I have been eating Paleo for about a week and a half now. My Fibro pain is almost gone and I feel very energetic! I have loved almost every new Paleo recipe I have tried. And the best part is that I can now tolerate onions, tomatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, and bell peppers. These veggies are all part of the Night Shade family of veggies and are known to cause inflammation in the body. I have stayed away from them for a few years now. Before Paleo, if I ate any of these veggies, 20 minutes later I would be curled up in bed with debilitating Fibro pain. I have eaten them all in the past week and a half and have had little to no reaction from them. I think that before my body was so inflammed from all the grains I was eating (mostly rice and beans since I have been gluten free for 4 years) that eating any of these veggies just sent my inflammation over the top.

I am having a little Fibro pain now, but that's because I drank half a Coke this afternoon that is chock full of High Fructose Corn Syrup (corn is a grain).

I know it's only been a short time, but I am fully on board with eating Paleo. I know I will have days where I struggle and will want to cheat and that's okay as long as I get back on the Paleo wagon right after.

I know that there are many women out there who are suffering from debilitating Fibromyalgia pain and other symptoms related to Fibro. I highly recommend that you try the Paleo Diet for 2 weeks and see the amazing results that I have experienced. Yes, I know I sound like an infomercial for the Paleo Diet...but it is working for me. The first time in over 4 years of struggling with this disease that I have found something that works for me.

And yes, I make my family eat all the Paleo meals. So far my hubby has liked everything. My kids have each liked most of it.

I have been opiate free since Day 1 of starting the Paleo Diet. I have had to take Tramadol a couple of times and Advil a couple of times, but that following a day that I cheated with either some candy or a Coke. NINE WHOLE DAYS without taking Vicodin...woohoo!

My tree climbing Paleo Monkey!

Sliced apples, with cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut flakes, and drizzled honey. That's dessert for tonight :).

My Paleo Munchkin eating the Everyday Paleo Spaghetti over Spaghetti squash "noodles" from the "Everyday Paleo" book. This kid never likes to eat to veggies. She had no idea that she was eating squash today. She scarfed down this plate and asked for seconds..woohoo!

Everyday Paleo Spaghetti. Doesn't it look just like regular spaghetti?

Paleo Pizza from "Everyday Paleo". I had to substitute Flax meal for the Almond meal that the recipe calls for. It was tasty! And yep, my Paleo Munchkin pulled off all the fresh veggies on top but ate the "crust" and sauce. I am more than okay with that since flax seeds are VERY healthy. My Paleo Monkey who normally eats everything put in front of him didn't like the taste or texture of the flax meal "crust". But he is new to eating Gluten free stuff. My daughter and I have been eating gluten free for 4 years now, so we are used to eating all kinds of strange gf stuff.

Forgot to mention in earlier posts that most of my recipes I am trying comes from the "Everyday Paleo" book. And any recipes that call for Almond Meal, I have to substitute flax meal because of our nut allergies.

Tuna Guac over Romaine lettuce. Tuna Guac is my adaptation from "Everyday Paleo" Tuna Boats recipe. I basically take all the ingredients and blend it up and make it a dip.

My kids lunch today. Organic broccoli, carrots, and celery with tuna guac dip.

Fresh fruit salad with two slices of nitrate free chicken sandwich meat.

Slow roasted pork tenderloin with grated cauliflower. I adapted this from the "Everyday Paleo" recipe for Pork Tenderloin with cherry sauce.

Midday snack...apple slices with blueberries and a dollop of sunbutter. My son loved this one too!

Pics of the Paleo Meals I have made

Bacon, nectarines, with zucchini, celery and avocado fried in the left over bacon grease.

Kids "Slaw" from "Everyday Paleo" book. My son LOVES this!

Honey mustard, sunflower baked chicken. Recipe from "Everyday Paleo". I adapted this from the Pecan glazed chicken recipe in the book.

Dry Rubbed, Slow Roasted whole organic chicken. Recipe from "Everyday Paleo". I added grated up carrots and zucchini and rapini to the recipe. Man this was MOUTHWATERING good!

