Beginning a Paleo Challenge!

So, you may be thinking: you run a Paleo-based blog yet you're taking the Paleo Challenge? Haven't you been Paleo all along? What's the deal, Jamie?

Yes, I'm doing a Paleo Challenge. For those of you who aren't aware of this, the Paleo Challenge is simply eating and living 100% Paleo for 30 days (and I started yesterday, technically). John Durant's Hunter-Gatherer.com has a great overview of the process. The idea is to get all the sugars and more importantly the desire for sugars out of your system and set up a basis for ascertaining what your body is accepting of from a dietary standpoint.

As I say in my About page, I've been Paleo for about three years now. But that hasn't been a 100% Paleo deal, and at times it's been pretty bad. My main weakness is anything with chocolate in it - ice cream, candy, etc. I've been MOSTLY Paleo, but as Robb Wolf says, that means you're not Paleo.

I did a Paleo Challenge for three weeks or so when I first started this way back when, and I still feel a change when I do eat sugars and grains now (my heart rate goes up and I get jumpy). The last two colds I've gotten have followed a bit of a carb bender, too. And of course, you may already have read my post about doing a movie bender (popcorn, pop, candy) and the absolute horrific effects it had on me.

So when one of my friends at the Paleo Living Columbus meetup group suggested a Paleo Challenge, I heartily accepted. Time to clean myself up and get back into the 100% Paleo thing for a few weeks. And of course, I'm going to report to you how it's feeling - both physically and mentally.

I'd be interested in anyone wanting to share their experiences with a Paleo Challenge and how it's helped/hurt them over the entire 30 days. Share with us!

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Jamie Fellrath | Practical Mindfulness

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