So day eight (Monday) I *still* had a headache. Nothing horrible. Just annoying. While the kids and I visited the grandparents, we brought our stock of fruits, vegetables, yogurt, nuts, and a rotisserie chicken. We would just graze on these things throughout the day, and it really kept us satisfied!
For dinner that night we had dinner at a nice Chinese buffet. I warned the girls before hand that there would be nothing fried, no noodles, no canned fruits and definitely no desserts. They really weren't too happy about it--they love Lo Mein.
Once we went up to the buffet it really was fun watching the girls talk to each other about what they could and could not have. They would discuss which dishes had grains, and which ones had protein, and how they wish they could eat some noodles, but they don't want to get a stomachache. They were perfectly happy with their selections, which included: Beef and broccoli, roasted chicken, pork steak, steamed vegetables, fresh fruit, shrimp (ew!), etc. One of the great things was most of the dishes had no MSG, and really had nice, clean flavors. (One thing I've noticed since going off grains is I can really taste food now. I can taste cinnamon in a dish I previously had no idea had any additional flavorings. I'm not sure why it's working out this way, but I'll take it!)
The difficult part came when the waitress brought us fortune cookies. The girls pleaded with me ... couldn't they have just one fortune cookie, please?! It killed me to say no. They really almost cried (and I felt their pain). I made it better by promising to make them a Primal-approved Chocolate Mousse as soon as we got home to Kansas.
We left feeling full and satisfied, but not feeling bloated and tired. It really is worth going Primal, everyone!
DAY NINE
FINALLY, I woke up without a headache! I've had a constant headache since Day 2, and I was just beginning to think it was never going to go away. It really was getting me down. The achy muscles are about 80% better. I don't know what to credit it to for sure, but I've been drinking about 90-100oz of water a day, and eating as soon as I felt the pain getting worse. It seemed to help a lot. For those of you who think it would be impossible to drink this much water, it really isn't a chore. I carry a 25oz water bottle (from Tupperware, because they never, ever leak) everywhere I go, and I find I drink it without giving it a lot of thought. I can drink one full bottle of water while driving to-and-from the grocery store. Mindless, really. And water flushes fat, toxins, and gets all your cells working more efficiently.
Just so you know: You really should not chug water. I don't remember the various sources I've seen this in (and I'm not a professional blogger, so I don't have to. ha!), but it is said your body cannot effectively handle more than 2 cups of water at one time. And you should wait 30-60 minutes before drinking another two cups. I, myself, like to just take a gulp or two every 10 minutes or so. It sounds crazy at first, but just start carrying a water bottle around, and within a few days I bet you notice it becomes one of those things you do just because it's there (kind of like eating M&Ms if they're just sitting on the counter.)
We had our final hotel breakfast this morning. Eggs, yogurt, fruit, and water. As soon as we arrived in Topeka, we headed to the Mexican food place we (sorta) like, and had lunch. I knew I had nothing at home, and cute as they may be, I was not about to go through the grocery store with all the children.
I ordered two large (!!) orders of fajitas... one chicken, and one steak. I thought I would order extra so we could double it for school lunch tomorrow. I asked the waiter to please NOT bring the chips, rice, beans, or tortillas. He literally looked at me like I had lost my mind. I wanted to affirm him in his belief (because really I would have killed for some chips) but decided against it.
Between the kids and I we ate both of the fajitas. Every piece of meat, every slice of pepper, and not even the onions survived. I. Was. Shocked. Little pigs! We even at the lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and avocado. There was nothing left. At all. Wow. This was at 11:30 and I didn't hear the phrase "can we have a snack" until 4pm. So there ya go. Feed them like pigs and they stay full for a long while. Nice!!
We attended a basketball game at the kids' school and then Tom took them out for dinner, while Eliabeth and I headed home (it was her bedtime). While they family was out I made their chocolate mousse. (Recipe and photos to follow tomorrow, hopefully.) Regina and Amy loved it. Veronica did not. Poor thing.
The kids still seem to be kind of down and tired. I'm hoping they perk up soon. Maybe this weekend we can experiment more with foods they really would think are fun to eat. They are great sports though. A bit of complaining here and there, but overall very compliant.
Tom stayed on diet while we were away! I didn't even want to ask him because I thought if I asked, and he said he cheated, it just might end the marriage. And I'm only half-kidding. It was so very difficult to stay on diet (being the first week of it) while being out of town and worrying about kids, social engagements... all that jazz, I would have been really upset if he hadn't been able to keep on track. He did it though. I'll have to get a run down of the types of things he's been eating, so I can pass that along to those of you who travel a lot, and need quick on-the-go meals and snacks.
