We have been choosing foods based on the Paleo diet for 10 days now. In a nutshell, we have been avoiding sugar, dairy, gluten, legumes, and grains, favoring meats, vegetables, and fruit. Coconut oil, almond butter, and coconut milk have become the base of most recipes. Pretty much everything we ate came from Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso. Additionally, we have exercised at least every other day, and we have been enjoying a relaxed, restful lifestyle.
After nine days of sticking strictly to the Paleo lifestyle, here are my observations:
GENERAL
1. I love eating when I'm hungry. I never realized how enslaved I had
become to portion control and calorie counting until this week. I cannot
stress this enough--I LOVE feeling free to eat when I want.
2. I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen. Between preparing and
cleaning, I probably spent an average of 4 hours each day in the
kitchen, as well as an additional 6 hours at the grocery store this
week. (I can only imagine it would have been much more time-consuming to
feed my family if I were a Paleolithic cavewoman.)
3. If I had not had a food processor, several of Sarah's recipes would have been impossible. I also used it to make my own almond flour and almond butter.
BEHAVIOR
1. My children have no desire to eat Paleo. They had pizza, honeybuns,
vanilla wafers, animal crackers, and graham crackers at various points
throughout the week due to our social activities. I will continue to
feed them Paleo at home, but it's going to be very difficult to gauge
any changes in their behavior or health because of their daily cheating.
2. I do feel more emotionally stable.
3. I do not feel like I have more energy. Probably due to number 2 under "General."
4. I feel an amazing freedom from guilt in my eating habits. I think the battle to restrain myself has often drained my vitality, and the guilt from failing to restrain myself has often crushed my spirit. While this effect seems trivial (and will actually be a moot point if I do, in fact, grow larger), it has been my favorite part of the Paleo lifestyle.
5. My kids are counting down the days until our trial is over. It's annoying.
HEALTH
1. A diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables has a way of sending you to the toilet. Often. Uncomfortably so. I'm hoping it gets better.
2. I gained 3 pounds this week, but my measurements didn't change, and my clothes still fit. (I didn't even cheat at a party!)
3. My son's warts did clear up! However, I have several warts (or something) coming up on my fingers, as well as canker sores (not cold sores) in my mouth. I have had canker sores off and on since puberty, and I believe they are related to diet, stress, and hormones. I definitely know sugar, chocolate, and tomatoes make them worse, but I assumed this diet would prevent them. I only have a few, and they are not nearly as bad or as long-lived as the ones I have experienced in the past.
4. I'm still waiting for my hair and nails to shimmer and shine from all this protein. I've never had great nails. Maybe I will before the month is over!
MONEY
1. We spent $800 this week on produce, meat, and specialty products like coconut oil, coconut milk, and almond butter. I imagine we will need to buy fresh produce again before the month-long trial is out, but nothing else.
2. My children have stopped wasting food. They eat what I put in front of them with minimal complaining, and they often fix themselves Paleo snacks. I hate throwing away food, so I love this change.
3. We have certainly increased our compost pile, which will aid our vegetable garden.
In conclusion, we are sticking to the Paleo lifestyle for another three weeks. I will enjoy having bacon for breakfast often, and I hope against logic that I won't look like a big balloon when it's over... and that we'll still have money in our bank account... and that my children will behave like angels.
Next: Days 10-17
I'm about the business of raising godly children. So far, God has blessed us with six of them! My husband owns his own business, and I'm fortunate enough to stay at home with the kiddos. If you're looking for deep philosophy on this blog, you're out of luck. If you'd prefer random tales of childhood tomfoolery, stick around!
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Family Paleo Days 4-6
Day 4
I felt ill most of the morning. It's hard to gauge the kids' behavior today because they basically sat inside and watched television. I will say this, though: They sat still! I also spent another $265 on meat, fresh produce, almond milk, and Larabars (www.larabar.com). I had been looking for a replacement for our easy granola bar snack, and I stumbled upon Paleo-friendly Larabars at Kroger for $1 each! (Yes, my regular granola bars are half that price.) My kids didn't like the Larabars today, but I'm going to try them again tomorrow. I also found that I enjoy one dried apricot after meals as a sweet treat to signal that the meal is over.
Day 5
My hunger is finally dissipating. I'm sticking very strictly to the Paleo diet, and today was the first day I could go to sleep full. The kids are behaving better. They still complain about not having sweets and ask hourly for treats, but they are actually eating fruits, vegetables, and meats. They chow down on the healthy stuff when the unhealthy stuff isn't available. (So does my husband!) I believe their diet is impacting their lives positively. As of yet, my weight hasn't changed, but my energy is up. I also seem less moody and emotional.
