I told you my story of what led me to eat Paleo.  Now, it's time to get into the nitty gritty.  I'd been doing gluten free on and off for a while so I was used to avoiding things with wheat.  However, not being able to indulge in gluten free goodies was another transition!

We have made some delicious food, but I'll be honest...most of it is at home.  Prepare yourself to spend some significant money in the first month.  Also, make sure you're ready to cook at home.  I work full-time (with a 1.25 hour commute each way) and am in two doctorate classes (a full load).  It's really tough some weeks, but we're making it work.

Here are some tips to help you be successful:

• Buy some cookbooks (and follow my blog) for delicious recipes
• Make sure you have coconut flour, tapioca starch, and almond flour (if you're allergic to tree nuts, this eating style will be difficult)
• Find a grocery store that meets your needs
• For grass fed beef and organic chicken, I love Costco.  We buy in bulk.  Finding grass fed beef that isn't ground is much harder.  I'm very excited for the half beef we bought direct from a farmer is set to be delivered in November.  We found a  farm that grass feeds and finishes their beef and its all organic.  I sure hope it's as tasty as it sounds!  
• We make special trips to Whole Foods for our organic fruits and veggies because there is so much more selection and for those items, prices are reasonable
• Start buying organic spices as well
• Do a cleanse of your house - what are you avoiding?
• Get rid of it or pack it away.  All my gluten free flours that have rice, corn, soy, garbanzo beans, etc. in them are packed away in our pantry in the garage
• Find somewhere to buy local honey.  
• We found a couple who has hives in their backyard not too far away and they're actually close enough the bees get pollen from flowers in our town too.  This is great for seasonal allergies as well
• Plan out your recipes for the week, make a shopping list, and go shopping.  Then cook a couple things for a few days.  Freeze extras if needed
• Make sure you have the following items as you will use them all the time (in addition to what's listed above):

"Must Have" Items

• organic maple syrup
• organic toasted sesame oil
• organic coconut oil
• organic coconut aminos
• organic olive oil
• organic avocado (if available to you)
• organic sweet potatoes
• organic cauliflower (we love this for a rice substitute)
• organic garlic (we love to buy it pre-minced in the jar...time saver)
• You'll figure out what you cook all the time and therefore what you need
• Organic cage free eggs are a staple for breakfast.  They're fast, easy, and delicious.  Pairing with some nitrite-free bacon is great too.