I didn't over eat, I actually NEVER ate.
"Growing up, food was a constant source of tension. I come from a family with a huge
emotional dependence on food. Our relationship with food has always been unhealthy.
My siblings and I were the healthiest of the bunch, striving to learn from our parents and
grandparents mistakes and live healthier lives. The three of us were athletic, and I went
into college weighing in at 125 muscular pounds as a swimmer. Somehow, I still always
struggled with my weight. The freshman 15 never seemed to stop. I went through the
healthy “motions” (exercise/diet), yet my weight fluctuated.
I worked out and ate “healthy” and before I knew it I exceeded 200 lbs. I was devastated.
Then I got pregnant and ballooned to 245. I never really recovered emotionally, and to
some extent resigned myself to be overweight. I was miserable and completely focused
my energy and attention on a career I despised, because it was easier than dealing with
the situation at hand.
One of the things I think we overlook in all our talk about nutrition, is the psychological
side of eating. Food can be an addiction, a coping mechanism, even a fear. I had become
so depressed, leading to more weight gain, making me work more, sleep less and skip
meals, a vicious cycle. I would go days without eating. I was sabotaging myself at every
turn with the end result of starving myself in mind, yet still getting bigger. I didn't over
eat, I actually NEVER ate.
A few things led to my turn around, primarily, though the prevalence of cancer in my life.
In a 5 year period I had lost my grandfather and uncle to cancer, watched my dear friend’s
7 year old daughter struggle through 18 months of chemo for an inoperable brain tumor,
found out my dad had cancer and that my father, brother and sister were genetic carriers
for the BRCA mutation linked to genetic breast and ovarian cancers. In all of this, I found a
lump in my breast and what they labeled pre-cancerous cells in my uterus and cervix. Can
you say wake up call?! I believed it was just a matter of waiting for it to be my turn.
STILL, I had every excuse. Paleo seemed hard & time consuming, I don’t do “planning”and
I need variety. Blah, Blah, Blah.
I, personally and whole heatedly, believe in the cold turkey method. I think people are
more likely to fail if they don’t commit to change - at least I KNOW I am more likely to fail
if I didn't commit 100%. When you have an emotional co-dependence on food, to suggest
that you can somehow navigate those feelings in “stages” is like telling an alcoholic to
have a “cheat” drink once a week. I knew that what I fed my body was either going to kill
me or save my life. I looked at my kids and wanted to live. This wasn't a choice, it was a
necessity.
So, I committed to 30 days, for the whole family. After all, what’s 30 days? That’s nothing!
... I used the Paleo Solution as my guide, but my approach was very similar to the whole
30 - STRICT. I took all the opportunity to fail away by giving away all the food in my home
and starting from scratch with only meats, veggies, nuts, berries, spices and healthy fats
The rest of the house was bare. I kept it very simple. Every meal was a meat/fish, veggie
and fat. With an occasional sprinkle of fruit. At the end of 30 days, I felt like a new person
That emotional dependence was broken, those comfort foods had lost their grasp. Not
only did I not miss them, I despised them for what they’d done to me. My asthma was so
much improved, my migraines dissolved. I had lost only about 10 lbs. but I had energy,
clarity and focus that I don’t even remember having ever.
Fast forward 6 months... I had lost over 30 lbs, dropped 2 dress sizes, not suffered a
migraine or asthma attack, eliminated hip and knee pain I’d suffered from for years, &
improved my hormone balance. I started exercising again. All of that considered, I had a
remarkably fast and easy recovery from my hysterectomy which my doctors and I attribute
to my overall improved health. My husband had lost nearly 50 lbs, and eliminated allergies
that had plagued him since childhood. My children all who had been labeled asthmatics,
were breathing easier. We made it through this past winter without so much as a cold
when everyone around us was suffering with the flu. The brain fog lifted and productivity
increased, emotional issues losing their debilitating power, I realized that it was time to
make other major changes in my life. I attribute all of the courage and strength physically,
emotionally and mentally that I’ve mustered to the momentum I’ve gained from making
this first step and changing how we eat.
Fast forward another year... I can honestly say that moving to an ancestral health based
lifestyle: eating real foods & making movement a priority, getting outside, sleeping
enough and learning to live again has been the easiest (yes EASIEST) and most rewarding
thing I have ever done for myself or my family.
Eating well really is simple, it’s cost effective and it affords a huge variety of foods, in
addition it has brought me closer to my family, my friends and even myself than I ever
thought possible. My new motto is Eat well, Sleep well,Move well and Live well! For the
first time, I understand how interconnected my physical and mental health are, and that
it all starts with food." ~ Leanna Cappucci
READ MORE TRANSFORMATION STORIES LIKE LEANNA'S IN THE PALEO MIRACLE E-BOOK (PDF): http://bit.ly/
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