Starting Paleo

Hi everyone! 

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and follow my blog. This blog will include details on how I am making my transition to cleaner living like Paleo-friendly and Gluetin free recipes, where to find high-quality foods on a budget, workout routines, and more!

To give you a little background on why I decided to start this blog, I was inspired to start my Paleo journey when I saw the transformation that my older brother Tony made after years of what he thought was a fit and healthy lifestyle. My Haitian-American family has always been into sports, outdoor activities, and well... if anyone knows anything about the Haitian diet, rice and beans are a staples, to say the least! Although citizens of Haiti are among the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, they do have the pleasure of eating the freshest seafood, unmodified plants and animals, and the lack of modern conveniences like cars (I don't mean all Haitians), limited electricity, and money to buy processed foods means that the population survives off the land and use manual labor to go about their daily lives. So while we in the US drive our cars to work, or occasionally to a gym to walk on a treadmill for 15 minutes, Haitians walk to the fields to work for what they eat, then walk home to cook their food, hand wash and dry their clothes, walk to the local market, etc. I can go on quite a bit comparing and contrasting the differences between Haiti and the U.S. But I'll get off of that soapbox for now.

After having my daughter Sanaa 14 months ago, and having trouble losing those last few pounds (while balancing nursing school, being a mom, a wife and devoting time to the ministry as one of Jehovah's Witnesses), my brother told me about the Paleo diet.  Truthfully, he described it as more of a lifestyle than a diet. And so began my Paleo quest.

For me, Paleo is a way to reach back to a way of living and eating that our creator originally designed for us. Paleo is centered around eating a diet similar to that of the "caveman." Now I won't get into my thoughts about evolution vs. creation, but I will say that I believe in the bible and that this diet lends to the fact that there was an era when humans didn't eat processed foods. Instead, people had to work the land to grow and raise the foods they ate with little or no preservatives.  With that said, I am going to keep it simple and let you all know up front that I take from my research what makes the most sense to me, what is appropriate for my life, my budget, my medical condition (please consult your doctor before starting this diet since some medical conditions may require additional modifications to fit your nutritional demands), and personal opinions about certain things.

In short, the goal of Paleo is to avoid grains, pastas, processed foods, refined sugars, dairy, legumes (beans), candy, juice, coffee (sorry StarBuckers), white potatoes, granola bars, bread, dried fruits, etc. What the diet does encourage is the consumption of fresh (preferably organic) fruits, veggies, nuts (not peanuts), grass fed (hormone & antibiotic free) beef, pork, fish, shrimp, chicken, turkey, lamb, and other meat and seafood products.  One of the big changes for me was the oils I used to cook with.  Paleo-friendly oils include coconut oil, Ghee, almond oil, bacon fat, and more.  Below you'll see a basic guide to many Paleo foods:

As mentioned earlier, I would like to lose a few stubborn pounds, but beyond that, I am looking to live a healthier life, promote organic and humanely raise livestock, and hopefully inspire others to take care of their bodies by improving the fuel that they put into it. I know that in addition to improving my eating habits, I also need to exercise regularly.  One is only as effective as the other, so in addition to my Paleo journey, I will also highlight my workouts.

So with all of this said, I'm dedicating my blog to my brother Tony, who is such an inspiration to me on how to stay true to who I am and live life out loud!  Please check out his motivational videos Tony Delerme Speaks.  I also dedicate this blog to my husband and daughter, Stephan and Sanaa, and my father Raynald.  I hope it inspires at least one person to take charge of their life, and their body (temple) by keeping it clean and in optimal condition.

Please leave me your feedback and any success stories as you go! Blessings!