Family Paleo Trial Days 7-9

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