Family Paleo Trial Days 25-30

Day 25

Another great day of behavior! We skipped church today, which means my children had no opportunity to cheat. What really amazes me is that the girls will actually tell their teachers, "That isn't on the Paleo diet," and the teachers will give it to them anyway! Maybe I should just tell all their teachers that they are a Diabetic Celiac Chrohn's patient. That'll really freak 'em out.

Day 26
We went to the Zoo today. My daughter packed our snacks, which, being from our pantry, all fit within the Paleo diet. The children spent about half an hour enjoying their clementines, apples, trail mix, raisins, and water. I've heard some complaints that this diet is "extreme" and "unbalanced for children," but how can anyone argue that fruit is less healthy than the typical "snack food" you see on picnics? I love, love, love their eagerness to enjoy fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

Day 27
I sent my girls off on a church trip today. I am certain they will consume all types of terrible junk food under the guise of generosity and fun by the adult chaperones. I wish they had the inner desire to be free from the bondage of sweets and junk, but perhaps a few more doses of sugar-induced stomachaches will subconsciously steer them away.

I bought Happy Meals for them because I ran out of time to pack their dinner, and they both requested apples instead of french fries. I call that a small victory. (I suspect, however, that they were just hoping for caramel sauce. Unfortunately, McDonald's forgot to include the caramel sauce. Wink, wink.)

Day 28
We spent several hours picking up used furniture today, and we just weren't going to be able to make it back home for mealtime. Backyard Burgers, bunless, of course, are amazing! We also indulged in their sweet potato fries, although I'm sure they are fried in vegetable oil. How yummy would they be fried in coconut oil, though?! My husband thoughtfully ordered a double-burger, using the patties as a bun to keep the condiments contained. Who needs milkshakes when you can have a bacon-topped burger?


Day 29
My girls returned from their church trip today, tired and cranky. They spent several minutes detailing to me the sordid snacks they scavenged on the trip. Pringles, powdered donuts, gummy bears, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Rice Krispy Treats--oh, my own stomach rolled at the thought of it. (This, I suppose, would be the "normal" diet that is more acceptable than Paleo.) They admitted that their stomachs hurt all weekend, though. I hope I'm teaching them how to eat instead of just telling them what to eat!

My "digestive discomfort" returned unannounced and unexpected today. While I enjoy several aspects of the Paleo diet, I just don't see how I can continue if I must deal with this 4-5 times each week.

In spite of that, we claimed this day as "Cheat Day." We had Dairy Queen blizzards for lunch and Little Caesar's pizza for dinner. My stomach hurt at the end of the day.

Day 30
I spent four hours in Sam's Club today with four of my children. We started by ordering the hot dog combo, minus the drink and the bun. These hot dogs were huge and satisfactory. After lunch, however, their behavior was despicable. Whining, running, hitting, growling, yelling. Perhaps this is another cause of fatigue for me. I concluded that cheat day could never again be followed by shopping day. I believe cheat day directly contributed to bad behavior.