Paleo Challenge {Prep Week}

A few weeks ago, my mother and I received some interesting advice from an ER doctor: “Eat only what God created for us to eat.”  He told us that he became healthy and lost a ton of weight by going on the Paleo diet and eating as much as he wanted, along with exercise, of course.  I’ve heard of this diet before, but from the little research I had done, it sounded like a dramatic lifestyle change that would be more difficult than going Vegan.

I decided to take another look into it after hearing what this doctor had to say, and it’s really not as difficult as I thought.  On the Paleo Diet, you will eat like our ancestors in the Paleolithic (Stone Age) era ate.  They were hunter-gatherers and didn’t process anything.

You can eat grass-fed meats, fish and seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, nuts and seeds, and oils (like olive, walnut, flaxseed, macadamia, avocado, and coconut oils).  Things that are not allowed are cereal grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugar, potatoes, processed foods, salt, and refined vegetable oils.

Read more about the Paleo Diet here.

So, what am I hoping to get out of this diet?  I’m already thin (don’t hate me), and I really don’t want to lose any weight.  My wedding is coming up soon, so I’d like to tone up and I know the healthy proteins and fats will help me do this while I’m working out.  Because of some strange hormonal shift in my body recently, I’ve developed a slight case of adult acne.  Gross, I know.  I cut out dairy already and that seemed to help.  Maybe going fully Paleo will really make it clear up.  And hopefully, just in time for wedding photos!  But the biggest thing: even though I might look healthy on the outside, I know my insides could be better–much better.  

I decided that I’ll go all Paleo for a month starting this Sunday.  I’ll let you know how I’m doing on a daily basis during the first week, and then once a week for the rest of the month.  This week is all about preparation.  I’m gathering recipes, making Paleo bread, stocking up on ingredients, and practicing with a few meals here and there.  So let’s do this!

I started my morning off in a hurry without much of a plan.  Luckily, my awesome fiancé had leftovers in the fridge packed and ready to grab for lunch.  I just had to scramble to find something to throw in my bag for breakfast and snacks.  Last night, we made our meal plan for the week, incorporating a couple Paleo meals, so dinner won’t be too big of a problem.

This is what I ate today, trying to ease into it:

Breakfast: Lara bar and cherries

Lunch: Vegetarian Chili (not so Paleo) and a side salad (lettuce, boiled eggs, avocado, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, and black olives) with a drizzle of flaxseed oil and balsamic vinaigrette

Snack: Crunchy Cinnamon Apple Chips from Bare Fruit  

Afternoon chocolate fix: a small handful of dark chocolate covered cranberries

Dinner: Ground turkey and veggie stew (not quite Paleo either)