It's basically asking is it ok to be eating the natural human diet at 13 years old.?? OF COURSE IT IS! lol. I wouldn't worry :) As long as you are getting adequate calories from a variety of nutritionally dense plant and animal sources you will be fine :)

It's completely safe for a 13-year old. Plenty of people are now raising their kids paleo from birth. Now, I don't want to step on any toes here, and if this is something that you really want to do, I would most certainly talk to you parents about it. There's nothing unhealthy about eating meats and vegetables. But if your parents are already on board, I'd talk to them about it and enlist their help. As far as dropping 60lbs, no, you won't, your bodyweight will level out at what is natural for you, and you'll probably have more energy.

So talk to your parents, and if you have more questions as you begin this journey, your parents and this board are there for help! Welcome to a healthier life! :)

Wow, your parents are awesome.

Just sayin'.

Go for it! :)

Is it safe for 13-year-olds to eat real, whole, unprocessed foods? For all of human history, at every age, yes, yes it is safe. ;)

Just don't go fall for the low carb/anti fruit/anti starch dogma and you'll be perfectly fine. Keep eating potatoes, fruit, yams and rice. etc

My son is 15 and he has been Paleo for 3 years now. It has been great for him, has cleared up a lot of chronic issues he had. He now prefers homemade kombucha to soda any day.

Hey I'm 16, 5'2 and I absolutely love paleo. I too have always lived in an organic-eating family and it was just a natural progression (especially after getting really sick from being a raw vegan). I'd love to connect with more youth on here. I've been doing it for a little over two years and I can't begin to tell you the benefits. It just makes you feel wonderful, stress-free and healthy. Skin stays clear, you have a ton of energy and you get to eat such amazing food ( anything from ribeyes, to bison, to llama to elk, eggs, coconut milk, eggs Yum!!!!!). Of course make sure your in for some carb withdrawal (for me that was about 3 weeks-month of being a little more irritable, lightheaded or stressed but once your body switches to fat-burning bring on the serenity). Best of luck, Chelsea:)

Keep the meats, fruits, salads and potatoes. If that's what most of your diet is, then you'll be fine with the odd mango popsicle. You can also try making your own mango popsicles without added sugar by blending up chopped mango and coconut milk and freezing it in your own popsicle mold. You could even add some ripe banana to make it a little sweeter and creamier.

Also, unless you have celiac disease or serious digestive problems, it's much more important to eat nutrient dense animal foods and home cooked meals than to avoid things like bread. So start your new focus on good food by getting in the kitchen!

Learn how to cook bone-in meats and whole birds and fish and how to make soup from the leftover bones. Try to eat two whole eggs everyday and seafood at least twice a week. If you are interested in trying organs, they are also a great source of nutrients and a fun opportunity to do some interesting cooking (like wrapping chicken livers in bacon strips!).

Make sure you spend some time outside in the sun each day and go for a quiet walk once in awhile without your headphones, texting, etc. Just let your mind wander and enjoy being in the world without any obligations for that time.

Happy eating!

First off, congrats to you for being so mindful and health conscious at 13!

It is my opinion that as long as you are eating a variety of foods; good healthy fats, proteins, all kinds of veggies, especially greens(kale, collards, broccoli, chard, dandelion, arugula etc.) you will only continue to improve your health. You are a developing young women and need healthy fuel I really see no reason why a paleo lifestyle would not provide adequate nutrition. Nutrient dense foods would only increase and shouldn't be depriving you of any essential nutrients.

I actually think you would be making strides compared to the majority of youth today. You sound to be at a healthy weight, so if you are not restricting yourself I don't see a reason why you would loose. Usually when young girls diet or overexert themselves amenorrhea is of concern, however, since healthy fats is a cornerstone of the paleo diet, fat= estrogen= menses, this shouldn't be an issue.

Cheers!

Heck yeah! Just make sure your folks are really involved so they can help with making sure you are getting enough of all the stuff you need as you are growing. Although, at 13 I think you can probably figure a lot of this stuff out for yourself.

I wish someone had told me when I was a kid that I was eating my way into constantly operating at about 60% of my potential. Imagine what amazing physical and mental advantages you will have starting this young!

Good luck. Since it sounds like you are a pretty healthy girl, I think the hardest part will be the peer pressure from your friends. Stay strong!

EDIT: Just had a thought - I hope you feel comfortable being really open with your parents about any changes in your body that don't seem normal. Any time you make a big change in your diet it is a good idea to pay attention to any differences, even if they're kinda embarrassing (learn from the people here who have no shame in asking thousands of people about their poop!).

I don't see how it could be harmful, fair play for being interested in health at such a young age, usually people are spurred here by health problems so you are a good position, just don't get too obsessed with health as it can become unhealthy in itself.

I often feel that if I could go back to when I was 18 and start this diet and lifestyle then I would be almost unstoppable!

As a young athlete in my early teens I was very tough, dedicated and strong willed, that was while i was eating mcdonalds, fried everything and junk that i wouldnt go near now. I can only imagine how crazy of an athlete I wouldve been if I was on paleo during that time. So to say the earlier you start the sooner you feel the impact of unlocking your true human potential.

My 18 month old eats paleo and he's totally healthy. You're doing a lot better than me as I was a vegetarian, boderline- vegan at your age. Just make sure you don't go the low-fat Cordain style paleo and don't drive your parents nuts with your new found food passion. It will raise their cortisol levels. :-)

If you can realize at the age of 13 this choice without any pressures, let me say that you must be proud of your pondering question!

Anyway...save your health as soon as you can! so for me the answer is yes!

Of course it is safe...but don't put too much effort into it. Aging is simply an observed decline in your body's ability to recover. At 13 you have a ways to go until you have an observable decline in your ability to recover. Don't go crazy trying to be super healthy but don't just go all junk food. Enjoy your youth. Eat some ice cream, have some french fries...your metabolism will only get worse as you age. You are 13!!!! I'm 31, different equation for me.