It seems in 2011 I started a trend – unknowingly. I made my very first New Years resolution and actually followed through. That year I was resolute about being a “blogger”. I learned what the trick is to resolutions that year too. At least what the trick is for me – only picking one. For me, too many balls in the air means one or all of them will eventually fall. Juggling one at a time is much more manageable.
So in 2012, I decided to make learning how to use my big girl camera my resolution. And while I’m no professional, manual mode doesn’t own me – I tell it what to do! The biggest blessing from that resolution is the portfolio of photos I now have of my children – of which my favorites came from our Christmas card photo session.
Continuing this trend, I’ve decided to make 2013 the year that I focus on health. My family and I went gluten free for personal health reasons last August, and this January we decided to “go Paleo”. I truly believe the following statement.
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| Raw for Beauty |
My first official paleo day was January 8th. If you’re unfamiliar with the paleo lifestyle/diet this is a great place to start to learn more. The paleo diet also known as the caveman diet is basically about eating the way our Paleolithic ancestors did. Sounds weird at first huh? – it did to me too. The truth is though when it comes right down to it – it’s really about eating good whole unprocessed food – meats, veggies, fruits, and nuts. This is not a “diet”. In fact it’s the only supposed diet I’ve been on and not felt like I’m dieting. I mean – this is what I’ve been eating (which you already know if you follow me on instagram).
Does this look like a “diet” to you? I have lost a few pounds, but more importantly I feel great! I have hypothyroidism, and one of my major symptoms is fatigue. Eating this way has made a huge difference in my energy level. I bought a couple of cookbooks to help me kickstart my new paleo adventures. By far my favorite and the one I would highly recommend is Practical Paleo.
Diane Sanfilippo is the owner and founder of Balanced Bites. Her book isn’t just a cookbook – it’s a guide and a great learning tool. The beginning of the book gives you so much easy to understand information about overall nutrition and a great overview of what a paleo lifestyle is really all about.
And the recipes are legit! I’ve been a meal planner for quite some time now. These past few weeks I’ve especially enjoyed planning our weekly dinners.
So that’s my resolution for 2013 – in a paleo nutshell. 😉
I’m not quite done with my first 30 days, but here’s what I’ve learned/experienced so far.
– I can actually live without Diet Coke – you have no idea how huge this is for me!
– Grocery shopping is easier because I almost completely skip over the center of the store.
– Planning ahead is key!
– I’m not very hungry between meals, and when I am a healthy snack does the trick.
Speaking of healthy snacks, I’m over at Honey We’re Healthy sharing one of my favorites!
PS – Don’t worry – Our Fifth House is not turning into a food or health blog, although I may share a recipe here and there. I just wanted to share the news about my new adventure because that’s what this blog is really about – sharing – about whatever, whenever, because that’s what friends do.
Are any of you paleo peeps? gluten free? on a healthy mission this year?
Happy Weekend friends!
Oh and you can check here for the deets on my diy chalkboard menu board.
And I’m announcing the winner of the Charles Emerson Giveaway on my Facebook page.
Interesting.
I live in Europe, I think the eating culture is different anyway, but my approach is always: I don't buy what I can make myself. So I almost always just buy the basics (vegetables, (very little) meat, egges, pasta, grains, etc) and make dishes with that. I plan my meals based on vegetables (not: meat with sidedishes). Better for our health, and better for our budget :). Furthermore: I don't buy 'diet-food', ever. I don't trust ingredients that are invented in a labaratory.
So 'real' butter, no margarine.
If you want to drink Coke (as my husband likes to do, sometimes) drink the real thing, and not the 'diet-Coke' with all the scary sugar replacements. My children don't get soda-drinks at all. We do drink milk and eat yoghurt and cheese. (hey, we are Dutch!). And: everything in moderation. Good luck with your health mission!