As I get more into the paleo/primal/ancestral way of eating I look to the same principles to guide my lifestyle. For a few months now I've been doing things a little differently than I used to. I like using things with more apparent ingredients. All the changes I've made have enriched my life in one way or another, and I think it would be really interesting to see what changes other people have made as part of a paleo/primal/ancestral lifestyle.
Food
I eat simply cooked grass-fed beef, fermented foods, leafy greens, some starchy tubers, broths, and offal. I don't snack anymore. Treats are very rare for me now. I eat slowly. My relationship with food has completely changed. It used to be that I couldn't go more than a few hours without eating, and I was constantly hungry. Now I eat when it's mealtime and don't care too much. If I go many hours without eating there isn't a meltdown. I can have chocolate in the house and not eat it, as sometimes I just don't care for it. I am conscientious of whether my food is local and in season, and the majority of my food is.
Bath and Body
I now make my own toothpaste and deodorant. I use coconut oil as lip balm. When I wash my face I use the oil cleansing method or just water, and I wash my hair with baking soda and vinegar. I haven't gone so far as to use a lilypad but I'm thinking about it.
Cleaning
I use baking soda and vinegar, and bon ami, for much of my cleaning, though I have a lot to improve on in this area. I've started using soap nuts for laundry.
Movement
I walk about 25 miles per week, mostly along a creek. I do body weight exercises and run when I feel like it. I got rid of all my old shoes and wear mostly toe-shoes (Vibram five-fingers) or the various zero-drop shoes such as Vivobarefoot. I've been thinking about taking more breaks at work to move a little, and have started doing some of my work standing up for short periods of time here and there. I'm trying to take the stairs and such more often.
Sleep
I use an orange light at night and go to bed early, around 9pm. I use blackout curtains and cover all the electronics' lights in the room.
Social
I suck at this one, especially now that I don't go out to eat with people anymore. I'm trying to encourage more activity-centered outings with friends, but it's difficult to change mindsets.
Has paleo made me a total hippy now? What changes have you made to your life as part of being paleo?
