30th September - Day 8 - Ear infection?

I think I may have a bit of an ear infection, I've been getting pain in my jaw on the right side and it feels like the whole right side of my face is warm and achey.

I slept okay but am tired this morning.  I need to get back to eating more strictly!  Hope my tapioca flour arrives soon.

Breakfast - Banana

Lunch - 1 x rasher of bacon, 1 x ducks egg (fried in coconut butter).

Dinner - Salmon fishcakes (salmon, mashed potato, onions, ginger, curry powder, egg, ground almonds) with brussels sprouts, olive + cucumber + tomato + basil + olive oil.

Snacks - banana, slice of leerdammer x 2, slice of cooked beef, square of dark chocolate.

29th September - Day 7 - Chip's birthday party.

Slept well but sleepier at bed time and a deeper sleep.  Woke up before the alarm wide awake immediately with notable absence of stiffness, aches and pains.

The walk up the hill to church seemed easier than usual and I had no anxiety, in fact I've not felt anxious at all in days.

Breakfast - nil

Lunch - 2 x rashers of bacon, 1 x fried duck egg (all fried in coconut butter), cherry tomatoes.

Dinner - It was Chip's birthday party so I ate things I shouldn't!

Cheese, cold chicken, quiche, beetroot, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, cress, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, sour cream and chives, birthday cake.

Snacks - Banana x 2, slice of Leerdammer, pimento stuffed olives, flaked almonds, crisps, square of dark chocolate, chai latte sweetened with honey.

A bit cravey for carbs still.  Don't know if it's my addiction or if I'm just getting a bit bored with the options.  May have to bake!  I could just eat some buttery toast :P

My goal for next week is to cut back on the amount of milk in my tea.

28th Sept - Day 6 - lost 4 lbs! Feeling energised!

Really good night's sleep.  Woke refreshed and feeling great!  Raring to go :)

Breakfast - Eggs scrambled in butter.

Lunch - Bacon fried in coconut butter, cucumber, tomato and basil salad dressed with olive oil, 1 x duck egg boiled.

Dinner - Pan fried salmon fillet, onions, carrots, brussels sprouts, butternut squash.

Snacks - Glass of red wine, banana, strawberries + plums + flaked almonds with natural yoghurt.

September 27th - Day 5 - Better sleep.

Slept more easily and soundly through the night although I got up briefly at 3am.  Lots of dreams still but a more 'proper' sleep.  Awoke 5 minutes before the alarm so got up.  Felt wide awake and full of energy right away!

Breakfast - scrambled eggs made with lots of butter.

Lunch - left over cauli cheese

Dinner - roast chicken fried up with onions in a blend of butter and coconut oil with broccoli and boiled parsnips (with added butter).

Snacks - handful of nuts, 1 x square of dark chocolate, chai latte sweetened with 1 tsp honey, cracking and left over roast chicken.

Felt a bit refluxy today.  Maybe yesterday's chillis or just a bad back from sitting at the computer?

September 26th (Day 4) - Look! No energy crashes!

Slightly better night's sleep, also I still felt wide awake in the evening when usually I'd be fighting to keep my eyes open!

Still a light, dream-filled sleep with lots of waking but I felt very energised after rising.  In fact I feel markedly free of stiffness, aches and pains this morning!  I may be imagining it but I think my skin may be a little less red too.

I went to town and despite shopping did not feel as tired as usual or suffer from my usual foot pain.  I also I didn't experience any energy crashes today!

Breakfast - Strawberries and natural yoghurt.

Lunch - Pulled, slow cooked, locally sourced pork, salad, salsa, guacamole.

Dinner - Roast chicken done in slow cooker (including a little skin), small portion of mashed potatoes with butter, parsnips roasted in coconut butter, boiled beetroot, carrots, broccoli and gravy (the gravy was no Paleo!).

Snacks - boiled egg and mixed salad and melon from Sainsbury's salad bar (only 99p), boiled beetroot, piece of Wensleydale cheese.

Exercise - walking around town and carrying shopping.

