Why Paleo?

When Superman first told me about the Paleo diet, I scoffed.  Loudly.  Live without bread?  Without rice?  Without milk or yogurt or, heaven forbid, cheese?  It can't be done.  It's stupid.  And what's more, it's probably not healthy.  Grains are good for you, right?  They're wholesome food.  That's what I was always taught, anyhow.

You need to know that I consider myself a pretty healthy person.  Just over ten years ago, I lost nearly fifty pounds doing Body for Life.  I run and I lift weights and I rarely buy pre-packaged foods.  I love to cook, and I love to cook healthy.  I started doing Crossfit about six months ago, and I feel better than ever.  I admit, with the increased intensity of my workouts, I've indulged in "Free Day" foods more often...but it hasn't really mattered, at least as far as my body weight goes.  I've followed the plan that worked so well for me:  balanced protein and carbs at every meal, plus veggies.

Still, I was willing to experiment and give it a go.  Why?  Well -- TMI alert -- I've been dealing with severe IBS symptoms for years.   Sometimes things got so plugged up, I couldn't move my bowels for up to two weeks, sometimes more.  Superman wondered if changing my diet would help. 

But the thing that really pushed me toward this experiment was my daughter.  My 16-year-old is a gifted ballerina, hard working, muscular, passionate and devoted.  She dances 15 - 20 hours a week, is contracted with a pre-professional ballet company, runs, lifts weights, and watches what she eats.  She knows more about nutrition than most kids in high school, truthfully, more than most adults.  And yet, her weight continues to increase.  One of the hardest things about ballet is body image...there you are, wearing leotard and tights, seeing yourself and the other members of the company in wall-to-wall mirrors.  But even beyond that, if you're dancing on pointe, there are risks to carrying too much weight.  Her dream is to pursue a career in dance, but at her current weight, will probably struggle to even get accepted into a dance major.  I had to do something.

I figured that the God who created my body could tell me how I should fuel it.  I pondered and prayed to know how to help my daughter.  And these were some of the thoughts that snuck into my brain:

•  diabetes and hypoglycemia are well represented in my family
• sometimes we form allergies to foods we over-use, and I know we've been relying on wheat and cow's milk heavily
• we avoid foods that give us heartburn, gas, diarrhea, or that make us gag or feel nauseated.  Why don't we avoid foods that make us fat?

But then I watched a segment of the Dr. Oz show, where he went head-to-head with Gary Taubes.  And Mr. Taubes said something that really resonated with me: "It's unfortunate, it's unfair, but if you have a tendency to gain weight, carbohydrates are fattening."  He never said any of those ludicrous things like all-grains-are-poison, or cow's-milk-is-only-for-baby-cows.  I just don't buy into that stuff.  But being aware of what my body can and can't tolerate?  Yes, that idea is for me.

I did a little research, and felt confident I could pull this off.  Paleo, on a budget, as a single parent with a busy schedule, with three teenage daughters.  Yes, I was up for the challenge.  And to naysayers who assert that it can't be done, I say keep reading.  I believe I'm about to prove you wrong.