Goodbye Processed, Hello Paleo!

by Laura Burton

Well, I decided to give it a go. After several weekends of weddings, new cities, and social events, each boasting an array of culinary treats (that this foodie gladly took advantage of), I could tell my body was seeking a respite from some of the processed, high-sugar foods I had been so graciously feeding it.

I stumbled across a blog where the author announced she was starting “Whole30” that day. I was curious, so I looked into it. Whole30 is pretty much a 30-day “Paleo Diet.” This plan requires that you eliminate certain food groups that could be having a negative impact on your health and fitness. What’s allowed? Meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, and good fats from fruits, oils, nuts and seeds. What’s NOT allowed? Added sugar, artificial sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, carrageenan, MSG, sulfites, and white potatoes. Oh, and no paleo-fying dessert or junk food choices, which means no paleo pancakes…(sigh). The idea is to focus on making good food choices for 30 days with the purpose of feeling and performing better. The dietitian in me was intrigued! The food lover in me was terrified.

Today is Day 20. 

My body began to feel differently from day 1. The first few days I had a mild headache, which I attributed to my body mourning the absence of its regular pick-me-up: sugar.  I immediately felt that my energy level was not only higher, but more consistent throughout the day. No more ups and downs based on my blood sugar. I began sleeping better and feeling more hydrated within days. To my excitement, my stomach felt more full after eating since my intake mainly consisted of high-volume foods: fruits and vegetables. Pleasantly surprised, I forged on with a sense of confidence that I might actually be able to do this!  

Mentally, I realized that this would be no easy feat. First, I longed for those foods I couldn’t have – and not just sugary treats. I remember at one point standing in front of my pantry, staring at the Fiber One box (Fiber One of all things!) nearly in tears as I realized I would spend the next twenty-something days eating eggs and fruit for breakfast.  [Confession: I might have an unhealthy attachment to cereals of all kind.] Second, I quickly learned that planning ahead was essential. I had to thoughtfully plan every meal and every snack to be sure I was getting the nutrients and energy I needed. 

It quickly became evident that my thought processes regarding food were really changing. I became more aware of impulses to eat throughout the day, and rather than feeding my ‘cravings,’ I analyzed them. I was becoming a more mindful eater! I noticed that the complete removal of large food groups really works to my advantage since it eliminates the option of coming up with creative excuses to eat this or that, thus making food choices easier and helping me achieve compliance. Furthermore, the paleo diet got me out of my food comfort zone and forced me to experiment with different foods that I have come to love. Spaghetti squash has surprised me – I feel like I am enjoying a big bowl of pasta! Crunchy carrot chips with “Wholly Guacamole” is my new snack of choice. The other day I tried my hand at homemade slaw made with beautiful red cabbage, julienned carrots, cilantro, and a delicious, simple dressing of canola oil and lime juice. I have actually started to enjoy the process of preparing my foods because there is such purpose behind it. Sure, it takes more time. But I'm doing something good for myself.

From a dietitian’s standpoint, I have some reservations about the paleo diet. Vegetable protein sources like soy and legumes, which are off-limits on the paleo diet, are a heart-healthy way to get protein. In addition, whole grains can be a very beneficial part of a healthy diet when eaten in moderation. I question how realistic and healthful this type of plan would be long-term. But I can say with confidence that the past 20 days have shaped my relationship with food for the better, and that this experience will foster a more thoughtful approach to feeding my body for years to come.

I'll check back in in another 20 days to let you know how things are going post-Paleo...

Lights, Camera, Action

When most people begin thinking about changing their response to stress, they often start in the middle by trying to change the behavior. You actually need to start at the beginning by managing the trigger or cue.

Cues are the initial event that set into motion a series of behaviors that lead to some type of reward. That reward can be pleasurable or avoidance of some type of threat. But, without the cue to initiate the process, you can't get to the reward.

One of the biggest misperceptions about cues is that they can't be managed. It is true that you can't control a number of things that can be cues for habits you'd like to change; however, you do have a lot of control over things that influence your perception of that cue. For example, seeing the commercial for the latest fast food concoction when you're very hungry can prompt you to decide that is a decent choice for all types of reasons that you can seem to easily justify at the time. When you are not mentally and physically at your best, you can be much more susceptible to cues that prompt you to engage in behaviors that have short-term benefits but long-term negative consequences. Poor sleep, a lack of physical fitness, and irregular eating patterns set you up to be emotionally vulnerable to engage in poor habits, especially in stressful settings.

The other big thing that people don't understand about cues is that they can often be imperceptible. When this happens, we tend to chalk it up to a "craving." I have yet to come across a medical reason why your body needs to crave chocolate or crunchy snacks. We often just don't see how we are being prompted to indulge. For example, it's no accident that about 3 pm every afternoon, you start to have a hankering for some chocolate. It just happens to be around the time you've got to pass by the office that has candy on the desk to complete some routine task. While you just chalk it up to a routine craving for chocolate, it doesn't seem to happen on the weekend when you're at home or when you're traveling during the week. The jar of candy is always there...it's practically part of the landscape. However, it doesn't jump out at you or call your name (at least not literally), so you don't think much of it. But every time you pass by there at 3 pm, it sets up the cue followed by the routine (eating the candy).

Think about the cues that you deal with on a regular basis. Can you be better prepared to handle them this week? Are there cues that you didn't quite know were there? Once you're aware of those cues, how can you handle them differently?

Your Stress Response

Stress is the cue that causes you to have a predictable response. Do you know what your response is to stress? For a lot of us, it involves eating. You can alter that response if you begin to understand the cue and the reward.

Humans do things for one of two primary reasons: to avoid a threat or to get some benefit. I know it sounds primitive or even crass to think that all of your actions are dictated by these two basic emotions--fear and pleasure. But trust me, it's basic nature and allows us to survive and thrive. When something happens in our environment (at work, home, school, etc), we take in that information and process whether our response needs to be defensive to protect ourselves from a perceived threat or to react in a way that allows us to take advantage of a potential benefit.

Stress is a perceived threat for us. Overtime, we develop ways of coping with that stress. Some of these ways can be really healthy ways of decreasing the threat we feel-- taking a walk or doing some other type of exercise, meditation, engaging in a hobby, or doing something that allows you to escape for a while. Other times, we do things that are not always in our best long-term interest but nonetheless, help us feel safer or provide a sense of pleasure if only for a brief moment. Stress eating falls into this category. As we learn to associate a sense of pleasure with the foods we consume during stressful periods, it becomes a type of reward that reinforces the behavior. So at the end of a long day at work that was really taxing, you decide that you deserve to have that extra serving of food or that second glass of wine as a reward for dealing with your crazy boss. When this becomes a habit, meaning that it begins to happen almost involuntarily, then it becomes a real problem. How do you know it's a habit? When you find yourself finishing the bag of chips and you don't remember what was happening while you chomped away, that's what I mean by almost involuntary. Your brain is working on autopilot and going into "Soothe Me" mode. You've come to learn that salty, crunchy things take your mind off of your troubles for a while and magically make you feel better. So instinctively, when you feel bad, you start to crave these things and find yourself foraging for chips.

Next week, we'll get into that instinctive response and see if we can retrain our brains.