Up until a few months ago, I would have
considered myself a fairly healthy person. I worked out several times a week
for a healthy heart and healthy lungs. I ate pretty decent, though I definitely
have a sweet tooth! Oh and I did tend to suck at portion control. I want what
Paul gets (though he runs gazillions of miles each week, I run no miles each
week).
So why was there a problem? Well, I was
sleeping with a bottle of Maalox by the bed and I kept a bottle of Tums on the
kitchen counter. Both were Always in close proximity and I used one or the
other pretty much every day. I could only go to sleep when lying on my left
side because it helped my tummy feel better when trying to fall asleep. What
foods I did digest, I digested very slowly (aka always gassy, aka TMI).
And honestly, all of that was the norm
for me. It frustrated Paul to no end, but it was just what I was used to. I
just assumed that I had a "sensitive" stomach.
This problem came to the forefront in
May. Paul had been talking to several people about the Paleo lifestyle and had
heard all kinds of good results happening to people who made the lifestyle
change. At the end of May, Paul told me he wanted to try doing Paleo for a
month.
I said Hell No. Why would I want to cut
so many tasty foods out of my life? Paul persisted. I told him give me a week
to think about it and look around online. See what it entailed. While exploring
online I came across so many other testimonials about people who felt better
after going Paleo. Interesting….
I didn’t understand the why? What was
so magical about cutting out: Dairy, Grains, Legumes, and Soy? More reading
entailed. A lot of the foods that are eliminated boil down to antinutrients
such as phytates, biologically active lectins, and immunoreactive proteins.
What? Yes science. Look it up yourself - cause I ain't no scientist.
Here is what has applied to me
specifically. Lectins. Lectins damage the walls of your intestines, helping to create
“leaky gut”, so that other large particles can cross the intestinal barrier,
enter your blood stream and begin other immune cascades. This is basically how
food sensitivities start. Something goes in and makes some holes in your gut
that lets big particles of food into your blood stream. Then your immune
system gets VERY overwhelmed and confused and starts attacking things at
random. Gee that sounds like a party. Well, this started sounding like why I
might be feeling awful.
So, I relented. I told Paul I would try
it for one month.
Part 2: Paleo, What’s all the hype? (coming
soon)
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