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For the past month, Mycah Kirkland has followed Atlanta Institute of Aesthetics Instructor Carol Venclik’s journey, growth, and successes with the Engine 2 Diet. I’m very happy for Carol…she is an amazing person, and everyone who knows her wants to see her healthy.
But, as I read the blog series, I kept thinking that the amount of grains involved in the Engine 2 Diet would absolutely not be a good match for me. Personally, I don’t think I could get on board. You see…I am more of a “paleo” kid.
For those not familiar with “paleo,” it is also often referred to as the “caveman diet,” and it’s a big deal in the CrossFit community. I personally feel that the paleo lifestyle is an optimal path to health and wellness. More specifically, Dallas and Melissa Hartwig’s Whole30 program which began with a paleo template.
Before I tell you the reasons why I’m such a fan of paleo, let me first tell you how I discovered this lifestyle. My wife eats a pescetarian diet, and while I’m not opposed to eating vegetarian, I’m not a big fan of fish. For the longest time, we ate a lot of soy-based protein products, and a generally vegetarian diet. Sometimes, I would have meat and she would have fish.
My wife wanted me to try this thing called the Whole 30 – a 30 day paleo challenge. It sounded so restrictive that I was certain I couldn’t do it. Finally, I committed to doing a Whole 30 with the folks in my gym. Except… I only halfway committed. I knew that I had some special events during that month, so I planned days “off” the program.
It was a good enough “dry run” that eventually, I would go on to commit to and execute a full 30 days of the Whole30. I also read the companion book It Starts With Food. The combination of the two changed my relationship with and perspective on food…permanently.
In his follow up post, Eric will explain the Whole 30 approach to a paleo diet, and dispel some of the common misconceptions about paleo.
[…] this series, I should outline a little bit about the paleo diet and the Whole30 challenge. In my previous post, I mentioned that I once thought that the Whole 30 sounded too restrictive for me to succeed. […]
[…] got a picture of what a Whole30 diet looks like from parts one and two, so now it’s time to understand the science behind this dietary lifestyle. The […]
[…] since I have completed an entire Whole30, knowing how it makes me feel to drop grains, I just kept thinking how all those grains would make […]