This One is for my Paleo Lovers...

Now doubt you have heard the phrase 'I'm eating Paleo' at some stage over the last few years. Some of you may know what this means. If you do, then skip ahead to the yummy recipe at the end. If, on the other hand you assumed that the above sentence meant that the person was admitting that they were only eating food that was centuries old, then you have come to the right place.

The term 'Paleo' refers to the name Paleolithic, which refers to the stone age era (think Fred and Wilma) and the diet that they ate in these times. The Paleolithic era was well before farming and modern type agriculture. So what does this mean? It means that they ate what they could hunt, forrage,dig for or pick whilst maintaining a nomadic lifestyle, which resulted in a diet that mainly contained lean meats (the animals were wild and were not sat in a field and fed huge amounts of food that made them gain weight quickly), nuts, seeds, berries, root vegetables etc. Funnily, their diets did not contain artificial sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fat...how on earth did they get by?! The thinking is that they were lean and healthy and that although modern food has changed exponentially in the last few hundred years, the human body has not. Our bodies have no idea what to do with the candy floss we feed it. Hence our spike in chronic lifestyle diseases like obesity, syndrome X, diabetes etc. Interesting concept.

As far as eating plans or 'diets' go, I don't mind this one. But, like everything, it will suit some and not others. There are no beans or legumes on this diet so vegetarian and vegan options don't exist really unless you want to be devoid of even an ounce of muscle. Although fruitarians do exist so, you know, the world is a fickle place.

What is fantastic about this way of eating is that it means no processed foods are eaten. No refined sugars, colourings, additives, fillers, ingredients you can't pronounce or rubbish.

There is, as always, some debate about exactly what can be eaten on this diet. I mean, if you were to take it very literally then you would only eat the produce that grew in your local area and other than some coriander and basil that my parents grow...its pretty sparse of edible plants in downtown Melbourne. It would be great for weightloss though...the grand 'coriander and basil diet. Lose 20kg in 4 days'. Don't laugh, you will probably see a similar claim on your TV some time next year. Back to point.

What is generally accepted to be eaten on the paleo diet is;
Fruits
Vegetables
Nuts & Seeds
Lean meats
Eggs
Honey

So that means...no grains, dairy, lentils and legumes, artificial or processed anything.

Without grains and processed food, bread is a thing of the past for dedicated paleo-ers, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to enjoy a 'sandwich'. Enter, these tuna salad lettuce wraps. They are crisp, light, filling and paleo safe. They are even easy enough to take to work. Simply mix the tuna salad and store in a container in the fridge with 5 or 6 cos lettuce leaves cut at the base and assemble them as you eat them.

Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps

Serves 1

1 Cos lettuce
1sml tin Tuna
1/2 Capsicum diced finely
1/4 Avocado mashed
Salt & Pepper to taste

Cut 5 or 6 cos lettuce leaves from the lettuce and place to the side. In a bowl mix avocado, tuna & capsicum. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon the tuna mix evenly into the lettuce leaves and serve.

These are so versatile. The tuna can be replaced with chicken, egg, whatever protein you like. You can add diced celery, purple onion, chopped snowpeas, seeds, whatever you can dream up within the realms of paleo.

So paleo or not, this is a light, fresh version of wraps that will have you going back for another serve.

Train like you stole it kids. Over and out.