I did the paleo diet for two weeks and I feel mentally and physically healthier

When it comes to food, I put three things on a pedestal: meat, bread, and cheese. Not good for someone living in a society which loves tiny waists. But it is good for a growing market in short cut diet techniques.

Weight supplements and appetite suppressants flood grocery shelves. Ridiculous contraptions on how to get a flat stomach in JUST 90 DAYS! Impressive but have you ever thought what would a caveman do? I did for two weeks, in the form of the paleo diet. Here’s how it went down.

The basic premise of paleo:

• Protein is your best friend. Rather it is steak, chicken, salmon, or eggs. Eat like a T Rex in a field full of stegosauruses.
• Only consume carbs which digest slowly and won’t send your blood sugar levels higher than Wiz Khalifa. Essentially, they need to be of a lower glycemic and carbohydrate caliber. Examples include winter squash and sweet potatoes.
• You want fiber. Just not the fiber found in whole grains. You want to eat vegetables that lack starch or whole fruits.
• We all want fat and despite the common conception that fat is bad, the type of fat is more problematic. To solve this, eat saturated fats. In other words, meat. You can also have almonds, macadamias and pistachios.
• Salt is great in Margaritaville, but in real life you should replace food with high sodium content with food containing higher potassium. Solution: no processed foods.
• Consume the proper amount of alkaline and dietary acids. Alkaline is found in meat and dietary acids are hidden in fruits and veggies (no canned green beans).
• Get high levels of vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. The most natural way to do so is eating grass-fed proteins and organic produce. Do not resort to bread, however heavenly it may be.

To put all that mumbo jumbo simply, follow your mother’s table rules. Eat your meat, vegetables, and fruits. On the surface, it seems pretty simple, but the difficulty of paleo is not what you should eat. It’s in the preparation.

Being a UVA student, there is never a shortage of homework but there is a scarcity of extra time. In what little time I did have in my everyday routines, was spent in preparation. I prepared meals on the weekend and had to spend a little more time in the grocery store.

Despite the time necessary, the absolute hardest part of preparation is the planning of the meals and finding the paleo-friendly substitutes for common place ingredients such as milk, oil, and salt. I replaced milk with coconut milk and used a lot of coconut oil.

There was a lot of time required to get to the actual eating part. Boy, was it worth it though. I never had a meal which tasted bad. Every time I sat down to eat, I savored every single bite.

Taking a step back from the food, the results were absolutely amazing. I went into this little experiment wondering how in the world people could do this to themselves. It is so strict, time consuming, and hard. Now though, I know people do it for themselves. That is a major difference.

After just two weeks, I see physical differences in my body. My stomach is smaller and my arms and leg muscles have added definition. However, what the mirror shows me is not the best thing that came out of the paleo diet.

When I walk into one of my CrossFit gyms, I feel so much stronger. My strength, endurance, and speed have improved tremendously.

I also have more energy and I’m not as tired any more. When I go to class my attention span is longer and thus my studies are easier.

I have also been happier and nicer. I don’t feel the need to snap when I get angered, I can walk away. I feel like I am smiling more and laughing harder.

Best of all, I am no longer looking in the mirror or other people to validate what I look like. And that is one hell of a freeing experience. Due to the fact that I feel absolutely amazing, I am finally at the point where I’m OK that my body type is not model-like. It has taken me twenty years to get to this point in my life.

Paleo is not easy. But the best aspects of life never are and these last two weeks have been worth it.

I will not be continuing the diet at the strict 100 percent but I am doing about an 80 percent style. I am still a girl who loves cheese and bread, I just don’t crave it as much anymore.

I would highly recommend this diet to my friends because I want everyone to know just how great they can feel. If you take care of your body, you body truly does love you back.