** If you’re just now
joining me, here is a brief primer of the diet research study I’m doing for
fun. (Yeah, I don’t get out much): I am a blood type A+, my friend Addie is a
blood type O+. In order to test
the blood type diet theory, as well as to experiment with two of the most
popular diets currently being touted today, Paleo and Vegan, we embarked on a
two month diet trial. Both of us
will follow the Paleo diet for 30 days, and then we will both follow a Raw
vegan diet for 30 days. During this time we will track our progress in weight,
energy, and health changes as well as monitor our pH levels to see how each
diet affects us individually. According
to the Blood Type Diet (Dr. D’adamo), I should do great on the Raw vegan diet,
and Addie should do best on the Paleo diet. Stay tuned.
So, here I am at day 15 of the Paleo portion of my crazytown
experiment. I honestly don’t know
how I got here. Three hours after
I started this portion of the study, I was over it. I wondered what I had gotten
myself into, and how to get myself out of it. But, I stuck it out. I mean, it
was just DAY ONE. Surely, I was strong enough to get through one day. But then, day two came and I felt the
same. I started to daydream about running away to a foreign country. Maybe no
one would notice! Or, maybe I
could fake an allergy to cavemen. No, these weren’t rational thoughts, but I
was desperate.
As I scrambled my pastured eggs and fried up my grass fed
bacon, I plotted more ways to get out of this unbelievably horrible….wait. Did I just say that I’m *allowed*, no
ENCOURAGED, to eat eggs and bacon?
BACON?! And, I’m
complaining because..??? Well, let’s not look at those details just yet. Let’s
focus on what I couldn’t have, because that’s ultimately what was irritating me
the most. Here is a list of the
NO’s on the Paleo diet:
NO sweeteners of any kind (except stevia)(which is gross)
NO dairy
NO grains
NO beans or other legumes (this includes peanuts/peanut
butter, people! PEANUT BUTTER!)
NO white potatoes
NO corn or corn products
NO corn oil, safflower oil, vegetable oil
NO alcohol
Maybe at first glance you think, “Eh, what’s the big deal?
It’s a short list.” And that’s
true. The NO list for Paleo is
much shorter than the YES list. However, we as a society have come to rely on
the NO list. Think about your last
meal. Was it Mexican Food? Grains,
corn, dairy. Was it Indian? Grains, dairy. Was it Italian? Grains,
dairy. Was it Chinese? Japanese? Grains, grains, grains. Was it good? Probably had grains, corn, dairy AND sugar in it!
I love to cook. I am a master at opening up my
cabinet/refrigerator/freezer and “winging” a perfectly healthy and tasty meal
any night of the week. But, all of
my staples were taken away from me and I had to sort of learn how to cook all
over again. In the fantastic documentary
FRESH, there is a quote that pretty much sums this up: “Americans fear only one
thing: Inconvenience.” And I was pretty inconvenienced. I had to second guess
every. single. ingredient. I would grab cayenne pepper and stop and ask myself,
“Wait, did the cavemen eat cayenne pepper?” Thank GOD for Google!
So, on and on it went for about a week until I finally got into my
groove back.
The cost of a Paleo diet is also high if you follow the
protocol that I am following, which is protein at every meal, about the size of
your palm, all from grass fed/grass finished or pastured animals. Eating a high
quality meat is a key factor in Paleo, and one that I am 100% behind. Don’t eat
cheap meat. You get what you pay for. I am also finding out that most people
who say that they are Paleo are really just a modified version of Paleo. So, if you’re contemplating following a
Paleo diet and are worried about the cost, don’t be. You can simply eat less meat, or skip meat once in a while;
it’s up to you and your wallet to decide that one.
After researching “paleo” recipes on the internet in an
effort to get a pizza fix, I quickly realized that most of these recipes call
for some kind of sweetener and dairy. Many so called Paleo recipes were not really Paleo at
all! They were just grain free,
which apparently is the primary concern for cavemen wannabes. So, again, if
you’re considering this way of eating, you may not have to suffer as I am,
since it seems you can have dairy and maple syrup/honey from time to time
without being considered rogue. Believe me, it makes all the difference in the
world. But, if you have it in you, I highly recommended doing a strict Paleo
diet for a few weeks, if not 30 days, just to check in with your body and see
how it does without the dairy and sugars.
Well, so back to my main point…after I realized that I was
grumpy about a diet that allowed me to eat eggs and bacon, it kind of helped me
get through day 2. I started to
focus on what I COULD have (always a good idea), and I started to get the hang
of the ins and outs of the diet. Of course I was having major withdrawal
symptoms from my daily consumption of caffeine, organic cane sugar in my tea,
dairy, and grains. These symptoms were
clouding my thoughts and draining my energy, so I pretty much just slept
through days 3 and 4. I had zero
energy! None. I also was hungry constantly. My pH
levels were in the toilet. Literally.
Did I mention that I was grumpy?
But thankfully day 5 brought a much brighter, and lighter,
me. I had dropped 5 pounds by
then, and was starting to get my energy back. It was still not enough energy to
exercise though, which was bumming me out, but at least I wasn’t sleepy
anymore. However, over the last few days I’ve had a lot more energy and even
managed to catch a class at my favorite yoga place, Pranayoga. I can’t even say
how much I needed that, both mentally and physically. I knew I wanted to incorporate yoga during this diet study
as a way to help cleanse my body but also to gain some mental focus. My muscles
were sore the next day, and were a gentle reminder that I need to use them
more!
I can’t say that the Paleo diet is the one for me, or not,
just yet. But, I have become much more conscious of what I eat, and it is
helping me as a nutritionist to understand what my clients might go through, as
well as what aspects I want to continue to focus on after the diet is over. I
think anyone who struggles with food or their weight needs to get themselves
into a 30 day diet challenge just to put a perspective on how food works with
their body.
I came into nutrition school feeling as though there was
only one way for people to eat and I was determined to be that person who
finally discovered the secret. But, now, after tons of reading, research, and
personal experience, I realize that each person has a diet that is right for
them. Almost like a fingerprint, we are each unique in our nutritional needs as
well. I hope to be able to educate
people to learn to listen to their inner nutritionist so that they can
intuitively understand the right foods to eat. Eating healthy shouldn’t be such a challenge. I mean, if a caveman could do it…
If you’d like to
follow my daily meals and other fun informative nutrition tips, please like my
page on Facebook!
About the Author:
Bio: Christy Smith, a Fort Wayne native, is a Certified Nutrition Therapist in pursuit of her Master Nutrition Degree through the Nutrition Therapy Institute out of Denver. Her passion for cooking, food, and health have combined into a new venture, Whole to Healthy Nutrition Services. She is excited to share her no-nonsense approach to healing with whole foods.
