Most people find their way to the Primal Blueprint via food. They\u2019re looking to start eating \u201cright\u201d and get healthy. Maybe they ask a few friends whose lifestyles they admire, or they Google a few buzzwords\u2014low-carb, paleo, keto\u2014and eventually make their way here. However they get here, I love the unbridled enthusiasm of someone on the precipice of change. They\u2019re ready to listen and do whatever you advise. Just say the word. And when they ask where to begin, the word I say is: purge.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Any good Primal transformation starts by eliminating the \u201cbig three\u201d health offenders: grains, sugar, and industrialized seed oils (canola, corn, safflower, soybean, etc.). Get rid of the foods you no longer intend to eat to make room for the meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, nuts, seeds that comprise the Primal Blueprint Food Pyramid.<\/p>\n If you intend to start eating differently, you have set up your environment for success. This is habit change 101.<\/strong><\/p>\n Want to stop eating so much sugar?<\/em> Toss all the candy, ice cream, and whoopie pies, and stock up on protein-rich snacks and 85 percent dark chocolate instead.<\/p>\n Need to kick that soda habit?<\/em> Say sayonara to the soda, buy some sparkling water, and stop taking the elevator at work that drops you off by the vending machines.<\/p>\n During our 21-day Primal Resets or Keto Month challenges, one of the very first things we ask participants to do is a pantry purge for this very reason. On the surface, it\u2019s pretty simple: get rid of the big three, plus any products made with them. Except it\u2019s not that simple. Nothing ever is. We always get a lot of questions about how, exactly, to undertake the pantry purge. Hence today\u2019s post. I\u2019m not going to cover what<\/em> to purge when you clean out your pantry. This older post covers that in great detail. Today is about strategy and how to navigate the sometimes thorny complexities here.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you\u2019re not quite ready to start eating Primally yet. You\u2019re taking your time learning about the Primal Blueprint, or you\u2019re waiting until January, your birthday, or after that vacation you have planned for next month. That\u2019s fine. In the meantime, though, give your future self a leg up by buying fewer chips, frozen desserts, and cases of energy drinks starting now.<\/p>\n So often, people feel the need to go on a junk food bender (whatever that means to you) before \u201cgetting healthy.\u201d That\u2019s a self-sabotaging mentality that starts you off on the wrong foot. The implication is that you\u2019re leaving the good life behind and jumping into something less desirable. I take exception to that. Primal eating isn\u2019t boring, you shouldn\u2019t feel deprived, and it\u2019s certainly not a punishment. You don\u2019t need to throw yourself whatever the food equivalent of a bachelor party is.<\/strong><\/p>\n Resist the urge to go out on a bang, and save yourself some money by not filling your pantry with things you will have to purge when you\u2019re ready to take the leap.<\/p>\n In the past, I\u2019ve advocated what I call the \u201cruthless purge.\u201d That\u2019s where you go into your kitchen with the biggest garbage bag you can find and throw out anything with grains, excess sugar, or seed and vegetable oils. Check the fridge, freezer, pantry, cupboards, and drawers. Don\u2019t forget the spice rack. Read every label, and if something is even a little suspect, get rid of it (recycling any recyclable packaging, of course).<\/strong> Start your Primal reset with a totally clean slate.<\/p>\n Now, I still think this is a great way to start, but I\u2019ve occasionally gotten some pushback on this strategy that I think is valid. Let me address those concerns one at a time.<\/p>\n In this case, a more gradual purge is in order. I\u2019d still suggest tossing the worst offenders if you can<\/em>. To me, that means things like:<\/p>\n Especially for folks on a tight food budget, I\u2019d never suggest tossing conventional eggs, meat, or produce. Yes, I personally choose grass-fed and organic when I can, but Primal is all about making the best possible choices given the options available to you<\/strong>. Conventional meat is always going to deliver many more benefits than marshmallow cereal.