Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle [Paperback]

Diane Sanfilippo (Author), Bill Staley (Photographer), Robb Wolf (Foreword)

Book Description

Release date: August 7, 2012

Our great-grandmothers didn't need nutrition lessons—then again, they weren't forced to wade through aisle after aisle of packaged foods touting outlandish health claims and confusing marketing jargon. Over the last few decades, we've forgotten what "real food" is—and we're left desperately seeking foods that will truly nourish our bodies. We're disillusioned with the "conventional wisdom" for good reason—it's gotten us nowhere.

Achieving optimal health without calorie-counting, diet foods, or feelings of deprivation has never been easier. Practical Paleo explains why avoiding both processed foods and foods marketed as "healthy"—like grains, legumes, and pasteurized dairy—will improve how you look and feel and lead to lasting weight loss. Even better—you may reduce or completely eliminate symptoms associated with common health disorders!

Practical Paleo is jam-packed with over 120 easy recipes, all with special notes about common food allergens including nightshades and FODMAPs. Meal plans are also included, and are designed specifically to support:

immune health (autoimmune conditions)
blood sugar regulation (diabetes 1 & 2, hypoglycemia)
digestive health (leaky gut, IBS & IBD)
multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndromethyroid health (hypo and hyper - Hashimotos, Graves)
heart health (cholesterol & blood pressure)
neurological health (Parkinson's & Alzheimer's)
cancer recovery
fat loss
athletic performance
a "squeaky-clean" Paleo approach

Practical Paleo is the resource you'll reach for again and again, whether you're looking for information on healthy living, delicious recipes, or easy-to-understand answers to your questions about how a Paleo lifestyle can benefit you, your family, and your friends.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Diane has made a work in Practical Paleo that is as useful as it is beautiful. Are you an athlete? Do you suffer from digestive distress? Have you been diagnosed with an autoimmune condition? Maybe you just want to live a long life and look good naked! Whatever your goals, Diane has done the heavy lifting by condensing the science and a lot of practical how-tos into bite-size pieces."—Robb Wolf, New York Times best-selling author of The Paleo Solution

"The recipes in Practical Paleo are nothing short of exceptional. I say this without hesitation because I tasted every single dish in this book. Watching Diane cook was inspiring, and I'm proud to say I learned much more about cooking just from being in the kitchen with her. This book will not only feed your brain with knowledge of health, but also nourish your body with outstanding recipes."—Hayley Mason, co-author of Make it Paleo

"Practical Paleo is a gold mine for those new to the Paleo diet or struggling to integrate it into their everyday lives. I've always believed that personalization is the key to long-term success, and Diane's 30-Day Meal Plans will help you achieve just that. Practical Paleo will prove to be a resource I recommend to my patients and online community again and again."—Chris Kresser, LA.c, integrative-medicine practitioner

About the Author

Diane Sanfilippo holds a BS from Syracuse University and is a Certified Nutrition Consultant who specializes in blood sugar regulation and digestive health. Diane writes for her popular health blog www.BalancedBites.com, works with clients 1:1, teaches Paleo nutrition seminars nationwide and has a top-rated weekly podcast in iTunes, "The Balanced Bites Podcast."

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Victory Belt Publishing; 1 Original edition (August 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1936608758
• ISBN-13: 978-1936608751
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 1.1 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (907 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Diets & Weight Loss > Paleo
  • #1 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Home Improvement & Design
  • #2 in Books > Cookbooks, Food & Wine > Vegetables & Vegetarian

More About the Author

Diane Sanfilippo holds a BS from Syracuse University and is a Certified Nutrition Consultant who specializes in blood sugar regulation and digestive health. She is The New York Times Bestselling author of Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle and writes for her popular health blog www.balancedbites.com, teaches nutrition seminars nationwide and has a top-rated weekly health podcast in iTunes, "The Balanced Bites Podcast."

