I just finished my third week of this 30 day Paleo challenge! I don't really have anything new to report but here are a few things that have been on my mind.
1. Since I started this I have had many people ask why grains are not okay to eat? Even in the Doctrine and Covenants the Lord refers to grains as the "staff of life". What is interesting to me is that the very next verse says this, "and these hath God made for the use of man only in times of famine and excess of hunger." Yet, no one reads those verses together..I am no expert on grains but I have been doing a lot of reading on the subject and this is how I feel about it. First, I heard someone say that "grains are not bad for you, bad grains are bad for you" and I totally agree.
Another thing that we need to remember is that we are not living during the same time period. Fresh fruits and vegetables were not available at their local grocery stores year round like they are today, so of course they would eat them in their seasons...does that mean that I shouldn't eat blueberries during winter? No.
Pioneer people were constantly moving and living in harsh conditions, grains are perfect for that situation because they last forever and so the phrase "famine and excess of hunger" would apply.
Also grains are not prepared by most people the way they should be...the way they were back then. Wheat contains a substance called lectin and lectin is not healthy for your body it is quite damaging. When wheat is prepared the right way most of the harmful lectin is removed...soaking, fermenting, sprouting, grinding. If this is how you make your bread than go ahead and eat your grains! Be careful of all of the packaged food at the grocery store, I would not consider those healthy grains.
What about fiber...fiber helps things move through your body? Fruits and vegetables have plenty of fiber and are better for you. My body has never functioned better! So, I suggest doing a little bit of research yourself and you may be surprised at what you find out about the foods that you are eating that you consider "healthy grains."
2. I am still feeling better than I EVER have in my life.
3. Weight? Most people lose a lot of weight when doing this 30 day challenge. I have not. I think the reason for this is that I don't have a ton of weight/fat to lose. I also didn't take measurements of my body and maybe that would show more of a difference, things are fitting better even though the scale hasn't budged! Also. I am probably gaining muscle weight because I am doing lots of strength training exercises.
4. Sugar. I have realized now how addicted to sugar I am and being able to live my life without it has felt so good. I do miss it and am still having cravings. This is another reason I want to continue on the Paleo diet, I want to get to the point where I have no more sugar cravings.
I love your breakdown of D&C and what God says about grains/wheat. I remember having that discussion with my mom just a couple of months ago. I asked her what the Words of Wisdom had to offer on the subject...she replied with, "Well, it says that 'wheat is for man'...". I was really perplexed. I guess we should have looked up the specific scripture because after reading your post about eating grains in only time of "famine" or "excess hunger" would make more sense. I agree that the wheat we eat now, from grocery stores, pre-packaged etc. are not the same wheat/grains that our ancestors ate, or that our grandparents even ate. A lot of wheat now is genetically modified with added ingredients that our bodies don't know how to handle. Great post April. Thanks for sharing. I wish you would've taken measurements of your body: thighs, arms (bicep/tricep width, and waist... so you'd see how much firmer your body is getting vs. looking at the scale to see a # change. But at least your clothes FIT better and you FEEL better than ever :)
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