Paleo Trial

I think it's about time for a personal update. As this is a health journey that I am undertaking, there are bound to be some bumps in the road and even some adaptations in direction. I fell off the wagon for a few days last week. I didn't stick to my weekend treats only rule. I felt disappointed in myself. This is not the first time this has happened. In fact, it happens every time. After contemplation, I decided not to think of it as a failure, but rather, as a temporary detour. I'm always talking about moderation and forgiving yourself, so I decided to apply those principles to myself. Overall I've been doing very well, so a few days isn't going to kill me.

I also decided to step things up a bit on the diet side. I had been burning out from working out too hard and I wasn't eating enough to sustain that activity level. My fiancee is a vegetarian, so I eat a lot of vegetarian meals. I eat meat when I go out, but very rarely at home. My body requires meat in order to sustain hard exercise. This is not true for everyone. Everyone has an optimal diet that is unique to their body. 

I had been exposed to a a way of eating called the Paleo Diet when I was doing Cross-fit last summer. Most serious Cross-fitters eat this way and it intrigued as to why. When I looked into the diet, I thought it seemed very rigid. The idea was well executed and it included a good ratio of food groups so I knew that it was a healthy way to eat, but I wasn't sure I could apply it to my life. 

Paleo is a diet that is based on the concept that our bodies are designed to eat the same foods we ate during the Paleolithic Period. For 70 000 years we ate this way. The agricultural revolution only began 10 000 years ago. Logistically, it makes sense that our bodies are not adapted to our new food sources given the ratio of time. 

So what does the diet entail? Eating free range, organic, high quality meats, fish, eggs, and seafood, vegetables, nuts, limiting fruit consumption, and eliminating all foods that did not exist over 10 000 years ago (sugar, grains, beans, legumes, processed foods, dairy, etc). The basic underlying principle is that if you couldn't theoretically hunt or gather it, then you shouldn't be eating it. The approximate ratios are 30% protein, 30% fat, and 40% carbohydrate.

Sounds rigid right? Sounds like you would feel deprived pretty soon right? Yeah, that's how I felt. However, given my long standing curiosity, I've decided to give it a go. I'm doing it on a trial basis for 30 days and then I'll report as to whether I think it is sustainable.

By the way, I've already started. Today is day 3. Here goes!

Image Source: paleodietlifestyle