What to Expect When You Start Eating Healthy

I had a lot of questions come in today about problems/ intesting things people are noticing when they start eating healthier and more natural.

1.) I have headaches, is this normal?

~Yes, your body is re-learning what to eat. Your brain is telling your stomach it needs breads, sugars, caffine and junk food. Your body is basically on "reset" mode and you are teaching it what it NEEDS rather than what it WANTS. I found that the best thing to do is have some safe carbs- Fruit, sweet potatoes etc. I experienced this at first and my fix was a juicy burger and some sweet potato fries! This may last 2 days or 3 weeks. Every one reacts differently. It took me a month to adjust my body to my new routine. Even 4 months in, I am still readjusting my portions and food intake.

2.) I have Diarrhea and an uneasy tummy, what should I do?
Read my previous blog on Troubleshooting your tummy Part 1 and  Part 2. This is very normal because you have drastically increased your fiber and protein intake. Most people who start paleo eat a lot of seeds and fruit- these can cause Diarrhea and/or constipation- make sure you are eating all the food groups in moderation. If you are looking to lose weight, try to replace some of your fruits with vegetables. You have to find out what eating habits work for you!

3.) I can't do that Paleo thing because I have kids.
I can't comment on this but I can assure you that it is possible to eat healthy and have children. My family ate healthy with us (5 girls) and I know several families that eat Paleo  with children.
Check out :

http://weserind.blogspot.com/ - They are a family of 6 and they eat Primal

http://www.paleoparents.com/eat-like-a-dinosaur They wrote an adorable book called "Eat like a Dinosaur"

4.) I eat all the time now, why am I always hungry?
This question was from a friend who is currently training for a full marathon. I told her that I (who is also training for a race- not a marathon!) am constantly eating. Most of it is boredom and habit but there are a few things that could cause the need to eat.

•  When you are training for intense races, you need to be eating a post work out meal within 30 minutes to keep your body healthy and fueled. Try to stick to high protein and safe carbs. After my long distance runs I have sweet potatoes or a bowl of fresh fruit. I've also been shown Zico coconut water this is better than a sugary Gatorade and it works well to refuel your bodies nutrients.
• Don't eat just fruit and seeds, you need to be eating protein. Make sure you have high protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner. You need to be eating and skipping meals, especially when training, will only damage your body. Read!
• Remember that you are eating 100% natural healthy foods. It is okay to eat because you are getting so many good nutrients. Some days I walk around my classroom with a bag of sunflower seeds or trail mix and I munch on them all day long. You will have days when you are hungry but don't worry- just eat! Try to stick to veggies, jerky and meat when you get hungry. For a while I was hitting the Dark Chocolate pretty hard (like an entire bag of chocolate chips at one time) and I have been slowly cutting it out because it was my go to snack when I get hungry. Try cutting up veggies so they are snack ready in your fridge or lunch box.

I hope these answers are helpful. Comment below if you have any advice or have more questions that didn't get answered tonight!