<\/p>\n As for the \u201cborderline foods\u201d\u2014foods that aren\u2019t strictly Primal but also aren\u2019t the most un-Primal in the grand scheme of things\u2014that depends on what you can afford. Maybe you eat through your existing supply of oatmeal, legumes, or rice but don\u2019t buy more once they\u2019re gone, at least for a while. If you suspect a particular food is triggering acute health problems, like your IBS flare-ups, for example, just get rid of it. It\u2019s not worth it.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, I trust that you\u2019re going to do the best you can. If that means eating up all the food you have in your kitchen, Primal-aligned or not, because you can\u2019t afford to throw anything out, you won\u2019t get any guff from me.<\/p>\n Food waste is a huge problem and something I try hard to be conscientious about in my own life and at Primal Kitchen. So what are you supposed to do if you don\u2019t want to throw food in the trash, but you also don\u2019t want to eat it? The obvious answers are to donate unopened items to your local food bank or shelter. Or, use those foods to make meals for others\u2014think new parents, elderly neighbors, friends who are sick or are recovering from surgery\u2014or for events like office parties where a baked pasta casserole or batch of cookies would be welcomed.<\/p>\n When I\u2019ve suggested this in the past, though, some people have chimed in and argued that these approaches are problematic in their own right. Why, they ask, are those foods okay for other people if they\u2019re not good enough for you? Doesn\u2019t giving them to food pantries exacerbate the problem of lower-income folks having more access to hyper-processed, less nutritious food than they have to meat and produce? I see this point, but I also think the issue is far more complicated than that. Frankly, I see both sides and don\u2019t have the definitive answer here. You\u2019ll have to decide where you come down on this debate. (Feel free to hash it out in the comments). One compromise option might be to donate your toaster strudels and pasta along with canned fish, canned vegetables, and a monetary donation, which many food banks will use to buy perishable items.<\/p>\n You always have the option of doing the gradual purge described above. Ask yourself what feels like the lesser evil: eating foods you no longer want or throwing them away. It might be a hard choice. Remember this and use it as incentive to keep these items out of your kitchen in the future so you don\u2019t have to go through this again.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat if the people I live with aren\u2019t on board with my new way of eating?\u201d We get this question all the time during our Primal challenges*, and it\u2019s a toughie.<\/p>\n First things first, don\u2019t<\/em> throw away their non-Primal favorites if they haven\u2019t committed to going Primal with you. That will just breed conflict and resentment.<\/p>\n Still, it\u2019s perfectly understandable if you want the cookies, potato chips, and soda out of sight and out of mind. Communication is vital here. Explain why you\u2019re making the changes you\u2019re making and what your housemates can do to support you.<\/strong> I\u2019ve found the best strategy is to create kitchen zones. Let them have their foods, but keep them separate from yours, ideally in a specific cupboard that you don\u2019t open.<\/p>\n You can\u2019t force other people to go along with your Primal diet, no matter how much you want them to. Lead by example, and hopefully they\u2019ll start to come around in time. In the meantime, keep your eyes on your own plate. (And no, it\u2019s not easy. My colleague Erin Power has some more great tips for dealing with unsupportive partners.)<\/p>\n *Speaking of Primal challenges, watch this space for forthcoming announcements about our January plans!<\/em><\/p>\n That\u2019s it from me. I\u2019d love to hear about your experiences going Primal. When it came to diet, did you jump in with both feet or make gradual changes? Would you do it differently if you had to do it over?<\/p>\n <\/p>\nFirst, Stop Buying Stuff You\u2019ll Have to Throw Out Later<\/h2>\n
Go Big: The Ruthless Purge<\/h2>\n
\u201cWhat if I can\u2019t afford to replace all my food at once?\u201d<\/h2>\n
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\u201cI feel guilty wasting so much food.\u201d<\/h2>\n
\u201cMy partner\/roommates\/kids will be furious if I throw away their favorite food.\u201d<\/h2>\n
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