PaleYo

Archive - May 2022

Paleo Can Make You Feel Good

Speaking from experience…if you follow this Paleo lifestyle, you will feel different.  I know that if you eat a diet with a lot of Omega-3s you can actually get your cortisol levels under control.  When that happens, you can handle stress a lot better.  The main thing with Paleo is cutting out the sugar.  This will help your gut health.  This will help your mental health.  This will help your physical health.  The first couple of days that you cut out sugar (if you are used to it in your diet) can be pretty tough.  If you keep busy, you’ll be okay.  You may feel extra tired, but just push through!

If you have a lot of sugar in your diet, you can develop a dependency on it.  Your dopamine center can become dependent on whether or not you have sugar.  If you withdraw when you cut sugar out, you probably were having too much. You’ll get a headache and you’ll probably be pretty cranky – this is called the “carb flu” – but you’re gonna be okay.

You need to fight the urge to reach for the sugar.  That’s why I say you should keep busy.  Read, go for a walk, dance around to music, clean…just don’t eat sugar!  I wouldn’t recommend working out during this time, because if you were using sugar as a fuel source, your workout probably won’t feel so great.  You will mentally not be present for it, and that’s more than half the battle.  Give it a few weeks and you’ll end up seeing your performance improve!  Especially if you’re eating more protein and healthy fats.  You’re recovery will be awesome, too!

And since everyone loves talking about pooping…even that will go better once your body adjusts to paleo.  You’ll be eating more fiber from the veggies.  And as my Grandma used to say, “Bowel movements are a great way to start the day!”

You’re welcome.  haha

“When you focus on the good, the good gets better.”

Stop Waiting and Make Things Happen

I know all too well, that this is easier said than done.

I generally find starting hard because I’m afraid of something – change, mostly.  What I needed to do was accept the fear and then use it as motivation.  I guess I just wait for the fear to go away, or at least I think it will go away – I use that as procrastination, because it never goes away.  Acknowledge the fear and move forward!  Sometimes I think about the fact that I haven’t started because of fear.  Then I ask myself – what was the fear anyway?  Most of the time I can be reasonable with myself and say, ‘Oh, that’s nonsense.’  But there are times where it triggers my anxiety.  What I am trying to say is that, even if I feel anxious about something, it won’t change the outcome, it especially won’t change anything that’s already happened.

The next thing I try to tell myself is – baby steps.  You don’t need to dive in headfirst.  Just walk in – one step at a time.

Another thing I do before thinking about or starting something new is clean and organize.  Sometimes if there’s clutter around me, my mind feels cluttered.  So if I can organize the space around me, then sometimes I get the clarity I need.

Also, you need to start in the moment you are in.  You can’t worry about tomorrow, or yesterday, or 2 years from now.  You need to focus on the present time.  Don’t worry about thinking you’ll be better tomorrow, or next week you’ll get it done, just take this moment and do it.

Lastly, just give yourself permission.

“Start where you are.  Use what you have. Do what you can.”

Getting Back to Healthy Living

My main goal is to feel better.  My second goal is to lose weight.

I am getting started again.  I am taking it one day at a time.  But some advice to anyone else who’s just starting…make sure you have your basics!

Make sure you have salt, pepper, tapioca flour, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, ghee, and coconut oil.  I feel like these can help you create any meal, especially when you’re first starting.  I’ll explain a few of them here.

Tapioca flour is good for breading, baking, thickening – I use it a lot.  It takes some getting used to, but once you figure it out, you’ll like it better than flour you probably used all your life.  This is one I always use: Bob’s Red Mill Tapioca Flour

Coconut Aminos you would use in place of soy sauce.  In my honest opinion, I like it better than soy sauce.  I use this most often, but Trader Joe’s has one, too.  Coconut Secret Coconut Aminos

Ghee is clarified butter.  It has a lot of Omega-3s which is good for your heart and cardiovascular health.  Anything you use butter on or in, you can use ghee instead.  I like the Trader Joe’s Ghee Trader Joe’s Ghee, but I am definitely not picky when it comes to ghee.  I actually picked up a turmeric and black pepper ghee from a shop that is by Woodstock, NY.  It was delicious!  I found about this place when I picked up a turmeric ginger elixir at a flea market.   Immune-schein – check it out!

“When you focus on the good, the good gets better.”

Paleo to Prevent and Reverse GERD

I have had GERD for a couple of years.  It’s mostly under control, but I know I don’t eat foods that help the situation.  GERD is complicated.  It’s not necessarily too much acid in your stomach, it could be a combination of that and a ‘broken’ flap that separates your stomach and esophagus, or it could be too little acid.  Whichever it is, you can control it by diet – which I am apparently not very good at.

When I was on a full paleo diet – striving and thriving – I had little to no issues with pretty much anything.  No acid reflux, cramps were almost non-existent, my legs didn’t hurt, my joints didn’t hurt.

Now I’m almost always feeling uncomfortable.  I take some vitamins, probably not all the ones I should be taking – but I do take some.  But I really think I need to focus on diet, and less drinking.  I think a relatively low carb paleo diet would be a certain solution for this.  I have been here before – and my mental game is weak…but if I can keep my focus for a few weeks, I will succeed.

So from my understanding if you lack stomach acid, all the carbs that I eat (most of the time) won’t be absorbed, they will ferment, and unwanted bacteria will be able to grow.  Just like the sugar in kombucha is there for the bacteria to grow and ferment, it’s the same with your intestines.

Overloading carbs and booze is the perfect recipe for GERD to never go away, ever.  And quite frankly, I’m over it.  I also never want to go down some path where I need surgery – or something worse happens.  Need to take care of this ASAP.

Over the last 2 years, I didn’t really focus on caring about myself.  There was just too much going on in my life. I couldn’t focus on anything but trying to make it through the day.

So starting right now – no more grains, dairy, gluten, or processed foods (and way less alcohol).

Need to eat animal proteins, fresh veggies (allergic to a lot of fruits), and mostly try to eliminate any foods that have been processed.  I will give it 2 weeks, and then I will let you know how my GERD is feeling.

“You have this one life. Be brave. Believe in yourself.
Do what feels good. Take risks. Make yourself proud.”

Every day is a new day

Okay, okay.  I know what you’re thinking – oh here she is, “back on the horse” AGAIN…trying to eat cleaner…AGAIN.  Well, you’re not wrong.

I have been moving very slow in this journey.  It took me awhile to recover from the great losses I suffered in 2020, and adjusting to working from home and a new role at my job.  I am well aware it’s 2 years later, but it was rough.  I have been trying to make changes one at a time – getting through the adjustment period.  I have been working on being more active, more often.

I dusted off all my paleo/clean eating books and magazines.  I am focused on putting healthier food into my body.  I haven’t been sleeping great consistently – I have nights where I do sleep soundly, but there are nights I do not.  And my sinuses have been horrendously messed up…not just from allergies.

Using food as coping mechanism for so long is a hard habit to break.  I crave sweet things most of the time.  I can get on a 3 day kick of eating better, and then usually work stress gets me, or it’s the weekend.

The first thing I want to break is my sugar addiction.  I remember how hard this was the first time, but I also remember how rewarding it was.  I just turned 39, and I need to get my butt in gear.

I am starting with trying to make a meal plan – scouring all these books that I own, and making the best choices I can.

It’s not going to be easy, but I’ll get it done.  I’ve done it before.

“Blackbird singing in the dead of night.  Take these broken wings and learn to fly.”