What I Learned From 1 Year of Paleo

First off, wowzers!! I can't believe it's been an entire year since I started eating Paleo and completely changed my view of food.

Second, this post is not about weight loss. It's about health. When I set out on this journey, my goal was never to lose weight. Even though I had struggled to lose weight and had consistently gained weight because of my thyroid condition (read more about it here and here), but I was more concerned over the health of my thyroid and my body than I was about my weight. That being said, losing more than 20 pounds this year is definitely something to rejoice about because it is the outward evidence that my body is healing and my thyroid is functioning the way it was made to function.

So over this last year, my entire perspective on food, health, weight, etc. has changed! I'm super passionate about empowering people to take control of their health, so I wanted to share a few of the things I've learned this year. ***Disclaimer: this post is long. Feel free to skim and scan for parts that interest you!***

1. Eat to live, don't live to eat.

This is probably the best way to sum up everything I've learned into one sentence, and it's definitely one of the most important things I've learned. Food is something people (in general) take pleasure in. We understand the term "comfort food" for a reason. However food isn't just about tasting good and making you feel good. And let's be honest, when you eat food for comfort or to soothe emotions, it rarely makes you feel better and often makes you feel worse. When you eat whole, healthy food for the purpose of fueling your body and giving it the nutrients it needs, you'll feel great! Studies have shown that 60% of the time it works every time... sorry, I had to throw in a little Anchorman humor.

2. Food isn't all about calories. 

Before I started eating Paleo, I made food choices based on how many calories were in it, and whether or not I thought it would make me gain weight or lose it. This is such a distorted view of food. Paleo taught me to look at food from a health perspective. The whole goal behind Paleo is to eliminate foods that cause irritation and inflammation in your system and to eat nutrient dense foods that will allow your body to do what it does best. That means eating a balanced diet of protein, carbs, and fat aka: meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and nuts & seeds. I have no idea how many calories I consume each day, nor do I want to. All I want to know is whether the food I consume is what my body needs or not. That includes how much my body needs. Eating a clean diet has also changed the amount of food I consume. I am much more aware of when I am hungry and full. I rarely overeat because I eat when I'm hungry, and I stop when I'm not. I'm not worried about eating a specific portion and then holding out for the next meal.

3. It is easier to prevent disease and health issues than it is to cure or manage them.

After I started doing research on my disease, I found out that a high percentage (I think it's 90% but don't quote me on that) of autoimmune diseases are developed due to gut issues such as Irritable Bowl Syndrome, Leaky Gut Syndrome (what I've had), and the like. This means that a ton of autoimmune diseases can be prevented. Diabetes is also a common diseases that can often be prevented. This is all related to diet. By diet, I mean food consumption, not a period of time that you restrict calories in order to lose weight. Please don't misunderstand me. I know that there are many people that have health issues and diseases despite being disciplined to take care of their bodies. But there are MANY, myself included, that have developed health issues and diseases that are preventable. Americans (again I'm speaking in general) don't seem to care too much about health, being healthy, eating healthy, etc, until they become so unhealthy that it affects their day to day lives. And then the typical response is to get a medication as opposed to making lifestyle changes, but let's not get into that. This leads me to my next point...

4. Health isn't always easy to see. 

I was diagnosed when I was 20 years old. Up until that point, I thought I was perfectly healthy. I would only get sick about once a year and always got over bugs and viruses quickly. Anytime I went to the doctor, my vitals looked good and I seemed healthy. One day, I reached up and my neck felt like there was a tennis ball in it. My thyroid was enlarged. Testing showed high antibodies and low levels of thyroid hormones. Suddenly, with what seemed no warning at all, the doctor was telling me I have an autoimmune thyroid disease called Hashimoto's. 

I didn't develop an autoimmune disease overnight. No one does. But that's what it seemed like. It seemed to come out of nowhere. I thought that I was healthy. In reality, my body had been struggling for probably years, and finally reached a breaking point. 

Please do not be fooled into thinking that just because you don't have outward symptoms of a disease that you don't need to be conscious of the choices you're making regarding your health, which includes the foods you consume. If I had made better choices I might not have ever developed my disease, and while I'm recovering and slowly gaining back my health, it's been a difficult and long journey that isn't even close to being over (my hormones are stubborn).

5. You're making a sacrifice. 

A lot of people ask me how I can give up foods like bread, cheese, pasta, and other yummies. People also comment about all the time I spend cooking, shopping, and meal-planning. Paleo, or other forms of clean eating, is not what you would call convenient. I make a lot of sacrifices to eat the way that I do. I sacrifice my time, certain foods, and I sacrifice buying those cute new shoes so I can pay for all my groceries. 

Let's say I don't eat Paleo.

I would still be making a sacrifice. I would be sacrificing my health and quality of life to eat certain foods, have more time for Netflix, and more money for shoes. After a year of Paleo, I'm convinced that the sacrifice I'm making is the right one.

6. Eating healthy, whole, good-for-you food doesn't mean eating food you don't like.  

I LOVE everything I eat! All of it! I never ever force myself to eat food that I don't like. What's the point in that?? There are so many fruit and vegetable options to get the nutrients you need. If you don't like Brussels sprouts, but you love spinach, then eat the spinach! If you don't like pork, but you like chicken, eat the chicken! Eating healthy isn't about choking down food that you can't stand, it's about finding healthy foods that you like and consuming those foods instead of processed junk food.

7. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. 

You never know if you're going to like a new food until you try it! The more open you are to trying new foods, the better your experience will be. Up until this year I had never eaten Brussels sprouts. My mom doesn't like them so she never cooked them. Brussels sprouts were on my meal plan when I first started eating Paleo and I was skeptical. Much to my surprise I love them. They are my absolute favorite vegetable to eat for breakfast. If I hadn't been willing to give them a try, I would have completely missed out. 

8. Don't expect everyone to be on board. 

This is the most surprising thing I've learned this year. I have been blessed with a group of people in my life that have been incredibly supportive throughout this journey. None of them want to eat Paleo with me, but they have been my cheerleaders, encouragers, and many of them (special shout out to my mom) have gone out of their way to accommodate my new lifestyle. However, there have been many others that have said discouraging, and sometimes even rude remarks about my choice to eat healthy. I'm not sure why anyone would ever be discouraging towards someone who is making efforts to improve their health, but I do know that it's something I've had to deal with and something I've just had to get over. So if you're thinking about making changes, don't let anyone discourage you from doing so!! Being healthy is worth it no matter what anyone else says! Surround yourself with people who support you and don't listen to the ones who don't.


If you are interested in learning more about the Paleo Diet, I highly recommend these free guides from Diane Sanfilippo. She is the author of one of my favorite cookbooks, Practical Paleo.