Discover the amazing Paleo

Paleo is shorthand for Paleolithic. The whole idea behind the Paleo lifestyle is that our bodies (specifically our genes) are programmed to function best when we eat only those foods that were available through the Paleolithic Era, which ended about 10,000 years ago. Any new foods that popped up after that on the Neolithic menu and later, are pretty much taboo on the Paleo plan today.

The 10,000-year cut-off is significant because that’s about when those early hunter-gatherers began turning into farmers and started planting and harvesting crops. Before that, eating grass seeds (grains) would have probably been a foreign concept to them. Likewise milking anything. And chances are legumes (beans) wouldn’t have been served at the dinner table because those need to be soaked and cooked to dilute the naturally occurring toxins. And most modern-day Paleo devotees believe the ancient ones didn’t go around digging up tubers either (like potatoes and yams – although there’s some heated debate about this one). Of course, the Paleo plan rules out anything processed, from margarine to Big Macs.

On the Paleo diet, you’re encouraged to eat meats, fish, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and eggs…basically whatever our distant relatives would have been able to scrounge up in the wilds to survive.

There’s some pretty good forensic evidence to back up the Paleo lifestyle based on the remains and artifacts of our predecessors. Compared to us modern humans today, paleontologists say our predecessors were taller, healthier, had larger brains, experienced less chronic disease, and had almost no tooth decay. Back in the day, the biggest threat to your life was cave lions or aggressive bands of humans rather than heart disease.

Along with the diet, most Paleo followers recommend exercising the whole body (mainly the short-burst kind of activity similar to what you’d get running around spearing a woolly mammoth) instead of spending endless hours on a treadmill.

Most Paleo practitioners also advocate getting regular sun exposure for the vitamin D, and a good 8 hours of shuteye each night.

Here’s a video that starts out with a good summary of the Paleo diet from Robb Wolf, the author of “The Paleo Solution” – keep watching beyond the first minute if you want to learn more:

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Turkey Burgers & Veggies with Spicy Avocado Sauce

Ingredients

Burgers and Veggies:


1.25 lb of ground turkey
Bell peppers, cut into thin strips - about 2 cups
1 small onion - cut thin
1 pkg mushrooms - optional
1 large tomato, sliced
Lettuce - whatever kind you like
Serves 4 (with regular-size burger patties)
Spicy Avocado Sauce (optional, or just top with avocado slices)
2 avocados – chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped cilantro – leaves only
1 lemon – juice of
1 lime – juice of
2 - 4 tbs diced small shallots (optional, adds an onion flavor to the sauce)
Burger Seasoning (optional, or just use your favorite burger seasoning)
1 tsp salt
1-2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp corriander
1/4 tsp turmeric


Instructions

1. Mix together burger seasoning ingredients - or use your favorite pre-made seasoning.
2. Make the spicy avocado sauce - or just top the burger with fresh avocado slices.
3. Place ground turkey in bowl, sprinkle in burger seasoning, and mix with hands.
4. Form 4 turkey patties.
5. Drizzle patties with olive oil and set aside.
6. Chop bell peppers and onion.
7. Sauté sliced mushrooms with a little olive oil.
8. Get someone on the grill cooking your burgers!
9. Add bell peppers and onion and sauté with mushrooms. (I cooked the onions and mushrooms separate, but you could do them together. Typically mushrooms take longer, so if doing together start the mushrooms first, then add the peppers and onion.)
10. Don't overcook - peppers and onions should still be a little firm
11. Season sautéed veggies with salt and pepper.
12. For the avocado sauce, simply combine all the ingredients in a food processor, bullet or high-speed blender until creamy – add water to thin a little if necessary.
13. When the grilled burgers are done, place each pattie on a nice piece of lettuce with a thick tomato slice.
14. Top with avocado sauce and the sautéed peppers and mushrooms.
15. And that's a meal that's all kinds of wonderful!

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How to make a perfect burger

·       For juiciness and best flavor, use relatively lean meat (80 to 90% lean) but not the very leanest; you need a little fat for mouthwatering burgers. When using ground chicken or turkey, go for both white and dark meat, not breast only.

·       Keep ground meat refrigerated up to 2 days in its supermarket wrap (or check the use-by date on the package). For longer storage, re-wrap meat in freezer wrap and freeze to use within 3 months.

·       Thoroughly wash surfaces, hands, and utensils that come in contact with raw meat. Do not allow uncooked burgers to stand at room temperature more than 1 hour.

·       Don’t  overmix  when combining meat with other ingredients. Don’t squeeze or compress the meat when shaping into patties or you’ll end up with dry, tough burgers.

·       To prevent sticking, get the grill rack good and hot before putting the burgers on. When grilling very lean ground meat, poultry, or fish, it’s a good idea to spray both sides with a nonstick cooking spray or brush with a light coat of vegetable oil.

·       Never flatten or score burgers with a spatula as they cook or you’ll lose precious juices.

·       Cook all burgers thoroughly. Burgers don’t have to be well-done to be safe – just not rare. Cooking times will vary, depending on the thickness of the patties and the heat of the grill, so the only way to be sure the burgers are done is to make them all the same size, then use an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally into the patty to get a reading in seconds.

·       Use a long-handle spatula with heatproof handle to easily flip the patties.

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