Grace Runk is a real-life Malibu Barbie. Grace is gorgeous from the inside out - with her name fittingly describing her lovely character. Having grown up minutes away from the paradise of the Malibu beaches, Grace has grown up in the heart of America's fitness capital. With juice shops, raw food cafes, and Whole Foods grocery stores around every SoCal corner, it can be a confusing web to untangle health-wise. Everyone tries to answer the million dollar question: what's the healthiest, best way to feel good and get fit?

Some opt for a vegan diet, others swear by their weekly juice cleanse, some try Dukan, and a few just don't really eat anything at all.

Paleo advocate Grace Runk, having bumped shoulders with Hollywood's elite based on her geography alone, has found her diet of choice. For those of you unfamiliar with paleo, it is a diet based on the types of foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans, consisting chiefly of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, and excluding dairy or grain products and processed food.

Grace is naturally beautiful, from her heart to her smile to her incredibly fit Malibu beach bod! The paleo diet has worked like a charm to give her the lifestyle and nutrition her body craves.

Welcome to Paleo 101 with Gracie Runk.

How did you get into the paleo lifestyle?

I got into the paleo lifestyle my senior year of college. As a once international athlete, I had always been active and fit; however, after deciding to retire from my equestrian sport, my fitness regimen changed. I love to cook and wanted to be completely dedicated to eating healthy again and getting back into the gym-a paleo diet gave me great results and allowed me to be creative in the kitchen! To me, a paleo diet really is not a diet. I value the kind of food that I put into my body and know that I feel best and operate best when I eat clean.

How important is health/fitness/nutrition to you?

Fitness and nutrition are extremely important to me and is more a way of life than it is a challenge to look a certain way. Fitness allows me to constantly create new goals for myself. Since I am a retired athlete, it gives me a sense of purpose and something to work towards. In order to accomplish those fitness goals of mine, my eating habits must be in line with my workouts. Nutrition is just as vital, if not more important, than your fitness program.

What does your normal workout routine look like?

I usually lift 5-6x a week, alternating different muscles groups and do cardio maybe 1x a week. My weight training program is very intense, so I achieve my cardio requirements while I am lifting. As a woman, I like to separate my leg day into two days and have a glute exclusive day. Booty is my favorite day of training! I like to vary my work out routines so I do not get bored and so that my muscles never get used to the same exercises. This allows me to constantly achieve goals and not plateau. But in short, my work out routine is high intensity with little rests and making sure I am always challenging myself with heavier weights.

What are some of your go-to paleo snacks?

Yum. Paleo snacks...my favorite. Let's see....I am a sucker for almond butter, specifically, Justin's Almond Butter. Spoonful of that on top of a banana is great...or even by itself! I also love sliced raw bell peppers with some hummus on the side..if I am at home in the mood for something salty and crunchy I will whip up some zucchini chips. Super easy-slice em' up and drizzle some olive oil on top, then add salt and pepper before you put them in the oven. 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

What does your average daily intake look like?

When I was at my most intense fitness program, I was eating about 2,300 calories (good calories) a day. My macro breakdown was around 25% carbs, 40% protein and 35% fat. Now, because I have a time consuming job, I have adjusted this. I eat about 1,900 calories a day and try and stay around that same macro breakdown.

Do you have any advice for women wanting to go paleo?

As far as paleo advice goes, I cannot recommend it enough! It really helped me achieve my fitness goals of getting stronger and leaner, without putting me in a place where I rebounded. It also allowed me to get creative in the kitchen, which is a win-win for all parties involved! When I first went paleo, I challenged myself to stick to it for 3 months 100%. After the three months, I started to incorporate a couple non-paleo items into my diet... but here is where I went wrong: I was so excited to have pizza as my first meal, that I got really sick the next day. I think balance is key and having a cheat meal once a week (after you've obtained your goals) is extremely vital...but make sure that when you bring back in your fun meals, that you do it slowly. I made the mistake of having an entire pizza and a couple of craft beers in one sitting at Stagecoach, and man, I did not feel too hot.

Do you have a yummy recipe you can share with us?

I would love to share a savory and sweet recipe! My paleo bison burgers are to die.... I take about 5-6 oz of ground bison and marinate it with salt and pepper (I am a minimalist, but feel free to change it up) and I will grill it until medium rare. Then I take 2 portobello mushrooms, sautee them for a couple minutes on each side (this becomes my bun). Next, I cut up some tomato, spinach, and onion to place on the burger. Lastly, I mash up some avocado and voile! You have your tasty paleo bison burger!

Next, protein donuts! I have received some great praise on these babies! Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder, 1/4 cup almond flour, 2tbsp coconut sugar, 2 tbsp almond milk, 1 whole egg and 1/2 tsp baking powder until smooth. Place the batter in a donut tray (you can purchase on amazon) and be mindful not to pour batter to the rim of the tray...it rises more than you'd think. Leave them in the oven for 15 minutes and then let them cool for a bit afterwards. While they are cooling, take some dark chocolate and melt it with coconut oil (about 2 tsps...I eye ball it). Then I take each donut and dunk it into the mixture in the bowl...sometimes I'll add some almond slivers or coconut flakes as a topping! Leave it in the fridge for about an hour and you got yourself some tasty treats!

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you,
even as your soul is getting along well. - 3 John 1:2