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Under Construction! Wear your helmet...

It's no surprise given this blog's history, that we're trying to find a healthier way to live our lives while having fun and being active.

I wrote at the end of last year about needing to stop caring about the scale so much. I've tried 17 versions of the same thing - I've counted calories, points, carbs. But something changed this year for me. 

My focus changed. Yes, I want to be thin. That won't go away but I've noticed that slowly my focus has shifted to simply be healthier. My mother and her mother both have had or have auto-immune problems, family members have high cholesterol and/or high blood pressure and losing weight gets harder to manage the older you get. 

I'm certainly not old at a ripe old age of 29 but I'm not getting younger and my friends are all having kids, my parents aren't getting younger - and all of this has me thinking more about being the best version of myself and taking care of myself so that I am around and healthy for as long as possible. 

There are 3 big changes going on in my life:

My job: Which I stinking love and can't wait to share more with you

My knee: 17 years of ****

My nutrition

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I'd like to say up front that as I go through this discovery and make choices for myself - I am not endorsing my choices or suggesting that everyone should do what I am doing. I do promise to pass on what I learn and find out and go through. 

There are two events that happened that kick started me asking people questions and doing research:

1) My sister finally went Gluten Free (not for a diet, it was necessary) and the changes in her body were ridiculous. She feels better and her body changed seemingly over night. You look gorgeous sis!

2) A friend of mine talked to me about how he had started something called Paleo. He and I read a lot of the same books - ranging in topics from the economy to fiction and he's one smart, healthy mother so I thought I would at least look in to it. (Gluten is minimized if not removed from your diet in Paleo... I was seeing a theme...amount two people...whatever.)

So with that all said...I'm going Paleo/Primal. 

What is Paleo you ask? Here's what Loren Cordain, Ph.d. (leading Paleo expert) says on his website: 

With readily available modern foods, The Paleo Diet mimics the types of foods every single person on the planet ate prior to the Agricultural Revolution (a mere 500 generations ago). These foods (fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and seafood) are high in the beneficial nutrients (soluble fiber, antioxidant vitamins, phytochemicals, omega-3 and monounsaturated fats, and low-glycemic carbohydrates) that promote good health and are low in the foods and nutrients (refined sugars and grains, saturated and trans fats, salt, high-glycemic carbohydrates, and processed foods) that frequently may cause weight gain, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and numerous other health problems. The Paleo Diet encourages dieters to replace dairy and grain products with fresh fruits and vegetables -- foods that are more nutritious than whole grains or dairy products.

It's also referred to as a "hunter-gatherer" diet. A diet comprised largely of lean meats and veggies. No grains (pasta, bread, rice etc.). And folks that adapt this lifestyle to its core also cut out dairy, legumes and most potatoes. 

Drastic? Perhaps. But before you roll you eyes and scold me for cutting out things that are useful to our body....I talked, at length, to my doctor. 

Me: Have you heard of this diet call Paleo?

Doc: Yes, I have

Me: What do you think of it? Is it a fad? Is it legit? What do I need to know?

Doc: I think a marketer came up with calling it Paleo so he could make money and create one title for people to use. I don't care what you call it. But wheat is not good for us and you should cut it out of your diet and eat lean meats and veggies.

I go back tomorrow to have some blood work done and I want to ask her about the legumes and dairy part. So hang tight on that. I do tend to put cheese on everything....so while I'm not going to cut cheese out entirely - I'm not going to add it to salads, just for kicks etc. But wine and cheese together...YES PLEASE. I don't drink milk and I'm not a big legume eater - and while my favorite dip is a 5 bean dip, I can't eat chips so the dip becomes irrelevant! Damnit. 

I start last Wednesday - Ash Wednesday. I'm going to do it for 40 days and see how I feel. That's the challenge. You can do anything for 40 days as a test.

I've already found really yummy recipes and a new found love for Spaghetti Squash and coconut milk. Just today, I started to really miss my carbs. I am craving a bowl of pasta like you wouldn't believe. But I've lived my life on eating Pasta Roni so I need to detox a little I suppose.  

I feel WAY less bloated so far and don't want to take naps ater lunch.  Oh yeah...I'm also down 5 pounds. The scale is not my measurement here but it sure would be nice to not fear it so much.

I know you must have a lot of questions like "Why is wheat bad? I eat whole grain." I'll get to the guts of this thing but this post is getting to long and if you're still paying attention to me by now - you're better than most :) Until later...

Would love to hear your thoughts on this!