Day 6
My husband lost 2.5 lbs so far. I lost a big, fat zero. However, it appears that inches have disappeared from my hips and waist. And that's really what matters, right? The kids started to complain at the circus today because they couldn't eat the special circus food, but we offered to buy them a toy instead. For this diet to work with the kids, I have to rethink my reward system. While we were there, my son accidentally dumped out our entire bag of beef jerky, which left our children hungry and irritable. But after we filled them up with hot dogs (sans bun and condiments) and apple slices (sans caramel) from Sonic, their moods improved drastically. We even complimented our daughter for stating something she didn't like without whining. I think a true Paleo diet restricts fruit intake, but I have chosen not to do that for our children unless they express some characteristic or behavior that requires a change.
Tonight for dinner, I peeled the tough skin off asparagus, lay it on a cookie sheet, dolloped coconut oil on it, and sprinkled it with salt and pepper. I roasted it for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, and it disappeared like candy. The kids were complaining it was gone! I paired it with salmon, sprinkled with dill, garlic salt, and pepper, baked at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then broiled for two minutes. Even the kids that complained about it ate it with delight after tasting it.
We used to have a rule in our house that you don't have to eat my meals, but you can't eat anything else. However, since we've decided to allow our kids to have Paleo snacks whenever they are hungry, we decided to enforce the rule that they have to eat the food I put in front of them. They have not complained very much about it because they have no other option. (I think it helps that the food is tasty, too.)
Tips:
1. Buy a good dish soap. You'll be scrubbing lots of fat off your dishes.
2. Don't eat too many Larabars or other dried fruit.
3. Clean out your pantries and refrigerators before you start so that when your kids ask for a granola bar, you can answer simply, "We don't have any."
4. Get a wholesale store membership, like Sam's Club or Costco. I bought enough fresh salmon to feed us two meals for $20. Almonds are $3.33/lb instead of $7/lb at Walmart. Be careful buying produce, because you get a lot, and it could very easily go bad before you get around to eating it. I also found Larabars, our granola bar replacement, for less there..
5. Keep a supply of chopped onions and peppers for quick flavor in any dish.
6. Add an extra hour to your planned grocery shopping time so that you can clean and prep your produce for easy snacking. Slice your carrots, cucumber, broccoli, and cauliflower for easy snacking. Wash and cap your berries, wash your lettuce, slice your peaches, peel and slice your oranges, etc. Additionally, if you grind your own almond flour, keep it in the freezer.
Next: Days 7-10
I felt ill most of the morning. It's hard to gauge the kids' behavior today because they basically sat inside and watched television. I will say this, though: They sat still! I also spent another $265 on meat, fresh produce, almond milk, and Larabars (www.larabar.com). I had been looking for a replacement for our easy granola bar snack, and I stumbled upon Paleo-friendly Larabars at Kroger for $1 each! (Yes, my regular granola bars are half that price.) My kids didn't like the Larabars today, but I'm going to try them again tomorrow. I also found that I enjoy one dried apricot after meals as a sweet treat to signal that the meal is over.
Day 5
My hunger is finally dissipating. I'm sticking very strictly to the Paleo diet, and today was the first day I could go to sleep full. The kids are behaving better. They still complain about not having sweets and ask hourly for treats, but they are actually eating fruits, vegetables, and meats. They chow down on the healthy stuff when the unhealthy stuff isn't available. (So does my husband!) I believe their diet is impacting their lives positively. As of yet, my weight hasn't changed, but my energy is up. I also seem less moody and emotional.
Day 6
My husband lost 2.5 lbs so far. I lost a big, fat zero. However, it appears that inches have disappeared from my hips and waist. And that's really what matters, right? The kids started to complain at the circus today because they couldn't eat the special circus food, but we offered to buy them a toy instead. For this diet to work with the kids, I have to rethink my reward system. While we were there, my son accidentally dumped out our entire bag of beef jerky, which left our children hungry and irritable. But after we filled them up with hot dogs (sans bun and condiments) and apple slices (sans caramel) from Sonic, their moods improved drastically. We even complimented our daughter for stating something she didn't like without whining. I think a true Paleo diet restricts fruit intake, but I have chosen not to do that for our children unless they express some characteristic or behavior that requires a change.
Tonight for dinner, I peeled the tough skin off asparagus, lay it on a cookie sheet, dolloped coconut oil on it, and sprinkled it with salt and pepper. I roasted it for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, and it disappeared like candy. The kids were complaining it was gone! I paired it with salmon, sprinkled with dill, garlic salt, and pepper, baked at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then broiled for two minutes. Even the kids that complained about it ate it with delight after tasting it.
We used to have a rule in our house that you don't have to eat my meals, but you can't eat anything else. However, since we've decided to allow our kids to have Paleo snacks whenever they are hungry, we decided to enforce the rule that they have to eat the food I put in front of them. They have not complained very much about it because they have no other option. (I think it helps that the food is tasty, too.)
