Paleo is not a diet... it's a lifestyle

I was told again this morning by an online friend that she admires my willpower. This came after I had said that I no longer eat the delicious German Milka and Rittersport chocolate. She also said she likes to occasionally enjoy a piece of chocolate.

Well, I do, too. I love chocolate. I simply don't eat milk chocolate anymore, because 1) I have eliminated almost all dairy, 2) it's full of sugar. And as we all have learned by now, sugar is bad news. I do eat dark chocolate. And I do so at least three times a week. I love, love, love chocolate.

Of course this makes me think of all the other times in the past 5 months that people have admired my so-called willpower. They almost seem to imply that I'm somehow keeping myself from truly enjoying life. They talk to me like I'm on a terrible, horrible diet that requires lots of willpower every day, because I can't eat _______________ (insert bread, rice, cereal, chocolate and other sugar-laden foods).

Let me tell you, once and for all, that I am not on a diet. I changed my way of eating from mostly processed carbs, grains, and sugars to mostly unprocessed foods like meat, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Yes, dark chocolate is allowed. :) I eat it in moderation, and I enjoy it immensely.
I don't suffer. I don't need any kind of crazy willpower. The fact is, once all the sugar is out of your system, you no longer crave it. You don't need it, and you don't want it.

It is when I do eat sugar that I suffer. I get headaches and stomach aches, and I feel moody. It is when I eat grains that my body revolts.

Going paleo, in my world means, that you make a lifestyle change. And you make that change for good. It means, you did your homework, you read up on the subject of primal living, you are convinced it's right, and you won't go back.

You find joy in food like you haven't in years. Every meal becomes a celebration. And every piece of chocolate tastes heavenly. Every glass of wine is a truly delicious treat. No willpower involved, just pure joy. :)

And that's it for my rant. :) Off to the first Farmers' Market of the season. Hoorah!