The best part of this challenge has been the lack of dairy. It is weird to think I don’t miss it. This makes me truly realize that it has the same type of addictive effect on me that wheat and sugar do. If I don’t have it, I’m fine. If I do, I want more. As a result, I’m going to keep it out of my rotation for the foreseeable future. I’m more than happy to stick with ghee instead of butter, at least at home – eating a bit of it out will probably be fine. It is delicious and much easier to cook with (higher smoke point). As long as I stay away from coffee, there really isn’t much reason for cream, either, I’ve found. Even though I kicked my caffeine addiction some six months ago, I was still indulging in not-so-infrequent Starbucks treats in the form of decaf Americanos with heavy cream. These were not doing me or my wallet any favors. I have moved on to my Tazo Passion Tea
obsession, which is much healthier :) Wow, it took me this long to even think about cheese. Once my go-to low carb snack that I could not possibly live without… And here I am living without it. It may or may not make a return. I never thought most hard aged cheeses bothered me, but maybe I’ll do a test after this elimination to see… In any case, I’m in no hurry. It might just become a from time to time type thing. I am looking forward to the return of some of my baked almond flour and coconut flour treats. Due to their high fiber content and lack of addictive grains, I don’t see them as a huge issue for me. They bring a layer of enjoyment and fun to this lifestyle that I particularly like sharing with others. It might not be a hardcore stance on the subject, but I’m not in this to win the most Paleo-ist contest. I’m in it for health, happiness, and a sustainable way of life. As this super strict experiment starts to wind down, I will be keeping some of the changes (no to dairy) and letting some go (yes to Paleo-ized baked treats).
4 comments:
Nice work. I must agree with you that I'm surprised that I don't miss dairy more than I do (or alcohol or the processed grains), and although I think "A piece of cheese would be so nice" I find it relatively easy to pass it by. The fact that this has been a rather stressful month with mom in and out of hospital (and in again), and I HAVEN'T resorted to old carby, sugary treats "because I deserve it" is AMAZING. Very cool and empowering, too, I think.
I’m so sorry to hear your mom is going through a rough time. I hope she has a speedy recovery! I think it’s great that you are sticking to your guns and taking good care of yourself even in the midst of stress. Even though it seems easier to just let go and not worry about it when more important things come up, it just winds up kicking us in the butt after the fact. Above all, be kind to yourself and your mom! I know she’d be happy to know your health isn’t suffering even as hers is causing your both concern right now. Hugs!
Love this update girly! I wish I could say I stayed on it for any length of time. With my pain level, and then my sickness, I have been at the mercy of convenience foods and take out most of the month. Not whole 30 friendly. I'm giving myself a pass. Not guilting myself at all actually, just moving forward. The no dairy thing for me has been much easier than I expected, especially with the cheese and cream. I do miss cream in my tea occasionally, but find I like it without it as well. Sugars have crept in for me, and what's interesting is that previously, when I was using stevia sparingly, I felt no cravings at all. But cut out the stevia and I want to dive into a vat of snickers bars. No chocolate, and I want to rub a box of chocolate covered donuts on my body. I had already found what worked for me and kept me at my prime, whole 30 just told me very quickly what my threshhold was and that I had passed it. So, my plan is to go back to my best version of paleo that works for my body and tweak that to it's optimal level the next month and see where that gets me. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who may not have stuck completely but learned some important lessons on the way. that's the most important part of all of this. knowing your body and what works for you, and poo pooing the rest for another to deal with.
Yes, I've definitely learned a lot! It's not about being perfect, it's about figuring out that sweet spot (pun intended) where we get the max benefit and max enjoyment in life.
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