Tag Archives: grains

I've been "easing" toward different eating habits over the last few years, but mostly playing with it.  Eating "Primal" for breakfast doesn't do much good when you throw in a Snicker's bar for lunch.  A couple of years ago I gave up wheat for Lent and was surprised at the difference.  Now, I go for a few days, then slip.  (Today is "day one" after lunch yesterday.)

The "Primal Blueprint" is the plan that I like best.  The author's blog is "Mark's Daily Apple" and I've gleaned a lot (including recipes) from that site.

There's also "Paleo" - the biggest difference is that Primal is a lot more flexible.  A little dairy, a little rice, morning coffee...

Both emphasize "clean eating" - but their basis is not my basis.  I read "Cultured Mama" who wonders if "paleo/primal" is Biblical?   Granted, they base their eating plans on the assumption that humans evolved into eating whatever they eat.  I believe that God created humans fully evolved.

However...God gave us food.  And it does seem to indicate that (in the beginning) humans were vegetarians.

Genesis 1:29
And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

Not until Noah, did humans have the "green light" to eat meat.

Where does that leave primal/paleo?

1 - in order to answer that, you need to separate the eating plan and science, from the philosophical reasons for creating the plan.  If you take away "evolution" reasons, what you are left with is a basic "grain/legume/frankenfood-free" eating plan that encourages you to choose foods that have been raised cleanly and without hormones, additives, artificial fertilizers.

Remember - NOBODY  EVER DIED FROM NOT EATING WHEAT.

On the wheat topic - what kind of wheat?  What we know as "wheat" today is very different than even the wheat that was grown 50 years ago.

Well for starters, the wheat we eat today is not the same wheat of 50 or even 100 years ago. Since the demand for wheat is so high (second biggest crop in the U.S., second only to corn), scientists have been genetically modifying the plant to make it grow faster and produce higher yields. This means that wheat is not rich with nutrients and health benefits like it once was.

Wheat now qualifies as a "frankenfood" - also, check out this article on "wheatbellyblog"

I guess this turned out to be about wheat - and that's okay.  Every time I eat wheat, I cough.  And cough.  Clue bus?

 

I was sleepy (groggy but cannot nap) and my head feels like it's stuffed with soggy cotton balls.

I think it's the "post-vacation eating plan blues".

I did not eat badly on vacation.  It is difficult to eat low-carb on vacation.  I ate plenty of veggies and fruit, but indulged in wheat and other higher carb goodies on days that I knew I'd be walking.

But the first few days of low-carb (I'm shooting for under 75 net grams of carb per day) I feel a little mentally out of it.  I don't hit ketosis until around day 3 of under 50net, so I'm not planning on that.  Friday and Saturday I'll knock it back to 30net, then increase it again for the week.

I am committed to eating a good mix of fruits and vegetables - and I can't do that on an "Atkins Induction" sort of plan.  Anything under 100 net grams of carbs is considered "low" and my endocrinologist put me at 135.

Current restrictions:

  • no wheat
  • no milk
    • I will eat 1 serving of dairy per day, options are cheese, yogurt and kefir
  • no peanut butter
  • no potatoes (sweet potatoes are okay)
  • limit other grains (including rice)