Bacon is Good

February 18, 2015

Here’s a fun question to answer…. “Hey Shelby what kinda diet are you on? I know I’ve asked like three times, I just don’t get it.” To be honest, I didn’t get it at first either. I’ve been on dozens of Paleo sites trying to pinpoint exactly what this diet entails…or more accurately, what it doesn’t entail. It’s pretty simple, though, when you think about it this way: if the humans of the Paleolithic Era (a really long time ago, even before agriculture and chipotle (yeah I know, dark times)) didn’t have access to it, you can’t eat it or drink on the Paleo diet. The good news is that almost all meats are included in this. A DIET THAT LET’S YOU EAT RED MEAT? Yes. Jackpot. The bad news is that this does not include any dairy product, grain product, processed food, junk food, fast food, fake food, or really anything that brings you happiness. Just kidding. Well, actually I’m not kidding at all. Literally none of my favorite foods made the list of acceptable things according to the Paleo diet. Except bacon. Bacon is the saving grace. 

See the problem is, Americans aren’t the best at eating food for its true purpose: to fuel and energize us. Going out to eat is merely a social event. In fact, it’s very rare to spend more than a few hours with friends or family and not have food incorporated in some way. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it becomes a bad thing when the food everybody eats is doing nothing but sitting and rotting in the body. Food has lost its purpose of energizing us if it doesn’t have any nutrients. After 18, almost 19 years of living in a culture that practically idolizes food, I had to do some major mind adjustments in order to change my habits. Everything on the Paleo diet is meant to enrich the body in a positive way. When everything you are putting into yourself is being used to help make you function, it leaves no room for fats, sugars, and carbs to settle and cause weight gain. Therefore, weight is lost! It’s really awesome. And seeing physical results is far more awesome than the temporary tastes of my favorite foods. 

So next time someone asks me why I’m taking the bun and cheese off of my hamburger, or they joke about throwing my food into a bush for me to gather myself, I have no problem telling them why I’m eating this way. Paleo is not a diet, it is a change of lifestyle- one I plan to continue even after I reach my goal weight.