It seems like a simple mind hack, but it’s actually one of the most powerful things I’ve ever realized: Positive thinking. Stop thinking about what you can’t eat anymore, and focus on all the great foods you already enjoy you can not only continue eating, but actually eat guilt free! Add to that the variety of new and exciting recipes you will discover! Your life will be not only healthier, but richer with the new experiences!

So many people focus on, “I can’t do this because…” or ” I will miss this certain food too much,” that they give up before they even began. It also leads people to fall off the wagon, so to speak, and give up on a new, healthier diet. Do I miss pizza? Sure I do! I’m part Italian and born in Chicago, and pizza was a big deal to me. But, my health is FAR more important to me, and I have found that there are many substitutes out there that are better for me than pizza. Do they taste like pizza? Not exactly, but why worry about that when I get to eat so many other amazing, delicious, and unique foods that are not only filling but good for me?

So many descriptions of diets tell you what you have to avoid. That’s natural, and decidedly not a very positive message. Instead, what if I told you about a diet that would make you healthier and free you from cravings and allow you to lose weight without exercise? All you have to do is eat meat, vegetables, and fruit. Nothing else. Just eat food made with whole ingredients containing those three things, and you will be healthier. Sounds much simpler and more positive, doesn’t it?

Now, being the people we are, we need to be told what part of our diets are not good for us since we eat such a variety of foods. So, that’s where the things to avoid comes into play: sugar, grains, alcohol, soy, legumes, and dairy.

Sherry and I finally embraced Paleo when we discovered that not only are there many foods we already ate and enjoyed that were Paleo-friendly, but the variety of foods available to us from cuisines around the world was staggering, and we could literally make a different recipe for every meal of every day for the rest of our lives, and we would never run out of new and delicious things to eat. That right there is good enough for me.