jumping in, via the creative commons

Figuring out why you should consider cutting grains is a very good first start. One, humans may have a hard time digesting processed food. Two, and this one really applied to me after rapidly gaining eleven pounds, eating fat is a really good way to burn fat. So, I thought, okay. I’ll try this.

I couldn’t really bring myself to do all that the Whole 9 recommends, so I modified it. Hey, it’s my body, I can do what I want, right?

So, at first, I cut:

• wheat and all things that contain gluten
• corn
• rice
• potatoes
• legumes
• beer

And that was pretty much all I cut. I am a lover of dairy so I didn’t want to cut it out of my diet. I also like sugar. And booze. So, I thought, if I’m going to do this, then I need to allow myself a few vices, because otherwise if I try to cut everything, then I’ll end up with two days of going for it, and a meltdown on day three, dreaming of chocolate covered bread pudding made with cornmeal or something equally crazy.

You have to know your limitations. To this day, I still drink wine, I still eat ice cream, and I still eat cheese, though not nearly as often as I used to (turns out that meat is expensive and I have a hard time buying meat and cheese at the grocery store without going over budget!).

You’ll see, elsewhere in the paleo community, that most people who write about this lifestyle are really gung-ho, and they go out hunting wild boars or hiking with jerky bars, or otherwise acting like cavemen.

If that’s your thing, awesome. But if you want to learn how to begin this diet without alienating all your friends, stick with me. I’ll show you the ropes.