When you hear the word ‘Paleo,’ do you imagine a meat-headed, muscle-bound bodybuilder devouring turkey legs that more resemble baseball bats than drum sticks?

Does Paleo make you think of a carnivore’s delight, a wild game banquet that would make Henry VIII blush with envy?

Lots of people equate the Paleo Diet (short for ‘paleolithic’) with liberal meat consumption. While it might be true that some Paleo dieters do in fact eat an amount of meat that would earn the scorn of vegan PETA card-carrying members, Paleo dieters are at least conscious of the meat they consume.

True Paleo dieters avoid meat that has been raised in inhumane conditions, such as large-scale agricultural confined feedlots. Paleo dieters are aware that excess Omega-6 essential fatty acid consumption (and not enough Omega-3’s) leads to inflammation. Factory-farmed grain-fed meat, in addition to its detrimental effects on the environment and animal welfare, is high in Omega-6’s.

Many Paleo dieters engage in highly-demanding endurance physical activities, such as Boot Camp-type workouts. Consciously-raised meats and wild game help repair and rebuild microscopic muscle tears that occur as a result of stressful workouts.

But the true purpose of the Paleo Diet isn’t strictly to sculpt a “shredded” physique, where each muscle belly’s striations (the sculpted aesthetic of muscle tissue, e.g. “six-pack abs”) resemble ancient Greek statues of Olympic athletes.

The primary purpose of the Paleo Diet is to eat a low-glycemic (low-sugar) diet in order to avoid inflammation.

High-sugar and high-starch foods rapidly convert into sugar and thereby produce inflammation. The cells can only absorb so much sugar before becoming inflamed. The hormone that controls blood sugar levels so we don't pass out--insulin--pounds on cell walls doors’, demanding to dump off blood sugar into the cells, like a parent who can’t wait to drop off their kids at soccer practice so they can get back to watching TV on the couch.

Perhaps not a perfect physiological analogy but the point is inflammation manifests as bad things besides bloating: joint pain, sinus infections, asthma, weight gain, and even cancer, among other chronic conditions.

Some people believe that the archetype Paleo menu is too strict in its absolute avoidance of grains; low-starch grains consumed in moderation contain abundant and essential phytonutrients.

Strict Paleo dieters counter that adequate consumption of phytonutrients and the benefits derived from them may be obtained through eating copious amounts of vegetables.

Whether or not you choose to ‘abstain from grains’ (a clever domain name for a Paleo website, no?), the ultimate purpose of Paleo is to eat an anti-inflammatory diet. This would include a Mediterranean-style diet rich in monounsaturated oils (especially from olives) and vegetables (but minus the couscous). 

It would also include other healthy fats such as coconut oil and avocados and nuts. (Modern dairy and non-soaked legumes are mostly shunned because they may cause inflammatory conditions in certain people.)

Eating mostly low-starch vegetables, with a little grass-fed or wild fish and meats and healthy fats will reduce the risk of inflammation.

