For about the past month, I’ve been researching a few different diets – wondering if perhaps they might help some of the health issues we’ve been dealing with in our family.

I should note that researching different diets is probably one of my favorite things to do. Seriously. I could read about nutrition all day long…and that’s not an exaggeration.

Specifically, I’ve been looking at the GAPS diet and paleo/primal eating. There are a couple of things that really drew me to both – they’re both based on whole foods and good fats, both are somewhat in line with the Weston Price Foundation, and they make some pretty serious health claims.  Also, they both pull grains in general out of the diet, something I’ve been wanting to test out on my guinea pigs family.

And  ultimately – for us – a paleo/primal framework was the winner.

The primary reason? Tom’s on board with and even excited about it, and that goes a long, long way with me.

Also, I’ve been dealing with a nasty case of gastritis for the past two weeks, and I’ve noticed that I can eat meat, veggies, a little fruit, good fats, eggs and broth with no problem. A little bland rice and I’m in pain. I’ve noticed for the past year that oatmeal doesn’t do nice things to my insides (to put it gently) and corn makes me itchy. One of the curses of knowing you have one serious food sensitivity is that you tend to recognize others.

Finally, the before and after story on Paleo Parents really sealed the deal, along with a lot of other stories I came across.

Right now, we’re transitioning. Focusing on learning about what it means to eat this way. Looking realistically at the pros and the cons – something I do for every diet I study and try, and something I recommend everyone do since I really don’t think there’s ever been an unbiased nutritional study (just google any diet name and critiques).  Determining what our paleo framework will be – it’s going to have to fit in our budget, it will include a little organic and possibly raw dairy and it’s going to have some wiggle room (I really like Mark Sisson’s 80/20 principal). Planning meals a little more intentionally so we know we have better breakfasts and lunches.

This is a lifestyle and I want to treat it as such. It’s a little easier for me, having already spent the last year avoiding everything with gluten. Realistically, I can’t control everything the kids eat at school and I know that. I can control what comes into our kitchen and what I cook, and I can encouarge better choices for those situations outside the home.

For now, though, we’re planning on a 30 day “trial” – is it something we can follow and are the results there? I figure if I survived nearly six months as a vegeterian, I can definitely do a month of paleo. My goal is to share a little update every week with our progress and any frustrations or thoughts.

If you’re considering a transition to a paleo/primal diet like we are, here are a few websites and blogs that I’ve found helpful:

Paleo Diet Lifestyle – information, recipes, more information. It’s the first place I go when I have a question.
Mark’s Daily Apple – definitely primal. Tons more info and some really great looking recipes.
Robb Wolf – author of The Paleo Solution (highly recommended).
Cave Girl Eats – just plain good reading.
Paleo Parents – super inspiring, with recipes and great blog posts.
Elana’s Pantry – a great resource for gluten-free recipes in general. We’re huge fans of these pancakes!
Chowstalker and Dessertstalker – galleries of user-generated recipes.