The Relunctant Paleo

Recently life in our household has changed dramatically.  While my husband has spent his life being an omnivore, I myself have practiced more of an herbivore lifestyle. In truth I have been a lacto-ovo vegetarian since the age of five, which for those wondering means that I have been a vegetarian who does not eat animal flesh of any kind, but consumes dairy and egg products (you wouldn't believe how often I have been asked this over the course of almost 25 years). My reasons for choosing this are not due to some dramatic or horrendous story, but there was a specific moment. As a five year old I was happily eating a hamburger when I innocently asked my mother what hamburger was? Her honest reply that it was in fact cow did not go over well as we had good friends who owned a cow that I adored named Bessie. My prompt question following this was "like Bessie?" Needless to say I became a vegetarian that day as I started to check what everything I ate was and somehow it just ended up that the only things I was okay with did not contain animal flesh.

Due to some medical conditions I have been "encouraged" (another word for ordered;) by my physicians to start following a modified paleo diet. In addition to this for a time I am also on an anti-inflammatory diet. This means no citrus, no tomatoes, no eggplant, no peppers, no wheat, no legumes, no pasta, no cheese, no refined sugar, nothing artificial... However I have actually been encouraged to eat, every two hours in fact - not an easy thing to do when you are a very busy ICU Nurse.

Despite the limitations I have actually done my best to follow this diet.  There are actually many things that I can have, vegetables, fruit with the exception of those listed prior, meat, butter, coconut oil, raw honey for sweetening. No matter what work I have done though to follow this meal plan I  never could have done this without my husband Tim's help.  While he has always been the primary cook in our house, he's a lot better at it than me :) Tim's cooking has gone to a whole new level! The food has actually been quite amazing. Artichokes with butter, lemon, and sea salt. Green beans with garlic. Beets, carrots, tarragon, and lemon in balsamic vinegar. Halibut rubbed in lavender sauteed in butter. Salmon in lemon, butter and dill. Avocado, Pastrami and Sweet Potato Hash. Just to name a few of the wonderful dishes made recently in our home. 

Most importantly though despite my reluctance there is no denying the results. In the two months that I have been on this diet I have lost weight but not muscle - and yet I can eat all the time. My headaches are mostly gone. The major health issues that I have had and I am not really going to go into detail here but sufficient to say they are resolving or gone.  Last but not least my energy levels are so much better!

While this is not the easiest diet to follow (not going to lie I miss cheese tremendously) the benefits are indisputable and I have to admit that I will be continuing the diet as long as I can, perhaps indefinitely.

Halibut and Sweet Potato sauteed in coconut flour and coconut oil with lemon juice and mayo :)
Believe it or not this is within my diet... Really I can't complain ;)