Attachment parenting + crunchy livin'

"The essence of Attachment Parenting is about forming and nurturing strong connections between parents and their children. Attachment Parenting challenges us as parents to treat our children with kindness, respect and dignity, and to model in our interactions with them the way we'd like them to interact with others."

Because of the fact that attachment parenting and the 'crunchy' lifestyle go hand in hand for my family and my son's needs - I'll explain AP first. Before I start, I would like to make a small disclaimer:

{Some of my views may be a bit on the "strong" side. This is not meant to be demeaning to others who choose to parent differently than I do. I do not/will not judge another mothers parenting styles. Everyone's situation is completely different, and I respect that.}

ATTACHMENT PARENTING

While the roots of attachment parenting are in ancient tribal society and modern science, attatchment parenting has no script. It's all about trusting the baby and being responsive. It's practical and personal.

Yes, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and baby wearing all foster secure attachment because they respond to the baby's need to be touched and held. But, these are NOT the practices of attachment parenting and attachment parenting itself is not a practice. 

It is a philosophy.

I like to think of attachment parenting as a beautiful tree, and like all trees - there are branches we can hold onto as parents. Not every branch is for everyone. 

The seven principals are tools not a script. 

Notice we use the term “tools” rather than “steps.” Tools are things you use to complete a job. The better the tools, the easier and the better you can do the job. With tools you can pick and choose which of those fit your personal parent-child relationship. Steps imply that you have to use all the steps to get the job done. That is not the case when practicing attachment parenting.

1.) BIRTH BONDING

Immediately after my son, Tristian was born, we practiced skin to skin. I wanted his heartbeat on mine. I wanted him to know my skin, touch, smell, and feel of his body against mine. That is where he was for the past nine months, right? It's all he knew and continued to know. His mother.

The way baby and parents get started with one another helps the early attachment unfold. The days and weeks after birth are a sensitive period in which mothers and babies want to be close to one another. A close attachment after birth and beyond allows the natural, attachment-needing behaviors of the infant and the caregiving qualities of the mother to come together. Both members of this biological pair get off to the right start at a time when the infant is most needy and the mother is most ready to nurture.

“What if something happens to prevent our immediate bonding?”

Sometimes medical complications keep you and your baby apart for a while, just play catch-up. Easy as that. Birth bonding is not like instant glue that cements the mother-child relationship together forever. Bonding is a series of steps in your lifelong growing together with your child. Immediate bonding simply gives the parent-infant relationship a head start. 

2.) BREASTFEEDING

Breastfeeding helps you read your baby’s cues and body language, which is the first step in getting to know your baby. Breastmilk contains unique brain-building nutrients that cannot be manufactured or bought. Breastfeeding promotes the right chemistry between mother and baby by stimulating your body to produce prolactin and oxytocin, hormones that give your mothering a boost.

If you cannot breastfeed (like myself) it's OK! This is where the misconception's start. Just because you do not breastfeed does not mean you "aren't aloud" to practice attachment parenting. There are plenty of other ways to bond with your newborn, and do not beat yourself up because it wasn't for you. Trust me, your baby will be just as attached.

3.) BABY-WEARING

A baby learns a lot in the arms of a busy mother. Carried babies fuss less and spend more time in the state of "quiet alertness" in which babies learn most about their environment. Babywearing improves the sensitivity of the parents. Because your baby is so close to you, you get to know baby better. Closeness promotes familiarity. 

I recommend a wrap or an ergo. Please do ALL your research before putting your beloved little in a crotch-dangler.

4.) BEDDING CLOSE TO BABY

Wherever all family members get the best night’s sleep is the right arrangement for your individual family. Co-sleeping adds a nighttime touch that helps busy daytime parents reconnect with their infant at night. Since nighttime is scary time for little people, sleeping within close touching and nursing distance minimizes nighttime separation anxiety and helps baby learn that sleep is a pleasant state to enter and a fearless state to remain in.