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#28 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting

#57 in Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting

#28 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting

#57 in Kindle eBooks > Health, Fitness & Dieting

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

269 of 281 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Paleo diet meets functional medicine! August 7, 2012

By Author, Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight and Find Your Path Back to Health

Format:Paperback

I love this book!

For anyone new to the Paleo approach to health and eating, Ms. SanFilippo's Practical Paleo is a perfect starting place. While the market has seen an explosion of books in the Paleo diet world over the last decade, this book is unique in that is combines the wisdom of the Paleo approach to nutrition with the unique insights that are emerging from the "functional medicine" approach to health.

She provides, for instance, 30-day meal plans that are tailored to specific health conditions, such as thyroid health and athletic performance. There's an especially delightful and informative discussion about gastrointestinal health (including a Poop Pageant in which she describes how stool character can be used to discern digestive problems that left me laughing until it hurt!). The book is packed with beautiful illustrations that make the discussions crystal-clear.

There are also a substantial collection of recipes, most of them unique that I have not seen before, consistent with the Paleo approach. Even readers who have read other Paleo cookbooks will discover many new twists on meals and snacks in this book.

All in all, Practical Paleo is a masterful piece of work.

249 of 260 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical Paleo is not just the best Paleo book, it's the best overall nutritional, health, & wellness book on the market! August 7, 2012

By Stacy & Matt, Paleo Parents

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

As someone who's been actively involved in this community for years, as someone who's attended seminars (even the Practical Paleo seminar), someone who wrote a paleo book (Eat Like a Dinosaur) I am LEARNING NEW STUFF in Diane's book. There's SO much information - I've had the book for weeks and am still finding new things.

Diane's poignant and practical definition of complicated concepts, are so very clear to me - a skill she has a knack for unlike anyone I know of in our community. The entire book takes all the ideas you just can't quite figure out, and makes it easily digestible, easy to understand, and absolutely practical to implement.

This book is intended to be used like a reference book, and that's just what it is. From the tailored information on specific conditions (in my case, Autoimmune) to the reference points on leaky gut, carbs and blood sugar regulation, everything you're looking for is here. There's even sections on stress reduction and self care.

I personally followed the Autoimmune protocol defined in the book for 3 weeks. I took seriously Diane's personal challenge to de-stress and followed, exactly, her defined protocol in Practical Paleo.
I added the supplements and nutrient dense foods.
I stuck to the defined foods to avoid and to add.
I left work earlier every day.
I played with electronics less.
I went to bed sooner.

After some serious hair pulling, temper tantrums and screaming about how limited I sometimes felt (thankfully the book has lots of ideas and recipes to make it interesting)... the results are in:

My skin is clearing up! Admittedly, the massive break-outs on the lower half of my face are one of the main contributors for my commitment to eating more cleanly.... I found this link which validated for me that it was caused by too much sugar (hormones) and stress. I'm so glad to be getting perfect skin back again!
No longer bloated or retaining water. I lost 7lbs, SEVEN POUNDS, in the first week. Yes, that's water weight; which is just as awful to carry around! My wedding rings went from being tight to loose in 2 weeks.
Joint pain is reduced massively - I used to crack my knuckles, neck and back by the quarter-hour. My knees were a bit crackly - although not nearly as much as before I went paleo 2 years ago. Now, all of that is disappearing (several hours before I want to crack joints).
Painful or loose eliminations after breakfast are gone. Uh.. yeah. Eggs. I'm gonna have to miss them for a while. I'm hopeful that the reintroduction of pastured soy- and wheat-free egg yolks will go well. We'll see.
Sleeping better. Because I'm not consuming caffeine (eliminated coffee and chocolate) my body naturally fell in a rhythm of getting tired around and waking up naturally.

So do I recommend Practical Paleo? Without a doubt. It will now be the #1 book I recommend to anyone. Because whether you have heart problems, diabetes, are recovering for cancer, are an athlete, want to lose weight, have digestive problems or allergies from food - this book has been tailored to you. There's not a single person in the world that wouldn't benefit from reading this fantastic book.

