Paleo Believer

I’ve never been one to follow any sort of diet.  No South Beach, Atkins, Glycemic Index, etc.  I’ve always been one of those people who said “if its that restrictive, its probably no good.”  And I still believe that… But I’ve found something that works for me in the Paleo diet.

I’ve always had digestive issues and just thought that that was the way it was for me, that it would never change.  Even healthy eating didn’t seem to change my poor digestion.  And then I started eating mostly-Paleo.  It was easy to cut out wheat (breads, pasta, etc.) but I still wanted to eat my oatmeal every day.  And then I cut out the oatmeal.  It wasn’t a conscious decision but just happened.  And when I ate the oatmeal again, I felt terrible.  And when I didn’t eat grains, oatmeal, wheat, etc, I felt great. 

Finally it clicked: Paleo isn’t about a diet, it is about being healthy.  I’ve always heard that the Paleo diet is a lifestyle, not a diet, and I truly believe that.  It is about keeping your body healthy through the absence of those foods that you cannot process.  This style of eating might not be for everyone but then again, a diabetic’s diet isn’t for everyone, right?  I have digestive problems that seem to be caused by grains so why not just get rid of them.

So I’m officially going to be one of those people.  The ones who eat things like “oatless oatmeal” and wheat-free protein pancakes (love this recipe by the way).  And I have to say, eating Paleo hasn’t really increased my meat intake that much.  Before, I was already eating high protein so I already ate a lot of meat, so there is really no difference now.  I make up the calories from the missing grains by adding more fruits, veggies, and fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil). 

I’m still not perfect and I’m not going to be 100% Paleo because that’s just not me (again, any diet that cuts out entire food groups I look at with a wary eye).  I had pizza for lunch yesterday.  It was quick, cheap, easy, and delicious (and I actually didn’t have a stomach problem!).  So please forgive me when you see me talking about strange recipes that call for things like almond flour.  Its all for the sake of my digestive health.  But you also don’t need to be the food police when I eat non-Paleo foods.  It’s still about balance but balance mostly to the Paleo side!  I’ll do my best! 

Paleo-Cartoon1

4 thoughts on “Paleo Believer

  1. That cartoon is so cute! Glad to see you-hoping you’re feeling much better!

    I returned to oats (rolled) this week because I’m scared witless at my BP as I BECAME prehypertensive over the past 2 months (BP has always been low, even if my cholesterol was crazy) — during my time spent avoiding grains (including rice, which I’d avoided for years but re-added due to getting CC’d–eating HAM) and embracing “more” Paleo.

    I’m now eating oats about half of my breakies and having rice (ahem, in the form of gluten-free rice chex, sue me) and not worrying about it.

    I’ve “lost” 2 pounds (by no means do I recommend anybody else eat grains and / or claim this is Paleo–but I do credit it for…).

    I am NOT converted to a “eat more whole grains” person (living and repeating what the gov preaches, which we’ve learned is scary-wrong). I seem to do “okay” on moderate amounts of rolled oats and rice. In my body, these things are BETTER than turning to worse choices (w/ my hours, I can keep a bag of chex in the car and eat 3/4C rather than go out of my way to get something gluten-free but “out” — like Chipotle. I don’t WANT to eat “out” and I cannot pack for every meal of the day. MO is too hot in summer for even a full-size cooler in the car to keep things; I’ve tried. I live remotely–it doesn’t WORK for my life). I just need to stop working. 🙂

  2. hahah love that cartoon! I agree with you that paleo is defiantly a lifestyle change and not a diet. I also have digestive “issues”. My problem is finding food and recipes I CAN have. My whole life we grew up with spaghetti and meatballs and fatty foods. Did you find something that helped get rid of pasta and bread?

    1. I actually take a pretty simple approach to it. You won’t see that many recipes to emulate other things. I’ll just have some grilled meat with a huge side of veggies most of the time! No replacement for bread or pasta. I just cut it out but I might try some of those bread recipes you posted on Pinterest. But if you are looking for ideas, the cookbook Paleo Comfort Foods looked pretty good. I don’t have it yet but I want to get it! I’m also getting the Idiot’s guide to the Paleo Diet not because I need to read it but I really liked their breakfast recipes in it.
      ~Ang

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