Tristian and I, have slept in the same bed together since he came home from the hospital. I would have slept with him in my hospital bed if I could. This was something my mother did with me, and something I wanted before even finding out I was expecting. It just works for us.

5.) BELIEF IN THE LANGUAGE VALUE OF YOUR BABIES CRY

A baby’s cry is a signal designed for the survival of the baby and the development of the parents. Responding sensitively to your baby’s cries builds trust. Babies trust that their caregivers will be responsive to their needs. Parents gradually learn to trust in their ability to appropriately meet their baby’s needs. This raises the parent-child communication level up a notch. Tiny babies cry to communicate, not to manipulate.

6.) BEWARE OF BABY TRAINERS

Attachment parenting teaches you how to be discerning of advice, especially those extreme parenting styles that teach you to watch a clock or a schedule instead of your baby; you know, the cry-it-out crowd. This “convenience” parenting is a short-term gain, but a long-term loss, and is not a wise investment. These more restrained styles of parenting create a distance between you and your baby and keep you from becoming an expert in your child.

7.) BALANCE

In your zeal to give so much to your baby, it’s easy to neglect the needs of yourself and your relationships. As you will learn the key to putting balance in your parenting is being appropriately responsive to your baby – knowing when to say “yes” and when to say “no,” and having the wisdom to say “yes” to yourself when you need help.

This is something that I have struggled with and continue to struggle with daily. It's very hard to balance being a loving girlfriend to my special one while being in mommy mode twenty four/seven. It's not easy, what so ever. 

MORE ABOUT ATTACHMENT PARENTING:

• Attachment Parenting is a starter style. There may be medical or family circumstances why you are unable to practice all of these baby B’s. Attachment parenting implies first opening your mind and heart to the individual needs of your baby, and eventually you will develop the wisdom on how to make on-the-spot decisions on what works best for both you and your baby. Do the best you can with the resources you have – that’s all your child will ever expect of you. These baby B’s help parents and baby get off to the right start. Use these as starter tips to work out your own parenting style – one that fits the individual needs of your child and your family. Attachment parenting helps you develop your own personal parenting style.
• Attachment Parenting  is an approach, rather than a strict set of rules. It’s actually the style that many parents use instinctively. Parenting is too individual and baby too complex for there to be only one way. The important point is to get connected to your baby, and the baby B’s of attachment parenting help. Once connected, stick with what is working and modify what is not. You will ultimately develop your own parenting style that helps parent and baby find a way to fit – the little word that so economically describes the relationship between parent and baby.
• Attachment Parenting is responsive parenting. By becoming sensitive to the cues of your infant, you learn to read your baby’s level of need. Because baby trusts that his needs will be met and his language listened to, the infant trusts in his ability to give cues. As a result, baby becomes a better cue-giver, parents become better cue-readers, and the whole parent-child communication network becomes easier.

Earthy Crunchy Mama 

(urthee kruhn-chee mah-muh)

-noun, earth·y crunch·y ma·ma

1. a person who is environmentally, health, and socially conscious.
2. a parent who fosters a strong, positive bond with their children through natural living.

What Is a Crunchy Mom? Crunchy? Granola? Green? Hippy? Whatever you want to call it, there are as many definitions for “crunchy mom” as there are moms. Unfortunately, the thing about labels is that they are not always very useful, especially when everyone has a different idea about what those labels represent. So, instead of telling you a crunchy mom does this or doesn't do that, let's define what a "crunchy mom" is to me.

