Sunday, August 25, 2013

What Is A Paleo Lifestyle?

   My last (and first) blog post was just a brief introduction to what I hope to accomplish with my blog and how I got to where I am now in my life with natural healing methods. It was very difficult for me to narrow all of what I've been through into something short and readable. I hope I didn't fall short too much on that task. I'm happy to report that right now everyone is busy doing something else and my toddler is sleeping. It is not a happy report because it brings me joy for my family to be AWAY but it's more like I'm just happy to have a few minutes to write a blog post that won't take me 3 hours.
   I wanted to focus a little on my way of eating since it has changed my life and it has been one of my successes. I have been through quite a few unsuccessful attempts at healing so I figured my first real post should be one that focuses on a success.
   Most people have by now heard of the Paleo diet. For those who haven't I will give a brief description. The definition of the word Paleo means ancient or prehistoric. So, basically when you adopt a Paleo lifestyle you are eating the way people did anciently. When I say anciently I mean prior to agriculture, mass production, and the processing of grains. Eating Paleo is a way to go back to our roots and "hunt and gather" instead of depending on technology and all that boxed stuff that's no good for us. I don't always do the actual hunting and gathering myself since I could never kill an animal unless I absolutely had to (that's what husbands are for, right?) but I'm still able to maintain this way of eating without all the blood and guts. Well, maybe not fully without blood and guts. I will still find a dead, bloody deer laying on my kitchen counter from time to time or a furry little squirrel stuck in the fridge. I have slowly learned to get used to these things. I should add that if you're interested in eating this way there are plenty of farms that treat animals right and feed them what they're supposed to be fed so don't think you have to do the slaughtering yourself.
  I have been taking a course in homeopathy (more on that in another entry) and my instructor mentioned that I may benefit from the Paleo diet based on some of the problems I am experiencing. That's when I started researching and finding out all of the positives that can come from it, the science behind it, and the terrible effects that processed sugar and grains can have on my body.
  Since I now have all of this information in my brain that I won't be able to remove I can not look at a dessert or a bag of white rice without thinking of one word. This word is in BIG BOLD letters in my brain and it helps me when choices get tough because, hey, I'm human and this girl loves chocolate! The word, you ask? INFLAMMATION.
   I will not get into all of the scientific explanations here but I will just give a brief overview of what these foods can do. These foods (namely processed and refined) are not always recognized by the body as food. Jillian Michaels (LOVE her!) calls them "frankenfoods". The body does not know what to do with them so it always takes the easiest way it can to break them down. Most of the time they break down into sugars or sugar alcohols. Most people are aware of this but those darn foods are so good that no one really wants to think about it. What some don't know is that these foods can actually become damaging to the gut wall over time. This can cause larger particles (for lack of a better word) that should stay in your digestive tract to pass through the gut wall and then into your body/bloodstream.  When your immune system finds these particles it goes after them and will create an antibody to hunt for more of the same. Sometimes these particles can have the appearance of certain tissues in your body. Your immune system becomes confused and can start attacking it's own cells rather than these particles. This is where the word "autoimmune" comes in. A few examples of autoimmune diseases include rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, and Celiac disease. Sometimes these diseases do well when removing the foods that are damaging to the gut. Most of our immune system is in our gut. Take care of your gut, take care of your immune system.
   Remember that word INFLAMMATION that I can't remove from my brain? That is something else that is caused by these foods. When I removed sugars and grains, I removed my pain. When I cheat and have that chocolate bar once in awhile all of my pain returns temporarily until I get back to my normal diet. I generally have less inflammation of all areas of my body. I have not been eating this way long enough to share the long term effects. I feel that my body is the way it is from years and years of eating things that were no good. Therefore, I believe it would take years and years to gain what I want on the reverse side of that. I have a ton more energy since adopting this way of eating. I don't feel sluggish after eating a meal. I have a clear mind and less foggy thinking. To me, it is worth going against the "norm".
  What does the Paleo diet consist of? DO eat: Vegetables, fruits (less fruits than veggies), meat from animals that are raised the way nature meant it to be (grass-fed beef, wild fish, eggs, etc.), good quality fats such as coconut oil, avocado oil and also nuts and seeds. DON'T eat: processed grains, beans, pasteurized dairy, vegetable oils, sugars that are refined, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup or anything processed.
  I know most Paleo sites will say all grains are bad. I personally don't believe this. I believe that grains can be good but just not the way they are processed for us. There are tons of additives and things I can't even pronounce in bagged breads, crackers, etc. I would prefer to be able to pronounce what I eat.
  Cows are not meant to eat grains.They are meant to eat grass. Humans want their cows fat so they feed them lots of grains. This makes the cows sick (why do you think they need all of those antibiotics?). Grains will also change the chemical make up of the beef you consume. This is why it can be unhealthy. A grass fed cow is a healthy cow. A person who eats the meat of a grass fed cow is a healthier person.
  Hopefully this has been somewhat informative. I actually sat in the same spot the whole time without having to get up and change a diaper or fix a shower curtain! Now that's progress...
    

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