January 7th....Clean eating the Paleo way!

"It's the most wonderful time of the year...the lunch boxes are packed and the back packs are on and kids are out the door!"...that's me singing...it's also the most wonderful time of the year to start on the Paleo wagon.  Time to clean up our eating habits after all the holiday indulgences.  On previous posts I've listed lots of Paleo info and recipes, so just go to the search tab on your right and type in Paleo...lots of info will come up.  These are 2 great books with loads of easy recipes and information. 

Starting a Paleo lifestyle can be overwhelming for some because of the "idea" that you have to give up a lot of foods...you might think it's not really that bad, but for many people, food is there comfort and we all know, breaking any habit is hard...like late night eating, not eating breakfast, sweets with coffee or tea.  One of my bad habits is eating a snack right before bed while reading my book.  I call this "mindless" eating, as I'm not even paying attention to what I'm eating or really enjoying it because my mind is focused on my book. I know better but I still have to "check myself" and say what are you doing! Some days it's no big deal and others, when I'm really tired, some how in my head I can convince myself that I worked hard today and deserve this treat. And that's when I give in.  So I thought our first goal for this week would be to stop seeing food as a reward.

Our second goal, brace yourself, you can do this...is NO BREAD this week.  I will save you the lecture on the "wheat-belly" just trust me on this one.  You will be amazed by the end of this week how much better you will feel after eating a meal that doesn't have any bread with it.  For myself, I feel like a slug after I eat any kind of bread and my stomach bloats out, nice!

Today, I would like YOU to be mindful when you eat, think about what you are putting in your mouth, and what it's going to do for your body...think of your body as a machine or a car.  If you put cheap, crappy food/fuel in it, it ain't gonna run very well and over time, will break down and cost/medical are going to be a lot.  So why not invest in your body now, put good fuel in it and do regular maintenance/exercise, to keep it in top shape and it will last you for many, many years to come.  Just something to ponder...if your not exercising now and your having trouble walking up stairs or even going out for a walk...how are you going to feel a year from now, five years from now or even 20 years from now...think of your future life, if you can't move around easily now, how are you going to get yourself out of bed, get out of a tub, carry groceries etc...the time is now, so get moving!