dairy of any kind. A great resource is vegan enthusiast Colleen Patrick-Goudreau (http://www.compassionatecooks.com/index.htm).

Vegan Paleo:

So in combining these diets I will be limiting my diet further, though I do not consider a vegan diet to be limiting as since becoming vegan I have opened up my pallet and recipe arsenal in ways I could have never imagined! Since vegans already do not consume milk the remaining items to be removed from my diet will be; grains, legumes. refined sugar, salt, processed oils and alcohol. (http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-paleo-diet/)

My diet will consist of the following paleo and vegan foods (http://altmed.creighton.edu/Paleodiet/Foodlist.html) as well as a b12 multivitamin that I take each morning.

Encouraged Foods

Fruit
Apple
Apricot
Avocado
Banana
Blackberries
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Cantaloupe
Carambola
Cassava melon
Cherimoya
Cherries
Cranberries
Figs
Gooseberries
Grapefruit
Grapes
Guava
Honeydew melon
Kiwi
Lemon
Lime
Lychee
Mango
Nectarine
Orange
Papaya
Passion fruit
Peaches
Pears
Persimmon
Pineapple
Plums
Pomegranate
Raspberries
Rhubarb
Star fruit
Strawberries
Tangerine
Watermelon
All other fruits

Vegetables
Artichoke
Asparagus
Beet greens
Beets
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Collards
Cucumber
Dandelion
Eggplant
Endive
Green onions
Kale
Kohlrabi
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Mustard greens
Onions
Parsley
Parsnip
Peppers (all kinds)
Pumpkin
Purslane
Radish
Rutabaga
Seaweed
Spinach
Squash (all kinds)
Swiss chard
Tomatillos
Tomato (actually a fruit, but most people think of it as a vegetable)
Turnip greens
Turnips
Watercress

Nuts and Seeds
Almonds
Brazil nuts
Cashews
Chestnuts
Hazelnuts (filberts)
Macadamia nuts
Pecans
Pine nuts
Pistachios (unsalted)
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts

Foods to be Eaten in Moderation

Oils
Olive, avocado, walnut, flaxseed, and canola oils (use in moderation—4 tablespoons or less a day when weight loss is of primary importance)

Beverages
Diet sodas (These often contain artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharine, which may be harmful; you’re better off drinking bottled and mineral waters.)
Coffee
Tea
Wine (two 4-ounce glasses; Note: Don’t buy “cooking wine,” which is loaded with salt.)
Beer (one 12-ounce serving)
Spirits (4 ounces)

Paleo Sweets
Dried fruits (no more than 2 ounces a day, particularly if you are trying to lose weight)
Nuts mixed with dried and fresh fruits (no more than 4 ounces of nuts and 2 ounces of dried fruit a day, particularly if you are trying to lose weight)

Things to Avoid!

Quinoa
Miso
All beans
Peanuts
Soy
Oats
Rice
Wheat
Sugar
And anything else not on the above list