Yesterday, or today, or something like that ends my 1 month paleo diet "trial." I put trial in quotation marks because I didn't stick to the diet (no grains, no legumes, no dairy) 100% strictly, but I'd say I hit it about 75-80% of the time.
First of all, I don't think that I can fairly evaluate any of the claims made about the diet because, as I said, I wasn't 100% compliant, and it seems like that's a must. But here are what I'd consider my take-away points from the experiment:
- I never had any GI problems after eating a paleo meal
- I feel like I've gotten over the idea that I absolutely "have to" eat some sort of starchy carb with every meal. For some people who run mega miles or who don't eat animal products, eating more starchy carbs is necessary, but for me- especially now that we are in winter hibernation mode- it would be better to replace them with non-starchy vegetables.
- I've expanded my vegetable horizons (a bit)
- I realized that I can put a meat and vegetable meal together as quickly as any other kind
- There are a lot of great paleo foods out there, and there's no reason to feel restricted or like you can't enjoy a good meal within those parameters
- It is really hard to break the psychological "need" to have bread, cookies, etc. when they are served to a group. However, most people don't actually care what you eat. If you don't want something- for whatever reason- a simple "No thanks" will suffice.
In general, I really like the way I feel when I stick to the diet, and- like with healthy veganism- I think when you focus on what you can have, there are a wealth of healthy options out there. However, the diet is not really supported by our social structure*. So I've decided my goal is to make all of the food that I prepare myself be paleo compliant (again meaning lean meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and healthy fats), and then try to make good choices when I'm eating out and in social situations. I think this is a fair compromise that will hopefully get my ratio of paleo to non to about 90% to 10%, respectively.
And with that I'm headed out for my last treadmill run for awhile. We will be on the road today and tomorrow, and the weather changes from snowy to nasty icy cold rain as we drive down south. Any thoughts/prayers/good vibes you want to send our way while we travel are much appreciated.
If I don't post again before then, Merry Christmas to everyone!
*But you can say that about any healthy way of eating. For example, there are absolutely 100% no healthy snacks to be purchased in my building, but there are a lot of unhealthy ones (by any standard).