Bacon, sliced up tomatoes and red bell peppers fried in the left over bacon grease with half a fresh avocado.

First Paleo Challenge

Tomorrow we are heading to a kids birthday party. I will be bringing my own food and enough to feed my family of 4. I hope that the host family and other attendees don't think I am being rude by bringing my own food. And I hope that I don't cheat on my diet. I also really don't want my kids to eat all the "junk" food that will be there. I have noticed great improvement in my son's behavior since going totally gluten free all week through the Paleo Diet. I think he will be okay not eating the food, but not eating a piece or two of birthday cake will be hard for him. My daughter has had food allergies all of her life, so not eating the food and cake at the party won't be an issue for her.

Pray for us!

Day 5 Paleo

Breakfast:

SP Complete Dairy free shake with half a plum, strawberries, and flax seeds in coconut milk.
A handful of olives
A slice of cantaloupe.

Lunch:
guacamole/tuna blended...adapted from Every Day Paleo recipe over romaine lettuce leaves.

Snack:
Cucumber slices dipped in the left over guac/tuna dip.
2 cantaloupe slices
a few handfuls of homemade trail mix

Dinner:
Slow cooked pork tenderloin with shredded cauliflower, zucchini, and carrots.

Snack:
SP Complete Dairy free shake.

Day 3 Paleo

Breakfast:

Hard boiled eggs for hubby and son


Turkey wrapped cantaloupe melon for me and my daughter (we are anaphylactic allergic to eggs).

Snack:
SP Complete Dairy Free shake, with coconut milk, sunflower seeds, and a banana.

Lunch:
Left over meatloaf and Cauliflower rice

Snack:
Home made trail mix (coconut slivers, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, dried raisins, and dried cherries)
Cut up strawberries and apples

Dinner:

Honey mustard and sunflower glazed chicken (adapted from the "Everyday Paleo" Honey Mustard and Pecans chicken)
Kids "Slaw" from the "Everyday Paleo".

I just sliced up the chicken and put it right over the Slaw. So yummy!

Snack:
left over Slow Rubbed Chicken and Cauliflower Rice.

How do I feel after just three days? My pain levels have remained at a constant 1 or 2 since Monday. My energy is much better....no afternoon slump. Since I am constantly eating good whole foods, I rarely feel hungry. So far I have no cravings for sweets. My fave drink is Coke or Dr. Pepper. Haven't had a craving for that either. I felt so good that I went for a bike ride with my son today AND went to my yoga class tonight. And so far no pain increase from the physical activity. Before I would have to take a Vicodin after exercise to calm my Fibro pain down.

Yes it does take more time in the kitchen, but I am already sold! I think I spend about 3 hrs a day (20 mins on breakfast, 20 mins on lunch, 20 mins on snacks, and 30 mins of prep time and 1 hr of cook time on dinner) on prep and cook time for all three meals plus snacks. And come to find, I actually LIKE to cook :). So far I have just followed recipes from the "Everyday Paleo" book. They are easy to make and tasty!

And yes, I am making my 6 and 4 year olds do this same diet. I am not a short order cook, they eat whatever meal I am preparing. So far my son has liked almost everything Paleo I have made. But as far as food goes, he is the easier one because he literally eats just about everything. My daughter so far has liked all the meats and fruits, but has never cared for veggies so that's a struggle. But she did LOVE the meatloaf with all the shredded carrots and zucchini in it :).

We even went to the movies this afternoon and my kids didn't bug me about getting them anything from the snack bar. They were totally happy with their homemade trail mix, cut up fruits, and water.

Yesterday we went to the Wild Animal Park for a few hours and I just took homemade trail mix, a couple of frozen juice boxes (for them, not for me), some left over meatloaf, and some cut up fruit and there were no complaints or requests for snacks at the snack bar.

Today I also made my own fruit infused water. A few slices of fresh lemon, a few slices of cucumber, and a handful of boysenberries in a huge pitcher of water. I made it last night and let it chill over night in the fridge. Daughter didn't care for it, but my son loved it! And I loved it! Hubby was so-s0. He prefers his water plain. Next time I want to try to make the Rosemary Water that J had at her dinner party.