In early 2009, through Leo Babauto’s fitness efforts, I discovered Mark’s Daily Apple. I was amazed by what I read, & if you take a look, I’m sure you will be too. I was high skeptical at first, but the more I dug & the more I’ve read, I’m pretty much sold on the idea of eating like our ancestors.

There’s a LOT to slog through over there (if you’re interested, I’d suggest starting here), but here’s the basic idea: Our DNA hasn’t changed much in 100,000 years. At that time, we were hunter-gatherers – hunting our meat & gathering our nuts, seeds, veggies, & fruits. We didn’t eat grains, because we couldn’t really until the agricultural revolution that began only as recent as some 10,000 years ago. With so many people experiencing gluten intolerance, it follows that we, as a species, are not really designed to eat grains.

As I mentioned, I was HIGHLY skeptical about this idea. But after a year of reading about so many food allergies, intolerances, & problems with our food supply from a variety of blogs & books, I was ready to take the dive & give it a try. It took a few weeks of “tomorrow I’m giving up grains!” only to eat a big bowl of pasta before I was finally able to do it. At the beginning of the new year, I finally did it. & although there have been a few slip-ups, I’ve been pretty successful at doing so.

Now, I’m not going to be preachy about this, especially since there’s more at stake when it comes to eating than simply science. Most people are vegetarians/vegans for more reasons than health, & I certainly don’t subscribe to the idea that we’re meant to ONLY eat meat, as some followers of the paleo lifestyle believe. I eat more fruit than many people do, & come summer, I don’t intend to care about carbs when I dig into an absolutely delicious fruit salad.

But I can tell you that since starting, I’ve lost weight without even trying & I feel absolutely wonderful. I haven’t craved the carbs like many people seem to, but I equate that to the fact that I’d already cut way back on sugars & had cut high fructose corn syrup out of my life for at least six months prior. I don’t miss the pasta or sandwiches, but I won’t lie – I could really go for a good chunk of Panera bread. But so far, so good, & I’ve only slipped a few times. I doubt I’ll ever live this life 100%, but 80% seems like a pretty good start.

So consider that my explanation for where all the recipes disappeared to. As my eating habits change & I re-work some of my favorites, I’ll be sure to keep them coming. But in the meantime, I’m eating a lot of baked chicken, steamed veggies, & stirfries. My tummy is very happy, but sadly, it makes for boring recipes that basically include the following steps:

01.) Drizzle your choice of oil in pan
02.) Saute your choice of veggies + meat until cooked through
03.) Place into bowl; drizzle with marinara sauce as desired. Enjoy.

What I really do like about all this, though, is that I’ve essentially eliminated all processed food. I cook nearly everything from scratch from good, wholesome ingredients, like eggs, butter, coconut oil, & almonds. I made my own chicken stock to make sauces & gravies & to add to vegetable dishes. This is something that I think everyone, no matter what their diet, ought to do more of. Fewer Lean Cuisines & canned pasta; more good, wholesome food made from scratch. I’ll tell you a little secret – it doesn’t have to take hours to make. Throw some chicken & carrots in your crockpot with a bit of chicken broth, & then go enjoy your time with loved ones. It’ll be ready in about an hour.

My promise to you is that although most of my recipes from this point on will focus on this style of eating, I will not preach about this. Ultimately, everyone’s health is different, & I’m certainly not one to judge your personal decisions. Be happy, be healthy, & above all, love life.