THE POISON APPLE

Having nearly finished The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf, I definitely have a stronger opinion regarding the caveman diet.  The information is almost identical to that which is presented in The Primal Blueprint so I'll spare you a rehash of the details, but it definitely hit home this time around.  I'm not sure if this is because I'm hearing the information for the second time or if Wolf's witty repartee has sold me on the concept, but I am convinced this is my solution.

I had a serious awakening around chapter four.  I realized that even with all my commitment and tenacity, I am still not taking this situation as seriously as I need to be.  I have been fooling myself; believing that this coma of poor heath is fixable through diet, exercise, and medication when really the situation is far more devastating than that.  The quick fix diets and extreme exercise of my youth is not going to repair my health.  Wolf has done a great job of spelling out what insulin resistance really means and just how toxic it is to my organs, systems, and future health.

Within every diagnosis is an ignorance, mostly on the part of the patient, but sometimes even the doctors.  I fear most people have not invested the proper effort into understanding what a health condition may mean for them.  I, on the other hand, have been trying to get a better understanding since I first heard the words Insulin Resistant.  I can tell you that my efforts will need to become a lot more serious or I will live a life of poor health.  This discovery explains why I have days where I look and feel so darn bad, because I am not just fat, I AM SICK!

Never before have I had to consider losing weight for any reason other than wanting to look good.  This isn't about a guy or fitting a favorite pair of jeans.  My need to lose weight has become a matter of life or death.  I'm not suggesting that I have some incurable disease; quite the contrary, but research suggests that those who stay on this path without making life changes end up drowning in a sea of health problems that lead to untimely death.

When faced with this realization, why do so many people still chose the poison apple??  Why do I reach for pizza, pasta, or apple pie when I know it is killing me??  Why do I continue to dig my own grave??

Adopting a Paleo eating plan may not fix all my problems, but I'm willing to give it a try.  I feel this plan of attack most closely matches the set of wayward criteria that I am trying to correct.  While difficult, I'm hoping the avoidance of grains, carbs, and other sugars will help me reverse the damage.

FROM SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS:

Queen: Dip the apple in the brew. Let the Sleeping Death seep through.
[the poison on the apple forms a skull]
Queen: Look! On the skin! The symbol of what lies within. Now, turn red, to tempt Snow White, to make her hunger for a bite.
Queen: [offering the apple to the raven] Have a bite?
[the raven flaps wildly, trying to escape]
Queen: [laughing] It's not for you, it's for Snow White. When she breaks the tender peel, to taste the apple in my hand, her breath will still, her blood congeal, then I'll be fairest in the land! 
Queen: [Sniffing] Mm-hmm. Baking pies?
Snow White: Yes, gooseberry pie.
Queen: It's apple pies that make the menfolks' mouths water. Pies made from apples like these.
Snow White: Oh, they do look delicious.
Queen: Yes, but wait 'til you taste one, dearie. Like to try one? Go on. Go on, have a bite.

Queen: And since you've been so good to poor old Granny, I'll share a secret with you. This is no ordinary apple. It's a magic wishing apple. 

Snow White: A wishing apple?
Queen: Yes. One bite, and all your dreams will come true.
Snow White: Really?
Queen: Yes, girlie. Now, make a wish, and take a bite. 

Snow White: Oh, I feel strange.
[Starts gasping for air]
Queen: [to herself] Her breath will still. Her blood congeal.
[Snow White drops onto the floor]
Queen: [Cackling] Now I'll be fairest in the land!