Fad diets are not my thing. Now get this: I am (reluctantly) ditching grains, legumes, sweets, and dairy for a Paleo diet of lean meat, nuts, eggs, fish, and tons of vegetables and fruit. This weekend, Hubby and I are starting a 30 day Paleo challenge at our CrossFit gym. We've been doing some research on this eating style, and we really like what we've been learning. Want to learn more? Others can definitely explain it better than I, so look here and here. In my opinion, Paleo isn't a fad diet because it's a lifestyle that can be kept for a lifetime. I'm all about a "diet" that lets me eat until I'm satisfied.
My reservations come from a strong love of all things sweet and packed with carbohydrates. No cereal or oatmeal? Seriously? Skipping cheese and yogurt is going to be difficult, too. I don't think I'll miss milk too much because I can still drink unsweetened vanilla almond milk, which is 10 times better than cow milk! I'm really excited to start this eating plan. This high-protein lifestyle is supposed to provide tons of energy, which meshes really well with CrossFit. Honestly, I'm still kind of skeptical that I'll be able to keep this up past the 30 days. But the nice thing is that occasional grains and dairy aren't going to kill me. The idea is to mix up the food pyramid. Paleo claims that meat, fish, and eggs belong at the base of the pyramid rather than carbohydrates like bread, grains, cereal and pasta.
What are your thoughts? Any wisdom from Paleo-eaters? Carb-lovers?
Sorry to hear you're allergic to wheat and sugar...
ReplyDeleteWho knew? ;)
DeleteI like reading your blog! I'm not sure I could give up my grains, but I have to say I think there's something to this just from my pregnancy experiences. Everyone told me with morning sickness to eat crackers, cereal (you know, the usual simple carbs for nauseousness), and they didn't help at all. I had low blood sugar too (yup 9lb baby with LOW blood sugar...hopefully I never have g. diabetes), and those only took care of the problem for 10 minutes...then I was shakey and nauseous again. I craved meat (and potatoes...so add them on the list, hehe). But hmm, I craved venison stews and roasts...and steak and huge burgers. Not sure they fit the "lean." Anyway, I learned I needed so much more protein and forget the carbs unless they were real and hearty. I felt so much better, my blood sugar was better, and my weight gain slowed down...a little. :) I still had the morning sickness, but it was more manageable. So, all that to say, this little pyramid might be handy for now...and when the Batson babies start coming too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, Becky! I'm glad to hear that a high protein diet worked well for you. It makes me feel better about ditching those delicious carbs! I'm sure that once we get past the challenge, I'll occasionally have some whole grains. :)
DeleteShoot. I had a post all written out and I think Blogger ate it!
ReplyDeleteWell, here's Try Two ;)
We eat a cross between "Real Food" (not really changing the food pyramid, but replacing items with real food items) and "Paleo". We eat lots of meat, eggs, veggies and dairy. Fruits, nuts and gluten-free grains (the we occasionally eat rye) are also part of our diet. We eat NO refined sugar (except when we very rarely "cheat" at church dinners, restaurants and other peoples homes). We sweeten all our baked goods with honey, maple syrup and occasionally stevia. Also, "goods" sweetened with fruit/fruit juices are very tasty. After you've been off the sugar for a while you'll start noticing how sweet fruit actually is! ;) You'll even notice items that you never thought of as a "sweet" item (before your Paleo days) as tasting sweet! It's pretty neat how our taste buds adapt!
We have definitely seen the increase in energy with a high protein diet! Adding protein in the morning was especially noticeable, mostly because high-protein breakfasts aren't usually standard in an American diet--when they ARE included, they're considered BAD (poor eggs and bacon/sausage!). I've especially noticed the difference in this pregnancy with the decrease in nausea. Though I have had some, it's much better than my previous two. If I don't eat protein with grains, I get a sicky-sweet-smacky feeling/taste in my mouth.
Have you seen this Paleo blog? http://www.primal-palate.com/ I LOVE their recipes (AND their pictures of their delicious food)!
If you have any questions or want recipes or tips, let me know! I'd love to be of help! I hope you find this food adventure fun and rewarding! I'm pretty sure you will! :) And I think that once you're done with your 30 day challenge you'll be able to add dairy and good grains back in. Your gut will be able to tell you whether it can handle it or not ;)
Thanks for the info and the website, Rachel!
Delete