So, I’ve been doing a ton of reading & research on this “new-to-me” lifestyle called Paleo. If you haven’t heard of this approach – I’ll say it in my terms: Paleo means to live like a caveman – back in the Paleolithic age. You know….Dinosaurs. It means eating whole, fresh (organic-preferred) foods that are not processed. Paleo eliminates gluten, legumes and dairy from your life. Of course, you add in exercise to the lifestyle … I haven’t gotten into reading about this CrossFit training approach but it seems that lots of “CrossFitters” are Paleo. OK, whatever…
To read more specifically about Paleo for yourself, go here: http://thepaleodiet.com I’m not here to educate you about Paleo per se. That’s what the people with letters after their name are for! So, if you want to know more about Paleo, check it out.
My husband & I have been talking about this now since around Christmas. Obviously we’re not too quick to jump into this – can’t ya tell?! But, in all honesty, this is a huge change in lifestyle and we have two young children to consider here as well – one of which has a severe, life threatening food allergy along with eczema & asthma. I’ll get back to that in a minute, though.
Research is what I enjoy doing when it comes to nutrition, health & wellness. Never thought I’d say that but I really feel knowledge is power and I try to read up on as much as I can. With this whole Paleo approach, I really wanted to understand the science behind it all and then make an action plan: a 30-day plan for our family. With food allergies, it’s not that easy, though – you have to research even more to make sure the ingredients which you are now in search of are not cross-contaminated… While Paleo is legume-free (my oldest son is allergic to peanuts), there’s a heavy emphasis on other nuts & seeds as well as coconut. He’s OK with all of these foods but finding any sort of nut not cross-contaminated with peanuts is very difficult.
Why NOT to do Paleo
I can give you a gazillion reasons why not to do Paleo. And, I'm sure you come up with your own. I had to make a list of why it wouldn’t work for my family/lifestyle. This was my approach to reasoning all of this in my own head.My Christian Beliefs & Evolutionary Science
My husband keeps asking me questions about the origins of this – how it’s based upon evolutionary science. This is important to us because we are Christians – Wisconsin Evangelical Lutherans, to be exact – and do not believe in evolutionary science. In our opinions, the Bible has clearly laid out how the earth was formed, when Man was created and how there came to be death, pain and suffering in the world. (Darn apples!) We do not believe that modern-day humans evolved from primates. Just think: If we evolved from monkeys, it would really suck to be a monkey right now! I’d be like “Whoa! Why am I still a Monkey and how did I get this raw deal?” In all seriousness, our Christian beliefs alone should tell us to avoid the Paleo lifestyle.
Parenting a Food Allergic Child
I mentioned before that my son has food allergies, skin issues and asthma. We’ve outgrown so many allergies: wheat, soy, dairy, tomato, strawberry, corn… Wait! Outgrown? Hold on a second … If I look at his blood tests (RAST), they still technically show a higher RAST than walnuts, shellfish and eggs… Everything else that was tested & came up positive (the other allergens on the Top 8 List) are all processed items as a result of our agricultural practices. See, Paleo diets consume items which were readily available during the Paleolithic times – before we began agriculture. That’s one reason why wheat, soy & dairy are out.
As a parent of a child with food allergies, I struggle daily with educating people on what it means to be allergic vs. intolerant. This gets confusing even to the most educated and I understand that. What has always bugged me is when the whole Gluten Free diet craze started & people like Elizabeth Hasselbeck started saying “avoid gluten & lose weight”. So, these people go out to eat & ask their restaurants to offer gluten free choices. Great – that’s awesome for those who are truly celiac or wheat-allergic.
But, for those who have done it because it seemed like a good idea or the “cool thing” – STOP! You make the “educating people on what it means to be allergic vs. intolerant” next to impossible!!
If you are gluten free BY CHOICE that means if you do eat a little bit of gluten by accident (cross-contamination), you’ll be just fine. Depending upon how long you’ve been gluten-free, you may have an upset tummy for an hour or so. But. You. Will. Be. Fine.
But, if you’re allergic to something – let’s say peanuts – and you get just a little bit, what do you think could happen? ANAPHYLAXIS. You. Could. Die. For this very reason, I think gluten-free “because I want to be” is reckless and endangers those in the food allergic community. (Don’t get all ballistic on me saying that every allergy is a potential for anaphylaxis – that’s not what this means…it means for MY CHILD, it is. Every person, every allergy is different. Educate yourself on the information.)
Biting the Hand Which Feeds Me
Dairy… Oh boy… Dairy! Did I mention to you that we live in Wisconsin? Oh, and I work for a dairy cooperative? Yup – you read that right. So, if I do Paleo, I’ll be refusing/avoiding eating anything from the hand which actually does feed me. Did you follow that? Wow – that was funny to write!