Tips:
1. Buy a good dish soap. You'll be scrubbing lots of fat off your dishes.
2. Don't eat too many Larabars or other dried fruit.
3. Clean out your pantries and refrigerators before you start so that when your kids ask for a granola bar, you can answer simply, "We don't have any."
4. Get a wholesale store membership, like Sam's Club or Costco. I bought enough fresh salmon to feed us two meals for $20. Almonds are $3.33/lb instead of $7/lb at Walmart. Be careful buying produce, because you get a lot, and it could very easily go bad before you get around to eating it. I also found Larabars, our granola bar replacement, for less there..
5. Keep a supply of chopped onions and peppers for quick flavor in any dish.
6. Add an extra hour to your planned grocery shopping time so that you can clean and prep your produce for easy snacking. Slice your carrots, cucumber, broccoli, and cauliflower for easy snacking. Wash and cap your berries, wash your lettuce, slice your peaches, peel and slice your oranges, etc. Additionally, if you grind your own almond flour, keep it in the freezer.
Next: Days 7-10
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Family Paleo Trial Days 1-3
My brother lost 30 pounds eating a pound of bacon a day.
Seriously.
But he also cut a lot of other foods out of his diet. And almond meal replaced white flour in his house. Almond meal. As best I can tell, it's--wait for it--finely processed almonds, full of omega-6 fats. It often substitutes into recipes for gluten-free baked goods
Seriously.
So why am I, the authoritarian tyrant mom, making my children eat bacon and almond flour for a month? I could lie to you and say that I want my children to be as healthy as possible, that studies show processed sugar inhibits the effectiveness of the immune system, that studies link diet with bad behavior. All these statements are true, but not the reason we're trying this Paleo diet.
It all comes down to money, which is kind of ironic, because if you know anything about the Paleo diet, you know it's expensive.
One of my sons recently visited the dermatologist to have several warts frozen on his hands. She said there were too many to freeze, and maybe he should be on a vitamin because he had so many warts. She gave me a prescription for a cream that is actually manufactured to combat genital warts (oh, glee), but it turns out, the cream costs $300 for 22 grams.
It was then that my brother reminded me that when he and his wife cut sugar out of their diets, their warts healed. No embarrassing VD cream.
And that was enough. I'd been flirting with the idea of simply cutting out sweets to see how it affected behavior around here, and the wart issue pushed me over the edge.
I just wanted to jot a few observations for posterity's sake as we plow through the bacon grease.
Day 1
No noticeable behavior changes. I treated several warts with an OTC patch, but I left one untouched as the control in this experiment. The kids asked me about 45 times, "Can I have cereal?" to which I replied, each and every time, "No, we don't have any. Remember, we aren't eating gluten, sugar, or dairy for a month." After recreational volleyball, we ate like crazy--all Paleo, of course! I went to bed hungry, mentally calculating I must have consumed 3,000 calories or so today.
Day 2
Significantly WORSE behavior changes. A friend reminded me that our bodies were probably addicted to sugar and exhibiting withdrawal symptoms. I felt so exhausted at 10 am that I physically ached in my limbs. The children could not control their emotions. They whined all day. The girls brought home 10 fruit rollups from church, but swore to me they didn't eat any. We all went to bed early. As for hunger, I felt so full at dinnertime that I skipped our salad. As for exercise, I rollerbladed with the family for half an hour.
Day 3
It seems like behavior might be getting better. I felt great today, having only a fourth of my daily dose of caffeine. I still heard "Can I have cereal?" and "Why can't we have Little Caesar's?" far too much, and once, I heard, "I just want dessert!" So I made dessert--blueberry smoothies with coconut milk AND nutty cookies from bananas and almond butter. The next time I heard anything about dessert, I reminded them that we can still have certain desserts, and they--gasp--responded positively! As for exercise, we weeded and raked in the garden as a family for three hours.
If you're reading this because you're hoping to try a family Paleo diet, here are some tips from our three days so far:
1. Be prepared! Before you go to bed at night, make sure you have quick snacks on hand, like egg muffins, boiled eggs, apple muffins, nutty cookies, bacon dates, and trail mix. Aside from my sugar addiction, I think I'm addicted to convenience, too.
2. Expect to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. We buy processed foods for a reason--convenience. Now we have to process the food ourselves.
3. Expect to spend money. Let's face it, the government doesn't subsidize almond meal the way they do white flour. However, we were spending $200 on ("healthy") cereal and milk every 2-3 weeks in this house. Surely it can't be worse than that. But I spent $200 on meats, coconut products, almond products, beef jerky, and eggs to get us started. Then I spent $40 on vegetables the next day. Before Paleo, $240 at the grocery store could last 10 days. But my kids are really putting away the veggies now because there isn't another option! I love it! I expect, however, to be buying more vegetables in the next few days.