A "crunchy mom" is one who is willing to go against the grain and do what is best for her child. She willingly does her own research for pregnancy and birth, breastfeeding and baby wearing, vaccines and solid foods. Because of her research and her dedication to give her baby the absolute best of everything, a "crunchy mom" may have a natural birth, practice extended breastfeeding, baby wearing, and baby led weaning. A crunchy mom will do her own extensive research regarding vaccines, if any, her child will receive. Crunchy moms normally practice attachment parenting, co-sleeping, and that allowing their child to cry it out, may do more harm than good. Crunchy moms children normally whip out kale chips as all the other children eat oreos. Personally, THIS crunchy mama eats gluten free and paleo, and it just so happens my child does too. Crunchy moms have a strength all their own, as they often have to pick their battles with friends and family over these issues. Crunchy moms support all moms, even if their opinions differ. They believe in encouraging every mom and they understand that each mom has different needs and even different beliefs. Personally, being a crunchy mom is about being flexible. Every day we learn something new and that something new that may change the way we parent as crunchy moms. As many have said before, if we know better, we do better.

 

A crunchy mom is one who is willing to go against the grain and do what is best for her child. She willingly does her own research for pregnancy and birth, breastfeeding and baby wearing, vaccines and solid foods. Because of her research and her dedication to give her child the absolute best of everything, a crunchy mom may have a natural birth, practice extended breast feeding, baby wearing, baby led weaning and introducing solids at a later age. A crunchy mom will do her own extensive research regarding vaccines and decide which ones, if any,her child will receive. Crunchy moms understand attachment parenting, co sleeping, and that allowing their child to cry it out may do more harm than good. Crunchy moms have a strength all their own, as they often have to pick their battles with friends and family over these issues. Crunchy moms support all moms,even if their opinions differ. They believe in encouraging EVERY mom and they understand that each mom has different needs and even different beliefs. - See more at: http://www.crunchymoms.com/what-is-a-crunchy-mom/#sthash.8VaASiCK.dpuf

A mom who is environmentally, health, and socially conscious. She cares enough about her family to question the status quo. She recognizes that there are a variety of approaches to individual problems and refuses to be locked into a single perspective. She seeks to learn more about why things happen and tries to discover the root cause of the problems she observes. - See more at: http://www.crunchymoms.com/what-is-a-crunchy-mom/#sthash.8VaASiCK.dpuf

A mom who is environmentally, health, and socially conscious. She cares enough about her family to question the status quo. She recognizes that there are a variety of approaches to individual problems and refuses to be locked into a single perspective. She seeks to learn more about why things happen and tries to discover the root cause of the problems she observes. - See more at: http://www.crunchymoms.com/what-is-a-crunchy-mom/#sthash.8VaASiCK.dpuf

Unfortunately, the thing about labels is that they are not always very useful, especially when everyone has a different idea about what those labels represent. So, instead of telling you that a crunchy mom is someone who does this or doesn’t do that, let’s define “crunchy mom” this way - See more at: http://www.crunchymoms.com/what-is-a-crunchy-mom/#sthash.8VaASiCK.dpuf

Unfortunately, the thing about labels is that they are not always very useful, especially when everyone has a different idea about what those labels represent. So, instead of telling you that a crunchy mom is someone who does this or doesn’t do that, let’s define “crunchy mom” this way: - See more at: http://www.crunchymoms.com/what-is-a-crunchy-mom/#sthash.8VaASiCK.dpuf

Unfortunately, the thing about labels is that they are not always very useful, especially when everyone has a different idea about what those labels represent. So, instead of telling you that a crunchy mom is someone who does this or doesn’t do that, let’s define “crunchy mom” this way: - See more at: http://www.crunchymoms.com/what-is-a-crunchy-mom/#sthash.8VaASiCK.dpuf

Unfortunately, the thing about labels is that they are not always very useful, especially when everyone has a different idea about what those labels represent. So, instead of telling you that a crunchy mom is someone who does this or doesn’t do that, let’s define “crunchy mom” this way: - See more at: http://www.crunchymoms.com/what-is-a-crunchy-mom/#sthash.8VaASiCK.dpuf

