Wow, best intentions and all that. Nothing has gone as planned for many...many...months now. I am hoping to do better, and I guess considering it had been almost an entire year between my last two postings, guess a little less than a month is an improvement. So here goes.
Okay, we need to make some serious changes (have mentioned that on the blog before but have not followed through) so that is #1 on my list at the moment. Cleaning has moved to #2 because the changes in diet and lifestyle are hopefully going to change my...and my family's...health and that has become a top priority. I have spent several hours going over different food plans. Not going to say diet...that is a bad word that kind of defeats me before starting. I know that is all in my brain, but you know...the brain runs the body so guess I will humor it. At any rate...I have side tracked so back on the trail of thought.
I have seen so much about Paleo diets, that I just had to investigate it a bit. OH MY GOSH! I don't want to be a negative Nancy here, but come on people, that is so TOTALLY beyond rational. I am not going to slam anyone that believes in it and is following it, but here are my reasons for crossing it off of my list.
For one, it is way too confusing. I mean, the sites are so random in their information that the only thing I found consistent was the fact that they all agree your food intake, or your meals, should be that of what a caveman would eat, based on what was available to them at that time. That is the only consistent point. I find through my limited amount of research (because it just all started running together in my brain) that I had some serious questions come up in my thought process. Here are some things I just don't agree with and why.
1. Early man was healthier. Okay, how can we know this when the life span for them was 34 years for the man, 30 years for the woman. They worked too hard and didn't live long enough to develop obesity or problems related to such. They died - according to what scientist have found in fossils and bones - of broken bones, starvation, infections, animal attacks and exposure to the elements. If the Paleolithic peoples had the technology in medicine, farming, engineering and weaponry of even the middle ages, much less modern today, they would not be extinct.
2. Eat low amounts of meat and high amounts of vegetables. Those people ate what they could find. They hunted, so probably was large a mounts of meat. They didn't farm, so the general view is that all cereals and grains would be out. I know that archaeologist have found proof of ancient tribes that ground corn and grasses into some type of loaf or biscuit to eat, it carried well in their travels. True they didn't eat bread, muffins or pastas as we know it. For one they hadn't figured out how to farm and stay in one place at that time and also, they barely had figured out fire, much less ovens to bake in. This point also brings me to some recipes that are supportive of the Paleo diet and I just don't understand a few things. How can potatoes be Paleo friendly? Their origins are with the Indians of Peru, around 8,000 to 5,000 BC, and not really even cultivated until the 1500's. Much later than the Paleolithic period. Cauliflower is another allowed vegetable, however, it wasn't until the 12 and 13 century that it started showing up in the form as we know it when it was brought from Syria to the Brittanys.
3. A couple of sites suggest eating lots of fats, such as butter - but dairy is not allowed due to no domestic cattle in the Paleo world. So the suggestion of duck fat I get, even rendering boars down for their fat, But butter and oils...no way. I just don't buy it that they knew how to process corn or olives in to oil...if they even knew what corn was.
I could go on and on, but I won't. My head is already about to explode due to overload. I will conclude with this. Hamburgers are not Paleo friendly, even if you wrap it in lettuce instead of a bun. 1. Beef was not hunted
2. Cheese was not processed
3. For years tomatoes were considered poison.
Based on my research...and I am in NO WAY a professional researcher, dietitian, nutritionist or historian...Paleo diet is just not for my household.
So, I keep on searching for the plan that fits us best. I readily admit that we need to make some huge changes in our eating, I just don't know which direction that needs to go. For now, I will be easing us in to some changes. Less processed foods, more whole vegetables and fruits, less sugar and smaller portions will be the focus at present.
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