End of Paleo Experiment, and On Balance

I ended my paleo diet experiment after five days last week, preferring to add back soaked grains, tubers, and dairy products. I won't go into the details, but suffice to say I had some pretty odd symptoms that convinced me that I didn't want to continue. And I wasn't actually feeling poorly on a traditional, non-paleo diet, so why mess with what was working?

I did find that I really enjoyed eating a higher amount of meat, fat, and veggies, and a lower amount of grains. I never really had sugar cravings, which was major. I wasn't jonesing for a cookie after lunch, although I did have some pretty vicious dairy cravings. It was an interesting experiment, and I think I will try to make paleo/primal dinners a few times a week, and not stick so firmly to the idea of meat/carb/veg in planning my meals.

But one of the additional problems that I have personally with selecting a healthy diet is a tendency to compulsively restrict my diet, whether it is the anorexia of my teenage and college years, or the so-called "orthorexia" that I can fall into these days. Simply put, forbidding ANYTHING simply isn't healthy for me. It's better that I give myself the option to have a cookie or a bag of Cheetos than to say "Absolutely no packaged foods." Just having a craving in those situations can lead to incredible anxiety.

And I truly believe that balance is key in planning a healthy diet. Do I think it's a good idea to eat packaged, processed foods? No. Do I think it's healthy to deny yourself things with which you come into contact on a regular basis, even when it means turning down social situations? Definitely not. Throughout my whole transition to a healthier, more traditional diet, I have kept my weekly lunch date with my coworkers. No, we don't generally go anywhere where I can really eat, well, anything and still be considered traditional. But it would be a more worrying sign if I were to shut myself in my office everyday with my homemade lunch and refuse to socialize with my coworkers because of food.

I'm currently struggling with the other side of my restriction compulsion -- the compulsive binging that happens when I decide I'm "done" being restrictive. But the first step is just to not beat myself up about having that cookie after my lunch. And make sure I eat a healthy dinner once I get home.