Doing AIP and then transitioning to Paleo has become a lifestyle for me by choice and I wish everyone around me could have a real-food lifestyle (I could settle for almost on this). I want everyone to experience the health benefits – this is why I feel so passionate about blogging and spreading the word!
Unfortunately, it’s not the mainstream way (yet) and I am frequently asked things like:
“Why don’t you try _____? It’s healthy.”
“Wouldn’t it be easier if you could eat _________? How do you live without it?”
“Wouldn’t ________ be ok if you ate it on occasion? It’s just a little treat.”
“What about when you have kids, how are you going to survive without ________? Kids can’t live without that.”
Fill in those blanks with whatever “food” your mind creates. There are many other things I’m asked on a regular basis and all I can do is educate others and hope they’ll hear me.
Honestly, I don’t want to try ____ because I can’t comprehend or pronounce half the ingredients, junk food doesn’t make my life easier – it only makes me feel crappy, occasionally eating junk can have week-long consequences, and having kids will not have me resort back to SAD – in fact, I will have to be more strict in bringing in foods that even look like junk because that may lead to confusion. Why do I have such strong thoughts and opinions on the topic of real food versus processed? Well, here are a few reasons I have chosen this way of life:
- I like feeling well. When I eat almost compliant stuff (that still meets my gluten/dairy/soy/chemical/artificial free criteria), I feel different. I have less energy. I am more likely to waste time on an afternoon nap. I am more likely to have a headache. I am more likely to feel “sore.” I have clear symptoms that my body doesn’t approve of the non-real food I am feeding it and prefer to feel clear and happy on a day-to-day basis.
- I like not having ANY digestive distress. Yup, you read that right – absolutely none, it’s pretty cool! Most people perceive diarrhea, constipation, belching, gas, and stomach-ache as a normal bodily function that just happens. “It only happens when I eat _____” they say. Well – clearly the body doesn’t approve of that! Digestive distress is the body struggling to digest because the food is too foreign, the good bacteria being thrown out of balance, the digestive tract encountering inflammation, or due to various other digestive conditions. Instead of listening to our body and respecting it with things that nourish it, many people continue shoving in more stuff that causes distress and pop pills to relieve symptoms – which only causes more digestive distress. No thanks, I’ll spare that embarrassment. If food gives me digestive distress, I know it is not doing my gut any favors and it is banned from entering my body.
- I like eating gourmet-tasting, flavorful meals. Paleo & AIP is a style of cooking that is FULL of natural flavor from fresh herbs and fats. It focuses on real, whole food and creates beautiful dishes (or sometimes just dishes that taste good). There is nothing artificial and you can eat as much as you want (still reasonably watching meat intake), and feel great. I only find comparative flavor at gourmet restaurants that cost too much for me to frequent. Who doesn’t want fancy meals all day, everyday?
- I like knowing what is in my food. Conventional food is full of added flavors, preservatives, colors, and funky ingredients that don’t belong in our tummies. If I make dinner with fresh vegetables and herbs, I know what is making my food taste so good. If I buy anything with an ingredient list, I like to keep it simple with ingredients I would use in my kitchen. I don’t use preservatives and ingredients with 15 syllables (why are so many fake ingredients so hard to pronounce anyway?). Simple is better.
- I like supporting real food. Paleo and whole, real food lifestyles are becoming more and more common and it’s because people are becoming more educated and demanding food that does not harm their bodies. Slowly, large companies are responding and removing artificial flavors, preservatives, etc – which is great progress! More companies are emerging that cater to a real food lifestyle, which has been so helpful when traveling and during busy weeks. I feel like there’s a paleo, whole food substitute for almost everything now! I believe (and hope) that by the time I have kids, there will be even more real food options everywhere that will make compliance easier and more mainstream. If not, real food isn’t too hard to cook with once you get the hang of it and there are plenty of pre-chopped options for days where time is short.
- I like not getting sick. My husband and I just don’t get sick anymore since paleo took over our household. Sure, on occasion we get a little sniffly – but we are not careful about germs and simply eat well. Seasonal allergies have also gone way – so I can enjoy the beautiful spring weather instead of choking on pollen. It’s pretty convenient to not get sick and to not fear the sickly world – this was especially nice during flu season. Germs can only take over your body if you let them. If you nourish your body well and provide all the tools it needs to defend itself, most sicknesses can be avoided.
- I like feeling fit and maintaining my body weight without trying. Seriously – I eat so much and my weight just stays the same! I went into AIP for autoimmune, not weight loss – but getting to the weight I probably should have been at all these years has been a great bonus. I feel much more fit and strong, and way less fragile than I did before. This is allowing me to live a much more healthy lifestyle by getting outdoors more and getting back into an exercise routine. For the first time in my life, I WANT to exercise and be active.
I can’t picture returning back to the SAD world. I know too much to consider putting junk into my body ever again. Our bodies require pure fuel (nutrition) to function, and that is what I give it. Eating chemicals doesn’t even sound appealing anymore! I do think if someone is not sensitive/allergic to gluten and dairy, there is a place for that in the diet – but natural gluten and natural dairy, not processed, and a limited amount (especially gluten) since it doesn’t have the nutrient density of vegetables and can make you feel full on empty calories. To avoid cross contamination, I keep my house fully gluten-free, but I do purchase whole, unprocessed dairy for my husband because he doesn’t have any issues with it and enjoys it. I feel that real food is one of the most important things one can do for their health – whether it is a paleo version of the diet or not.
Eat what makes YOU feel well! What kind of benefits have you experienced from eating whole food / real food / paleo? I’d love to hear about it!
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AYCE to Better Health 