A crunchy mom is one who is willing to go against the grain and do what is best for her child. She willingly does her own research for pregnancy and birth, breastfeeding and baby wearing, vaccines and solid foods. Because of her research and her dedication to give her child the absolute best of everything, a crunchy mom may have a natural birth, practice extended breast feeding, baby wearing, baby led weaning and introducing solids at a later age. A crunchy mom will do her own extensive research regarding vaccines and decide which ones, if any,her child will receive. Crunchy moms understand attachment parenting, co sleeping, and that allowing their child to cry it out may do more harm than good. Crunchy moms have a strength all their own, as they often have to pick their battles with friends and family over these issues. Crunchy moms support all moms,even if their opinions differ. They believe in encouraging EVERY mom and they understand that each mom has different needs and even different beliefs. - See more at: http://www.crunchymoms.com/what-is-a-crunchy-mom/#sthash.8VaASiCK.dpuf

 

Why I encourage my son to avoid Disney

 I know, it sounds drastic. Don’t worry, I'm not going to launch into a ridiculous diatribe about how Frozen has a hidden gay agenda or is turning girls in to glittery, sparkly princesses who need a prince to save them, or that Miley Cyrus grew up and dared to climb out of her Hannah Montana box.

 To most people my age, it seems, this is a completely unreasonable stance. Everyone pities Tristian, whose crazy, crazy mother doesn’t want him to watch Disney movies. I have yet to find anyone who responds with “oh, thank god, my kid isn’t allowed to watch them, either.” (I have hope, though—surely someone else is bothered by this, right?)

 In the interest of being a pretty laid back mom, I have tried to adopt a more moderate view of the world and it’s evils. With my son, I am trying a more balanced approach, believing that he should not be sheltered constantly from American culture, or taught to fear and judge or overreact to everything he will see. 

 There are a lot of problematic movies and shows out there, I’m sure that Tristian will see his fair share of those. But what is it about Disney movies, specifically, that I find so offensive?

 When I was little, it was made clear to me–as I’m sure it was made clear to many others–that my primary job in life was to grow up and go to college so that I could get a nice, smart boy to marry me. No one ever said that, of course, but it was clear that that’s what people, girls, did, and once they did that, their lives would be good and middle class and easy. I know that it sounds stupid, but part of me is still trying to get over the fact that this is just not true, that even if you win the lottery and marry someone totally awesome, life will still be hard. That you have to work at relationships, and even when you have a great relationship it’s still hard. That even if you’re rich, life is still hard, because life’s not fair, and bad things will happen and you’ll have to deal with it, and sometimes all the money in the world can’t make that better.

 It’s never mentioned that life doesn’t have to be easy to be good. 

 I believe that films aimed at kids should be about finding your place with your family, or with your friends. The Incredibles was awesome. Spy Kids. Quest for Camelot. Sure, they’re less common than the yay-a-prince films, but they’re better. They’re more interesting, and there’s more to them–they require stronger characters and more of a plot than “we saw each other and fell in true love and lived happily ever after”. 

 A couple months ago, my six year old sister was watching a popular Disney Channel show called "Good Luck Charlie." Being too tired to haggle with her over the remote, resulted in a huge realization as to why the hell bullying statistics are so high! In the show, the main character girl is obsessing over this super hot guy that showed interest in her as well. Then, she finds out he plays a trading card game in the park with her little brother and is disgusted by him. I thought she would learn a valuable lesson about it at the end, but nope. Her lesson was that nerds are losers.

 I COULD NOT BE MORE DISGUSTED.

 Parents.  Are you watching this garbage?

 I certainly had not done my research. It's Disney. How the hell do you go from Bubble Guppies, to this absolute trash? I so very wrongly figured that a company like Disney would not be promoting cruelty, bullying and sexism in their shows for young, impressionable children. I was completely mortified as I watched.

 These shows are laced with terrible social behavior. Like the scene in a different one, where the “nerdy” boy walks up to a pretty “popular” girl and asks her out…she threw her bowling ball and ran away screaming.  