I don’t wish to dwell on this matter too much but it has been something we’ve considered; my husband grew up working for his neighbor on his dairy farm. I work for a manufacturer of cheese and other dairy products. The company I work for is a farmer-owned dairy cooperative. We always giggle around the office about people who are lactose intolerant but realize it’s a medical condition. But to give it up by choice? Wow, people will just think I’m a wack-o! (who cares!?)
Desperation?
Let me give you a bit of a background of who I am – or at least, what I’m willing to share at this point. I’ve turned the final corner to 40 years old (this fall) and am what is medically considered morbidly obese. I am not ready to put the number out there for the world to see what I weigh but it’s bad – very, very bad. It’s ridiculously bad and I have no excuse or anyone to blame but myself. I don’t exercise like I should. I consume empty calories through drinking alcohol. I have a job which leaves me sedentary for extended periods of time. I have been overweight for most of my life.
For being such a fat person, I am relatively healthy by the numbers. I know – docs are probably freaking out when they read that one! Had my physical in February 2012; my fasting blood glucose was 94 (good), cholesterol is good with some room for improvement but overall MUCH lower than in previous years (183 overall, HDL= 49, LDL = 118, Tri = 69). My BP is always in the 118/70 range. We won't talk about BMI, though - that will come in time. I need to schedule my physical for this year yet...
Over the course of my lifetime, I’ve been diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Carpal Tunnel. I have a cyst on the Pineal Gland in my brain (that's a fun story - NOT!) I had a Chiropractor tell me that I didn’t have RSD but rather Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. I was a clumsy kid – injured a lot of times through falls (wrist, head) so the TOS makes a great deal of sense. Yesterday, my chiropractor took updated x-rays and my neck, which was curved in the wrong direction, is finally showing major improvement. Granted, it’s not curved at all right now but it’s heading in the right direction (yes, pun was intended here). Weekly adjustments are necessary due to the levels of inflammation in my body; I suspect due to these ailments which continue to plague me through my adult years.
I also have eczema and severely dry skin and have controlled asthma (outdoor exercise-induced). I have had three anaphylactic episodes in the past 20 years – one to sulfa (for sure, 1993), one to suspected sulfa (2005) and one unknown (Aug 2012) – all of which landed me in the hospital.
Both of my boys were born via cesarean section when I was 31 & 33. I spent my 35th birthday on a table in the hospital for a nuclear test of my gall bladder which was promptly removed 2 days later (nicely fused to my liver, mind you).
I don’t take any medication for any ailment although I have aches & pains throughout the day. I find my hands & feet swollen by mid-afternoon even though I drink 8-10 glasses of water every day.
I have tried Weight Watchers, Atkins, Blood Typing, Fasting/Cleansing… I drop weight slowly but put it on at lightning speed pace! If I don't work out 90 min a day, I don't lose weight; but who has 90 minutes a day for exercise with 2 kids, a full-time job, home to manage & a direct-sales business? I've had a personal trainer come to my home. I've recorded every morsel of food that goes in mouth & counted every calorie. I’ve considered gastric bypass but the risks of this surgery don’t seem worth it – I’ve only seen short-term success from those around me who’ve gone that route.
So, to say that I have “Autoimmune Issues” is probably right on target. I need to find out what works for me when it comes to eating, exercise and lifestyle.
Something has Got to Give
Reading. Reading. Reading. That’s what I do – I’m a planner by nature (project manager by profession). What I have resolved is this:
- I’m not looking for an easy out – this is going to be really, really hard work.
- I will need to menu plan – check!
- I will need to research & find ingredients save for a peanut allergy – check!
- I will need to stay on the plan as much as possible – check!
- I will need to move – check!
- I will need to forgive & forget when I mess up – HUH?
Why I Choose Paleo
To me, the science makes sense… Yes, even the evolutionary science approach to this. The research on Auto Immune Diseases is astonishing! Why NOT give it a try? It's not like I'm going to die from a cookie craving, right? I can do this...- My kids deserve a healthy, happy and energetic Mom.
- My husband deserves a healthy, happy and energetic Partner.
- I want to feel better about myself.
- I want to not be in pain or swollen every night.
- I want to see my kids’ skin improve.
- I want to rid my family of eating processed foods.
- I want to still be able to drink wine. (Ooops! Yup – that’s why I won’t be 100%)
- I want to give my kids the best start in life possible and learn how to make healthy choices when it comes to food and exercise.
So, as I finish this very lengthy post, I leave you with this… Over the next few weeks, my family will begin a transition to a new normal. I’m not going to clean everything out of my cupboards at once – that band-aid isn’t going to come off that fast!
We will, however, begin making better choices and learning more together. As we begin this journey, I’ll be using this blog to write out this journey.
Let the countdown begin … And, to steal shamelessly from a friend who’s going through her own unique journey right now:
"I'm not telling you it's going to be easy, I'm telling you it's going to be worth it." - Art Williams