4. Buy Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragasso. She has tips, motivations, recipes, and --drum roll!-- a 30-day meal plan with grocery list!
5. Don't be discouraged with the thought of buying specialized foods. You can successfully eat a healthy gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free Paleo diet with food you can find at Kroger, or even (gulp) Walmart. But if you want to replace those treats you're eating now with the Paleo versions, you'll probably have to slip into Whole Foods or order some specialty items, like ghee (what is that?!), online.
Next: Days 4-6
Seriously.
But he also cut a lot of other foods out of his diet. And almond meal replaced white flour in his house. Almond meal. As best I can tell, it's--wait for it--finely processed almonds, full of omega-6 fats. It often substitutes into recipes for gluten-free baked goods
Seriously.
So why am I, the authoritarian tyrant mom, making my children eat bacon and almond flour for a month? I could lie to you and say that I want my children to be as healthy as possible, that studies show processed sugar inhibits the effectiveness of the immune system, that studies link diet with bad behavior. All these statements are true, but not the reason we're trying this Paleo diet.
It all comes down to money, which is kind of ironic, because if you know anything about the Paleo diet, you know it's expensive.
One of my sons recently visited the dermatologist to have several warts frozen on his hands. She said there were too many to freeze, and maybe he should be on a vitamin because he had so many warts. She gave me a prescription for a cream that is actually manufactured to combat genital warts (oh, glee), but it turns out, the cream costs $300 for 22 grams.
It was then that my brother reminded me that when he and his wife cut sugar out of their diets, their warts healed. No embarrassing VD cream.
And that was enough. I'd been flirting with the idea of simply cutting out sweets to see how it affected behavior around here, and the wart issue pushed me over the edge.
I just wanted to jot a few observations for posterity's sake as we plow through the bacon grease.
Day 1
No noticeable behavior changes. I treated several warts with an OTC patch, but I left one untouched as the control in this experiment. The kids asked me about 45 times, "Can I have cereal?" to which I replied, each and every time, "No, we don't have any. Remember, we aren't eating gluten, sugar, or dairy for a month." After recreational volleyball, we ate like crazy--all Paleo, of course! I went to bed hungry, mentally calculating I must have consumed 3,000 calories or so today.
Day 2
Significantly WORSE behavior changes. A friend reminded me that our bodies were probably addicted to sugar and exhibiting withdrawal symptoms. I felt so exhausted at 10 am that I physically ached in my limbs. The children could not control their emotions. They whined all day. The girls brought home 10 fruit rollups from church, but swore to me they didn't eat any. We all went to bed early. As for hunger, I felt so full at dinnertime that I skipped our salad. As for exercise, I rollerbladed with the family for half an hour.
Day 3
It seems like behavior might be getting better. I felt great today, having only a fourth of my daily dose of caffeine. I still heard "Can I have cereal?" and "Why can't we have Little Caesar's?" far too much, and once, I heard, "I just want dessert!" So I made dessert--blueberry smoothies with coconut milk AND nutty cookies from bananas and almond butter. The next time I heard anything about dessert, I reminded them that we can still have certain desserts, and they--gasp--responded positively! As for exercise, we weeded and raked in the garden as a family for three hours.
If you're reading this because you're hoping to try a family Paleo diet, here are some tips from our three days so far:
1. Be prepared! Before you go to bed at night, make sure you have quick snacks on hand, like egg muffins, boiled eggs, apple muffins, nutty cookies, bacon dates, and trail mix. Aside from my sugar addiction, I think I'm addicted to convenience, too.
2. Expect to spend a lot of time in the kitchen. We buy processed foods for a reason--convenience. Now we have to process the food ourselves.
3. Expect to spend money. Let's face it, the government doesn't subsidize almond meal the way they do white flour. However, we were spending $200 on ("healthy") cereal and milk every 2-3 weeks in this house. Surely it can't be worse than that. But I spent $200 on meats, coconut products, almond products, beef jerky, and eggs to get us started. Then I spent $40 on vegetables the next day. Before Paleo, $240 at the grocery store could last 10 days. But my kids are really putting away the veggies now because there isn't another option! I love it! I expect, however, to be buying more vegetables in the next few days.
4. Buy Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragasso. She has tips, motivations, recipes, and --drum roll!-- a 30-day meal plan with grocery list!
5. Don't be discouraged with the thought of buying specialized foods. You can successfully eat a healthy gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free Paleo diet with food you can find at Kroger, or even (gulp) Walmart. But if you want to replace those treats you're eating now with the Paleo versions, you'll probably have to slip into Whole Foods or order some specialty items, like ghee (what is that?!), online.
Next: Days 4-6
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