Paleo Challenge 2010 WINNER

I’ll start this off by talking about why I did the Paleo Challenge. I am desperately trying to break some of the lifestyle habits that I grew up with. Most of my family is obese and battling the diseases that go along with it. It is heartbreaking to watch the emotional and physical struggles that my siblings and parents are dealing with. I feel that, as the primary purchaser and preparer of food in our home, that I have the opportunity to show myself and my children a better way to eat and live. The challenge was not easy for me. I come from a long line of very good cooks, where the hallmark of a well prepared dinner is homemade bread and cream sauces. When my mom heard about the Paleo lifestyle, she was appalled that I was cutting out two of the major food groups – grains and dairy – and was concerned for my health. I assured her that my family was still getting plenty of protein, fats and even carbohydrates, just not from the traditional sources. During the first challenge, my husband and I struggled to find things to eat, but I found it a lot easier this time around. Instead of basing my meal around a certain starch (potatoes, rice, or pasta) as I had been raised to do, I started to plan around the protein source for the meal. Some of our attempts at Paleo meals were delicious and others were, well, not. We found that we really enjoyed Spaghetti Squash as a base for meals. Sometimes, we just put a meat/tomato sauce on top of it and other times, we topped it with chicken grilled with mushrooms and peppers. My kids enjoyed the nights we would have breakfast for dinner – usually eggs, turkey bacon and some fruit. Most days I had a salad for lunch and I ate a lot of nuts along the way. I was so grateful that my favorite nut, pecans, were in season for this challenge. We even attempted a Paleo dessert this time around which was made an almond macaroon made with ground almonds, stiff egg whites and lemon. I do feel better physically when I am on Paleo. My blood sugar remains steadier and I don’t feel the highs and crashes that come with my normal diet. Which is why I hope to adjust my normal diet to become more like my Paleo diet. I am planning to use this as one of the tools in my arsenal to ward off what my doctors and family history have told me is an inevitable diagnosis of diabetes. I was dragging during some of my workouts in the first week as my body adjusted to the sugar cravings, but seemed to have more stamina beyond the first week. I didn’t cheat during the four week challenge, because I was honestly afraid that it would be hard for me to just cheat a little bit, so I stayed strict Paleo for the entire four weeks. My first indulgence after the challenge was over was a Chipotle Burrito complete with rice and cheese and sour cream. I felt sick afterward, but enjoyed every bite of it at the time. I do hope to continue to eat this way, with scheduled cheats along the way. I just don’t think I could go the rest of my life without a good pizza or burrito every once in a while, but I also want to be able to live my life with energy and good health. So, the cheats will only be occasionally.

 -Kara Cook