Realism. Or, “I don’t have time for this!”

In my effort to maintain a grain free diet, I’ve been reading all sorts of blogs and websites that are (I presume) real people who manage to pull this off on an ongoing basis.  As with anything else, I am finding that there are zealots in the paleo community; those who believe that unless you’re eating only grass fed, organic, free range, non medicated, tucked in at night with a kiss on the snout, beef, that you may as well be eating McDonalds for every meal.  To them, they have found the holy grail of good health and refuse to accept anything less than absolute caveman-perfection.   I’m happy for them (I’m not, I actually don’t care but it sounded good) but I can’t cram my life into that sort of perfection.

 

I just want to eat a healthy and colourful diet that doesn’t include grains.  That’s all.  And honestly, that’s all I have time for!  It already takes me a couple of hours each Sunday for weekday food prep plus all the standard cooking time during the week, I couldn’t imagine forcing myself to drive to a cattle ranch an hour from my house that is only open Tuesdays at 2pm just to buy special meat.  I understand that grass fed, organic, small facility beef is probably the ultimate goal…..but what if you don’t have that kind of time?  The roast that I bought at Costco isn’t good enough?  It’s good enough for me.  I’m also not going to make pemmiken, eat offal (the parts of the animal that most of us consider the guts), make my own coconut milk or raise my own chickens. 

 

Having said all that, I wonder if there is a place for people such as myself in the paleo community?  Or do the all-in, balls-t0-the-wall people scare off those looking to do something as simple (I’m not saying easy) as eliminating grains from their diet?  I wonder…………

 

Now, on to other things.  Apparantly there is a big sign over my head when I go out in public that in some way makes people believe that I am open to comments or suggestions about things that are none of their business.  I often wish that I was enough of a bitch or quick enough on the draw to return the ‘gesture’ with my own comments.  In the grocery line on Sunday a lovely old gramma, about 60-ish years old was behind me in line.  I was alone in the grocery store so I guess she figured I was fair game for a chat.  On my grocery belt was the following:

 

organic bananas

organic red kale

6 avacados

strawberries

a box of frozen berries

a box of 100% fruit juice popsicles

mushrooms

a bag of organic unsweetened coconut

a dozen eggs

a red onion

four vine tomatos

a bag of bell peppers

four organic yellow onions

two cans of coconut milk

a jar of almond butter

2lbs of fresh snapper

a container of mixed greens

two zucchinis

a container of 100% OJ and a bag of cookies for my sick hubby

 

The gramma in line behind me took the opportunity to inform me that avacados have a lot of fat in them and that I should really be careful and watch how many of them I’m eating.  WTH?  Are you kidding me?  I wasn’t quick enough on the draw and all I said is “Yes, I’m aware” (which, Tara tells me probably got my overall feeling through loud and clear) and then turned around and played with my phone.  And now, a photo of my grocery belt.  Does it not look like maybe I’ve got the whole healthy-eating thing down and do NOT need nutrition advice from strangers?  Gah!

 

 

 

 

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