My Paleo Life: Update

Most people are used to breakfast food for breakfast and lunch and dinner food for well... lunch and dinner. Since traditional breakfast foods are usually laden with gut disrupting grains and salacious amounts of sugar, I've definitely had to rethink my breakfast routine. For some the transition away from sweet breakfast is simple. They crave eggs and bacon or a veggie omelet. For me, it was honey drizzled oatmeal, toast with butter and cinnamon, or a yogurt parfait with granola. Instantly satisfying, spiking up my glucose levels and quelling my sweet tooth, but as far as long term gratification and energy levels, I was in the dumps by 10 wanting coffee or a donut. Probably both. Definitely both. And on really stressful days my will power was about as strong as a 6 year old with a bag full of halloween candy.

My point is making changes isn't easy. Life is all about transitions and some are easier than others. I've been eating paleo for about 6 months now and though some might say, how could you give up bread?! The transition has been fairly simple. I said simple not easy. This is why: Eating this way is second nature to me now. I've reached the point of no return as some dramatist might say. I honestly feel like I cannot go back to my grain based diet. LIKE EVER. (Shout out to Taylor Swift!). I feel an emotional pull towards this way of eating. It's more than a head decision. It's a heart decision.

I've been reading an amazing blog lately called The Minimalists and it's finally given me a satisfying answer to why I've chosen a paleo lifestyle. I mean, there are lots of (mostly shallow) reasons why I chose to eliminate certain foods-health, energy, better skin and hair, weight loss etc. But this reason tops them all: I chose Paleo because I wanted to eliminate unnecessary food from my daily diet. The key word here is unnecessary. It's really simple actually. Take away your emotional attachment to bread and what's left. Bread. IT'S BREAD. Your mother threatened you with bread and water for dinner and admonished you to your room when you were misbehaving! It's not God's gift to this Earth. Butter is a different story. But BREAD?

What I'm trying to get across is this: I still enjoy bread sometimes. But it's different. The need to have (insert your addiction here) is gone. Paleo has been a way for me to delve deeper into myself. To allow only foods that are nourishing and whole. Who am I without childish emotions surrounding food? Or things, or people? This applies to ALL aspects of your life. Think about it.