Going Against The Grain

Thanks for checking out Paleo Evolution!  I've been working on this site to take the place of Paleo Challenge Frederick, and getting the first post off the ground has been a bit of a challenge for me. I had to write the send-off for that site and think of a decent intro for this one when I've already been babbling about this stuff for a month and a half.  Chances are, you've made dietary changes too or are contemplating doing so.  You've come to the right place.

On Paleo Evolution, you can read about one person's take on switching to a caveman's diet in a modern world.  Cavemen hunted, gathered, picked, and took what they needed.  They also didn't have the modern day obesity-associated diseases we have.  The Paleo lifestyle focuses on eating clean.  No wheat or grains, no dairy, no soy, no processed foods, little sugar.   Meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, along with plenty of water, are the Paleo staples.  While you're still gasping at all this deprivation, know that it's an evolution, and a spectrum. 

There are people that follow paleo that include grass-fed dairy or rice in their diet.  Paleo purists do not.  I like to say I'm 100% Paleo 80% of the time.  I started back on this journey when we rang in 2013, after 2012 became one of the more unhealthy years of my adult life.  I began eating Paleo 2 years ago, and it lasted for about a year.  During the second year, I slowly declined until I was back eating all of the things that contributed to my poor health.  I gained weight, my belly turned to jelly, I suffered from stress, fatigue, mood swings, and headaches.  Sick in general and sick of it all, I decided to clean up my act.

Grains are everywhere, in everything, and they bring their friends sugar and corn with them.  Avoiding food with corn, rice, wheat and soy is difficult but not impossible.  Avoiding dairy is much easier.  People will think you're nuts (nuts are good, in small amounts) and will think you're crazy (crazy is good in small amounts too).  After 47 days of eating clean, here's what I hear:

"You look great - I can see you're shrinking" -- I've still got a ways to go until I accept where I am, but I see an improvement and I'm determined to keep at it.

"Your skin looks so much better" -- It does.  No more breakouts, which I still got at age 43.  I have a $40 bottle of foundation that I bought in December that isn't even being used.  So, I'm hearing "better skin" and I'm not wearing the expensive makeup.  In fact, when my 16 year old is breaking out, he cuts out dairy and his skin clears up in 2 days. 

I also am sleeping like the dead, something I haven't done for years.  It's a challenging lifestyle choice to make, but the rewards are strong.  What I use to call cheats, I'm already calling them "things I no longer eat."  I've gotten the grains out of my system, and my blood sugar and inflammatory markers are bored.  They are no longer working overtime, and we are all happier for it.

It makes no sense to turn back to my previous, poor diet when I see so much improvement.   These choices force me to address one of my biggest weaknesses: planning and preparation.  Making sure I always have a protein, carb, and fat available to eat is key, because hunting and gathering was easy when it involved spearing an animal and picking off a vine, but not so much when you have to rely on the food industry's prepared foods.  So my husband and I cook - a lot.  We spend hours in the kitchen chopping, cutting, cleaning up, washing, putting away, packaging, wrapping, and doing it all over again a few days later. But we've discovered flavors we've never had and now love, and it's become time that we are together and talking.

Once you've eaten clean for about 2-3 weeks, you will notice an improvement in your workouts.  I'm measurably stronger, faster, and more energetic than I was 2 months ago.   Cravings will diminish and then cease.  Once your blood sugar levels out after losing the highs and lows, and your gut clears all the grain residue, your body will feel like a new machine. 

Frustrations are plenty, which is why I write.  It helps me sort through the numerous internal and external blocks, difficulties and challenges I face by trying to remain healthy.  They will all be here, written in full honesty.

Thanks for reading -- this is just the introduction.  I hope you join me for the ride.