After months (maybe even years) of feeling sluggish at best and depressed at worst, I took a hard look at myself and decided I (we) needed to get in shape and eat better.  I have also had a lingering cough that has endured three rounds of antibiotics and steroids and the cough won handily.

A friend mentioned the Paleo Diet (lifestyle really) and I looked at a bunch of stuff online and it really makes sense to me. I’m not an expert but the general theory is you eat like a caveman.  Lots of lean meat and seafood (organic and grass-fed for the meat and not farm raised for the seafood), most fruits and vegetables and most nuts.  For me, what you don’t eat is more the issue- no sugar (other than natural sugars in fruit), no dairy, no wheat (or any grain really), no legumes (peanuts, peas, etc). There is more to it but these are the basics.

Today is day 11 with no sugar- and those of you that know me know that is a miracle!  Not a coke, not a cupcake, not any anything with added sugar!  I haven’t cut out dairy because I have coffee in the morning and I can barely stomach it without milk.  Many people who find the Paleo diet find it because they have terrible gut problems like Celiac, etc with foods that are omitted with Paleo.  I don’t really have those issues but am working towards removing milk too.

I have more energy and my brain is a little less fuzzy and I’m overall not so sad but that could just be because we also haven’t had one drop of wine or booze in 11 days either.  Sadly, I haven’t lost a pound (and I have more than several to lose) but  waking up and not dreading the day is a good feeling and a huge benefit.  The cough is pretty much gone too….

Many people who adopt the Paleo lifestyle do an 80/20 balance.  I think we are going to try that after the 30 day “trial.”  We have a trip planned to see Kevin’s mom after a little less than three weeks on the Paleo plan so I know we will stray- I think the plan is to (re)start the 30 days of strict Paleo when we get back home and then try the 80/20 balance.  I hope to remove milk by then too!

The pictures below are of Sennet helping me make Paleo approved fruit and nut bars (dates, cashews, unsweetened coconut and dried cherries) and homemade pecan/cashew butter- yum!”