*Cue audience laughter*

 That's supposed to be hilarious? I'm sorry, but I don't find that funny one bit.

 

 There were so many examples of rude, mean responses to difficult social situations for kids, followed by the character shrugging it off, recorded laughter, and the characters moving on without showing any realistic emotions. No anger, no hurt feelings. Comedy.

 I started to become more and more angry with Disney the deeper I dug into these shows. How in the world will we teach our children to be kind and put a stop to cruel behavior in schools when THE DISNEY CHANNEL is showing these bullying behaviors followed by laughter and no emotional response? 

 Just when I thought I had seen the worst, there was a scene that actually made me want to cry. I wanted to cry for every single little girl that watches this show. A pretty/coincided girl, conspiring to create a room-sized walk in closet for all her makeup! and clothes! and shoes! She was asked by two boys to help them with a math problem. She does. 

To which they exclaim, “Thank you, you are a genius!”

The girl is offended.

The boys hurry to fix their "horrible" mistake with “Oh! I mean you are SO beautiful!”

 ….and she prances away, satisfied.

Excuse me while I throw up.

SHAME ON YOU DISNEY.

 It’s hard enough to raise kids who will have the moral fortitude to stand up for themselves and for each other. It’s hard enough to get a moment to catch my breath and feel like my son is safe and entertained for 30 minutes under the DISNEY umbrella without unwittingly downloading vain, cruel, and damaging sexist garbage into his impressionable brains.

  I think with parenting comes great responsibility. Just cause we grew up watching those movies doesn't mean they are okay. Things do affect our children. The first six yrs of their lives and the experiences they have and things they see, shape their minds and who they become. There's so much research that talks about this. Children's innocence is robbed from them so early nowadays. These movies can get pretty violent and scary and for what? To teach what lesson? Children are sponges when it comes to absorbing information and they are constantly learning from what they hear and see. We have a huge responsibility to protect them as much as we can. Therefore, as with all T.V. + movie viewing, it should be well-supervised and given the opportunity to discuss the themes and clear up any misconceptions in our precious little one minds.

weight loss journey // paleo diet {day 2}

Three words:

not. that. bad.

I've now completed day one of the paleo diet and today I am on day two.

Normally when I wake up, I feel like I've been starved all night. Actually, when Tristian wakes me up for a bottle at three in the morning, is when I feel like I've been starved all night. Surprisingly, Tristian didn't wake up for a bottle last night. Maybe, it had something to do with all of the whole organic yummy food and meals we ate on day one! Anyways, my point is, when I woke up, I wasn't even hungry!! That's progress people. Progress in ONLY twenty four hours, might I add. 

I lost a whole pound.

A whole. entire. pound.

This puts me at 131.

Do you know how good it feels to actually be excited to weigh myself? Normally after hopping on the scale, I take a walk of shame to the kitchen to make cinnamon rolls for breakfast, or a big bowl of lucky charms.

Not this morning. 

After doing my happy dance, I walked in the kitchen and treated myself to blackberries.

Yes, blackberries are a treat.

Since it's only been a day, and progress pictures would be a waste of time, I figured I'd take you guys through day one (yesterday) and some of the meals and snacks I chose.

Breakfast (8:00 a.m.)

 

WHO GETS TO EAT BACON ON A DIET?

This girl.

 This whole paleo diet, aint' that bad eh?

Anyways, I'm not a fan of egg. At all. I don't like the texture, taste, feel, yuck.

If it were up to me, I would have just eaten bacon alone.
But I knew I needed some sort of protein to keep me full, so I basically just covered my bacon in a little egg.

 Then, I added a nice bowl of organic strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and pineapple.

Snack (10:30 a.m.)

Pistachios. They are the bomb dot com and shockingly filling!

  

Lunch (12:30 p.m.)

 

Two words:

zucchini. spaghetti. 

This probably doesn't taste as appetizing as it really is.

This was actually AMAZING.

I could literally live off of it.

