Last June we did something dramatic in our home. We went on a strict Paleo diet. This task was difficult. Very difficult!
The toughest part was no more refined sugar. I love sugar. And prior to June, I usually would satisfy my chocolatety sweet tooth at least once a day. But my husband was struggling. He had no energy. His stomach constantly hurt. And the tests the doctors were running gave us NOTHING.
So we decided to try changing his diet to see if we could fix it on our own. I knew that if he was going to do this, we all needed to. It was the best way to support him. And I figured it wouldn't hurt me and our son to do it too. We actually went on a strict Paleo diet. No grains, no refined sugar, no legumes, no dairy, no foods with preservatives. All that was left was meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and eggs.
And we quickly started seeing fantastic results.
1. Within a week my husband's stomach didn't hurt after every meal any more.
2. Within four weeks neither my husband or I were taking ibuprofen for headaches...something we had been doing nearly daily for a long time.
3. I stopped having migraines completely. (I had decreased my number of migraines from 8-10 a month to 1-3 a month when I quit eating gluten. But now they completely disappeared.)
4. I was able to easily attain a healthy weight level and maintain it.
5. The eczema on my neck that had been there for over two years and that I treated daily went away.
6. The small sebaceous cyst on my leg decreased in size and has nearly disappeared.
7. We all have so much more energy!! That's the best part.
8. And, amazingly, I found ways to satisfy my chocolatety sweet tooth in healthy ways.
We wouldn't have been able to launch this journey without a fantastic cookbook and guide Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso. For the first few weeks I faithfully followed her shopping list and menu. By then I was into the rhythm of the diet and was able to venture out on my own and follow her guidance.
I'm convinced that what we eat has more to do with our health than most people are willing to admit. Science clearly backs that up, but it's not nearly as convincing to me as our family's experience. Isn't that how it always is. When we experience something dramatic, that's when we are sold.
Since starting the Paleo diet we have made a few adjustments. But refined sugar and preservatives are still on the no-no list, and I'm quite sure they always will be.
I also think it was important for us to begin with a strict Paleo diet for a few months and then gradually add items to our diet to see if they worked for us. For example, after eight weeks we tried adding dairy back in to our diet, specifically cheese. It quickly became clear that not all dairy was going to work for us. But we were able to include goat cheese and feta cheese in our diet.
Diets like Paleo, The Daniel Plan, and the CHIP diet can have dramatic effects on diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity, energy levels, and heart disease. The Paleo diet we followed isn't for everyone. And everyone has the chance at good health. Choose to live life to the fullest...choose to eat well.
The toughest part was no more refined sugar. I love sugar. And prior to June, I usually would satisfy my chocolatety sweet tooth at least once a day. But my husband was struggling. He had no energy. His stomach constantly hurt. And the tests the doctors were running gave us NOTHING.
So we decided to try changing his diet to see if we could fix it on our own. I knew that if he was going to do this, we all needed to. It was the best way to support him. And I figured it wouldn't hurt me and our son to do it too. We actually went on a strict Paleo diet. No grains, no refined sugar, no legumes, no dairy, no foods with preservatives. All that was left was meats, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and eggs.
And we quickly started seeing fantastic results.
1. Within a week my husband's stomach didn't hurt after every meal any more.
2. Within four weeks neither my husband or I were taking ibuprofen for headaches...something we had been doing nearly daily for a long time.
3. I stopped having migraines completely. (I had decreased my number of migraines from 8-10 a month to 1-3 a month when I quit eating gluten. But now they completely disappeared.)
4. I was able to easily attain a healthy weight level and maintain it.
5. The eczema on my neck that had been there for over two years and that I treated daily went away.
6. The small sebaceous cyst on my leg decreased in size and has nearly disappeared.
7. We all have so much more energy!! That's the best part.
8. And, amazingly, I found ways to satisfy my chocolatety sweet tooth in healthy ways.
We wouldn't have been able to launch this journey without a fantastic cookbook and guide Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso. For the first few weeks I faithfully followed her shopping list and menu. By then I was into the rhythm of the diet and was able to venture out on my own and follow her guidance.I'm convinced that what we eat has more to do with our health than most people are willing to admit. Science clearly backs that up, but it's not nearly as convincing to me as our family's experience. Isn't that how it always is. When we experience something dramatic, that's when we are sold.
Since starting the Paleo diet we have made a few adjustments. But refined sugar and preservatives are still on the no-no list, and I'm quite sure they always will be.
I also think it was important for us to begin with a strict Paleo diet for a few months and then gradually add items to our diet to see if they worked for us. For example, after eight weeks we tried adding dairy back in to our diet, specifically cheese. It quickly became clear that not all dairy was going to work for us. But we were able to include goat cheese and feta cheese in our diet.
Diets like Paleo, The Daniel Plan, and the CHIP diet can have dramatic effects on diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure, obesity, energy levels, and heart disease. The Paleo diet we followed isn't for everyone. And everyone has the chance at good health. Choose to live life to the fullest...choose to eat well.
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