Paleo Update
I have been attempting a shift to a Paleo Lifestyle for over a month now, and I thought I’d share my experience.
Roller Coaster
I have often felt like I’m on a roller coaster. Things will be going well and I’ll have a good attitude about the changes, then I’m depressed, confused and dreading the changes. I know that a big part of my issue is being confused. It’s hard to change your mindset when you have been taught certain things for over 20 years. I’ve grown up thinking that whole-grains are the way to go, and according to
, they aren’t the best. They look good on paper, but because of phytate, our bodies cannot absorb all that good stuff! So they want you to avoid grains, but yet nuts and seeds are okay, and they have phytate as well. I also have a hard time thinking that our modern society hasn’t made progress and found new things that are good for us. I mean there have been so many amazing inventions since the “caveman days.” I have a hard time believing that we haven’t made any strides in food and nutrition as well.
Water
I used to not drink enough water, and I knew that, but it was still hard for me. I didn’t really drink a lot of anything. I would normally have milk for breakfast, water during the day, a soda during nap time, and then water again for the rest of the day. But I still was no where close to the recommended amount of 8 glasses a day. I now take water with me almost everywhere and I feel lost and sometimes sick if I don’t have it. I know it may sound silly, but I went out and bought a “pretty” plastic cup with a straw and it has really helped! In fact I picked up another one, so that it can be in the dishwasher and I can be using one. I think a straw has made the biggest difference, but it’s also nice drinking from a pretty cup.
At first I got really bored with water and would want something with flavor, so I’d add lemon or another fruit. I tried lime, and I’m not a fan. This cookbook,
, has some great ideas for what they call “Spa Water.” At first when I really wanted a pop/soda, I would either have a diet pop or add club soda to a glass full of fruit, this helped a lot! However, I’ve noticed lately that I don’t need that stuff any more. I have gotten used to water and in some aspects, don’t like how I feel without it. I will sometimes have “spa water” for a little change.
Cycles
I feel like I have gone through many cycles of what is difficult for me at the time. I started out having a hard time with breakfast, then it was side dishes, then snacks, now I’m having a hard time figuring out what to eat for breakfast again. Before I started and before my blood work results, I was making my own “smoothie” with Carnation Instant Breakfast, milk and a banana. I feel like I get so much more accomplished in my day if I “drink” my breakfast. That way I can do laundry or other things around the house as I’m having breakfast. So, after I was told I really needed to limit sugar, I had to try something else. I know fruit has a lot of sugar, but it’s natural sugar and to be quite frank, I was not prepared, mentally or physically, to cut sugar so much, so I started making fruit smoothies! My favorite for a while was coconut milk, 1/2 scoop of chocolate protein powder, 1/2 a banana, vanilla, and cinnamon. However, the smoothies don’t stay with me long and a few hours later, I’m ready for a snack. After a few weeks smoothies have become less enticing, so I’m searching for other breakfast goodies right now! (I love cereal, waffles, and muffins, so this is a hard area for me!)
What It’s Looked Like
The first two weeks were by far the hardest! I was constantly hungry, tired, sluggish and moody. I constantly craved things that I needed to avoid, so I’d usually just not eat and then take a nap to deal with the hunger. In
, she suggests going through your house and throwing out everything that isn’t Paleo, I just can’t do that! I know it’s not good for us, but part of me also thinks that I grew up on this stuff, and I’m over 30 … I decided to give some things away to a family who just found out that the mom of four has cancer. I also don’t want to be so restrictive, I’d like to have a “treat” every once in a while, and I’ve never really been an “all or nothing” kind of person. I tend to try it, research it, and try to find a balance.My doctor suggested being extremely limiting on fruits for two weeks, so I made it a week and a half before I broke down and had a couple of bites of fresh fruit. Then after two weeks, I started having a smoothie for breakfast. Then for lunch I’d have a salad, and for dinner we would have protein and veggies. The rest of the family would have the same dinner, but their normal breakfast and lunches. I know I need to get them on the same plan, and sometimes I do cringe more than I used to about what they are eating, but right now I want to try things out first to see what I think my family might like, and to be quite frank, the stuff is more expensive, so I want to experiment and find out what I like best, where to get it at a decent price and to start stocking up. My kids are also more curious and intrigued and more willing to try new things because they know they can only have a little bit.
Recipe Keepers
While there have been many things that I can’t stand, I have found a few keepers and I’m constantly on the look for more. Here is what I like so far:
Morning Glory Muffins (also available in this cookbook:
) use a food processor to make theseBanana Pancakes (These were so good, but harder to make (especially flip) than anticipated, we also added blueberries to ours. We all fought over the last few!)
Garlic Butter (add this to veggies, and my kids fight over who get the last little bit!)
Changes
I am hoping that changes will continue to occur naturally and that I will be able to progressively change. However, I’ve noticed that when I go crazy and eat like I used to, I really pay for it later, my stomach kills me! Here are other changes I’ve noticed:
- I used to love eating cereal and would usually limit myself to a small bowl, now I take 3-4 bites and I’m done.
- I can hardly stand the taste of diet soda now.
- One of my cheats is a Coke Icee on Sunday, I used to hoard the whole entire thing, now I drink 1/2 to 3/4 and I’m done, it does usually irritate my stomach a little bit, but at this point, it’s still worth it to me.
- I drink water all the time and don’t really think about it much. If I’m not drinking enough, I really crave it.
My Plan
I’m still going to try and learn more, however, I think I will want a more balanced approach. Lately it seems like I feel better (mentally and physically) if I have a few grain servings a week, however, I really try to listen to my body and quit when my body tells me to. I’m still going to go out to eat and enjoy life, sometimes I’ll splurge and sometimes I’ll choose the better of the evils, I will try not to feel guilty. I am planning on reading
and and then I think I’m going to take a break on reading about food! 🙂I will try to figure out breakfasts, continue to eat a salad for lunch most days, and have protein and veggies for dinner. I will be trying new recipes and eating some of our favorites that can be considered Paleo. I will try my best to listen to my body and balance things out as much as possible. I know I will sometimes eat for emotional reasons, and I will try not to let it bother me. Balance and getting my family more on board is my ultimate goal!
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I really want this cookbook:
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Read my reviews:
