Is the Paleo lifestyle sustainable? I mean true Paleo. Not the pseudo-Paleo lots of us wind up exercising. True Paleo means NO alcohol or sugar. I went Paleo 2 1/2 years ago and between that incredible change in diet and the 3-5 miles a day I was walking/jogging 6 days I week, I lost around 25 pounds in just a few months. I kept it off too. Until my sugar addiction coupled with an incredibly stressful job started my downward dog type food spiral. I would start each day with plans to keep it Paleo. Breakfast was typically a couple of poached cage free eggs, and some uncured bacon cooked with either sweet potatoes or broccoli slaw. Lunch was some kind of meat/fish/fowl and veggies. An apple and some almond butter for lunch. Then I went home. Sigh. I would stick with a Paleo dinner of protein and veggies again but was also indulging in beer/wine/cocktails several days a week. Oh and I forgot to mention the fresh baked cookies available at work every single afternoon at 2:00. Sharp. I’d like to say that I would just break one in half and enjoy it on occasion. But I’d be lying. I distinctly remember one day eating 5. In a row. In secret. Because I was embarrassed. I haven’t gotten this sugar demon, actually, this food demon, fully under control since.
Sadly, the above translates to the regaining of that 25 pounds I’d struggled to loose for most of my adult life. I’m also not walking/jogging 3-5 miles, 6 days a week any longer. I’ve found that my brain prefers to weight lift and my back prefers any activity that doesn’t involve pounding pavement for an hour at a time.
Today I practice what most call a Primal lifestyle. I still don’t eat packaged food and if I’m honest, I’ll talk about how I tried to add back in cheese and regular use of heavy cream back into my diet. My gut hated it (translation: the gurgling and farting heard round the world. Ok, at least heard at my local Trader Joes). I still enjoy a good porter or stout or a glass of zinfandel once or twice a week but had to come to grips with the fact that it couldn’t be more than that. It just doesn’t work with my body. I still don’t do processed foods. I do buy canned tomatoes and sauerkraut and I absolutely love the portability of Larabars and sardines or smoked oysters. I still struggle with a sugar addiction that is almost as bad as my smoking addiction was for 20 years! But, I hold out hope that I’ll get it under control. I quit smoking 3 1/2 years ago and never looked back. If I can do that, then surely I can kick sugar!
One thing I’m absolutely not is a food-nazi. Well to a degree. If I see margarine (aka one molecule away from literally being plastic) there’s a good chance I’ll loose my mind and break my rule of never offering unsolicited advice and fill you full of so much information you’ll probably never invite me over for dinner and a movie ever again. But know this, I love you! And I care! And if you can’t pronounce it and you can’d define, why on earth would you eat it???
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