So the meal plan was very budget-friendly, though I picked up some extra stuff because I’m pregnant and eating like a mutant. The budget was also helped along by the CSA box we pick up once every 3 weeks. It has a lot of what most Paleo people would consider “occasional” or “not recommended” items, but I figure if I’m skipping the black beans I’d better take the hundred thousand potatoes on offer, so they don’t throw them at my head when I try to leave.

I did get an awesome deal on honey, though. I traded all the stuff we definitely don’t want (black beans, local wheat, bread, and some random veggies I knew I would never cook) for an extra jar. It’s so good I’ve caught my husband sneaking it by the spoonful. It’s such a precious item I just have to keep repeating in my mind: Whatever dude, you’re paying for it.

A snag, though, is a) I forgot that every time we do “this” I spend a few days feeling constantly hungry, no matter how much I eat and b) I still can’t really stomach too many cooking smells. I’m minimizing kitchen time by relying heavily on doctoring up the leftovers. Dinner last night was simple and really good – a package of oven-roasted tomatoes in a saucepan with leftover roasted chicken and some parmesan, steamed peas and mashed sweet potatoes with coconut cream, sea salt, and cinnamon. It took about 20 minutes to make, and next to nothing for ingredients. I highly recommend it.

Some folks do this for weight-loss or weight control, in which case you’d want to watch your carbs for awhile to help yourself along. But in this case my objective is simple: stay awake and be nice to my family.

While we were filling up on cheap meals like oatmeal and macaroni, my energy levels hit rock bottom. I spent close to three weeks sleeping until 8 a.m., napping with my son, and going to bed when he went to bed, and still barely pulling myself around. I also found that I was getting into an unbearably deep depression. Crying daily, not handling even minor things well, and thinking some scary thoughts. Seasonal depression is normal for me, and the only year in my adult life that I didn’t experience it at all was the season we were following Paleo/Primal 100%.

I sent my mom a text about the lows of my situation right as my sister sent me one telling me they were trying Paleo again. I had forgotten how much better it had made me feel, and it was a relief to realize that most of this was probably diet-related. It was really hard to see a solution so plainly and still have to wait to be able to afford better food and essentially stop poisoning myself. Shifting so that meals and most snacks are grain free has made a big difference in just these couple of days, but I’m doing it gradually this time because I feel like it… and because last time I tried to just flip the switch I burned out.

TLDR: We’re 75% Paleo and I feel 75%  better already.