And then on top of all of that, you get 120 amazing and beautifully photographed recipes. That's more than some cookbooks!

This is the most informative and comprehensive nutritional guide we've ever read. Diane has nutritional plans for whatever ails you: from autoimmune, celiac and thyroid conditions, to heart health, athletic performance and cancer survivors. And each one of these plans includes a full thirty day meal plan, nutritional supplements, supportive nutrients (my favorite) as well as diet & lifestyle just for that condition. Honestly, this kind of tailored in-depth nutritional counseling would run you thousands of dollars and Diane is only charging you two Andrew Jacksons (and only one if you order from Amazon).

Not only that, but it's completely accessible for non-paleo types who just want relief for whatever health issue they are dealing with, explaining in easy to understand and scientifically sound terms. Read more ›

186 of 204 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars In need of some editing September 6, 2012

By lmunkers

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a great book, but it's suffering from some inattention to detail. My husband and I have been following a paleo/primal way of eating for about a year now and after completing a Whole30 program, we discussed having him try an Autoimmune Protocol for the lingering issues he was still dealing with. I was completely overwhelmed at the thought of feeding us without eggs or nightshades so when I heard about the meal plans in this book I was elated! I snapped it up in the Kindle format and started reading. Since I mainly wanted it for the meal plans, I largely skimmed the first half of the book. If you're already familiar with Robb Wolf and other paleo authors, this book will be mostly review. For the uninitiated, the book is easy to read and understandable without needing a degree in biochemistry.

The meal plans themselves have some oversights. In theory, each meal plan will specifically note what, if any changes need to be made to a recipe in order to make it adhere to a specific health condition and, in some cases, it does just that. In others it's completely overlooked. For example, the autoimmune meal plans uses potato pancakes for several meals which, if you look at the recipe, include eggs. Neither the meal plan nor the recipe itself offer suggestions for how to alter the recipe to eliminate the egg, but still end up with something resembling a pancake instead of hashbrowns. It's not necessarily a huge issue if you keep in mind your "avoid" list, but even though I was pretty certain I understood the protocol, I still went back and forth between the meal plan and the avoid list multiple times feeling like I had missed something.

The formatting of the Kindle edition also leaves something to be desired.... Some sections of the book I have to read on my laptop because many of the graphs and charts just aren't there on the Kindle. I have pages of nothing but bullet points at the start of each different meal plan. I can still use the meal plans or recipes themselves, but I'm highly disappointed at the quality here and really hope that someone will take the time to look over the ebook and make it more readable and user friendly for the Kindle. Read more ›

80 of 92 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The #1 Book that will save the health of society August 7, 2012

By Todd Dosenberry

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is truly THE book that will save us. Our health continues to decline at a staggering rate. Some doctors may like to think otherwise but it is true that nutrition is easily the most important element of our health IF you are effectively managing your stress.

Diane is a Paleo "nerd" but please do not let that "fool" you. Paleo, in both mine and Dian's views, simply means to eat real food. She recognizes that we are individually very different which is why she has 11 different 30 day meal plans that were created jus for YOU.

Do you have an autoimmune condition? Poor digestion? Extra fat to lose? Do you need help regulating your blood sugar? Maybe you are just after general health or wish to improve your athletic performance.

Whatever it is, there is a 30 day meal plan created just for YOU.

The first part of the book gives you an easy to understand education about how your body works and why nutrition is so important. She also discusses stress and gratitude which I am a huge fan of (I wrote in a daily gratitude journal for 2 straight years). The second part is all about the 30 day meal plans which is then followed up with 120 EASY recipes. And yes they are EASY.

The first time I made bone broth was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. Thank you Nourishing Traditions. I'm super stoked to make Diane's simple yet very powerful bone broth TODAY.

I could go on and on about this book. I'm a huge fan of Diane Sanfilippo. She cares about the health of the world and is here to change it. I am too. I'll first recommend Practical Paleo to anyone and everyone who wants to improve their health. No other single book can do as much as Practical Paleo can.

What are you waiting for?