Paleo-ish

About three weeks back I made the decision to start following the Paleo Diet. In a (very quick) nutshell Paleo is high protein, low carb eating. Some of the biggest "no-no"s are grains and processed sugars. I decided to switch to Paleo because for the last few years I've had a plethora of health issues that seem to be linked to an auto-immune disorder. First, I had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) which basically means that my stomach was generally a wreck for no real reason except that I was probably under a lot of stress. Then, I had Hashimoto's disease or hypothyroidism which is caused when the body attacks the thyroid and it's not able to function properly. Next, I developed hypersomnia which is pretty much just being tired all the dang time and, finally, my doctor decided that I also have low to moderate fibromyalgia (chronic pain and joint inflammation). Over the past year my doctor has told me several times that it seems like my issues are caused by my body basically turning on itself (i.e. an auto-immune disorder). This makes sense as I can look back over the last 15 years and see how my anxiety and stress issues have been building to the point where my body has started to break down (I cannot tell you how many times I've had tendonitis, stomach issues, and sleep problems). This chart pretty much explains what (I think) happened over the years:

I had already cut out lactose because I had discovered that this caused huge stomach issues for me. After the last pronouncement that I was still having issues due to an auto-immune disorder, I began to research ways to naturally treat auto-immune issues. Well, the Paleo diet was it. There is an auto-immune protocol (AIP) Paleo Diet that you can follow but it is super restrictive. The Paleo plan that I follow is "Paleo-ish"; I still drink a cup of sugary instant coffee in the morning and I have grains about once a day. I live with my parents who follow the standard American diet and I don't want to inconvenience them so I make it work around what we normally buy from week to week. Veggie chips (especially sweet potato chips) and salsa have become my go to snack. Larabars are also lifesavers. I don't think I'll ever be 100% Paleo but I shot for at least 75% each day. There are certain foods I may never be able to fully give up (pizza and ice cream are two big ones) and when I go out to eat or hang out with friends I don't want to feel like I'm "that guy" who makes a big deal out of food. This blog post by Paleo Mama is an excellent explanation of why I'm not 100% Paleo.

It's been almost around three weeks and I'm seeing some definite improvements. I'll be sure to update you on my progress as I go!

New Year's Resolution-ish

Saturday I was out shopping with my mom when I came across a book:

As you can see from this picture, I bought the book.

I'm a fan of the Eat This, Not That franchise. I have 1 of the Eat This, Not That books and I used to have the Eat This, Not That No Diet, Diet book. Tragically the diet book has gone missing (probably because I lent it out to someone and I can't remember who). One of my long standing goals in life is to eat better. I tend to be from the "I'm-starving-now-and-refuse-to-wait-10-minutes-for-food" line of thinking. However, since I moved in with my parents almost 2 years ago I've been eating soooo much better. I will admit it is because my mom does 90% of the cooking. And it's not super health food, it's just not fast food or 100% canned and boxed crap. My mom makes a good deal of our meals from (relative) scratch. I don't crave fast food any more. In fact, if we have to eat out I really struggle to think of something I will eat at a fast food place. I do better at sit down restaurants but the last one I went to had so much salt in the food that I was nearly dehydrated 3 hours later. So, I've really enjoyed eating better. I've lost weight (also thanks to the sweet home gym we have in the basement), my skin has cleared up a lot, and I no longer feel like death most of the time.

There is just one small problem with eating right...I'm a terrible cook. I mean, seriously, I have made some gross stuff (read: tuna patties). I have no palate for flavors. Until about 4 or 5 years ago I would gag at the mention of mushrooms (now I love them) and I still struggle with onions (properly cooked and in small quantities work for the time being). But I'm beginning to appreciate real cooking. Now, I do have talents in the kitchen. I'm a mean baker. I can make just about any dessert: cheesecake, key lime pie, cobblers...because they all have exact measurements and ingredients. Cooking is the opposite of baking. Cooking is fast and loose. Baking is uptight and strictly measured. Basically I'm anal retentive when it comes to recipes.

But, I'm going to try and learn. I know it's one of those skills that I should have (actually I think it's a skill everyone should have, not just me and this certainly isn't just a "woman's task"). And I want to be able to make healthy food. This book shows you technique. It uses real ingredients and not a bunch of low-fat, low-calories, high-suck factor stuff. This book is going to help teach me how to be a decent cook.

That and lot of old episodes of Master Chef.