Waking Up - Part I

Okay, some might wonder why I chose this title but I have very good reasons for choosing it. Those of you who are confused as to what this post is about, it's about making the switch from the SAD - Standard American Diet - to REAL food. This series will just be periodical updates into how I am doing with my new way of eating and how it evolves over time. The reason I chose the title "Waking Up - Part I" is because when I first switched over, I felt awake for the first time in years. Now sadly the amazing way I felt at first is barely there anymore but I am always trying to make improvements. At first I was eating ALL organic, hormone/antibiotic free, grass-fed beef, vegetables and almost nothing but Beef and Vegetables. It was pretty incredible. Having grains gone for the first time in my life was really invigorating, I felt awake, alert, less fatigued, slept less, my chronic nausea went away, my foggy head got clearer, I just felt better, so much better. I had almost no stomach aches, less mood swings, happier in general, lighter, brighter and much healthier feeling.

Unfortunately a few of those things are back now but I blame my diet. I had cut out Chicken in the beginning for a reason, I feel I might be sensitive or intolerant to it and now I am eating Chicken again. So that could easily be causing problems. The Beef I am eating is now sadly conventional Beef and that is due to being impossibly poor and broke right now. I keep telling myself... when I get the money, I will do this and that and this... well that day will come, just not yet. I want to go completely organic/grass-fed/pastured as soon as I am able. Another change, I included Coconut Oil and Coconut Flour into my diet and these were wonderful, they gave me more energy and had me regular within a week or two... but then it hit, the part I don't like. The part where what I am doing either stops working OR... at least appears to make me sicker? Say what?! Yes, that is why I keep changing my diet, because I'll be doing well and then all of a sudden, not well at all. I have severe digestive issues and now the mere act of eating 3 cookies made partially with Coconut Flour causes me severe and excruciating stomach cramps.

Over all, I am more awake, more alert, less depressed and my stomach issues have improved but all of this is not to my satisfaction. My goal is to completely fix my stomach problems, be able to put on some weight, have the kind of energy I did in the beginning and somehow get to the point where I feel like I know what is best for me. See, this is a very individual journey, we all have sensitivities, allergies and intolerances to different things, we all have different tastes, likes and dislikes. So my diet of NO Grains, NO Dairy (except Butter,) NO Soy, NO Corn, NO Caffeine, NO Chocolate and NO Fast Food/Process Food, Pre-packaged, boxed, bagged or wrapped food and junk food of any kind. Is definitely not the ideal diet for everyone, heck... I am not even sure it's the ideal diet for me yet because I am not as well as I want to be. I am still always making adjustments to my diet and I have goals of where I want to be and how I want to be eating in the future. This will chronicle my adventures into Real Food and hopefully help inspire others to do the same.

I started this way of eating roughly in October of 2011 and so at this time, it has been about four months. Let me assure you, it is not hard at all. Do I still miss things like Oatmeal Cream Pies? Pasta? Candy Bars? and Chips? - Sure I do, just ever so slightly. However I am finding great and creative ways of making Real Food somehow mimic that naughty stuff I wont eat anymore. I can make my own potato chips and they are just as good, I just substitute for things that fit this way of eating and keep me from feeling deprived. Now I do not have will-power of steel but it has been four months since I've eaten chocolate, over two years since I've drank soda and going on three years without ice-cream and milk. It has taken a while to phase dairy out but the first things to go were milk, ice-cream yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese, then almost a year later processed slices and all cheese in general. Up next to go... Butter. And then I will be completely Dairy Free. Of course this is only because I am lactose intolerant, anyone who tolerates dairy well would be fine simply switching over to healthier forms of dairy, like organic, grass-fed, pastured, etc.

Yes I miss Oatmeal and Grains in general but I feel like grain free is way for me to go. I am skipping out on ALL Corn and Soy because most of it is GMO and that is very bad. All in all, four months is not long enough to put into something to see how well it will work, after all, I ate Fast Food every day for the previous six months and nasty SAD food all my life prior. This is going to take some time to undo all the bad that has been done. I need to replenish the good bacteria and enzymes in my stomach, I need to always do my best to avoid and eliminate toxins from my life. This is still a work in progress and you all can join me on my journey, I'll keep you up to date periodically so if you enjoyed this entry be sure to keep your eyes peeled for "Waking Up - Part II"

Have you made the switch? Thinking about making the switch? Any thoughts about switching at all? Feel free to comment and let us see what you have to say about it.