The first person who explained the concept of “autoimmune disease” to me was Megan Mcgrane. Megan was the first Paleo success story interview I did that didn’t involve weight loss, but rather switched to a Paleo diet after being diagnosed with her third autoimmune condition. Before her interview, “autoimmune” was this term I read and heard about, but never fully understood. After speaking with Megan, I finally “got” it: “There is no known cause for autoimmune conditions,” she told me, “And if you don’t know the cause of something, you cannot cure it. All you can do is manage the symptoms.”
Those three sentences give you the most fundamental reasoning behind elimination diets. It is also the entire concept behind The Paleo Approach by Sarah Ballantyne. In order to find out what works for you and your body, you first need to strip everything away, and slowly reintroduce things back into your diet.
The Paleo Approach is very extensive, and might seem overwhelming to some people. However, if it looks like a textbook, then hey – treat it like a textbook! Feel free to jump around, browse the guides, or use the index to find the sections most applicable to you. If you simply want a snapshot of what foods to avoid, which foods to include, and general nutritional information, her “Summary Guides” section at the back of the book would be most beneficial to you. Other sections I found useful include:
- Summary of Foods to Avoid (Chapter 2)
- Hunger Hormones (Chapter 3)
- The Paleo Approach Diet (all of Chapter 5)
- How to Reintroduce Foods (Chapter 9)
If you are looking for recipes to follow, Sarah has also written the Paleo Approach Cookbook to be used in conjunction with The Paleo Approach. I actually made two recipes from her book: Plantain Crackers and Smoked Salmon and Roe Endive Boats. I eliminated the endive boats from the salmon recipe, and chose to serve it as a “smoked salmon spread” alongside the crackers.
The crackers could not possibly have been easier to make, requiring a mere three ingredients and a handy food processor. Sarah includes a “Tips” section with each recipe, and suggests making “Herb Crackers” by adding 2 Tbsp of your favorite seasoning mix. I tried mixing Primal Palate’s BBQ Spice Mix in with half the crackers, but could barely taste a difference in the end product. If I make these again, I’ll follow Sarah’s suggestion and add in garlic and rosemary. When I took the crackers out of the oven, the outermost crackers had the “crunch” we all crave, but those in the center were still chewy. I removed the outer crackers, and returned those in the center to the oven for ten minutes.
The Smoked Salmon and Roe recipe was equally effortless, and paired perfectly with the crackers. I could not find roe/cavier of any kind, so I simply left it out altogether. As I’ve said before, don’t sweat it if you can’t find it. If you can’t find an obscure ingredient, look for Sarah’s “Variations” section at the bottom of each recipe for substitution ideas.
Now, many of you may be wondering, “Do I need to buy both books?” The simple answer to that is, it all depends on what you’re looking for. If you have a reasonable grasp on Paleo, the cookbook contains enough bonus material to get you through (meaning, it’s not just a cookbook). On the other hand, if you are one who has struggled with autoimmune conditions or other health issues, The Paleo Approach might be a better option. And one lucky person reading this is going to win BOTH!
For your chance to win The Paleo Approach AND The Paleo Approach Cookbook, tell us how you found Paleo [whether it be through a friend, blog, Crossfit gym, etc.] in the comments below! One lucky winner will be chosen at random. We will announce the winner Thursday, September 18th at 9 p.m. Until then, go snack on some plantain crackers!
I first heard of primal from my family doctor
I heard of paleo after I searched the Internet for links between eating sugary cereal and mood disorders!
I read food blogs all the time. Paleo kept coming up, so I’m committing!
i was fat and covered in eczema – found it online
I heard about it from a neighbor after asking what she’d been doing. She looked fabulous!
I came across Juli Bauer’s blog one day!
I first heard about Paleo from one of the AS Autoimmune groups on FB that I belong to. Many kept mentioning how it was helping them, so after researching for many months to prepare, we took the plunge and my husband’s pain is doing much better because of it. Thanks for the giveaway…I really would love to win her books and her cookbook. Thats on my list next!
Robb Wolf’s podcast.
I found Paleo through searching for almond flour treats on the Internet. I found Against All Grain (Danielle Walker) on Facebook and starting following her plus bought her cookbook. Then found many other blogs through her.
I found paleo one day by thinking that out cavemen ancestors must have been eating the right foods to have lived long enough for modern society to come about. I started googling caveman diet and found Paleo. At first I just read a short post on it and was like yeah I got this. I ate a ton of fruits and nuts. A ton! It didn’t work and I quit. Later on I grabbed Robb’s book after finding his podcast. Been paleo since then a few years ago.
I found paleo at the beginning of my battle with Candida and leaky gut. Eliminating grains has helped me a ton as I fight to get back to 100%. PS–I love these crackers!
I found paleo when I was searching and reading about gluten free and gluten intolerance. I wanted to get healthy and help myself. These two books are on my wish list on amazon. They look awesome!
I learned about Paleo when I googled the term grain free.
I heard about Paleo from a former boss that has celiac disease. Then I began searching for the right combination of foods that would give me the energy my body needed, but the taste my buds desired and ta-da! Paleo did it for me. After researching different kinds of cookbooks, I found the 30 day guide and have never looked back!
I was finally diagnosed with gluten sensitivity and discovered Paleo. It has been wonderful!
I was wasting time on Reddit and someone mentioned the Paleo and Primal diet which sounded intriguing to me because I have such difficulty losing weight with Hashimoto’s and PCOS. Eating a Primal diet has really helped my family to feel healthier and it’s been interesting trying new recipes together.
I was having horrible nausea and grogginess throughout the day. I was eating grains with every meal. I heard of the Whole 30 through my sister in law. But what really sank it in was watching “Hungry for Change”. It all clicked. Almost 2 years now and never gonna go back!
I found paleo when looking into barefoot running online
My best friend spent 2 years convincing me to try paleo
I was looking into Nerd Fitness and the plan recommends paleo !
I was looking on Amazon at books about gluten free, and came across Paleo. I then started doing my own research, and ordered my first (of many) Paleo cookbooks, “Make It Paleo” by Bill and Haley, and “it went on from there.
I first heard of paleo on pinterest. It kept showing up everywhere so I went to the local bookstore and bought a couple books.
Definitely check these crackers waaaaay earlier than the instructions list. I still had 15 minutes to go of the shortest cooking time, when I suddenly smelt BURNT. Not salvageable, but I’ll try again another day, they look delicious.
That’s interesting – mine actually needed additional time when I reviewed this book. I guess it depends upon the oven. Also, added a lining of tin foil along the sides will keep them from getting burned. -Kara
I first heard of paleo from a friend who was trying it out — can’t wait to try this crackers! 😉
I have received the diagnosis of gluten-intolerant and while looking for great things to eat I can across Paleo. Your crackers look good enough to eat straight off the page….can’t wait to try! Thank you for sharing therecipe!
The giveaway is now closed. The winner has been sent an e-mail to the address provided to Primal Palate. Thank you to all who participated! -Kara