Eating Healthy

Eating Healthy

So lately I have been bombarding my Facebook friends with clips, news stories, blog posts, cartoons, etc. with healthy eating in mind. I have become, I'm sure, very annoying to some people, but I feel I have taken this on as a calling, of sorts.

The more I read, the more I study, the more adamant I become of the need for folks to be educated on their health. I'm just sorry it took me 50 years to realize why I just got heavy, felt bad, got depressed and literally wasn't well

It wasn't until my son-in-law introduced me to the idea of Paleo/primal eating and I started implementing it, did I really realize how unhealthy I had become.

I initially lost 30+ pounds, could climb stairs again, even started running again. I felt great!!!

Then temptation won over and I quit being so strong a Paleo eater and I began to see the effects. Fatigue, weight gain, broken nails, weak muscles. I basically got lazy, had too much ice cream and way too many beers.

Well, in these past 2 weeks I started being very strict with my carb consumption. I have also made a conscious decision to do something physical every day. I can proudly say, without too much effort, I have lost 7 pounds, my nails are growing and my fatigue is going away. My joint pains are subsiding and I feel pretty good.

This is how I do it:

According to the Paleo Pros, eating any grains is harmful to your health.

Another no no are legumes. Basically, if it has to be cooked to break it down to be digestible, it can't be good for you. I don't like the bloated feeling after eating black beans, for example. My body is reacting to food not welcomed. Green Peas and green beans I eat. They can be eaten raw, but I steam them for taste.

Dairy is on a maybe basis. I have found now that I don't drink milk, I get nauseous when I do. I believe our systems are not designed for cows milk as shown with lactose intolerance symptoms, such as nausea, stomach pain, bloating, etc. I do indulge in some cheese, but very little

Sugar. Gaaaa. The big no no. I switched to Stevia a long time ago and really don't miss it. Now, i admit, when I went off the Paleo wagon I hit the Krispie Kreme store a few times. (who let them build one in San Marcos?) and my special date with John is an occasional trip to Dairy Queen, BUT I will have to limit that or I won't lose. For a sweet treat, I have some dried fruit or a peach.

My diet now consists of mainly meat, all kinds, preferable grass fed beef, un-altered chicken (you know the kind that isn't pumped with un-pronounceables before eating) and healthy cold water fish like salmon. I do like hard salami as a snack....no carbs. I also eat lots of veggies, especially this time of year. We belong to a CSA and get a basket of organic veggies once a week. We also have a garden which is just now taking off. And I hit the farmers market once a week....have to have my Home grown tomatoes. I actually love to walk down to the square, get my goodies, and walk home. Last week I carried a watermelon home, up hill in 100 degree heat! Brag. We didn't get to eat it, though. John will have to have dried watermelon I guess.

I eat nuts. I love pecans. They are higher in carbs, but they are my treat with raisins.

What else? I try to sleep. I used to get maybe 6 hours in a night. Now I aim for 8 or 9. Waking up regularly with night sweats means I have to make up sleep when I can. Yes "The Nap" is an important time of day!

In the next few weeks I will try to be more scientific as to why I feel this way of eating...the way our Paleolithic forefathers ate, is more suitable for our bodies. There are tons of references I have not posted on Facebook that I want to get out there. I will let you all in on what I am learning.

Please note. This lifestyle is something that has worked well for me. This is why I want to support it, BUT, more importantly, eating CLEAN is the thing. If you can't pronounce it, if the list of ingredients is more than 3 words, I say, yuck! it is work and I try. It isn't always easy, and can be expensive, and temptations are out there .... but watching what you put in your mouth, and the mouths of your children can only be a good thing, right?