Monday, May 30, 2016

Paleo Changes You: Your Body Lets You Know Quickly When You Are Intolerant of a Food

Image result for fire     The year was 2013, and I was very unhappy. I had just gotten my second degree from Troy University. I had a promotion at work. I had lost 50 pounds. We were living in a nice place. My kids were thriving. My relationship was better than ever with Ray, but I was miserable. Every day, I itched. I scratched. My skin was in a constant state of irritation. I was diagnosed with rosacea. I had the worst flu that I'd had in a while. I absolutely hated the way I looked and felt.

     I was desperate for a change.

     Then I found a few different things to try. I did an elimination diet, and found out I was allergic to peanuts. And let me tell you, up to that point, I was enthusiastic about eating peanut butter. I ate it every day. I craved it. It was amazing how cutting out that one food made so much difference. I felt so much better. I looked so much better. The rosacea cleared up almost completely. I could breathe better. I wasn't always itching and scratching. My nose wasn't constantly running. Life became brighter and more wonderful.

     I was hooked.

     I started researching how foods affect our health, how humans were meant to eat, and I was amazed that it could really be that easy to feel and look better. And once you start feeling better, it becomes much easier to tell when a food throws you off and makes you feel bad.

     I've been doing some studying lately on Ayurveda. In this system of health care, they emphasize balance within the body. They talk about the importance of food and exercise on our health. They even claim that if your follow Ayurveda, you will not only get sick less often and be sick for a shorter duration, but you will also know when your health is out of balance because you'll be aware of something not quite right within your being. This is also the sort of results I've seen with eating Paleo.

     I believe this is a result of having far less inflammation. When you eat foods that were never really meant for human consumption, your body responds with systemic inflammation. Eat this way all the time, and all you experience is inflammation. Just remember, if it ends in -itis, it's inflammation: arthritis, sinusitis, gastritis, bronchitis, etc. But cut the foods out that cause inflammation, and your body has the time to heal and repair, instead of fighting the flames within. Once you get to a level where you're rarely inflamed, when you eat something that throws you off, you know it.
Image result for macadamia nut
     In fact, I had been reading where macadamia nuts are one of the best nuts you can eat because of their fat profile, and I saw a canister of them. I love macadamia nuts, so I bought them. After eating a small handful, my hands had swollen, my face was broken out, and my nose was so stuffy, I could barely breathe. I used to eat Ferrero Rocher about once every couple of months, and I'd eat about three at the time. While I'm sad that I have that reaction to macadamia nuts, I know about it, and I can choose to eat them and suffer (on rare occasions), or I can leave them alone and feel better.

     Personally, I'd rather feel better.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Movie Review: That Sugar Film

Image result for that sugar film

     I've been a big fan of Morgan Spulock's Super Size Me since it came out in 2004. It's one of those movies where I laugh; I cry; I know every line, every nuance, and yet, I can still sit through it again and again. Maybe that makes me weird, since it's a documentary, but there you are.

     So the other day, I was searching through my Prime Movies on Amazon, and I wanted to watch something compelling. There were many choices. I was the only one interested in watching TV at the time. Everyone else was busy, so I knew I wouldn't have to take anyone else's opinions into my decision. That Sugar Film was one I'd been wanting to watch for a while, but no one else seemed interested in, so I turned it on.

     Much like Super Size Me, the host and star of the movie takes us on an adventure into bad eating, but this time, instead of eating every item on the McDonald's menu like Morgan Spurlock did, Damon Gameau eats a "healthy" diet full of items that many people eat every day. His goal is to consume the Australian national average of 40 teaspoons of sugar a day without consuming any obvious sugar, such as candy, soda, and ice cream. After eating a diet where he gets his calories mostly from healthy fats, this is a big change for him. Above is a picture of him before and after, and that's with his calorie intake remaining the same and keeping to the same exercise program. Check out the trailer here:



     This is just as amazing a film as Super Size Me. I laughed; I cried; and I know I will watch this movie many times, as well. Not too far into the movie, the whole family had wandered in to watch as well, so you know it has to be good. While it doesn't specifically talk about the Paleo diet, it still showcases why all the sugars that people consume in the form of sweetened dairy products, breads, juices, and elsewhere are just not healthy and a huge contributing factor to the obesity epidemic. I highly recommend this movie.

Monday, May 16, 2016

Announcement: Big Plans



     You've probably noticed lately that I've been slacking a bit in keeping up with this blog. Okay, I've been slacking a lot. I haven't wanted to be such a slacker. I really had very good intentions. My problem was, I was so danged tired. I was working in a job that just took all my brain power, willpower, and drive and flushed it down the toilet. I was so tired and stressed that even though I was eating the way I've been eating in order to lose the weight that I've lost, I was gaining weight. And I would get home after a nine-hour shift, and I would fall asleep on the couch, wake up long enough to eat dinner, be a grouch for a bit, and fall asleep again while watching my favorite shows. Then I would get up, go to bed, sleep eight hours, get up, and do it all over again.

     Then I finally said, "Enough is enough." Okay, that's not true. I'd had enough some time ago. I've used what little energy I've had to search for a different job. Then I said, "Enough is enough." And now I'm out of there. And I have a job with a regular schedule, so I'm hoping I'll be able to update this blog every Monday.

     I still have a few more articles to do on How Paleo Changes You, but I'm also hoping to do some more recipes and article on the benefits of certain foods and updates on family and living Paleo. I'm also working on some digital cookbooks and Paleo party books that I'll be selling online. I'm also hoping to have some opportunities to make some videos featuring some of my favorite Paleo and Primal desserts, some exercise videos, and whatever else comes to mind. I might even *gasp* be able to get my Facebook page updated and get things rocking and rolling on some other social media sites. And I'll be regularly updating my other blogs, so get ready internet. I'M BACK!