25th September - Day 3 -

Really bad night's sleep.  Only very light sleep, even for me!  Partly because my head was going around and around obsessing over the Paleo diet.  Who?  Obsessive? Me!?

Woke many times with extended periods of semi sleep and light dozing.  How come I slept better drinking caffeinated cola before bed!?

Went to the supermarket and walked back with the heavy shopping so that's appropriate Paleo exercise :)  I think I overdid it though as I had another energy crash when I got home, even ended up having to take a nap :(

Breakfast - Plain yoghurt, strawberries.

Lunch - Grated cheese mixed with cress and wrapped in cold, sliced beef plus a carrot salad (grated carrot, black pepper and olive oil mixed) and cucumber slices.

Dinner - Cauliflower Cheese (cauli, onions, butter, coconut milk,  curry powder, cheese).

Snacks - left over beef roll from lunch, banana x 3, handful of nuts, plain yoghurt with pomegranate seeds.

Current health problems that I'm hoping will improve:

Mood swings/Depression/Anxiety - especially around periods.
Acne/Redness to skin and abscesses.
Cravings (especially around periods)
Migraines (especially around periods)
Foot and leg pains.
General aches and pains.
Fatigue.
Gastric Reflux problems.

Lets hope they get better!

Waist measurement - 37.5 inches.
Hips - 41.5

24th September (Day 2) - Energy Crash!

Day 2 and no stomach problems as of tea time yesterday.

Breakfast - Mango, unsweetened Greek yoghurt.

Lunch - I improvised an apple egg pudding with cinnamon and honey.  It was gross but I ate it anyway :(

Dinner - 2 x sausages, carrots, peas.

Snacks - 2 x handfuls of nuts (at different points in the day, coconut macaroon, piece of Wensleydale cheese, banana.

My energy levels were fine until after lunch when I had a MAJOR energy crash!  I think I need to remember to snack.  I had a banana and a coconut macaroon and started to feel better.  After dinner I felt fine.  I guess that's carb cold turkey!

I also learned that it's okay to eat a little bit of dark chocolate... WIN! :)

23rd September - Day 1 and coconut macaroon recipe

Last night I binged a bit because it was my 'last night' of conventional eating!  No surprise then that I had stomach issues and couldn't sleep...

Breakfast - scrambled eggs with red pepper cooked in butter with frozen peas (cooked of course!)

Lunch - Tuna mayonnaise with basil plus mixed salad greens and cucumber.

Dinner - Lambs leg steak (fried), boiled beetroot, sprouts and carrots.

Snacks - 1 banana, 1 coconut macaroon (recipe found in 'Paleo for Beginners: Essentials to get Started' published by Rockridge Press or there is a similar alternative here.

Despite my new eating plan going okay my stomach is still playing up :(

Hello Paleo!

In an attempt to combat my various health problems I've decided to go Paleo and keep a track of my progress here.

This is me 14 days in :)

I used Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint as a starting point and am now 20 days in.  I've lost about 4lbs so far but, more than that, am looking better, more well constructed I guess, and people have noticed!

I also have much better energy levels, more satisfying sleep, fewer aches and pains and generally feel far healthier.

I've also had lessened frequency and severity of mood swings and migraines associated with the hormonal imbalance caused by PCOS.

Can't say if it's helped my stomach yet (gastric reflux) as I have been on Omeprazole prescription which is quite effective at preventing attacks.  I have been weaning myself off the tablets as suggested by my doctor so I'll monitor the situation.

I'll add details of my progress and recipes, I've tweaked some Paleo recipes to suit me better as well as tweaking some 'civilian' recipes to be more Paleo.

I'm not super strict.  There's no point being miserable, and I don't think I have too much of a problem with dairy!  Also who can afford grass fed meat and local organic veg very often!?

I also want to try other means of sorting out my acne and plan to try cleansing with oils and steaming, and food supplements such as brewers yeast and cod liver oil.

I'm also currently researching Mastic Gum if my reflux returns!

So that's the size of it, we'll see how it goes.

Holly x