Going Primal, a meal without carbs!

 
In November of 2012 my sister and I made a bet. Whoever lost the most weight in 21 days got a $20 gift card from Target. Naturally I did everything I knew how to lose weight. I ate whole grains, began exercising 3 times a day, cut out the sugar, as much as I could anyway. Yet after the first week, she had lost significantly more than I had. When I asked her what her secret was, she told me that she was on the Paleo diet.

 

The Paleo diet basically consisted of not eating any type of grain, sugar, or dairy. So for a week I didn’t eat any bread, or grains except corn,  and no sugary products. I lost 6 pounds. After such impressive results I decided to look up the Paleo diet myself. What I came across was Mark’s Daily Apple and the Primal Diet. I liked this diet/life style change more than Paleo because it allowed me to eat butter and other things restricted in the Paleo Diet.

 

The thing about the Primal and Paleo lifestyle is that it’s not really a diet. It’s supposed to be something you do long term to change your life. If you follow its adherents, it’s really effective. But if you get off the horse, don’t fret, just get back on. See, the bottom line isn’t how much weight you lose; it’s about taking steps to a healthier you.

 

We can all agree that there is nothing in white refined sugar that your body needs. Incidentally, there is nothing that your body needs in brown sugar either. In fact, all the sugar you need can be found in the fruit you eat, and you shouldn’t eat too much of that. The Primal lifestyle or food chart can be summed up into 5 things you should eat.

 

1.      Vegetables (this should be what you eat the most of.)

2.      Meat (you should have protein with every meal, whether it’s eggs or meat)

3.      Fruit (in moderation)

4.      Nuts (even more moderation)

5.      Fat/Healthy oils (Coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, animal fat ie. bacon grease, and butter)

 

I am struggling to eat strictly Primal, especially since my family hasn’t completely gotten on to the bandwagon yet, but it gets better every day. I can easily remember what I should and should not eat because the list of things to eat on the surface is so small. But there are so many different types of vegetables and so many different ways to prepare food that the combination of things I can eat is astounding. Just check out this meal I made the other night for my family.

 

 

 I just took some butter, onions, and three types of peppers and sautéed those in my sauté pan; I added some seasonings and salt. In a separate pan (because there simply was not enough room in the first pan) I browned some ground beef with other seasoning. Once both were done, I mixed the meet in with the vegetables. Originally this is all I was going to do for dinner. Then I had an idea. I took some romaine lettuce from the fridge, smoothed some sour cream in the middle, added some cheese, and then put the mixture inside the leaf. Tada! Romaine Lettuce Tacos! And my family loved it.

The Paleo and Primal lifestyle actually excludes dairy products, except butter and heavy cream if you are on the Primal diet, and some cheeses; the less processed the better. But since this is a lifestyle change and not a diet, I have to do what works for me. Who knows, maybe in the future I can eat organic and get some Vibrams like the other Groks (see Mark’s Daily Apple). But for now, I’m content to leave out the grains and sugar and minimize my processed food intake.