What an amazing adventure Morocco has been! And we still have three days left. What a different culture. And the food has been right up my alley. All the food has been freshly selected that morning from the hand picked vegetables to the freshly procured protein of the day. Olives at every meal and fresh baked bread (heirloom wheat, and other grains) are served morning, noon and night. Desserts consist of fresh fruit, oranges, apples and bananas. And the mint tea, which is ritually prepared as an offering every where we visited or spent the night.
We camped in the Sahara desert and rode camels into the sunset. I climbed atop a 300 ft sand dune and sat to watch the sun sink into the night. A definite must do! It was spectacular! Then when the moon slipped away from the sky, the stars where a palette in the sky. I could see every star, planet, the Milky Way, shooting stars, satellites and the International Space Station! Simply awestriking!
The ritual mint tea served as a welcome everywhere in Morocco!
The other interesting thing that I noticed, so different from the U.S., is the obesity level is very low. The obesity level of the area is only 13.3%, but on the rise from the early 90’s, when the rate was only 4.1%. Mind you, I do see some slightly overweight folks, but they are working in the fields and doing hard labor. They grow a lot of what they eat and make their own fresh bread. The greatest rate of obesity is definitely noted in the urban areas. That is such a low percentage compared to the U.S., tipping the scale at 34.9% for obese Americans in 2013. And the other one third of the state is
overweight! What a sad statistic! Are you one of those statistics? Here is a link to calculate your BMI (Body Mass Index). Just so you know! A normal BMI should be between 18 and 24. Are you shocked that you fall into one of those overweight or obese categories? Then let’s do something about it!
ONE DEGREE OF CHANGE #24: Eat More Like A Caveman or Cavewoman!
If you are serious about getting into the one third of the population that has a normal BMI then I have a plan for you! First of all what the heck does it mean to “eat like a caveman”? The term comes from the paleolithic diet or from the stone age. Back in that time, the people were hunters and gatherers. They didn’t shop at a grocery store or have processed foods. If the ate protein, they would have to decide if it was worth the energy expenditure to capture the protein source. Usually not! So they picked berries, found leafy greens, munched on nuts and discovered root vegetables. All food items that didn’t require cooking or very little. No grains, no dairy, no sugar, no legumes, no beans and no salt. So you see, we are already predispositioned to eat that way. And honestly, it meets all the requirements of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Here are ten steps to eating like the Stone Agers:
- Eat protein at every meal.
- Eat more good fat.
- Eat foods that support your gut.
- Keep your omega 3 fatty acids coming.
- Have a glass of red wine instead of beer.
- Entertain at home so you can create foods to support your efforts.
- “Google” recipes that are paleo.
- Convert your favorite family recipe to a paleo form.
- Visit my One Degree of Change #6 to pick a new veggie to try each month.
- Recheck your cabinets and pantry for processed foods, anything in a box or package.
Typical dinner in Morocco!
It is really an easy transition, but don’t be too strict as you make your changes. Be gentle with your choices. Select a cheat day, allow yourself to have something you have been craving. Just one degree of change is all that it takes!
Be the change!