This meant I could only eat it if it was once running around, swimming, or was plucked from the ground or plants/trees. No gluten, sugar, processed foods and dairy, basically no processed junk that really isn't food anyway, but is just well marketed science experiments that passes for food. I did this in an attempt to cure myself of my exercise induced asthma, which can really hinder my athletic performance in races. Its always my wheezing and lack of oxygen to the lungs that limits my performance as opposed to lactic acid in my legs as most people get. From online studies I discovered that dairy, gluten or sugar can cause the undesired inflammatory responses in the body that causes asthma (aswell as a host of other medical conditions that a doctor or nutritionist might not even know is caused by food allergies), which is inflammation and construction of the airways.
So, for 3 months I cut out all gluten (wheat, oats, barley), sugars, refined processed foods and dairy.
The first week I found it tough, I was getting cravings, mostly after dinner as I was always used to having some chocolate or a small treat after dinner, so I struggled to turn that signal off. It's not that I was still hungry, it was eating out of habit and boredom which I needed to stop.
After 2 weeks I wasn't craving sugar but strangely simple things like toast, bread and cheese, oh I did have a craving for cinnamon donuts too.
After about 2 months all cravings were gone and instead I wanted raw vegetables as a snack- carrots, capsicum, celery etc. My asthma when running was noticeably improved too, so it's either triggered by gluten, dairy or processes dairy foods, which I now need to work out. I was able to stay on course by basically engaging in a battle of will power. I figured if I gave in then I was weak (which is also how I push myself in training and brutal physio sessions) so I kept pushing on to test my will and to prove to people who said I wouldn't last 1 week wrong.
When I went back to normal food after 3 months I really didn't enjoy the sugary foods. I never used to eat much junk and most people would say I was very healthy, but just things like nutella on toast and the odd piece of chocolate and nutritionally limited cereals. These things tasted different now. Really not appealing at all, and i felt really unhealthy after eating it. In my first run my wheezing returned suprise surprise! I also felt a lot more bloated and gassy and sometimes dizzy after eating something high in sugar. I'm going straight back to paleo- No bloating, no feeling dizzy, no gas.
Example paleo meals I ate:
Lots of stirfrys with beef or chicken and heaps of vegies (see pic).
Paleo pastas.
Omelettes.
Steak and vegies.
Tuna and salmon salads.
Fruit and vegies as snacks.
Homemade paleo almond flour biscuits (see pic).
Sweet potato chips.
As I'm a distance runner I did allow myself a few typically not strictly paleo carbohydrate foods - brown rice, corn thins.
I really enjoy these foods. Delicious recipes and to me are now much tastier than sugary processed foods.
If you have a medical condition, asthma or get sick or run down a lot, give paleo a shot for at least a month and see how you feel. I bet you'll feel much much better!
All the best with it.
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