Free Paleo Cookbook For Dummies by Kellyann Petrucci

different life spans, and your intestinal cells take about 21 days to renew. That’s why starting your Paleo program with a 30-Day Reset is important: 30 days gives you enough time to encompass a full intestinal regeneration cycle, so you start out your new lifestyle with healthy, vibrant cells.
    Creating positive habits: Your nervous system takes about 30 days to recognize a habit. When you do something over and over for about 30 days, you start getting the hang of it and moving in the right direction. Your actions may not be completely automatic yet and may take some forethought, but chances are that within 30 days, you’re reaching for that crinkly package a lot less frequently.
    Quieting the cravings: What’s really behind your cravings? Sometimes, your body is looking for ways to find comfort. The brain chemical that’s responsible for this reaction is called serotonin; it affects mood — specifically, happiness. The higher your serotonin levels, the happier you feel. When these levels dip, you may turn to sweets or processed foods as an artificial way to elevate these levels.
    Doing the 30 day Paleo Reset forces you to find ways to naturally increase this feel-good guy serotonin. Exercising, thinking positive thoughts, and eating the clean, nutritious Paleo foods are some of the best ways to naturally boost these serotonin levels and win this epic battle once and for all.
    The difference between the first 30 days and simply eating Paleo for life is that a long-term Paleo lifestyle gives you a bit of wiggle room in your food choices — what I like to call personal play. The 30-Day Reset, though, has no room for these different shades of Paleo. You avoid the Paleo-approved sweets and treats; (such as pancakes, muffins, and sugars of any kind) that are okay later; straight-up, 100-percent squeaky-clean Paleo foods are the only focus during this period. You have to be strict with your portion sizes as well. No cheating or swaying, or it’s back to day number one!
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    Earning willpower
    You may be considering a Paleo Reset and thinking, “But I don’t have any willpower.” No one has willpower. Willpower is something that’s developed. Just like building muscles, you must build your physiology to have willpower to become mentally fit.
    Every time you exercise self-control, you’re strengthening your willpower. So when you see that person happily eating spaghetti squash and you want to cry into a bowl of real pasta, it doesn’t mean that she has more willpower than you; it just means she has more mental conditioning and has practiced more self-control in her life. (Or maybe she just flat-out likes spaghetti squash more than you do). It’s a numbers game, really. The more you exercise willpower, the easier it becomes.
    You can actually work on willpower by holding back on doing something you really want to do When you push your mental muscle beyond its limits, you eventually cause it to tire, but like your bicep, when you exercise to exhaustion you actually cause your mental muscle to strengthen.
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    After 30 days, when you’ve reduced inflammation, worked on healing your gut, stabilized your blood sugar, and become a more efficient fat burner, you can venture out beyond the 30-Day Reset menu. Most of my patients experience the best results when they stick to a diet that’s 80 percent Paleo and 20 percent personal play.
    Some folks need more than 30 days before they are ready to have flexibility. If you have a condition you are trying to heal, you may decide to continue on past the 30 days. Again, what works for you personally is an important part of eating Paleo.
    Feeling shaky, crazy, and tired
    Be aware of what’s happening when you launch the 30-Day Reset. If you start to feel a bit wonky as you’re switching over your diet to Paleo foods, know that you’re A-Okay. This yucky feeling is actually a signal that your body is making a positive