It's ground beef, shredded zucchini, broccoli and organic tomato's + sauce.

Did you know, just HALF a cup of noodles have 42 grams of carbs?!

A whole entire HUGE zucchini has zero.

 Snack (3:00 p.m.)

 

Excuse my language, but I shit you not - I felt like I was eating candy as I was downing this.

Tristian and I were actually at the pool when snack time came around, so it was super refreshing.

Blueberries, strawberries and pinapple.

Earth's candy.

Dinner (6:00 p.m.)

Steak.

I. love. steak.

I attempted to bake sweet potato fries, which didn't turn out how I wanted it too.

It was actually still really good though.

Steak, a nice salad w/ a little bit of ranch & some attempted sweet potato fries was the perfect way to end day one. 

From now on, I'm going to try to not eat after six because I feel like the food just sits on my stomach all night. 

So, that was day one! Looks tasty right? 

It's nice to be on a diet that doesn't make you change your portions, count calories, or starve me.

This is why it's more of a lifestyle change.

{beginning} weight loss journey // paleo diet {day 1}

Recently, I just wasn't feeling one hundred percent. I felt exhausted all the time, I had very little patience, I started getting headaches regularly, taking naps during the day. My clothes weren't looking how I wanted them to look on me. I started drinking more and more sodas and coffee in an effort to stay awake, which honestly wasn't doing anything but putting more pounds on my body. Something had to change.

I can't diet, though. Literally, I cannot. It never works out, I always set the bar high, get excited about beginning my diet, and by the end of day one, I'm either starving to death or indulging ten rice cakes in one sitting. Being a mother, it's so simple to just pick up food on the way home and skip making dinner, but of course that results in over a thousand calories in just one meal.

My problem, has always been snacks. I chose to snack all day instead of eating whole foods. So, about a month ago, I started cooking. I wanted to be religious about it - three meals a day, two snacks, and of course a nice homemade desert after dinner. I would spend my mornings searching pinterest for recipe's and then my afternoon at the grocery store, then all evening I would slave over the stove. While I was doing all of that, I would snack, hard. So by the time dinner was done, I wouldn't even have an appetite. Besides that, the dinners I would make, were based on taste - not health.

I weighed myself and I weighed 132.

I gave birth at 148.

Needless to say, it was time to nip this in the butt. I needed more of a lifestyle change instead of a "diet." I didn't want to count calories, or be stuck having rice cakes and one hundred calorie snack packs each day. That's not healthy and I'm hungry directly after I eat a damn snack pack, actually it probably makes me hungrier. That's not how I wanted to live. I'm not a vegetarian, I like my steak and my chicken (don't judge). One thing I definitely wanted, was to stay away from processed foods.

So, I spent the next three hours on my computer, searching and searching for a meal plan that looked somewhat appealing to me. It was important to me to get away from the processed foods and eat organic as much as possible. I feed Tristian all organic things, but I have been neglecting myself, completely. I'm the one that needs to set an example for him. As he gets older he will be able to pick and choose his own foods, and I want to get in the habit of not having junk in the house.

"Eat like a caveman and shed pounds."

Well, that caught my eye.

 That's the theory behind the Paleo Diet.

The Paleo Diet is an effort to eat like we used to back in the day, WAY back in the day. Basically, if a caveman couldn’t eat it, neither can I. This means anything we could hunt or find – meats, fish, nuts, leafy greens, regional veggies, fruits, and seeds. So yes, the pasta, cereal, and candy will have to go! Instead, I'll be making things like chicken stir fry and zucchini spaghetti. Like I said before,  I hate counting calories. I don’t like keeping track of how much I’ve eaten or obsessing over how many grams of a certain nutrient I’ve had. Not only do I hate counting calories, but I know that calories are really only half of the battle, as they’re not all created equal – 400 calories of Doritos do NOT affect your body in the same way as 400 calories of high-quality vegetables and protein does.