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This is a guest post from Louise Hendon, co-founder of Paleo Flourish Magazine. Did you know that most people who start a Paleo diet don’t end up sticking with it? It’s true. And most people never reach their goals, whether it’s losing weight, healing an illness, or just feeling better. And yet… I’ve seen thousands of people have amazing success with a Paleo diet, sometimes losing a lot of weight, healing conditions (like arthritis or autoimmune disorders) that they’ve had for many years, and feeling better than they thought possible. So what’s the difference? How You Start Makes a HUGE Difference Starting a Paleo diet is often the toughest part. If you’re not used to eating only whole, unprocessed foods, then it can be a shock. You probably need to cook a little bit more. You’ll be tempted frequently by foods that you used to eat. And when you’re tired or in a hurry, you’re really going to want to give in. Fortunately, once you get a month or two into it, you feel so much better that most of the temptation usually disappears. So it’s all about starting in the right way, and in this article, I’ll show you 3 different ways to start, and I guarantee that one of them will make it much easier for you to see awesome results as you start your Paleo journey. But first, it helps to understand what Paleo is and why you should care about eating and living this way. What Is Paleo and Why Should You Care About It? When I first heard about the Paleo diet, it was explained to me as the caveman diet. In other words, I thought Paleo meant eating only what our ancestors ate for millions of years. But Paleo actually goes a lot deeper than that… Paleo is all about feeding our bodies with foods that are high in nutrients and avoiding foods that are either highly inflammatory or high in toxins. By doing these 2 things, we give our body the opportunity and space to heal various health issues - many of which we might not even realize we have (like hidden inflammation). And the best part is that by following this formula, you almost immediately feel more energetic and alive. I won’t go into detail in this article about the foods that you can and can’t eat on a Paleo diet, but please check out this list if you want a complete guide. 3 Awesome Ways To Start Paleo I’m giving you 3 ways to get started on a Paleo diet because one of these methods is going to work better for you than the others. Since I don’t know you, I can’t say which one will work best for you, but my advice is simply to go with whichever feels most right for you. Jump Right In If you're the sort of person who loves going all-out and who will not stick to a diet unless you go in 100%, then this method is the one for you. You’ll also see the quickest and best results from this method. However, if you know that you have trouble sticking to big changes in your life, then don’t fool yourself. In that case, go for method #2 or #3, because your long-term results will be much better. Here’s how to do this method well… Go fully Paleo (be extremely strict) for every single meal for at least 30 (and more likely 60) days. The reason to do this is so that your body has a full chance to recover from any foods that were causing you problems. Try not to eat out at all, as it makes it much harder to stick to this strict version. You can forget about the excuse of "maybe just this once" because you know the rule is that you don't eat that junk food at all for at least 30 or 60 days. This method definitely makes decisions easier – if someone offers you pizza, then you'll know automatically that the answer is "No, thanks!" As I mentioned above, this method can lead to quick and awesome results. But for some people, this method is so unappealing that it means they'll never start a Paleo diet. If that's you, then try one of the other 2 methods instead. Do Paleo When You're At Home If you have to eat at the office or have many social engagements all the time, then saying goodbye to your happy hour cocktails and snacks may deter you from starting a Paleo diet at all. If that's the case, then try this method. Clean out your pantry at home – throw out or give away all your non-Paleo foods and re-stock with Paleo foods. Whenever you go grocery-shopping, stick to only buying Paleo foods. This will then ensure that whenever you eat at home you eat Paleo foods. If you hate cooking, then join a Paleo meal delivery service or pick up some Miracle Noodle ready-made meals. But you can still enjoy all your social engagements without worrying about what to eat. Then over time, as you become more comfortable with the Paleo diet, you might find you naturally want to avoid eating non-Paleo foods even when you're out. This usually starts happening a few months in, as your body starts recognizing how those foods will make you feel. Switch 1 Meal At A Time If method 2 is still too difficult for you to commit to (e.g., you can't bare the thought of cleaning out your pantry), then try this third method as a gentle way of easing into a Paleo diet. Start by just eating a Paleo breakfast every morning. It can be something simple like eggs and bacon, a green shake, or an avocado. Just make sure to stick to eating Paleo every morning. Then you can eat whatever you have been eating for the other 2 meals. After a few weeks of eating a Paleo breakfast, try making your lunch Paleo as well, and then after a few more weeks, try making your dinner Paleo too. This can actually be one of the most effective long-term strategies, but most people are scared to try method #3, because they feel like the results will be too slow. I understand that, because I was impatient for results for much of my life. But remember, if you get quick results only to lose them a month later, then it didn’t really work, did it? Switching one meal at a time might sound like slow process, but you’re building healthy habits into your life that will actually last and make you healthier and healthier. Which Method Is For You? Personally, I think the most important thing is to simply get started. And there's an old Chinese saying that really encapsulates this: “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” So, if you're still on the fence, why not give our free 7-day Paleo challenge a try? Seven days is a really short time, and who knows…you might actually find that you like it more than you ever thought you would.