In the last two years, my family has been going through a change. We went from a standard American diet (SAD) to organics and real food, to gluten free, and now we are paleo/primal.
Let me explain what paleo/primal is to start with and then we'll go from there.
Paleolithic lifestyle consists of eating no processed food, no grains, no dairy. You eat grass fed meats, veggies and fruit, seeds and nuts, no refined anything, including sugar, etc. things a hunter/gatherer in the Paleolithic era would've found to eat. There are a lot of other aspects of it, such as gut health, eating fermented foods, taking cod liver oil, etc. some of these things we have not started yet. It is NOT a diet, it is a lifestyle change. It is NOT a weight loss program, it is a lifestyle change. I have done a lot of research on all kinds of lifestyles regarding food and this is the one that I have found is best for my family. As the homemaker and the one that does all the grocery shopping and cooking, I decide what to cook and what to buy. My boys enjoy the food I put on the table and little by little, we are all learning a new way of eating and looking at food. We are all learning to try new things and taste new flavors.
When I say we are paleo, I always say paleo/primal. Primal lifestyle adds dairy in, which we continue to eat, so we are technically a cross between the two.
When I first learned about paleo, I was taken aback that anyone could live without grains. You mean, I can't eat bread??? I almost had a panic attack thinking about it, since I have been a carb lover my entire life and lived off of cereal and toast and macaroni and cheese!
So we started with gluten free. It went okay, as my boys and I have gluten intolerance, I felt it was a necessity. I didn't really dig the gluten free "breads". I need to watch my carb intake anyway since I am at high risk do becoming diabetic, so the gluten free foods and breads were high carb. Not a good idea.
We weaned ourselves off of bread and got to eating sandwiches using pita pockets instead. We are now experimenting with paleo tortillas and pitas made from grain free flours, such as arrowroot powder and coconut flour. We have finally found a paleo pasta recipe that works for us, so we can continue to have "fettuccini" Alfredo.
What I hear a lot of is that if you can make cupcakes and pitas and tortillas, how is that paleo? Well, if you are grain free and have certain things made paleofied, it isn't bad for you. Sweets and treats are a once in a while treat. Tortillas and pitas we can incorporate into our every day life without feeling like we are "cheating". Since this is not a diet, you can do as you please, within reason.
Usually, once a week we go out to a restaurant and have a meal. Before, we would order what we pleased. Now, we look hard at the choices to make a good decision and try to eat as paleo as possible. Sometimes, it doesn't work, but that is okay. I can tell you, however, that we definitely know when we don't eat properly. Your body gets used to not having grains, or processed food. When you put those things back into your body, the results can be awful. My stomach hurts so bad from eating grains that I try very hard to make sure I don't eat any. I also have other food allergies, so my trips to a restaurant are usually a terribly stressful experience for all involved. I have to ask so many questions I would rather just go home and make myself something instead.
Health wise, our bodies are different than before. I have lost a total of 27 lbs and counting. All three of us have lost some weight, which was a good thing, but our bodies are changing in other ways that the every day eye cannot see. You don't know by looking at me that my blood sugar levels are lower. You don't know that my blood pressure has went down. You wouldn't know that my measurements have gone down considerably. I have lost a total of 13" in my measurements. It has been a slow process, but slow and steady wins the race, right? I can workout harder, I can walk farther, I can lift more weight. My body feels better. Since going off of grains, I have noticed that if i do eat a pita pocket or something with grains in it, my fingers swell, and I get a headache. Almost immediately. It isn't worth it to me to go back to eating grains and having inflammation and a headache.
I told you my panic when I thought about not having bread earlier in this post. I don't miss bread. Not at all. I don't miss cereal. I don't miss cakes and cookies, I can make my own cakes and cookies on occasions with coconut flour or tapioca starch or arrowroot powder.
This lifestyle doesn't work for everyone. It takes patience and time to make every single meal from scratch. Is it worth it? It is for my family. Is it right for you? I don't know. Only you know what is best for you and your family.
All I can tell you is that we feel better, and it is worth it for us. If you want to know more, feel free to ask, I will gladly tell you our story and what we do and why. But, don't judge us because we eat differently than you. We are not food snobs, or hippies. We are just a normal American family trying to fix our bodies after a lifetime of processed foods on the standard American diet.
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