Hungry Like a Hunter-Gatherer

If you are reading this, then you are someone who knows me well, and you know that I have struggled to keep myself at a healthy weight.  And I'm sure you also know as I do that the real solution isn't aggressive dieting and killer workouts but rather staying consistent with a healthy eating plan and moderate exercise.  A while ago, I had some real success with juicing after I was inspired by watching Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead--a movie which chronicles a man's journey back to health through juicing (You can watch the movie for free here: http://www.rebootwithjoe.com/watch-fat-sick-and-nearly-dead/. )
But that was over a year ago.

In May, I left the more active field of health care for an EXTREMELY sedentary job at a call center.  I was less active than the average slug for eight hours a day, then add stress and little time for healthy eating and you wind up with a very effortless twenty pound weight gain. While man cannot live on juice alone, it is a great boost for cleansing your body--a kind of reset button for your system.  For which I have been long overdue. Tonight completes the second day of what I plan to be a modest four-day juice fast.  After that ended, though, I wasn't sure what I would do.

Earlier this evening while I was cruising around YouTube looking at some cooking videos (a dangerous thing to do when juice fasting!), I saw a lot of videos for recipes from the Paleo Diet.  I was reminded of the experimenting Romney and I had done with that eating plan, and how great the food tasted.

The basic premise of the Paleo Diet is that, prior to agriculture, our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate much differently and were much healthier for it.  Regardless of whether or not you buy into that premise, I remember that Romney and I did very well eating like cavemen.  There are no grains, dairy, refined carbohydrates or processed foods of any kind on the Paleo Diet--just meats, eggs, fruits, veggies, nuts, and healthy oils.  I was surprised by how delicious and varied the meals could be with that many restrictions, and I had never enjoyed food more or felt better.

I don't think we stayed on the program too long, though, because the major downside to that eating plan is time.  It takes more time to prepare, cook, and sometimes even eat this healthier food.  Extra time was in short supply once I took my call center job, and Romney became very busy around the same time.

So I drifted back into less healthy eating habits, and back into my size 12 pants :/
This is all coming into focus with the clear-headed vision that getting REALLY hungry can give you.  So with juice-induced conviction I have decided to commit once again to the Paleo Diet.  I have more time at the moment to plan and prepare so that when I do get busy once again, I will have a system in place so I can keep with the program.

I will let you know how it goes!

If you want to learn more about the Paleo Diet, follow this link:
http://thepaleodiet.com/

And you can find lots of great recipes and cooking tips on YouTube if you search Paleo Diet or Paleo cooking.