Fortunately, if you can expand your horizons and remove certain types of food from your diet, you can stop worrying about counting calories FOREVER. This particular type of eating doesn’t require counting a single calorie AND allows you to eat until you’re no longer hungry. Oh, and it can help you lose weight, build muscle, and get in the best shape of your life. 

I know, that sounds like an ad for some really shady supplement or diet book that you’d see on TV at 4 AM. 

It’s not, it works. 

So, how does the "paleo" diet work?

You see, many years ago, before Nike, Cap’n Crunch, and Healthy Choice meals, our ancient ancestors thrived as hunter-gatherers. Although it’s been a really long time, our genetics haven’t changed that much since then.

The average Homo Sapien back then: tall, muscular, agile, athletic, and incredibly versatile.

The average Homo Sapien now: overweight, out of shape, stressed out, unhappy, sleep deprived and dying from a myriad of preventable diseases.

So what happened? Agriculture! 

Years ago humans discovered farming, the agricultural revolution took off, and we advanced from hunter-gatherers to farmers. We settled down, formed societies, and the human race progressed to what we are today. The problem is, our bodies never adjustedd properly to eating all the grains that we we’re now farming. As they became REALLY good at hunting and gathering our bodies adapted to that lifestyle over thousands of years. After the agricultural revolution, we started farming - where our diet has shifted (but our genetics haven’t). So, instead of loading up on meat, vegetables and seasonal fruits, we’ve become a species “dependent” upon grains – bread, pasta, rice, corn, and so on.  The government continues to recommend 6-11 servings of grains a day, which is unnecessary.

66% of us are overweight, 33% are considered obese, and those numbers are only getting worse.

Clearly something’s not right. The Paleo Diet is an effort to go back to eating how we’re biologically designed to eat, allowing us to tap into our genetic potential and start living healthier immediately.

What the heck is a paleo diet?

Basically, back in the day, grains were not apart of our diet. As Mark from Mark’s Daily Apple points out in his “definitive guide to grains” article: grains cause kind of a funky response in our system.  Grains are composed of carbohydrates, and those carbs are turned into glucose (a type of sugar) in our system to be used for energy and various other tasks to help our body function – any glucose that isn’t used as energy is stored as fat.

 Rather than me explain that part with thousands of words, just watch this three-minute video – “Why You Got Fat“

Next, most grains contain gluten and lectins. 

  What are they and what’s wrong with them?  I’m so glad you asked:

• Gluten is a protein found in things like rye, wheat, and barley. It’s now being said that much of our population may be gluten-intolerant (hence all the new “gluten-free!” items popping up everywhere). Over time, those who are gluten intolerant can develop a dismal array of medical conditions from consuming gluten: dermatitis, joint pain, reproductive problems, acid reflux, and more.
• Lectins are natural toxins exist within grains to defend against consumption! Yup. Grains have evolved to keep themselves from being eaten by us. These lectins are not a fan of our gastrointestinal tract, prevent the tract from repairing itself from normal wear and tear. This can cause all kinds of damage.

As Mark so eloquently puts it in his article: grains are unhealthy at best, or flat-out dangerous at worst.

 The Paleo Diet also almost completely eradicates sugar. Unless you’re getting your sugar from a fruit, forget it. Sugar causes an energy spike and crash in your system, turns to fat unless it’s used immediately, and wreaks all kind of havoc on our bodies.

So, no grains, no sugar, no processed foods. 

Many studies have shown that an incredible number of diseases and lifestyle issues can be reversed with these three simple changes. Take a look at this time magazine article on cancer patients who switched to a zero-sugar diet and saw positive results.

Where do I get my energy?

So, if we’re not eating 300+ grams of carbs every day, where are we supposed to get our energy from?

Our bodies are designed to operate on a lower amount of carbohydrates than what we’re used to eating, so less carbs isn’t an issue. When there is an absence of carbs (which is how we’re USED to operating), our body will take stored fat and burn THAT for energy in a process called ketogenesis.

