Let’s talk DIET.
I hate that word. Diet. It never brings good things to mind. To me, when I hear the word diet, I think of someone telling me that I’m not allowed to eat that cupcake that is making my mouth water. Or watching someone peel the skin off their chicken . . . The skin that has so much delicious flavor and seasoning! Darn them.
Diet Myths of Arthritis
But when it comes to dealing with health issues, being aware of what you eat and how it affects your body is important. There are a million people out there that will tell you they know what causes your joint pain.
Everyone’s Experience with Rheumatoid Arthritis is Different
All phooey if you ask me. Because from what I have learned over the years, (my many years, remember? Haha) everyone is different, and everyone’s RA is different. What might work for one person doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for everyone else. You really have to find out what your body reacts to and go from there.
Enter the Paleo Diet
A little over a year ago I changed my eating habits . . . More like changed my lifestyle. I had a friend introduce me to the Paleo Diet, which is basically eating what our ancestors ate during the Paleolithic Era. Sounds crazy, right? Well, it might be, but I like what it’s about. The idea is that you are eating what your body is meant to eat, and you cut out all processed foods. You also cut out foods introduced with agriculture. In my world, the diet consists of Meat, Fish, Vegetables, Fruit, Roots, Nuts, etc. Of course, I allow myself to eat what I want, even if it might go completely against the “Paleo” idea (because hey, you only live once, right?!) though I try to stick to this plan as my general outline.
A Look into a Day of Paleo Eating
So what does my average day look like? Lots of meat and veggies.
Breakfast usually consists of something like roasted sweet potatoes, eggs, bacon, fruit, etc. Sometimes I’ll just eat my left over dinner. Yep, meatballs and tomato sauce makes a delicious breakfast! Lunch is almost always something left over for dinner.
Dinner almost always consists of a meat (say, chicken, steak, salmon, etc.) and a whole bunch of veggies (whatever looks good that day! I made friends with the produce guy at my grocery store and I’ll just ask him what the best veggies are that day.)
Dairy is something that is normally cut out of the Paleo Diet. For me, I’ve been a little more casual about dairy. I’ve been told by my doctors to try my best to not cut it out completely due to my arthritis. I don’t eat much dairy as it is, but for example, at night I always take my medicine with a glass of milk. It helps to digest at the end of the day, and to also get a little protein and keep my metabolism running a bit while I sleep. Also, I’ve never loved swallowing pills with plain water. Just something about it . . . ick. And this is how I did things for about a year. Until just recently, I decided to try something new and crazy.
Upcoming Posts on the Elimination Diet
My husband brought home the idea of trying a Hypoallergenic Elimination Diet. This a diet recommended by naturopaths to assess your body and what foods your body reacts to. You go through a process of cleansing your body by eating only foods from a simple list given for the first couple weeks. You slowly add in new foods from different food groups, and keep track of how your body reacts to each new food.
I just finished this whole process which took me around 2 months to do. I learned a lot about my body and how to listen to it, and also learned a lot of new recipes! I got a little more creative in the kitchen and got out of my comfort zone and trying out new recipes. And for someone who never really cooked much before, it’s amazing the transformation I made. Now I love to cook and to try out new recipes to make my tummy and my joints happy.
I’ll be detailing the steps of the Elimination Diet from now on, starting with the first week’s list of food and how to get going. But for now, let me share with you an easy, delicious and totally Paleo recipe .
Paleo Diet Recipe – Whole Roasted Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
1 Whole, Organic Chicken (Free Range is best. When following the Paleo diet lifestyle, grain free and grass fed meat is what you look for.)
Olive Oil
Lemon
Whatever seasonings you like!(Salt/Garlic Salt, Pepper, Herbs de Provence, Oregano, etc.)
Step 1: Unwrap that cute little chicken and take out all the funky stuff on the inside. (The gizzards and whatnot . . . . . Okay this is the only part of this job that is a little questionable, but once you get past it you’re golden!)
Step 2: Give that chicken a good rub-down with olive oil. I used a really nice lemon-olive oil that I love, but you can use whatever olive oil you like. Cut that lemon and squeeze as much lemon juice on the chicken as you can. Optional – You can use some slices of lemon as garnish if you like.
Step 3: Go to your cabinet and find your favorite spices. I chose to make a lemon chicken so for this round I used salt, pepper, herbs de provence, and oregano, but you can use whatever flavors you like.
Cover your chicken with seasonings. Make sure not to skimp here. Get every side and corner. You want this girl to be good and flavorful. Throw some seasonings on the inside too.
Step 4: Place the seasoned chicken on your baking pan. I used a wire rack to put the chicken on because I wanted all sides to be nice and crispy, but you can place it directly in the pan, no problem.
Bake the chicken in the oven at 375 degrees for 2-3 hours. I use a cooking thermometer to tell me when the meat has been cooked to the right temperature. And you want it to have a nice golden skin. This chicken took only 2 hours. (After you’re done eating, save the chicken bones and extra fatty pieces to make a chicken broth for delicious soups. I’ll share that idea later.)
Step 5: EAT IT! I admit, when I first thought of making a whole chicken I thought it would be a lot of work, but honestly, it wasn’t too bad. And it was fun to do, especially when it turned out perfect – crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. Carve your chicken and chow down like a caveman!
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and not yet a certified nutritionist so I recommend talking with your doctor before following my advice and switching your diet plan. My articles about nutrition and diet changes are simply to explain my experiences and open up ideas for others.
Guest Blogger Bio
Name: Lyda C.
Homeplace : Bellingham, WA
Blog: http://lydaclark.blogspot.com
Diagnosis: Rheumatoid Arthritis
