How My Collection of Paleo Cookbooks Help Me Stay Healthy

Yesterday, I decided on a simple breakfast which consisted of sliced avocados,sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil. A handful of raw almonds and a tall glass of freshly-squeezed lemon water completed my meal. Like life itself, sometimes the simplest things can be oh so satisfying.

Naturally there are days when something a bit more substantial and for those days, I turn to my arsenal of cookbooks. And although I must admit that I don't adhere strictly to a Paleo lifestyle, I feel a whole lot better eating this way.

Ever since losing half my weight many years ago, I've been naturally drawn to "clean" and natural ingredients. I love to eat good food and there's nothing more relaxing to me than spending an entire day in the kitchen cooking up a storm, which is why my shelves are spilling over with cookbooks.

If you're currently living the Paleo lifestyle, you probably know that variety is key to sticking to this heathier eating plan long term. So it only makes sense that having a proper collection of Paleo cookbooks will only make your life easier and definitely tastier.

To get you started, I've also included a few of my awesome Paleo recipes, including my very famous gluten-free brownies.

*Photos and images by Shinichi Mine

Paleo is simply about eating "real food" instead of processed and it's simple once you get the hang of it. Not only that, you'll most likely notice a positive change to your overall health and well-being while losing some excess weight if necessary.

Practical Paleo includes information on healthy living, delicious recipes and answers to all your questions about how the Paleo lifestyle can benefit you and your family.

I have a love affair with pancakes so when I learned that anything made with flour wasn't allowed on a low-carb or Paleo diet, I was devastated to say the least. However once I learned how to make them using almond flour, I no longer had to deprive myself of this yummy breakfast option.

Alternatives such as almond and coconut flours make baking all your favorites possible including these delicious pancakes I recently made. I enjoyed them with a drizzle of real maple syrup and I was in heaven. Not only are they delicious, but they are quite filling due to the nut flours, which are usually heavier to begin with.

There are many good Paleo cookbooks for those who love to bake. Baking with these alternative flours is easy as pie. The hard part is choosing which cookbooks are worth buying.

Check out my recipe for the best gluten-free pancakes.

Thai-style Green Curry is one of the most delicious inventions in culinary history and surprisingly, most Thai green curry pastes are Paleo. Of course you could try and make your own curry from scratch, but who has the time and energy to look for these foreign ingredients?

Instead I use ready-made curry paste from Thai Kitchen. It's pretty tasty and completely Paleo.

It's easy to stick to a new and healthier eating regimen when you keep things interesting for your taste buds, and the best way to do that is to arm yourself with a collection of cookbooks. Without them, I'd probably be eating eggs for breakfast every morning.

Here are just a few of the what I consider to be some of the best paleo cookbooks available today.

As I've mentioned before, desserts have always been my downfall and has kept me overweight for half of my life. Now that I have the tools to make healthier versions of my sweet favorites, I can literally have my cake and eat it too.

Paleo desserts can taste just as good as the traditionally-made ones, such as my famous Gluten-Free Brownies. OK, they're not actually famous around the world, but my friends devour them! If you're a fan of brownies, you'll love these squares of moist and chocolatey decadence. In fact, they're so good, I bet you can't stop at just one!

Can't wait to try those famous brownies for yourself? Just click on the link below to get to the recipe.

Click me here to get one step closer to heavenly bliss.

As far as I'm concerned, a meal is never complete without a proper dessert. The great thing about Paleo cookbooks is that they can be used by anyone, even those who aren't necessarily practicing the lifestyle. It's really quite simple. Paleo recipes are great for anyone wanting to eat healthier by limiting their sugar and refined grain intake.

Yes, that's right. If you find my dead on a weekend morning, it's most likely to be from an overdose of chocolate. I admit I'm kind of a chocoholic and a life without chocolate is like living without air.

So it's truly a wonderful thing to find out that chocolate is not only Paleo-friendly, dark chocolate is especially healthy when eaten in moderation. So if you're a chocolate lover like me, you'll be glad for the selection of cookbooks available today.

For a chocolate lover like myself, discovering this cookbook was like finding buried treasure. Every recipe I've tried has turned out absolutely delightful, especially the Lava Cakes, which are to die for.

When I was strictly on a low-carbohydrate diet ( many years ago ), anything bread-related was off limits. This included all those delectable treats such as muffins, scones and cookies.

Thanks for new types of flours available today, we no longer have to deprive ourselves of these baked goods.

Changing to a Paleo lifestyle isn't about restricting yourself from the foods you love. This book helps you indulge in old favorites like pancakes, muffins and even a 1-minute cake.

Are you currently on a Paleo eating plan? Low-carbing instead? What kind of dietary changes have you made to improve your health? Please feel free to leave your comments.