So I've been attempting Paleo since my last detox post... must be about 6 weeks? It's been a very interesting journey.
Intially I was paleo-except-for-breakfast. It was just too difficult for me to wrap my head around the idea of a breakfast that doesn't involve grains/cereals or dairy. So I worked toward omitting non-paleo foods during the rest of the day.
Thing is, I started to feel really flat and gross. I couldn't work out why, since the only changes I had really made to my diet was reducing my dairy intake. Prior to starting the diet I had already eliminated starchy carbohydrates (potatoes, bread, rice), reduced my sugar/caffeine intake (ie, reduced my tea drinking) and consumed beans no more than once a week, legumes barely at all.
I consulted with a friend at work who had recommended he diet and he recommended increasing my fruit intake. I'd never really eaten much fruit, it just wasn't something I was given often as a child, so I went out and bought some basic fruit - apples, mandarines and kiwi fruit - and forewent my normal breakfast of yoghurt and fruit-free, nut muesli, and instead ate several pieces of fruit. I generally ate them through the course of the morning, since, as I said, I'm really not used to eating fruit.
In line with the normal detox period, I felt slightly worse for 3 days. On the fourth... I felt FANTASTIC! More rested than I've felt in months, maybe years. It was the missing piece of the puzzle.
For the last 2 weeks I've been trying to do the 30 day paleo challenge. This challenge is hardcore paleo - all the normal rules (no beans, legumes, tubers, dairy, sugar, unprocessed anything) and of course no alcohol (a firm cheat item previously), plus no "paleofying" unhealthy recipes. No paleo pizza, pancakes, etc.
The last point was hard for me, as I had hunted and hunted and finally found a packet of coconut flour (which was surprisingly cheap, from a health food store at South Melbourne Market) and was keeeeen to try it out. I did make some coconut banana muffins (awesome!), coconut pancakes (not bad) and a coconut flour pizza base (not great...) before I came across this challenge so at least I had managed to get some experimentation in before starting the diet.
SO I am proud to report:-
I have had NO CHEESE in a month;
I rarely drink milk - maybe once or twice a week;
No grains at all - including my beloved fruit-free, nut muesli;
I'm eating fruit every day;
Loads of protein and vegetables for lunch and dinner;
Very rarely buy lunch now;
No alcohol in two weeks!!
I have cheated a little bit on this diet, so once the 30 days is up, I will take a few weeks off (for my birthday ;D) and then start again.
When I reach a weight I'm happy with I will most likely take a more moderate approach to the diet, but keep the fundamentals, focusing on whole foods.
May start posting my food diary so I can see exactly what I'm eating also - watch this space!
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