Let’s face it, anytime you start a new nutrition plan it can be challenging. It is even more challenging when you’re the only one doing it! If you can relate to what I say, you are not alone. Over the past three weeks I’ve been knee deep in a Paleo nutrition challenge and it has been one for the record books. Not because of the actual eating part (I’ve got that one covered) but because I have been the only one in my household doing it! Explaining to family and friends what eating Paleo actually means has been one half of the challenge. The other half is maintaining steady on course when everyone else is eating everything on the no list.
Let me begin first with what it means to eat a Paleo style diet. Think way back to when our ancient ancestors were hunting and gathering food for survival. Foods such as dairy, grains, sugar, and legumes were not available to eat. Leafy greens, most veggies, lean proteins (fish, fowl, beef, game meat), seeds, nuts and some fruit were however present for consumption. Following a Paleo diet simply means eating like our ancestors and omitting sugar, grains, dairy, legumes and alcohol from our daily meals. While challenging, it is 100% achievable in modern times. It is also to be noted that following a strict Paleo diet is not sustainable. At some point your body will start to crave more complex carbs like whole grains for energy sources. However, following a strict Paleo nutrition challenge is a great way to clean up your diet.
Explaining to my family members the Paleo method of eating is always a challenge. I find myself repeating or re-explaining why I’m going through this process. I have a very rare skin condition and the foods I eat directly cause flairs. When I eat Paleo, the irritation seems to be lessened and overall my performance in the gym is stellar. While some of my favorite foods to snack on include cheese and crackers, I am 100% ok with not eating these things for a few weeks. Since I’m currently staying with my mom, it does make it challenging when these items are always in the house! The temptation is there with every open of the refrigerator door, yet I always stay on the straight and narrow. Not all people can bypass the opportunity to break Paleo and eat conventional foods.
Some of the best practices I’ve found for staying on the Paleo path (while everyone else is not) is to have my own “snacks” or equivalent Paleo approved foods to what my mom is eating. This is actually pretty easy to execute because I make all of the meals. Mom has never been one to cook, so she gladly lets me take over all of the kitchen duties. For example, last night we had burgers. Hamburger meat is Paleo approved as long as there is no cheese, bun or condiments that contain sugar to go along with it. I made hers with cheddar cheese and mine without. That was a simple modification. I’ve also made really delicious chicken piccata and chicken tenders with Paleo modifications and she has loved it. Instead of bread crumbs, I used almond flour, chicken stock instead of white wine and olive oil instead of butter. These are all very easy to conduct without Mom missing it’s non-Paleo equivalent.
More importantly, I have the support of my family when I’m doing these challenges. They all know the importance of a clean diet to me and won’t press to eat otherwise. It’s been many years of both my sister and I going through these occasional challenges to train them, but we did it! I would encourage you to do the same. If you’re looking to start a food challenge of any sort, let your friends and family know why it is important to you and ask for their support. Who knows, they may even jump on board!
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