Hello, everyone, and happy new year!
Haven't been around much lately. December was kind of a "food wreck" for me. Meals were quite good and "primal", but I did way too much snacking on things loaded with sugar and wheat. By the end of the month, some of the pants that I just fit into were a bit snug and I was up about 2 pounds or so.
So I am back at it, and it feels good to not be eating junky stuff. The last couple of days, however, I've had a mild headache and been quite tired. I don't feel ill, so wonder if it's mild "carb flu". I find grain carbs terribly addictive and definitely over-ate them during December. Now I suspect my body is adjusting to them suddenly missing.
I skimmed through all the posts and it's great to see new goals and new people here! I wanted to comment on a couple of things:
- Bone broth: I made some from our Thanksgiving carcass, much the way Ilene described. I let it simmer all afternoon and did not skim the fat.
- Insomnia: Everyone is different, so I am only sharing my experience. When I was eating too few carbs, I had terrible insomnia, I felt anxious, and my fasting BG shot up. Once I added some "safe" carbs (a la Perfect Health Diet) like sweet potatoes and a bit of fruit, I slept better and feel better. Weight loss slowed, but that's OK for me. I am more interested in health and feeling good, and I figure the weight will drop in time. I may experiment with my ratios and food quantities just a bit, though, to see if I can speed up the weight loss while still sleeping well and feeling good.
Back in September, I spoke with my mom and step-dad about my new way of eating and the reasons for it (pre-diabetes). Well, unknown to me, they read GCBC and implemented some of the primal/paleo eating principles. I am very excited for them, especially because:
- Step-dad, who has always had bad cholesterol that does not seem to respond well to medication, had his best lipid profile ever. Triglycerides really dropped and his doctor was so impressed. If the numbers are as good at his next check-up, he will go off medication with the doctor's blessing.
- Mom has bad feet. She has had foot surgery and has always had terrible pain, despite special shoes, orthotics, constant visits to a podiatrist. She was thinking she might need more surgery. She just emailed me this week to let me know that the pain vanished several weeks ago and has been gone since. Diet? We think so, it's the only thing that has changed.
I do believe this way of eating is so beneficial. I look forward to sharing this journey with you all in 2011!