Authors: Kellyann Petrucci

Paleo Cookbook For Dummies (6 page)

Balancing your blood sugar

If you have problems maintaining your blood sugar, eating Paleo foods (and the recipes in this book) is a great place for you to get the help you need to move toward health. Yes, Paleo can even improve/heal blood sugar problems.

When you eat a well-balanced Paleo meal of lean meats, Paleo-approved carbohydrates, and healthy fats, you don't have all those blood sugar swings that you once had. Your body is no longer forced to constantly release insulin, and your blood sugar stabilizes.

Consider Drew, a 56-year-old horticulturist whose blood sugar went from 358 down to the 90â100 range in just four months of strict Paleo (see
Figure 1-2
). His story has inspired many to give Paleo a shot.

Illustration by Wiley, Composition Services Graphics

Figure 1-2:
An example of how eating Paleo can greatly reduce blood sugar and weight.

Paleo success story: John

John noticed that his vision began to get a bit blurry and he couldn't see as well as he had. This change prompted a checkup that revealed he had a blood sugar of 220, much higher than the normal range of about 90 to 120. He began eating Paleo foods, and his blood sugars plummeted to approximately 115! His vision sharpened, and he could see clearly once again. He was surprised to find himself feeling more energized (he said he was always lethargic before); he felt stronger â as if his muscle mass was improving. He also found himself healing much more quickly.

John's story is a perfect example of the healing effects of Paleo. When you allow your body to get truly healthy, it has a domino effect on all of the structures and functions of the body!

Reducing inflammation

A lot of the problems people have today are caused by inflammation in the body. Short-term inflammation is actually a part of a normal healing process. When your immune system overreacts and shifts into high gear, that's when you have a problem known as
chronic inflammation
.

Here are some of the conditions associated with chronic inflammation:

Acne