Lifestyle of a cult follower?

Our neck of the woods has been converted to a cult following.  Most of the people I know are religiously and devoutly following this new "religion".

So much so that Furry Husband and I have discussed it... rolled our eyes over it... fought it....scoffed at it and after a spring and summer full of hearing other people discuss it ad nauseum with a sparkle in their eye and a fervent following much like those who may have followed Jim and Tammy Faye Baker back in the day....

*sigh*

We are trying it.

We are going primal, paleo, cave-man diet.... for 30 days.

Mostly we are doing this as an experiment.  I'm not really discussing it with anyone in my circle of friends already "converted" because I don't want the fervent gleam in the eye, "oh you've finally come to the right side of the force - welcome!" discussions or affirmations.

We want to experiment with it - see what we think of it,  find out for ourselves if it really does increase energy levels and the big overall increased health benefits everyone is saying they feel.  You would think this lifestyle is a wonder drug the way people are talking about how much better they feel....  

I'm on day 3. 

The rules are easy - eat plenty of animals, seeds, nuts, plants and dairy in moderation.  Avoid all grains and legumes (beans and peanut products).  No corn, wheat, bread, flour or baked goods made with any conventional flours...  theory being that grains aren't digestible by humans and cause all sorts of problems in our bodies.   (Not saying I buy this, I'm not a Dr. or a nutritionist or scientist.... and it seems any "diet" book will tell you what they believe with facts and Dr.s who can back it... then 3 more telling you how "wrong" the diet you just read about is....I'm only telling you the theory behind this lifestyle in a nutshell and we've had several months of many different people living this way and telling us how amazing they feel.. I'm absolutely not pushin' anything here.)

I can use almond flour or coconut flour.   I have NO idea what either of those flours look like or taste like or how they are to work with....  we will pick some up from a health food store and maybe play with making tortillas or biscuits I found in a paleo cookbook.

I'm not counting calories or worrying about portions or fats... just avoiding any grain or legume based food items.  I hate diets and the yo-yo crap that goes with it.  If it can't become part of your every day life, I personally don't think it will ever work long term.  We are seeing if we can do this as part of an every-day lifestyle.

This no grain thing makes it interesting to think outside the box and find ways to follow it - for example,  Furry Husband and I went to Qdoba's for lunch Saturday.... hmmmm.  No beans, no rice, no tortillas.... I had a naked chix burrito: chicken, lettuce, cheese, tomatilla salsa with grilled veggies thrown in.   It was tasty... and tasted like Qdoba.... just a little unconventional when ordered.

I wonder if I will miss bread, tortillas, corn chips and crackers?   I don't know.  We were trying to eat less traditional carbs like that as it was for general healthy eating...this is simply taking it to the next level.

Like I said, it's an experiment for 30 days that I'll share with you guys once and a while.  We aren't doing it for weight loss but to see if we enjoy feeling healthier, less aches and pains, less allergies, more energy, improved digestion and less bloaty feelings in ma' belly.

Before we began this crazy 'speriment, we wanted to read up about this lifestyle to figure out what was involved and how to follow it.

We first ordered a book by Robb Wolf.  Didn't like that guy at all... he was very "used car salesman" and felt like he was really talking down to us.  He was super, super annoying and we both felt this way... we dropped his book off at the thrift store.

I bought a 2nd book called "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson.  I much preferred his down to earth discussions... I finished the book and Furry Husband is now reading it. 

I bought a paleo based cookbook not written by either author for yet another opinion/writing style.

Sounds like The Primal Blueprint rubs die-hard paleo people the wrong way I think cuz this primal diet includes dairy in moderation... well, guess what?   I have dairy goats and I'm not about to give up milk or cheese... I don't eat it in mass quantities as is because it is whole and fattening... tho' I enjoy 1/4 cup goat milk each morning in my coffee and goat cheese whenever the mood strikes. 

The primal diet also allows wine and beer in moderation... good, I can hang with that.  And of course dark chocolate with a 70% cocoa content is supposedly the key to satisfying sugar cravings... I bought some and we'll see.  I can have some pretty damn strong sugar cravings....

Breakfast will be the hardest for me as I enjoy a piece of toast with peanut butter.  Quick, easy, no thought to it.  

This morning's breakfast included one of the various fruits I prepped Sunday ... we have peaches... apples... grapefruits...

To go with my fruit, I put a piece of ham in a muffin tin with an egg broken over it ... popped it in the oven at 350 for 15-20 min while I took my shower.... ham and egg cup.   Furry Husband and I each had 2 ham/egg cups.  Pretty tasty.  Very simple.   

I didn't have time to eat my grapefruit so I brought it with me to work...

So there is our dirtly little secret experiment.... I'll keep you posted.