No More SAD

Mark Sisson, author of The Primal Blueprint, and Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Diet Solution, refer to the diet most Americans follow as the "standard American diet," or "SAD." This diet consists of:

• Lots of carbohydrates in the form of grains and legumes.
• Plenty of calcium in the form of dairy.
• Limitation on meat and fat intake.
• Processed foods that are loaded with sugar and chemicals.

The SAD diet has been proven in several studies to cause problems with inflammation, heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel disease, and a host of other issues. Robb Wolf gives a great comparison of the Paleo diet to SAD.

I, however, have another name for SAD.

Swollen
Anxious
Depressed

I was a bad Hoosier cave girl a couple of weekends ago and ate far more wheat and sugar than I ever should. It started with a birthday cake that I bought (I have a major weakness for butter cream icing) for my husband and brother, because their birthdays are within about 3 days of each other. We had friends over, so cake was a celebratory offering.

Yeah, I know. I have GOT to stop thinking like this!

I figured one piece would not kill me. My body may be unhappy the next day, but I would deal with it. I had a great idea and plan, until...

No one took the leftover cake home with them. We were stuck with over half a cake!

My husband didn't take it with him to work the next day, so it stared at me ALL DAY LONG!

Did I mention I have a major weakness for butter cream icing? I ended up eating several pieces over the weekend (the pizza we had Saturday night probably didn't help, either).

I ate more of that cake than I ever intended. And, man, did I pay for it! My legs have swelled to the point I feel like I have rubber bands around my knees. My digestive system is sluggish. I'm feeling slightly anxious and depressed at the same time (which really messes with your head, believe me). Trust me, the cake was NOT worth this misery.

I think, the next birthday that crops up in my group of friends, I'll make the cake myself with "Paleo" ingredients (at least without lots of wheat, milk, and processed sugar). Hmmm...maybe I'll try my Paleo Pineapple Upside Down Cake again (that will be another post).

For now, it's back to the Paleo eating and calisthenic exercise to get the swelling back down. Maybe I'll go harvest sage from the garden before I cut back the sage bush. That might help, too.

Has your diet been making you feel sluggish? Share your thoughts with me.