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Fat doesn’t make you fat. Carbs make you fat – The Infographic.
Posted in addiction, food rules, overeating, paleo/primal
My World Doesn’t End in 2012
Wow, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Well, I didn’t give up. I made it through the holidays, through two trip to El Paso and through the new year. I’m officially back on Paleo/Primal, and I’m actually doing fairly well. I haven’t lost much weight, but it’s only been a few weeks. And I’ve been trying not to weigh in too much and depend more on how my clothes fit for an indicator.
I bought a belt in El Paso that *just* fit and I’ve already had to tighten up one hole and I’m getting ready to tighten up one more, so that’s all pretty good. I’m trying to approach this time as a lifestyle rather than a diet, so if I splurge on dessert, I don’t stress about it and I just eat normally the next day. And though life is pretty hectic, I feel fairly centered, so things are going better than I expected.
I bought Melissa’s new cookbook, Well Fed, and I’m using it to approach cooking and eating differently. I really love her concept of having a big weekly cook-up and then just combining the cooked veggies and protein to make meals. I’ve even gotten my husband interested in trying some of the recipes – I think I’m bringing him around the my perspective. He is passing kidney stones again (for the third time in his life) and has a gallbladder full of gallstone, not to mention his colitis and IBS. He’s trying out living low-carb and grain-free, and I think I’ll be able to get him to try it for 30 days to see if he feels better.
So, all in all – I’m glad I didn’t give up. My next step? Adding in stretches and body-weight exercises, maybe some kettlebells. I also need to learn to like myself a little bit more. Low self-esteem sucks and hating your body is counter-productive. I want to learn to love myself and my body for its strength. I used to be so strong, and I think I can be, again.
Posted in paleo/primal
Stumbling Blocks
I went to the mall with my little sister yesterday a few hours after I ate my typical lunch of greens and an omelet. I had skipped breakfast, but I honestly thought I would be fine. Midway through the afternoon, however, I was dizzy and faint, sweating and ready to pass out.My energy levels were tanking, I felt like I was going to collapse and I was breaking out into a cold sweat. It felt like I had a suddenly come down with the flu. Low-carb flu.
Carb withdrawal is real and it completely sucks. Just like any other addict, my body is going to rebel against my efforts to go cold turkey. I went cold turkey the first time I went paleo with a decent amount of success, but I’ve noticed that it’s gotten harder and harder to get back into it each time I fall back into the lifestyle of conventional wisdom. To successfully get through the next two weeks, I’m going to need to implement some changes to make sure I stay on track and make it through. I need to:
- Eat more. I need to eat more fat and protein. It’s going to take some getting used to adding the fat back into my diet, but cooking my CSA greens in bacon grease is a good place to start.
- I need to plan my snacks out and restock my pantry with healthy foods. Today, I resorted to two iced cookies at the mall because I was desperate for something, anything to break through the low-carb flu. If I had a Larabar in my purse, that wouldn’t have happened.
- I need to remind myself that two iced cookies aren’t the end of the world. I’m going to long term sustainability, not short term results. One cheat does not derail an entire lifestyle and I just need to get back on board with my next meal.
- I need to give up short term satisfaction for long term gratification. That cookie will make me feel better now, but in the long run, I will be happier when I can buy that dress I love at J. Crew. I need to remember that giving up that cookie is the right decision because this is not a diet, this is a lifestyle and I’m in it for life.
Things will get better. I know the first two weeks are always the worst and that once I am past the horrid low-carb flu/carb withdrawal, I’ll feel so much better. Even now, coming off the sugar rush of those cookies, I’m filing this incident away in my mind so that next time, I’ll remember the crash the resulted from my sugar binge and I’ll make the better decision of a snack of some nuts, or a hard-boiled egg. Things will get better – I just gotta get through this first.
The Benefits of Vinegar?
I was browsing the aisles of my local Co-op for sales and good deals when I came across a bottle of apple cider vinegar. “Raw, unfiltered, organic, with the ‘mother,’” read the bottle, going on to talk about its “amazing natural cleansing, healing and energizing health qualities.” I’m always skeptical of anything that is touted as miraculous, but I did remember a story told to me about my husband’s grandmother. Apparently she drank a couple of swigs of vinegar a day and was in remarkable health until the very end. Could there be something to all of these health benefits attributed to vinegar?
Mark’s Daily Apple tackled the question earlier this year as part of his Monday morning rapid-fire question and answer sessions. And yes, there does seem to be some research supporting vinegar’s health benefits. While a large number of the claims, such as being a cure for diabetes, seem to be overblown old wives tales, vinegar, specifically the acetic acid in vinegar can help with vitamin absorption, particularly calcium. It was can also (and this is the benefit that I am primarily interested in) increase insulin sensitivity and reduce glucose and insulin spikes after meals.
As someone who is overweight, insulin sensitivity is an issue for me. I have been eating crap for so long that post-meal insulin spikes are a real problem. I suspect that a lot of the stubborn abdominal fat packed around my middles is the result of decreased insulin sensitivity. So if adding a tablespoon of vinegar to a glass of water and drinking it with a meal can increase my sensitivity to insulin and cause my blood sugar to spike less, it could definitely be worth it?
I’m curious, so I direct this question out to others in the paleo/primal community: do you drink vinegar or otherwise include it in your meals? What about kombucha or other fermented drinks? Have you noticed any health benefits? Personally, for me it’s too soon to tell. I’m only on day two of adding vinegar into my diet. I drink a tablespoon in a full glass of water as recommended on the label (though I omit the honey, maple syrup, or other sweeteners that the bottle recommends). I find that I don’t mind the taste in water. I’m not sure I could just take a swig like my husband’s grandmother did, but who knows – they tell me anything is possible with time.
The Paleo Diet Infographic
Here’s an informative and easy to read take on the Paleo lifestyle – it’s the Paleo Diet Infographic from Patrik at The Paleolithic Diet. While I’m not as 100% gung-ho as some others, especially in light of my having completely and totally fallen off the wagon, it’s an interesting read with a lot of truth to it presented in an easy to digest form. Enjoy!