I officially completed the Paleo Challenge on March 25th. I was going to do one additional day to try Paleo while travelling, but that was the first day my first real vacation in over five years. Five years. Real vacation meaning no wedding, birthday party, move across the country, etc. involved. Earlier that day I could barely choke down a chicken breast for lunch. At that very point I reached my meat intake limit. After that my thought was, "Like heck I am going to be on a Paleo challenge when I am going to finally have a chance to relax."
Now, I did have one memorable semi-Paleo meal in Vegas. Mr. NN was super excited when he found that Hot 'n Juicy Crawfish was in Las Vegas. He had watched a Man Vs. Food episode about this restaurant and was immediately smitten with it. I was a little unsure what we were walking into, but I had a vision from "Beasts of the Southern Wild" involving a bayou feast. At Hot 'n Juicy, you order your food by the pound and then choose what seasoning you would like. I opted for a pound of shrimp with their signature Hot 'n Juicy seasoning. A little while later, a plastic bag was dropped in front of me filled with shrimp. Rather than standing on my chair like Hushpuppy flexing my muscles, I looked more like this:
That, my friends, is the look of me attempting to hide my terror upon the realization I need to rip apart my food to make it edible (by my standards). I still cringe when I see that little guy with his eyes bulging out. I probably ate a half pound of shrimp by the time I beheaded, de-legged, peeled, and deveined my shrimp. This was not my type of dining experience, but Mr. NN was completely into it- up to his elbows in crawfish juices. My favorite part of this meal were the corn fritters. No de-assembly (or looking my food in its dead eyes) required.
Now let's review my goals for the Paleo Challenge:
- Increased energy
- Better cold sensitivity management
- Bikini- ready shape
Did I reach my goals? In the order of my goals listed above, the answers are : No, no, and kind of.
I didn't have more energy and I was still pretty caffeine dependent during the challenge. For me, "caffeine dependent" is at least two cups of coffee (or tea) a day. I know many people will scoff at this idea because for some people this is called "breakfast." But for me, I never had a morning routine involving caffeine consumption until this year. Not to say I don't enjoy it, I just want to be able to function without it. The week after my vacation, however, I didn't even need a cup of green tea in the morning. I therefore attribute the lack of energy not to my non-Paleo diet (or to Paleo for that matter), but to my extreme burnout. A couple weeks after Spring break and I am still consuming less caffeine.
My cold sensitivity is better, but that is likely because it is warmer outside. I also wear more layers when I'm cold. Amazing what that combination can do for body temperature regulation.
Now let me explain the "kind of" for bikini- ready shape. I already have a solid workout routine and can be found in the gym most days of the week. I definitely have an athletic build, although my build has no correlation with any ability to play sports. (Just ask anyone who I have played recreational volleyball or softball with.) In any case, after starting Paleo I noticed I was way less bloated. All the work I had been putting in at the gym was becoming more noticeable. Mr. NN even asked when I put on my bikini if I had lost weight. Which no, I had not (but I did lose excess intestinal air). Unfortunately the only photo I have from Vegas involving a bikini is the one below, but it pretty much sums up my break so it will do.
Happiness is poolside in the sunshine.
The short answer: I will likely follow some parameters of Paleo, but not all of it.
The long answer: There are things that I liked about Paleo and things that I didn't. I definitely do not think that beans and peanuts are detrimental to my gut or my health. My immune system has been incredible this past cold and flu season, in spite of the fact I work in schools and primarily ate beans as my protein source this past winter.
Not once during the challenge was I able to get my recommended amount of calcium intake from food alone. I didn't even get enough with a multivitamin and mineral added in. That all being noted, I'm also going to have dairy.
When it comes to grains, prior to the challenge Mr. NN was on a meal plan that only permitted starchy foods (i.e. grains and potatoes) after workouts. Many of our meals had been grainless due to this and it really is not as difficult as it sounds. You just need to make sure you fill in the starch-void on your plate with more vegetables and fruit (or in some cases, meat).
I will not, however, avoid grains like the plague after this experience. Whole grains also have a lot of benefits that should not be disregarded. Whole grains have insoluble fiber to help your body get rid of unnecessary cholesterol. Insoluble fiber also helps you to feel fuller and pushes food particles (and what it becomes) through your intestines faster. There are also many things in life I enjoy that involve grains- such as cupcakes, beer, and cheeseburgers. I like being able to enjoy these items every-so-often and don't feel it necessary to deny myself these items.
A few Paleo Diet experts, including Dr. Cordain, recommend a 85% Paleo Diet lifestyle. This means all but three of the meals you have in a given week are Paleo. For those other three meals you can pretty much have whatever your heart desires.
Recently I listened to an interview with Dr. Eaton, the first person recognized with creating the Caveman Diet back in the 1980s. (Dr. Courdain recognizes Dr. Eaton as being an inspiration.) The interview was done by a die-hard Paleo fanatic and he seemed floored when Dr. Eaton told him that ate "forbidden" foods (i.e. beans, dairy, and grains). If the founder of the Caveman Diet allows himself to have these things, I'm fairly certain it is okay for me (and everyone else) to have them too.
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