MORE ON PALEO EFFECTS AND CHALLENGES

Now, I don't mean to be an evangelist here, but our paleo way of eating is showing such benefits that I need to share. I am, I realize, one lone voice among many pro and con for this way of eating and lifestyle, but I intend to use that voice, at least from this platform, to espouse what I see as behavior that could be beneficial to many people. That, after all, is the purpose of this site in the first place. The longer that we eat paleo, the easier it is. I have lost those quick hunger pangs that always hit mid-morning and mid-afternoon as breakfast and lunch full of carbs wore off. The increased protein intake has provided longer fueling for this body, and with the very low-carb, it appears (not verified as yet) that ketosis is also working. As we get our bodies used to burning more fat and less carbs, we have longer-ranged energy. The media sure doesn't help with this, though. The web, tv, radio, social media, etc. are seemingly FULL of advertisements and references to high simple carbohydrate consumption. If you look at a tv for more than 1/2 hour, you will almost certainly be bombarded with multiple commercials for fast food, instant waffles, sugary cereal, candy, chips,soda,etc. This isn't too tough on me, as I am happy with our committment. It seems to take a toll on the kids though. They have, to be sure, plenty to eat, and good nutritious food. They kind of miss cake and pie and doughnuts, though. Not that they don't EVER get them, but now it's dramatically less than before. That multi-billion dollar food industry is dedicated to making people consume a lot of food. It's that simple. It is further a simple determination that they make more money if they can PROCESS the food before it gets to your mouth. That's why you don't see a lot of advertisements for unprocessed meat and raw, fresh vegetables. Neither my wife nor I are overweight, but both have still experienced a noticeable weight loss since launching into full paleo. Leaner is better. The problem with obesity in the U.S. and other places around the world is easy access to lots of carbohydrates. Rice, beans, legumes....all much cheaper than, say, organic vegetables or grass-fed beef. We are fortunate. We grow most of our fruits and vegetables and have our own chickens. People who don't have that resource, and further don't have the means to buy such good quality food, often fill the void with food that is more affordable, thus high carbs, resulting in a high obesity rate. If you have to live on cheap bread, beans and ramen noodles, you're likely to get fat. Not that paleo can't be done on a budget, but you would have to be really committed. We will continue on, and it will be interesting to see where this paleo journey leads us. I hope it is a permanent change of lifestyle, as it seems to have great health benefits.