By Annie Gebel
Fifteen years ago, I was combing through Hollywood to find role models who looked like me. Ten years ago, I was picking up tips from Stacy and Clinton about how to dress for my body, which has never been a single digit size. I was fighting to be happy as who I was. Above all else, I wanted to feel mentally healthy. In trying to achieve that elusive prize, I always set my sights on looking better, being thinner, and losing weight. I thought somehow those things would lead to health and happiness. I was always wrong.
Four years ago, I finally found goals that were in line with what I longed for. I heard about Paleo, which is short for Paleolithic and refers to the lives our hunter-gatherer ancestors lived. While researching this new-to-me idea, I found guidelines for how to eat, move, and sleep differently than what I knew and was accustomed to. Paleo websites and books provided me with new objectives: increased energy, optimal health, and happiness.
Since the food part of Paleo is often the hardest thing for people to wrap their brains around, let’s start there. We try to stick with unprocessed foods – meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and healthy oils. Breads, pastas, legumes, dairy, and sugars aren’t part of what our bodies are prepared to digest and, therefore, lead to gas, bloating, diarrhea, acne, mood swings, headaches, and more. So we frequently avoid them.
What we actually eat is flavorful, mostly home cooked snacks and meals – when we’re hungry. One of the bigger mental switches for us was learning that we don’t have to eat by the clock. We have adjusted, though, and now recognize our bodies’ signals and act accordingly. Even my six-year-old skips lunch from time to time because he’s not hungry. I don’t always want breakfast or will wait until mid-morning for it. When I do have my first meal of the day, though, it’s usually eggs, sausage (made without filler and sweetened with apple juice), and avocado. My husband likes sautéed spinach or kale with his breakfast and the kids ask for apples, sliced up with sunflower seed butter.
Leftovers, salad, broths or soups, deli meat, meatballs, nuts, jerky, dried and fresh fruit are always on hand for anyone who’s hungry during the day – plenty of selections to make anyone happy. We do still have a family dinner that consists of protein and veggies. Typically it’ll be something like a roast in the crockpot with root veggies or chicken stir fry.
A few times a week, though, dinner is meatballs. As I mentioned before, they’re always in the fridge and have become a staple for us. Leftovers are great for snacks or lunch, and they are fabulous vehicles for BBQ sauce or marinara sauce. These meatballs are amazing because you can dip them, smother them, or eat them plain- hot or cold. They’re a family favorite and simple to make! So easy, in fact- I’m going to stop to teach you how to make them:
Now that we’ve got the food out of the way: on to moving and sleeping. Paleo movement doesn’t require hours on a treadmill, as it creates undue stress on our bodies. What our active lives do involve is walking, sprinting, and lifting. Walk often, daily if possible, at a moderate speed – you should still be able to carry on a conversation. To get your heart rate up, sprint short distances, once a week or so. Find a Paleo trainer to help with proper lifting form to avoid injury. The weight component of Paleo workouts involves both lifting our body weight (pushups, pull ups, and squats) and actual weights (bars, dumbbells, or kettle bells) three or four times a week.
When I first started exercising this way, I was most excited about the rest days, but it turns out I really enjoy lifting and love feeling strong. I used to “play” with my kids by having them bring a book to me on the couch so I could read it to them. Now we hike trails, play tag, and chase each other on the playground.
When it comes to sleep – we’re supposed to get some. Our bodies work their best when fully rested. If you can sleep in a quiet, dark room and wake without an alarm, that’s ideal. At the very least, not staying up to watch the Late Show is a smart move. For us, that means the kids, all elementary school aged, get ten to eleven hours of sleep each night. My husband and I usually hit the sack an hour or so after they do and get at least eight hours ourselves.
That’s it. I know – it’s easy for me to say it’s that effortless. We have lived this way for a few years, but if you really think about it – it’s not that complicated. It’s eating less out of boxes and cooking more at home. It’s spending fewer hours running my knees into the ground and more playing with my kids. It’s really about taking care of you – all of you. You’re worth it. I’m worth it. My family is more energetic and healthier, inside and out. And we’re happy. When it comes down to it: that’s what I was looking for.
