Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Making the Choice: Paleo

Farmers Market Beets

Alright, in blatant contrast to my previous post on gumdrops, I've decided to go Paleo.
I've been feeling the effects of the traditional American diet. Fatigue, weight gain, headaches.
I made this decision a reality about a week and a half ago and have already noticed a tremendous improvement in my mood, energy and productivity.

What is Paleo?
My 4 year old will happily tell you that I now Eat Like a Dinosaur. Focusing on foods that are minimally processed, with particular emphasis on Meat, Vegetables and Fruit. Processed sugar is off limits, while more natural sources such as maple syrup and honey are ok in small quantities. There seems to be some debate on the allowance of dairy. I'm personally going with a more limited restriction of it until it is out of my system and I can reintroduce it and feel how it effects me.
Grains and legumes are out. I already know from previous stints with going Gluten-free that passing on grains makes me less lethargic and keeps my guts happier.

Why am I doing this?
I've been noticing my energy disappearing and my waistline expanding for a while now. I want to change that. At the same time, I've found that when I am strict with myself I'm more apt to fail. What this means is that I'm not going to beat myself up over any slips. That said, I'm making informed decisions and learning more about how these foods make me feel. Finally taking notice of how my diet effects my mood is all the feedback I need to keep going in the right direction.

Yesterday I slipped. The girls and I had some gummy worms. I ate about a quarter of the amount I would have eaten in the past. The rest of the afternoon I felt awful in comparison to how I've been feeling since I started. Reinforcement like that is more than enough to keep me on track.

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