Tuesday, 24 February 2015

A Change Will Do Me Good

I think my recent illnesses have highlighted just out off balance my state of health is and that some changes are in order to help get my wellness back on track.

My first priority needs to be nutrition. I have been attempting to modify my diet for a few days now with the Paleo method. I had actually tried this about 2 years ago, due to a doctors recommendation - before I even heard it coined 'Paleo'. I successfully used this method for 3 months and lost 13 kgs, but now the weight is almost all back again. I think it is a miracle that I am not heavier, with the rubbish I have been eating for 2 years now, but I am determined to get my nutrition back on track - this time for good.

Last time I managed to switch, more or less cold turkey, but this time I am going to work towards some key changes first and then make sure I have those areas firmly established as habits, before I work on removing grains, dairy and sugar from my diet. For now, a reduction in these items will still benefit me and I will hopefully feel more comfortable transitioning over a period of time.  

First on my list of changes is the return to black coffee / tea.  I drink 2-3 cups of espresso coffee and usually one cup of tea per day.  I probably need to reduce this to 1-2 cups of coffee, but losing the milk is a good start.  The second change is Paleo snacks.  I am usually tempted by crackers, biscuits and bread as a quick fix between meals.  I am committing to fruit, veges or unprocessed meat for between meals. For main meals there will still be a carb component, but I will cut it back slowly. Lastly I plan to introduce back more nuts/seeds and good oils to my diet, but only in small amounts and only as part of meals, not snacks, as I am too partial to nuts and might overdo it.

I think these changes are realistic and won't cause too much disruption to family mealtimes for now. I do plan to make changes over time, but I expect a better response to gradual change.

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