Against the grain: one month later

Those of you who have been following me know that about a month ago, I embarked on the Paleo diet to see if grains were the culprit contributing to my digestive issues.  I didn't think I would make it past a week, but 5 weeks later I have successfully incorporated most aspects of Paleo eating into my life.

The reason that I've stuck with it is simply because I feel better.  My energy levels are more stable.  I've been sleeping better at night.  Occasionally I have a day where my gut bothers me a bit, but overall the improvement has been significant.  I vacillate between being grateful that I feel healthier, while also experiencing the inevitable mourning for All Things Grain. 

I follow the Paleo diet about 80/20.  I've managed to remain essentially gluten-free, which for me is the most important aspect.  (I feel pretty sure now that I have a sensitivity to gluten.)  I have two children and the dietary changes have been a big adjustment for them, so I'm not as strict where they are concerned.  I have banned most commercially packaged foods in an attempt to remove Beige Food from the house.

My husband has been mostly following the diet, mainly for weight-loss reasons.  However, he came home from work the other day and announced that he ate a cookie.  I should have countered that remark with a witty retort along the lines of, "I'm sure that insulin spike felt great at the time."  Instead, I glared at him.  Sometimes life is just unfair.

Certain aspects of following the Paleo diet can be challenging.  I've had to completely change the way I grocery shop, cook and eat.  There are enough people who eat low-carb or are gluten-sensitive that most places don't bat an eye if you order a burger without the bun.  Recently, I went for Cuban food with my aunt and asked the server not to bring rice and beans.  He must have asked me two or three times if I was sure.  There's been a lot of "no pita", "hold the rice", "no tortillas, por favor" and so on, usually met with a quizzical look. 

The other challenge has been finding ingredients necessary to substitute for grain in recipes, as well as continually restocking copious amounts of fruits and vegetables.  I live in Decatur, within proximity to Sevananda Natural Foods Market, Rainbow Natural Foods, Whole Foods, Your Dekalb Farmer's Market and the Decatur Farmer's Market.  I spend a lot of my time going shopping from store to store because one store has certain items, but not others.  Or the prices at one store for certain items are higher than at another. 

It's been an enlightening process, as well as a lightening one on my wallet.   Our fruits and vegetable consumption has increased, while our meat consumption has remained stable.  That additional consumption is still a cost we literally have to eat, even at farmers' market prices.  I've been fortunate during this past month to find sites like Nutty Kitchen, Gluten-Free Girl and Elana's Pantry, who successfuly demonstrate that you can cook and bake grain/gluten-free foods without sacrificing flavor or authenticity.  The days of awful-tasting, "good for you" foods are thankfully coming to an end.  Some days, though, I really miss sinking my teeth into an everything bagel.