Why I stuck with the paleo diet

Paleo has been tough for me.  I've been on it for about 9 months now.  The start was extremely rough: I was hungry all the time and couldn't figure out why. I found that my kids were not used to eating a lot of meat, and neither was I.  Mealtimes, never a problem before that, became a disaster.  My husband thought I was misguided and to top it all off, I had to learn how to cook!  Eventually, while still technically paleo, my diet deteriorated, and I was simply sick of it. I gave up and ate bagels till my heart was content for two weeks!  The result? I had to go back and do it right this time.

Here is why.  Here is a list of things that happened to me while on Paleo:

1. I quit getting sick.  My kids come down with colds monthly - but I seem nearly immune, getting minor symptoms from time to time.
2. I have a high level of energy, often feeling like I can move mountains after a good healthy meal.
3. My teeth are white!  This is the most surprising of all the results.  I am horrible to my teeth and they've always shown it.  Suddenly, I have a smile I am proud of!
4. I no longer get heart burn when eating onions.  Now, that's unexpected!  I've had a hard time with raw onions since I got pregnant the first time.  Now I can eat them with a spoon. Neat! (When I went off paleo for two weeks, the heart burn was back. How do you like that?)
5. My taste preferences seem to shift away from the unhealthy: sweet things seem too sweet to enjoy, potatoes too bland. I am beginning to trust my taste buds to lead me in the healthy direction for my body.

Losing all that overnight made me realize how much this diet has come to mean to my body and to my lifestyle.  I just couldn't stand the idea of walking away and back to where I had been a year ago: lethargic, constantly fighting off a cold, trying to get through the day, drinking a cup after cup of coffee with little to no effect.

There is another localized symptom that helps me guide myself in the right direction.  After a "right" meal, I feel like one of those super-heros in my son's cartoons after drinking a special power potion.  I can't describe it in terms even I can understand...  I feel happy to be alive.  But the feeling kicks in suddenly, like from a drug, minutes after I am done eating.  As far as I can tell, the following are the key ingredients for making it happen:

   * beef - no other meat has done it (I am hypothesizing, it's the amount of iron)
   * high fat content (not surprising, it's where the energy comes from)
   * low amount of carbohydrates: just a small side of veggies (high-carb meals always weigh me down)

I love the feeling and love the evenings that follow after the dinner that makes it happen.  I can work late into the night and feel like a million bucks.  Today is one of those. I can't wait to get to work and kick butt!