Well, it’s been embarrassingly long since I’ve posted. I kept meaning to post, I really did! But things kept coming up! I swear! So how am I doing? Right now, I’m sick. Fever, chills/hot flashes/aches. Yay. I think I was sick yesterday and didn’t realize it because I was pretty achy and weak. And then I had a very wet and very cold practice on the water yesterday afternoon. When I got back, I couldn’t feel my feet. At all. After dinner, I decided an early shower was in order, and it took a good 20 minutes under direct heat to regain feeling. Then when I was freezing/burning up it finally occurred to me to take my temperature, and sure enough, I had a fever. This morning, I woke up with a higher fever. I went in for my workout, as we had a short erg test (a watts test) which is basically all out for a minute. I did a 4k warm-up and really struggled, which is when I decided I was definitely not up for a 2 hour workout. On the plus side, I’ve gotten a lot more sleep than normal lately! I still have a temperature, but tomorrow is our hard workout, and I’m really hoping to be well enough, because making up 2 ergs this weekend plus practice would be impossible.

Enough complaining, let’s play catch-up! This weekend I decided what I was eating really wasn’t working for me, and I just wasn’t feeling well most of the time. Well, I’m 85% sure I have some type of gluten intolerance or sensitivity. Besides my usual foggy-headedness, when I thought about it, tons of memories from the last 4 years rushed back to me where I got a stomachache after eating grains. I always assumed I was just eating too much, at the wrong time, or too much sugar or something. After some research and discussion wiht my family, I decided I needed to try Paleo. However, I’m not super strict Paleo. I’m including beans and legumes, occasional peanut butter, and small quantities of dairy if they’re in other foods. This is simply because I need lots of carb energy for my activity level, and because otherwise there would be NOTHING I could eat in the dining halls. But first! At home, I spent some quality time with these guys!

ImageHow adorable are they?? That’s what I love about going home! As it turned out, being home was the perfect way to kickstart my new way of eating. It is a much more controlled environment. Here are some of the awesome Paleo meals I’ve enjoyed:ImageWhat better way to start than a green smoothie? (well, greenish…) I think this is my favorite way to eat green smoothies. Spinach. Frozen cherries. Water. Delish!Image

Lunch with my fabulous high school friends! Don’t worry, I skipped the bagel. The place we went had the most amazing pancakes, but no more for me. Image

Love them! I ended up spending 2 nights at home, enjoying my kitties, so I got to have a delicious veggie filled dinner. Image

Thai butternut squash soup=amazing! I still have a little in the freezer. Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light. 

I also made a little treat. Paleo Pumpkin Muffins! But I made them in bread form because everything is more delicious in bread form. It was delicious! I was too dumb to take a picture at the time, so here is a slice I had for snack.Image

They have a nice light and almondy flavor. I froze the rest of the loaf, so when I have a major bread craving, I will be set! So how have I been feeling? Absolutely awesome! After discovering that grains really do make me feel bad and crash, it’s been easier to avoid them (for the most part). I also noticed that I don’t feel the need to overeat. I’m leaving food on my plate a lot more. And in class, I’ll be tired, and keep expecting the crash, but I remain alert. It’s amazing! Image

These are 2 Ingredient Pancakes from Carrots n Cake. I was amazed how normal the texture was! So good!Image

I actually had an omelet made at the dining hall! It was a long wait, but really good! This was yesterday morning. Another thing I figured out: I’m chronically dehydrated, especially yesterday. So I spent the time waiting forcing fluids down my throat. I also got some Coconut water, because I feel like I do drink a lot of water, so maybe I’m missing some type of electrolyte balance? My recommendation? Get the pineapple flavor and drink cold! 

Here’s the thing though. About not being super strict. Boundaries blur…and slowly I fall off the wagon. For example, yesterday, I had some very dairy-filled frozen yogurt. And then today was worse. To my credit, I’m sick. And I decided that means I have no willpower to resist a waffle. So guess who felt foggy today and had a stomachache? One thing leads to another. I had some other grains today too. So I don’t feel great. Which is why some degree of rigidity is necessary. Because it’s easy to fall off. Part of the problem came from the fact that I was feeling bad/weak yesterday. At first I worried that with my new way of eating I somehow wasn’t getting the proper nutrients, so I kind of let myself go a little. Silly me, it never occurred to me that I might actually be sick…So the plan is to go back on Paleo tomorrow and be a bit more strict. As in, ABSOLUTELY NO GRAINS (this is the priority), and no dairy. And I could seriously cut down my nut consumption as well (my poor skin). It’s kind of tough having all these new things I need to follow at once, but I feel like in a way I am sick (I mean besides my current illness…) and I need to eat this way to get healthy again and heal myself. So I’ll keep you updated on my progress. Not going to lie, I’ve been looking up recipes for Paleo cake….

Do you have any good Paleo/gluten free recipes?