Paleo, AKA the caveman diet, is explained really well in this infographic:
It's simple actually. Eat meat, eggs, fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, and some oils. Try to eat free range, grass fed, and organic whenever possible. Exercise, go outside, get enough sleep. Treat yourself with some red wine in moderation ;)
This lifestyle isn't for everyone of course but luckily, Matt and I both do well on it.
My first few weeks went something like this...
Day 1-3:
Feeling great but seriously craving fried cheese sandwiches with mashed potatoes and chocolate covered chocolate.
Day 4-5:
Death, I'm going to die. My head will explode and I am going to puke out all of my organs.
Day 6-7:
Eh, not sure about this. Stomach and head are better by my nose is running like crazy and I feel achy all over.
Day 8-present:
Feeling like a million bucks! Cravings are at a minimum, my skin is clear, no more acid reflux, no getting shaky between meals, ten pounds lost, sleeping better, more energy...I could go on.
Clearly my body needed to heal and detox. Gluten and casein were not my friends. All of my little health and stomach issues are nearly gone.
Now, does this mean I'll never eat a cookie again? Not at all. In fact I've had pizza, a cinnamon roll, some rice that was in soup, and a piece of red velvet cake. All in moderation. The key for me is saving my "cheats" for times when I have no control over what there is to eat and still maintaining a 90% Paleo diet.
I'm hopeful for the future and feel like we have truly made a change. Even so, I know I need continued support, encouragement, and motivation. I know the holidays are a danger zone, and it will be easy to slip back into old habits. I hope that posting about my progress here will help hold me accountable and maybe give some encouragement to some of you who may be trying to change your lifestyle as well. Before this diet, I was all about losing weight and getting SKINNY. Now I realize it needs to be so much more. It's about health and having the energy I need to accomplish all the things I want to do in life.
Do you do Paleo? Any advice or tips for me?
