I know I have taken a few weeks off from my series an organized life, I just started to feel a bit repetitive on my goals and doings. The house is still in great order and everyone has adapted to this new organized life. I am one happy lady. We still have the garage to do, but the door broke so that project is on hold till it gets fixed. The series started as a sort of goal for the year to live more simply. To live with what only we use and love. I have been cutting back on spending. Not entirely, but a great bit. With this goal I also had in mind to nurture my body as a whole. I have had quite a few surgeries over the last couple of years, have been on too much medication, and my body was tired and overwhelmed. I would wake up in the morning feeling exhausted which would lead me to being agitated and just plain grumpy most the time. My stomach has never been quite right. I have been on oodles of medication trying to straighten it out, but nothing helped. I am more than happy to explain those aliments, but maybe not on the blog. If you have more questions email me. Anyway I have a dear friend who encouraged me to try a paleo diet for a month. After reading much about gluten, dairy, etc and the effects it can have on some bodies I decided to give it ago. It is a very strict diet and I was loosing a bit too much weight which was never my goal in the first place so after a few weeks I altered it a bit. I am now gluten free, low dairy, low grain, low starches, and low sugar diet. It's been about 6 weeks and I feel fantastic! I no longer wake up tired, I never need a nap, and the most important... ALL my stomach/intestinal ailments have gone away. The main question I get asked is what do I eat? Well, so far it's not a wide variety but it's growing daily. The key for me is to never get hungry. I eat five to six smaller meals a day basically. I am constantly googling whether certain items have gluten in them and my restaurant choices have gone down considerably. When I first started I was wondering if this could be a lifestyle I could maintain. I LOVE food, but in the end it seems I love feeling good more. I LOVE being there for my family in ways it used to be a struggle. It is so worth it for me. Oh, and don't get me wrong I still eat well, very well. I just don't get to eat bread which has always been my favorite.
Here are my go to places to find recipes although I have gotten quite good at converting regular recipes to my new diet:
A few tips that's helped me once I figured them out:
When I am in a rush or in need of a dessert and need something fast I grab corn chex's and add blueberries or a bit of chocolate chips. Vanilla Almond milk is my absolute favorite and I will add it to blueberries with raw almond slices. I will make a meal ahead of time that will last me most the week for when I make the family something that they love, but it doesn't fit into my diet. I carry around Lara bars for when I am out and about. I will still enjoy a burger I just don't add the bun, simple changes can be done to most meals. I will make desserts on occasion. The Mr. won't eat them, he says he can tell and I think he is entirely too picky. I rather like them, but I never have had much of a sweet tooth. The kiddos can't tell the difference which is what mattered most to me.
The down side of it all is the cost. That is something I am still trying to figure out. We had to up our food budget and I am going to have to try to be more crafty. Hopefully this month will be better since I got most my staples already (like bulk almond flour).
If you want full recipes just let me know I will be sure to post them!
I also hate to use the word diet, but I do not have a better one. It is not for me to loose weight but to be healthy. I try to stay away from scales, because they are not good for my soul. {This is for you Papa... no worries I am not on the wrong path... I love you!}
