
A different way of eating just fell into my lap. My sister (Jennie!) told me about how she had just finished doing something called a Whole30 and was transitioning into a “Paleo” lifestyle – a lifestyle in which you look back in time and eat what humans were genetically programmed to digest. Fruit and vegetables that grow from the earth, fish and animals in their purest form. No preservatives, additives, fillers, chemicals, antibiotics, pesticides or who knows what else that our food is laced with these days. She said she had never felt healthier, and I was curious. Being a modern dieter, I was all about any kind of cleanse or detox ever invented, and since this thing pretty much sounded like a 30 day cleanse to me, I was all about it. I didn’t know it would change my life.
Everyone thought I was crazy.
I began a Whole30, and I really didn’t think I’d take it much further than 30 days. It was really hard at first. I worked in the food service industry, and was constantly surrounded by delicious food and alcohol. Plus, many people are not open minded enough to realize that perhaps what we have been taught our entire life about food is actually wrong, so I received flack from almost everyone in my life. The idea that a slice of whole wheat toast with peanut butter and a cup of coffee with nonfat milk and splenda isn’t an excellent breakfast option, or to take it a little further, that any bread/milk/sugar (etc) is unhealthy, is something most people refuse to believe. However, two weeks into my Whole30 I was feeling so great I knew I’d never want to stop.
What I was feeling was really truly human.
I don’t know how else to describe it. I just felt the way I knew I was supposed to be feeling my whole life. My body was nourished and I had energy, I was sleeping at night and popping out of bed in the morning, my skin was clear, I wasn’t getting headaches, I wasn’t taking afternoon naps, I wasn’t gassy and bloated. I was changing my relationship with food, and my body was figuring out when I was full and letting me know (like its supposed to!). I was clearheaded and happy, I just felt so “well”. There are few things as satisfying as doing something healthy and excellent for the body.
My curiosity sparked.
I wanted to figure out exactly why I have been taught by friends, family, nutrition classes (I even studied nutrition in college…), magazines, books, media, movies, television, restaurants, doctors, nurses, health coaches, commercials, radio stations, schools, articles, advertisements, and documentaries that the food I had been eating my whole life was healthy, when ultimately it was leaving me fat, depressed, exhausted, hungrier, and craving. And why I had spent my entire life being “brainwashed” into buying foods that promote sickness, health problems, disease, and cancer.
I want to share my findings with you.
I live a busy, constantly on the go lifestyle. Incorporating the Paleo diet into that kind of lifestyle is difficult because almost every meal has to come from your own kitchen. We all know this is a fast-food nation, so that alone is a big adjustment for many, including myself. Because of this, I have struggled with falling off the Paleo wagon every now and then, and staying off the wagon for longer than I’d like to admit. The good thing about falling off the Paleo wagon is being able to personally experience the differences in how I feel when I am eating Paleo and when I’m not. I don’t claim to be perfect, but I do learn from my mistakes. And I have learned a lot of little tips and tricks to incorporate Paleo into my life without seeming like a freak. All you’ve gotta do is be a little creative.
Hi Katie! Great post! We’ve been through similar experiences to you and it’s always nice to hear we’re not alone with things like ‘falling off the paleo wagon’ from time to time. And you’re so right about how good it is to be able to compare how you feel on paleo and then off paleo, the difference is amazing and it really makes you feel like making the effort to make and eat paleo more.
We now eat about 90% paleo and we never ‘fall off the wagon’ anymore, we simply choose to eat non paleo foods sometimes because we enjoy them. Education is the key and we know what’s in the food we eat, what it can do, etc so we make educated decisions that we take full responsibility for. It’s good to see you’re continuing to learn, for yourself and to help others, good on you and all the best with your studies!
Great intro, Katie! I know soooo many people can relate, including myself. 🙂 I’m excited to read more and learn about incorporating paleo for those of us on the constant go! It can be challenging. Thanks for sharing your story – look forward to reading many more.
Hey! I’m an IIN student snd a Whole-30er also 🙂 So glad to have found your blog!
I have just found out that I am insulin resistant. I am like for aLIFE CHANGE, but one that will also help me to loose the 50 pounds that I can not seem to loose no matter what I try. I know it is a vicious cycle of being overweight and insulin resistant. Is paleo the right choice? I have been reading everything I can from “it starts with Food, to The personal Paleo Code. Now I want to take the life leap