I swear I'm not on speed.

This week I had a mini-awakening. I came to a fork in the road in the last post and spent a lot of time thinking about it. I've decided to take the path less traveled (i.e. against the grain).  Since making that decision, I feel really, really good. Super confident and ready to go. So I have two things to share today:

1. A new perspective on grains...5 Truths
2. Forget the weight loss, etc. How do I feel on eating primal/paleo?

5 Truths About Grains
A lot of people have told me they struggle with the no-grain thing. It is the biggest obstacle in Paleo/Primal eating. So I'll share with you 5 Truths about grains that I've come up with through my oodles of research. Rereading them helps me maintain perspective:

• Grains are a mode of transportation. They carry the nutrient-dense food into our bodies: the meats/veggies on the roll, the oil/cheese/nut butter on the bread, the curry or stir-fry on the rice, the sauces on the pasta. Thinking of grains as simply modes of transportation puts me outside the box when it comes to meal planning. It forces creativity and success.

• Grains themselves lack nutritional value. Either they are void of any nutritional value (refined bread or flours) or if they do contain macronutrients (like brown rice/whole grain wheat), the proteins in the whole grains bind those macronutrients and completely stop them from being absorbed anyway. Then they also bind other healthy stuff you eat along with the whole grains to that passes through you, too. Finally, all grass grains contain protein that attacks the lining of your intestines creating holes (aka "leaky gut" - google it) which is where all of the diseases (from allergies to arthritis to heart disease) associated with grain consumption start. 

• Grains rob belly space. My entire adult life, I've approached meal planning like this: meat, veggie, starch - plus maybe a salad or bread on the side. Sounds so normal and healthy, right? But if I am serving the pasta or bread, I am taking up valuable nutrient space in all the tummies I feed. So in actuality, serving grains is denying my kids nutrition. Gulp. 

• Grains are expensive. Seems counter-intuitive when you think about how cheap a loaf of bread is compared to a grass-fed steak. But if you put a price tag on the nutrients contained in those two foods, it will cost you FAR MORE in grain buying to touch the nutrition value in whole, real foods. (I'm not going to talk about the healthcare costs associated with grain consumption...too much for me to tackle at this point.) 

• Grains wreak havoc on insulin levels. I'll gladly take an insulin spike for a slice of nut-crust cheesecake or a helping of delicious ripe pineapple or honey drizzled over a warm no-grain muffin. But for a slice of bread? The up and down, highs and lows....is all that harm, repeated day after day after day for a lifetime worth it? Recent research says 1 out of 3 Americans will end up with diabetes. If it was a choice between eating grains at will and living life with diabetes, what would you choose?

How do I feel?
I've told you about our weight loss and lack of belly aches/ADD symptoms in the kids. But I often get asked, how do you feel? Not being a scientist, I am unable to gauge the effects of going grain-free in percentages and numbers. To explain it, I actually need to rely on my rusty journalist skills. Please don't laugh. I swear I'm not on speed.

When I wake up, I feel energized and ready to go. I'm excited to see my kids and can't wait to start the day. I feel positive about my family, my home, and our health. I maintain constant energy throughout the day - no crashes at 3pm or urge to nap. I'm motivated to get things done while also enjoying our time together during the day. Everyday burdens, annoying to-do's, and stressful situations seem to roll off my back easier. When Jon comes home, he is upbeat and enthusiastic...regardless of the hard day he just had at work.  As a whole, we are just so much more positive about everything. We don't suffer from headaches anymore. We sleep well. We complain less. I feel like a more forgiving person. I feel like I've finally got a hold on my life and my future. And I feel like my kids are witnessing a transformation as well: a happy, confident mom.

I know it sounds hokey - like some perky motivational speaker after five Red Bulls and a quick snort of cocaine, but I swear to you it's the truth. Is it different than how we were before? HOLY COW YES. I mean, that is why we decided to take this journey in the first place. We were miserable and chunky. We felt glazed and foggy more often than not. Motivation was hard to come by. I loathed waking up, couldn't wait to go to bed, and looked forward to that occasional glass of red more than I used to. Then that week of my birthday, I said life had to be better (and easier) than what we had going.

I am really starting to feel like we won the jackpot in a sense because we may have found the solution. Simply eliminating a food has brought huge changes. I really was struggling with my confidence in this experiment because it is so not mainstream. But how can I go back? I have to give credit where credit is due. Leaving grains behind has made us healthier and happier. It's not easy. (And man do I want "normal" pizza sometimes!) But I've come to the realization that this lifestyle really is working for us. And that makes me feel good. :)