Tom seems to be still suffering a bit from Carb Flu, or the emotional side of it... whatever we want to call it. I personally think it's because he's not eating enough fat and not nearly enough water, but what do I know?
Now we're sitting in bed going through a Primal cookbook so we can come up with a shopping list for tomorrow.
Wish us luck!
Wow - I thought my wife was tough! Way to stick with it, and a big thumbs up for "traveling Tom".
ReplyDeleteTry Juicing Veggies as well. The enzymes are very good for you! I juice carrots, celery, spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli, granny smith apples, tomatoes, every morning.
ReplyDeleteI foget to add Squash! I do juice that as well, both yellow, and green. There are more great items to juice, but I can't afford everything! Your Diets are good, keep them up!
ReplyDeleteI could eat at Chinese buffets all day!
ReplyDeleteHi Heather,
ReplyDeleteHave you maybe read comments under Tom's article about Primal ?
http://www.tomwoods.com/blog/going-primal/
Primal is no good.. It's basically High Protein glamorized Atkins diet. It's a hype and I just want you to read more about it, before you start getting into trouble with such access of proteins.
I made some comments and Scott broke it down even better.
Please, reconsider.
All the best!
:: Marta
Thank you so much! We are very conscientious when it comes to the health of our children, so we spent three months researching going Primal very seriously. We think it is the best fit for our family at this time. Thanks again for the link!
DeleteAlso, even though not everyone will sympathize with the talk about suffering of animals etc .. she makes good points about how we approach diet and HOW WE TALK about it publicly..
ReplyDeletePodcats about Primal : http://www.compassionatecook.com/media/podcast-media/the-newest-diet-fad-paleo#.TxcoemNSSeY
Heather,
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I went Paleo / Primal for the new year, too! It took me about 5 days to get over the "carb flu" symptoms. I mostly felt unable to focus and lightheaded, but now I'm over it and feel much better than before. I didn't give up Diet Dr. Pepper, though (so I didn't go through caffeine withdrawal at the same time as the grain withdrawal).
If you or your kids are feeling sluggish or in need of carbs, consider mashed sweet potatoes with coconut cream instead of milk... or bananas.
This is my favorite paleo dessert:
freeze a bunch of bananas
remove the bananas from the freezer, peel them, and cut them lengthwise
drizzle them with vanilla
put the on the grill (we use a foreman grill inside)and cook until soft
They turn out sweet and delicious!
Heather,
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain about the headache and "carb flu" but it will definitely pass! I have been on the Primal Blueprint "diet" for over two years and it really changed my life. As a matter of fact once your body gets used to cutting out the carbs, sugars, etc. it's actually hard going back. I really don't miss sweets and they actually make me feel sick on the rare occasion that I do eat something bad (such as a piece of birthday cake.) You also lose the craving after awhile as well.
It's great that there are more and more websites, cookbooks, etc dedicated to the Primal Blueprint or Paleo diets now. My wife, the kids, and I experiment with different recipes and we have compiled a huge folder of all the ones we loved. It will take some time for your body to adjust but it's well worth it. Hang in there!
You definitely need to watch the documentary entitled "Fathead" it's a Netflix instant watch and is quiet informative and still fairly lighthearted and comedic. I told your husband this last weekend in Houston to watch it and he sounded somewhat enthused, but I know he's busy and perhaps forgot. So...Watch it. Plus it's kid friendly.
ReplyDeletego straight for the transylvania stockpot. you won't regret it.
ReplyDeletei substitute: kielbasa out, chicken in. and i cram as much cabbage as i can in there, in two batches.
Awesome. I love that Tom did it when you "weren't looking." That is true love!
ReplyDeleteI just had a dessert I think you'd approve of: dark chocolate (like 90% which had been previously inedible to me) melted with some coconut oil (makes it so much more creamy and less chalky), a handful of raspberries and then some whipped cream. Very yummy. Keep it up and keep inspiring us! Oh, and tell us everything you get at the grocery, please.
LOL. Yummy! I will put that on the list, thanks!
DeleteGive you my list, eh? Well, I did take a photo of the cart (what's wrong with me?) ... I think I'm going to see what meals I can pull out of what I picked up. Thanks!