What is Paleo?

You see "Paleo" and you think "long haired dirty caveman." You think "dinosaurs" (completely wrong by the way, by about 63 million years.) Maybe you think "skinny stuck up hipsters." That's a little closer, but it still doesn't cover what this "Paleo" thing is.

No Gluten -- No Grain -- No Dairy

In the most narrow of definitions, Paleo refers to how we as humans lived before agriculture. Yes, before Corn Flakes® and Cheetos® and Snickers®, and even before corn. 

In the broader picture, Paleo is a lifestyle aiming for perfect health based on how we evolved. We may not always get perfect health, but we certainly seem to do better than those folks wantonly finishing off bag after bag of chips (with dip.)

I know, I know, you want Paleo explained in a picture. Ok, let's start with these:  Please share & tag us if you're on social! @paleotreats

Each one of those elements of a Paleo lifestyle (Nutrition, Sleep, Exercise, Water, Community, Mental Health, and Sunlight) all combine to help make your life way more enjoyable. 

Can you skip any of 'em? Sure, but the quality of your life will drop a bit, and if you're anything like us you're aiming for the highest quality life possible. 

What about Nutrition, that seems to be the most important part of Paleo, right? Sort of. See, Nutrition is one of those things that has a few basic requirements (caloric intake and a mix of carbs, fats, and protein), but beyond that we've found that different plans work exceptionally well for different people. 

While we believe that Paleo is a great place to start (check out and feel free to share the following infographic), it's not the be-all end-all.

Again, it's not the only way to eat, it's just the best way that we (Nik & Lee) have found for us to feel really good as a result of eating. As a company we're dedicated to promoting this diet using paleo desserts as the gateway, but as humans we're just as stoked for you to find the diet that works best for you. If that's Veganism (and that's true for at least one of our friends, the magnificent Carla Naden over at Synergy Animal Rescue) then we totally support you in your quest for perfect health and happiness.

Does that make sense? Without getting bogged down in details or endlessly hammering you over why grass fed shade grown bird friendly organic yak brains are good for you, that's the easiest way we've found to put together a primer on Paleo. Hopefully it helps.

We wrote an eBook about this called "On Being Paleo" that goes into depth and includes our favorite recipes, check it out here.

• Seven Pillars Of Paleo
• Podcast, Tim Noakes on Paleo & Low Carb
• How To Make Butter Coffee, A Video
• Can You Explain What Paleo Is?