Oh, Yeah...THIS is Why I Eat This Way...

So, this past week has been a bit of a hodgepodge/mess of eating and my body is suffering the consequences. I maintain a pretty strict eating routine and when I do decide to eat outside the parameters of Paleo, my choices include an alcoholic beverage or something like a little goat cheese on my salad...these small "indulgences", here and there, create a bit of a negative change in my performance and overall feeling of wellbeing, but nothing like I'm experiencing with this recent madness. This past week, all of my normal eating went by the wayside.

In addition to my healthy eating choices, since last Thursday, I have consumed the following:

1. Thursday: Fondue, from The Melting Pot, in the form cheese, broth, and chocolate...no grains, but really it wouldn't have made any difference. Our meal was called, "The Big Night Out"...oh, it was. This was a really fun experience and a great way to celebrate my friend, Becky's, birthday.          
                                                                      
   -the next two days I was majorly congested and actually thought I was coming down with a cold (would've been my first bout of sickness since the elimination of all things inflammatory)...thankfully, I wasn't/didn't.

2. Sunday (day): Fair Food (see pictures below)

My First Corn Dog

Fried Beer...YUCK! And, just wrong...

Fried Peanut Butter, Banana, and Jelly Sandwich 

Fried Butter w/Honey, Cinnamon, and Sugar

Fried Oreo Cookies

Cotton Candy...Scott's Mom and Grandma ate this one. 

   -I had a bite of each fried item and consumed 1/2 of my first corn dog...yes, I had never before eaten a corn dog. And, unless I go the The Texas State Fair again, I probably won't do it again.

3. Sunday (night): Homemade Pasta ala Bolognese

   -this is something I make maybe twice a year and is SO worth the consequences...when not eaten the same day as the above mentioned "food" items.
   -I barely slept due to my itchy skin and uncomfortable stomach, and woke up Monday morning puffy* and with tight, irritated skin...perfect for the "Bobby Flay Book Signing" I would be attending that morning...

*You can actually see the puffiness in my eyes...my left one wouldn't stop weeping. Nice. 

4. Monday (night): Caramel-Apple Cheesecake from Bobby Flay's new cookbook, "Throwdown".

Caramel-Apple Cheesecake (a Bobby Flay recipe)

But it wasn't all bad...I also ate:

Scrambled Eggs

Grass-Fed Beef Filets w/Roasted Asparagus and Apple-Bacon Salad

Burger (no bun) w/Bacon, Egg, and Roasted Jalapenos from Red's

Chicken and Beef Fajitas w/Guacamole and Salsa on a Bed of Lettuce from Chuy's

My question...do many people feel like this on a regular basis and just accept that this feeling is "normal"? Has bloating, discomfort, skin irritation, fatigue, and squishiness become the norm in our society? 

Moral of the story...sometimes it's fun to venture out and try new things, but don't expect to feel good when the new things are not recognizable in nature. And, it may not always be "easy" to eat this way, but it sure is worth it. Now, I think I need a nap...