Gluten Free, Paleo Curious, And All That Jazz

I am a pretty healthy eater. Two years ago, I made the decision to go gluten-free in an effort to combat debilitating stomach aches, headaches, as well as the negative effects in my life that have been attributed to endometriosis. The stomach aches went away immediately.

Many of the rest of the problems remained, even though they were definitely less severe. So a little over a year ago, I made an appointment with a Doctor of Naturopathy and came up with a plan to remain gluten-free, have my amalgam (Mercury) fillings removed, and embark on a regimen of detoxifying the corresponding lead-poisoning from my system. What happened was stellar. Infrequent headaches, simple (aka normal and regular) monthly periods, and an overall feeling of goodness and health.

As most of us do when we're feeling good, I started to get a little lazy. I remained [mostly] gluten-free, but I got busy and started exercising less, eating a little more sugar, etc. etc. And what do you know? I began feeling less than stellar - still better than before, but nowhere near what had become my new normal.

After the holidays, both my husband and I were feeling bogged down by the cold weather, the insane amounts of sugar, and junk ... and when my husband suggested a 10-day detox followed by the Paleo Whole 30 plan, I knew it was time. He is an adventurous eater, a great cook, and quite open-minded to all my healthy-eating adventures ... but until now, he has mostly looked at it as that thing I do and that thing he will do when we're together.

We did a 10-day detox as advised by a trusted friend, professor, and chiropractor. We have followed it up with the Whole 30 lifestyle (mostly thanks to the excellent cookbooks Well Fed and Well Fed 2) and we are 3 days from the end of the 30. We are still talking and discussing what our eating habits will be when the 30 days are over. Our main feeling is that we should follow the guidelines of eating extremely well 80% of the time and living a little 20% of the time.

The thing is, thanks to those cookbooks and a whole bunch of great friends who eat well and know how to cook, I have been eating some of the best food I've ever had! My breakfast this morning consisted of bacon, sweet potato hash, 2 fried eggs, and a glorious cup of coffee.

I can't say I don't miss things, of course. That would be crazy. This being the Polar-Vortex Winter of our Discontent, I really miss wine. Though if I choose to look at the bright side, a 30-day no-alcohol policy may have prevented me from drinking this winter into an oblivion and thus becoming a raging alcoholic. My husband really misses bread. And I would love a dinner of buckwheat pancakes with local maple syrup (Gasp! Doesn't that relatively good-for-me meal sound like a delicacy?).

So that's where we are. And that's what we're eating. What are you eating these days?