In the Paleo community you are likely to find two distinct groups:
Those that are seasoned, hard-core and that truly eat like cavemen (or cave women).
Those that have recently ventured into this new approach to eating. These are the people that desperately cling on to their old patterns and that spend hours searching online for paleo-approved versions of their favorite foods. Which are mostly high carb items such as muffins, breads, pancakes, cereal etc. In other words: the things that are hardest to give up.
This post is for the second group. Guess where I have been hanging out for the last 24 hours?
Yesterday was my first day and I did fairly well, I like to think. Breakfast was 2 poached eggs with sliced avocado and a small bowl of almond meal banana porridge with pomegranate. Lunch was fried mackerel, sautéed spinach and indian style okra with a green banana flatbread (how do you eat an Indian meal without roti??! This here was a decent substitute. I promise to fine-tune and post the recipe later). Dinner was moussaka without the potatoes and a chopped salad.
Each meal was satisfying but I felt hungry within 1 ½ to 2 hours whereas on a normal day I last perfectly between meals without any hunger pangs. I am taking it as a sign that my body needs to shift into fat burning mode. Or I need to up the calorie intake.
Things went downhill from dinner onwards because, born out of a recent crush with delicious banana oat pancakes, I spent most of the rest of the evening searching for a paleo approved pancake recipe. Which, I realize, places me bang in the middle of group number two. Those with carb cravings..
A long search ended with a seemingly tasty recipe for paleo pumpkin pancakes for which I quickly roasted a pumpkin last night so that I had my ingredients ready for this morning. Armed with home made pumpkin puree, much enthusiasm and a few other ingredients I hit the kitchen this morning all set to have a soft, sweet, warm and nourishing pancake breakfast minus the grains and minus the dairy.
It was a disaster. My pancakes turned into a scramble and needless to say they were far from the real deal. I should have known better. Been there done that during my last Paleo period a few years ago. What was I thinking??
Which brings me to Paleo lesson one. Pancakes have to go. And so do many other “replicas” of what we are used to eating when we embark on a Paleo diet. There will never be a perfect Paleo version of crusty multi grain bread, or sourdough bread, or donuts, muffins, cookies and pancakes.
You will find the wanna-be treats online. In fact they are all over the internet. But most of them are made with nut flours (like almond flour, or coconut flour) and although nuts have a place in this way of eating, they are meant to be had in snack-size quantities, not main meal portion sizes.
Having said that, I am certainly not under the false impression that anyone attempting to eat like a true hunter gatherer can do so cold-turkey style. Myself included. The point I am trying to make here is that indulging once in a while in a paleo approved cookie or muffin just to satisfy the senses is ok. As long as it’s not a regular affair you are having.
I need to remind myself of the reason that I am leaving grains out of my diet for the next 30 days: because they contain lectins that irritate and damage the lining of the digestive track and when your digestive function is already compromised (as is mine) you want to avoid all the things that can interfere with the healing process.
So, “sigh”, gone are the pancakes… Eggs are Back!
Monique
Read my previous post: “30 Days Paleo in India” to learn why I have embarked on this journey