What I’m trying to tell you is that our bodies are pretty effin’ efficient.

So, less carbs = less glucose in your system, which means your body will have to start burning fat as your fuel source.  Win!

 Can I eat dairy?

Dairy’s a tough one, as most Paleo folks tend to stay away from it – a portion of the world is lactose intolerant, and those that aren’t usually have at least some type of an aversion to it.  Why is that? Because no other animal in the entire kingdom drinks milk beyond infancy.  Hunter-gatherers didn’t lug cows around with them while traveling – milk was consumed as a baby, and that was it. As with grains, our bodies weren’t designed for massive dairy consumption.

Here’s a great read on the benefits/criticisms of dairy.

So no grains, no dairy: what DO I get to eat on this diet?

Okay, so if we cut out the grains, almost all processed foods, and dairy, you’re left with only things that occur naturally:

• Meat - GRASS-FED, not grain-fed. Grain causes the same problem in animals as they do in humans.
• Fowl - Chicken, duck, hen, turkey…things with wings that (try to) fly.
• Fish - Wild fish, as mercury and other toxins can be an issue in farmed fish
• Eggs - Look for Omega-3 enriched eggs.
• Vegetables - As long as they’re not deep-fried, eat as many as you want.
• Oils - Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado oil – think natural.
• Fruits - Have natural sugar, and can be higher in calories, so limit if you’re trying to lose weight.
• Nuts - High in calories, so they’re good for a snack, but don’t eat bags and bags of them.
• Tubers - Sweet potatoes and yams. Higher in calories and carbs, so these are good for right after a workout to replenish your glycogen levels.

Steak with asparagus and sweet potato fries, grilled chicken salad, massive omelets that will fill you up for the whole morning, apples dipped in almond butter (my favorite snack ever), and so on. Pick any of the things from that list, and eat as much as you want of them (with the noted exceptions). 

You’ll feel better and be healthier.

Why won't I get fat?

Because these foods are so nutritious and filling, it’s almost impossible to overeat.

To get the equal number of calories from a bag of Doritos or bread (which, as you know, you can eat all day long and never really feel full), you’d have to eat 2-3 Mack trucks full of broccoli and spinach.  Okay, that’s clearly an over-exaggeration, but you get the point. A GIANT plate of vegetables and a reasonable portion of meat can keep you full for hours, while eating carb-heavy foods can result in being hungry again soon after.

Back to myself...

 The human body is so incredibly complex that I doubt we’ll ever have a definitive answer on the best possible diet. This one might sound like a fad to you, or it’s too restrictive, complicated, etc. All I ask is that you try it for 30 days before passing judgment.

I could cite sources about how the Paleo Diet has changed people’s lives or even saved this Doctor’s life (must watch!), but instead I just ask you to try it and then judge for yourself.

Take 30 days and give it a shot

Cut out the grains and dairy, start eating more vegetables and fruits, eat more humanely raised and non-grain fed meat, cut out the liquid calories and sugar, and see how you feel after the month is up.

Take a picture of yourself now, and then another 30 days from now. I bet you’ll be surprised.

 This are my "before" pictures. Taken on July 5th, 2014. 

Weighing in at 132 pounds - nowhere near where I would like to be.

This is day one of my lifestyle change.

Before ending this post, 

I wanted to remind everyone how AWESOME the benefits of the Paleo diet are:

• Reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and most chronic degenerative diseases that affect people in the western world
• Lose weight if you are overweight
• Improve your athletic performance
• Slow or reverse progression of an autoimmune disease
• Improve or eliminate acne
• Sleep better and have more energy throughout the day
• Enjoy an increased libido
• Improve your mental outlook and clarity
• Enjoy a longer, healthier, more active life

 Be on the lookout!

 A few times a week, I will be posting my progress pictures, daily meal plans, how I feel, what's changed, my weight progress, etc.