Why Paleo and Why Now?

So why Paleo and why now? I could go on for pages with background information of why I would like to start this now. For now, I will just mention five.

Top 5 Reasons for Paleo Challenge

1. Blood pressure spike after delivery freaked me out- my blood pressure spiked 3 days after delivery and people were wondering if some of my families high blood pressure genes had kicked in and this would be permanent. Had a short stint on BP meds which I hated. Thankfully it seems to be down now and I want to keep it that way.
2. I have had lifelong issues with dairy-I love dairy, dairy does not love me back.
3. It is a way of eating that just makes sense to me. All of my health related reading and research has always pointed in this direction, and the Paleo method seems to pull it all together.
4. This is a perfect time for a 30 day challenge. I am home on maternity leave, have lots of help with the bigger kids and Sienna still sleeps a lot. I don't have to worry about bringing my lunch to work or getting out of the house really early on most days.
5. I have lots of family support between my brother, my dad, my hubby and even my mom who may try to start eating this way as well. My brother is already hooked and my dad is pretty close.

I have been eating gluten free for over 3 years now so going Paleo seems like the next step to better health. I remember how I felt after I cut gluten out, especially the first few months. I lost the extra 20-25 pounds of baby weight that I still carried around from being pregnant with my son, my skin cleared up (as my friend at school says I have the glow that those eating gluten free seem to have), and my life long struggle with undiagnosed stomach problems eased up. Overall, I just felt better. I think when I first started eating gluten free no one thought I would stick to it. For at least a year after, my dad always offered me foods containing gluten and dinners (especially bread- he still occasionally does). But I have stuck to it. Now it is time to cut out the rest of the gluten free grains I have begun to rely on so much and most dairy and legumes.

30 Days...Are You Kidding?

This is my first blog. I have often thought about beginning one, but never knew exactly what to write about. Even as I sit here, I am struggling to figure out where to begin and how to progress. I am on maternity leave for a few months and have a new challenge I would like to try (as if 3 kids including 1 newborn isn't enough). I wanted to find a way to document my journey and believe this blog will do the trick.

The challenge is a 30 Day Paleo Challenge. Paleo is a way of eating that mimics the way our ancestors might have eaten, and by ancestors I mean cavemen. As with all "diets" there is a lot of controversy surrounding this way of eating. Paleo seems to be more like a lifestyle than a diet. It focuses on eating how we are genetically wired to eat. Paleo involves eating as many whole and unprocessed foods as possible. It focuses on eating meat, eggs, fish, veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds. People who eat Paleo try to avoid grains (especially gluten), dairy, sugar and legumes. As this blog progresses I will put up links to sites that have been helpful to me. Even in the Paleo world there are disagreements about what is best.

I have been reading books and articles on the benefits of eating Paleo (more on that later) and was inspired to begin this challenge after reading a book called Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso. Her book contains a 30 day meal plan and shopping list with some great family friendly recipes. She made it seem easy although I am certain it won't be. I am going to tweak some of the meals (still Paleo though) due to budgetary restraints, but for the most part am going to give it my all. Since I would really like this way of eating to fit into my families lifestyle I may deviate a little on special occasions (Valentine's Day for instance). The 30 days will be even more of a challenge for me because I don't cook. No really, ask my husband. This week I couldn't even get the right burner on to steam some vegetables and my husband nearly cut me off because he was afraid I was going to burn down the house. Still, I am willing to give it a shot.

Start date: Feb. 5 or 6. Wish me luck!

By the way, here is a nice video that has been shared about Paleo/Primal/Hunter Lifestyle in general.