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8/19/12

Gone Crazy. I mean Paleo.

As if I don't have enough to make my life interesting!  Well, to make a long story short, I got sick and tired of feeling sick and tired and we have gone Paleo.
What in the world is that?! I'll explain, but I must declare in advance, I do not believe in cavemen.

I have Hashimoto's (a crappy auto-immune disease) caused by something (some allergen or toxin) and it is going to eat away at me until my thyroid is gone and I would inevitably get lots of other crappy stuff like rheumatoid arthritis, crohn's disease, celiacs, lupis or some other bad stuff. At least, that is what I was told by an endocrinologist (when we lived in Colorado)- for many years I believed there was no hope and I just had to take a prescription and live with however cruddy I felt.  I could cry about it.  Or~

While I do have Hashimoto's I finally decided that no hope is crap and I am done feeling like this (anxiety despite prayer, panic despite peace, tired despite sleep, fat despite exercise, freezing despite warmth, you get the idea) and I need to do something about it.

With our research of Hashimoto's Auto Immune Disease (I was diagnosed with it in 2004, but probably had it since adolescence) added to my desire for real health (not covering up the symptoms with allopathic care, eating living foods and cutting out junk) we decided to do a full elimination/aggravation in hopes of discovering what is causing my disease, and pay to see a doctor that actually knew about my disease.

Since the most common allergens are wheat/gluten, grains, and dairy, the diets are pretty strict. Here is what we came up with:

Paleo~
“But what does all that really mean?” you may ask. Most of our day-to-day eating involves:
  •  Protein, in the form of lean meats, poultry, seafood, and things we (or others) could hunt/catch/spear.  
  • Carbohydrates, in the form of vegetables and some fruit. Lots and lots of  colorful, nutritious vegetables. Yes, veggies are “carbs.” So are fruits. So are bagels. We don’t eat the bagels.
  • Fats, in the form of coconut oil or coconut milk, nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, clarified butter.
  • All kinds of herbs and spices.                                       (http://paleocomfortfoods.com/what-is-paleo/)

Here is a Start Guide for Paleo. I am against the name Paleo, as I do not believe in cavemen, evolution, millions of years, order from chaos, big bang, yadda yadda, but the greenies that started this diet happen to actually understand a whole lot about the body and I don't have a problem gleaning from the grace that has been given to them.

There is a plethora of recipes and information available since it is all the new rave.

My sweet husband agreed to do it with me (mostly) and my children, by default are along for the ride. We planned to do full Paleo for 30 days and then add in one by one certain foods and watch for a reaction when new foods are introduced for six months.
Yes, for half a year I am eating no grains.  I started this post before I went to the doctor and I thought I was going to be smart by going on Paleo on my own, the conclusion from my own research and all.  Imagine my surprise when my doc said I needed to go grain free for 6 months.  Oh me, Smarty Pants.

Basically the immune system lives in the gut, my immune system is shot, and I need to let my gut heal.

Well, if it is going to be an adventure,  I thought I would share some meals with you along the way.

4 comments:

  1. I am looking forward to seeing how to feed a large family and fill them on a budget without using any grains or heavier carbs! Thanks for sharing! Hope you feel better soon! :)

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  2. PALEO IS AMAZING!! We made the jump 6 months ago and have not looked back!! We still do a cheat meal on Friday nights (usually pizza). It literally changed our lives. The kids love it. Erik loves it (kind of). And I have lost 35 lbs doing it!! So yes, i love it too. The drs were concerned with my thyroid as well and since i was determined to NOT take meds this was my alternative. Paleo is awesome--It makes you better, more energetic and feel fantastic!! You guys will do great!! Enjoy the journey!!

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  3. Anna, I am happy to pass along what I come up with! It is SO expensive. We skimp in many other areas to allow for more in the food budget... I will remember to post money saving tips as I come across them!

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  4. Lacy, 35 lbs is incredible! Can you start blogging again and share with me your yummy meal ideas? I mentioned a Friday cheat night to Mr. Pilot and he said no way, we are going hard core, lol!

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