Esther Blum

Whole grain bread, which manufacturers tout as healthy, often contains high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

Vitamin-fortified muffins, fiber-enriched cookies, and agave-sweetened soy ice cream create a halo effect, making you think that you’re eating something healthy, when in reality you are eating junk food in disguise. And don’t get me started about gluten-free cupcakes!

I often lament how far we’ve gotten from eating real food.

Do we settle for mercurial mood swings, constant food cravings, terrible PMS or scorching hot flashes, foggy brains, and low energy? Or do we toss the notion of dieting out the window and decide that we’re just going to simplify our lives and finally get back to eating the way we were always designed to do?

And here’s why: most diets fail for a reason that may surprise you. It’s not because they’re so restrictive, which they are, and that’s just never any good—especially for someone like me who believes in balance and freedom of choice rather than deprivation. Most diets fail because they sabotage our metabolism by promoting a way of eating (usually low in calories and protein) that ignores how our bodies work.

On a low-calorie diet, your body notices that it’s receiving fewer calories, so it sheds some weight initially. While this is happening, your body’s ability to produce, distribute, and balance key hormones (the interplay of hormones is what makes up metabolism) efficiently becomes compromised, and though you may lose a few pounds, (or even more than a few), your system is otherwise sent into distress. When this happens, your health—including your body’s ability to regulate weight—is thrown out of whack. Your body says, “Okay, gorgeous, it’s just a matter of time before you and I either (1) plateau on that particular diet and stop losing weight or (2) throw in the towel and give in to our debilitating hunger, fatigue, moodiness, sleep deprivation, cravings, and other symptoms of metabolic distress.

The Paleo Detox plan

Paleo Chic diet

Paleo Reset plan

Within the Paleo Chic realm, you can enjoy up to two complex starches per day and up to two cheat meals per week for the uber-active exercisers.