Caveman style - the Whole 30 Paleo Challenge

I'm doing it caveman style. Eating that is. Ok, more like Caveman2011.0 style.

I've been soul searching of late. I'm a challenge, goal oriented sort of gal. Normally, I select achievement based goals. But after being an overachiever in the last 6 years (gong back and graduating from college, getting married, buying a house, changing jobs 3 times, and completing my CMP cert), I'm sort of over that sort of challenge. And I am facing some challenges that my intellect can't really fix. Body/mind style challenges.

After 9 months of being a nonsmoker (WOOT!) I am having to get real about other things. I can no longer say that the reason I get short of breath after a flight of stairs is because I'm a smoker. And I don't feel as awesome as I want. My current physical state is holding my mind's desires back. And I cannot have that!

I've been kicking around the idea of a cleanse for months. But days of fruit juice and water only, meh, not really appealing to a foodie. I still wanted to do something that would make me feel better. And I'm done with counting calories, points, or whatever. I just want to eat, live and focus on creative things, not food, weight, guilt and shame.

So I came across the Whole9 website and a challenge. Challenge? I like challenges! And this challenge says it will change your life in 30 days. I like change! A change in how I view food? I'm game. The sugar master is on my back big time lately, and after freeing myself from the slavery of cigarette smoking, I crave freedom from that same freedom from food and sugar especially. "I am the master of my ship" plays over and over in my head. Let's get real though, my ship is mastered by sugar. So I have decided to rebel, be slave no more.

So I have decided to fore go some things for 30 days. Sugar (real and fake), legumes, grains and pastas, dairy, alcohol, and white potatoes. I have consumed more of these items than my ancestors did in the whole of their lives. This won't kill me.

I am eating lean meats, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, fruit, and good fats. I think that good fats will be the biggest mind shift for me. Day 1 was good. I woke up early and scrambled 2 eggs and had sliced tomato, black coffee didn't taste that bad. My lunch was a salad with balsamic vinegar, topped with roasted chicken, skin removed. Dinner was delish, sundried tomato chicken bake with roasted brussel sprouts and sauteed spinach and mushrooms.

I made egg frittata muffins with tomatoes, spinach, basil and thyme for breakfast and had a few strawberries. I have leftover chicken and spinach for lunch.

I KNOW this process will get harder. Like quitting smoking, I expect a small meltdown some time between day 5 and 14. Like smoking, I plan to breather through it. Or write about it. I have named the sugar master the Jabberwocky. I shall heed the warning and stay the path.

Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!