One of our readers, Bettye from Northport, recently emailed me this question:
“What can I drink on the Paleo diet? Just water?”
This is actually a very popular question, so I thought I’d share my answer with you too:
Pure, filtered water is the best thing you can drink on the Paleo diet. Think back to what man drank before all the fake flavors and colors were created: natural, plain, pure, healthy water. Filtered water is free of all the toxic chemicals generally found in tap water, such as chlorine, which can lead to a compromised immune system. It’s also free of all those additives that are not good for your body and can make you feel bad, such as toxic dyes, caffeine, natural and artificial sugars and sweeteners, imitation vitamins and preservatives. Not to mention, a tall glass of water can satisfy your thirst cravings like no other drink can.
Consider the other available choices:
Sodas and drinks containing added sweeteners:
None of these drinks could be considered Paleo given their added and unhealthy color dyes, artificial flavor additives (fda.gov), preservatives and large quantities of refined white sugar.
Milk:
Considering there was no cow in sight for early man, and trying to milk a mastodon or other wild animal would most certainly have been harmful to their health, let alone their life, the chances of our ancestors having access to animal milk is highly unlikely.
Fruit Juices:
Generally these contain additives like artificial colors and flavors. Fruit juices that contain large amounts of sugar are usually not properly balanced with the more nutritious parts of the fruit, such as fiber, to help offset the high glycemic response your body gets from the sugar.
Herbal Tea:
Those that are natural such as peppermint, lemon balm, nettle, rosehip, ginger and chamomile fall into the paleo diet because our early ancestors would have had access to these herbs.
All diet drinks:
These drinks are probably some of the most harmful. They are not only loaded with artificial colors and sweeteners (cancer.gov), but they also contain many harmful synthetically produced chemicals used to add flavor and sweetness that can be detrimental to your body.
Coffee:
Coffee is generally used for its caffeine content, as a way to revive and restore energy. But this energy is a “fake” energy, used in place of real energy, which is often lacking due to unstable blood sugar. After being on the Paleo diet for a while, people often find that their bodies have stabilized to the point where they no longer require “fake energy”.
To sum up – water is your friend.
Drink it.
Water flushes harmful toxins out of your body. Getting your body used to drinking water is the best route to take. Minimizing all other drinks is a MUST, especially for those people who rarely find themselves drinking water.
A good test, one that will show you the best of what the Paleo Diet has to offer, is to stop drinking anything but water for a few weeks. Once you have completed the cycle, see if you notice any differences in how you feel. Then try drinking your favorite drink again and take note of any changes. You may find yourself VERY surprised at the outcome.
The best way to determine whether something is fit to go in your body is to see if you can picture each ingredient listed on the label, just as you would with food. If you don’t know what something is, it probably shouldn’t go into your body.
Speaking of toxins, in my post, I’m going to show you how you can enjoy a delicious breakfast treat minus all the toxic ingredients that usually come with it.
Here’s a hint: my 3 year old daughter loves it and it’s naturally sweet!
I’ll see you in the next post…
To health and happiness, Carin Andersson
P.S. Have some questions of your own about the Paleo diet? Just hit the comment button and tell me what’s on your mind. I’m happy to help!