Hi Katie - and welcome to the list.

Congratulations on making good choices headed toward good health.  It's 
not easy making those first steps and it's harder sticking to your 
guns.  We've all been there.  Don't beat yourself up if you "fall off 
the wagon", just pick up and start again - persevere and you'll be rewarded.

We're here to support and try to help along the way.

Re: egg beaters, just my opinion, but I definitely prefer whole foods 
that are not processed.  Haven't opened a can or box of any kind of food 
in my house for a long time.  The fat and cholesterol in whole, raw eggs 
are good for optimum health (you'll probably hear this many times before 
it "takes").  Re: coffee, I find that it really jangles my nerves, 
disrupts digestion and assimilation and adds some toxins that I "pay" 
for later and have to go through a mini-detox to get back to normal.  
Coffee is a strong stimulant that wears out the body and glands suffer 
from the stimulant (just my simplistic viewpoint).  Coffee, like green 
and black tea, also tends to dry out the body (though I find green tea 
seems to jangle the nerves, etc., much less) and when I do drink green 
tea sometimes, I make sure to add plenty of extra raw fats to help 
compensate (to "re-lipidate" as it were).  For morning fare, I do like 
the occasional fruit and cream (in lieu of coffee with cream) or just 
"pop" a few raw eggs to start out the day.  (Actually, I've recently 
become fond of some raw bison liver as a morning "pick-me-up").

Regards,

-=mark=-

Katie Meyer wrote:
> Hello to ALL!
>
> Thought I'd introduce myself. My name is Katie. I'm new to the Paleo way. I started this with a lot of difficulty in June 2008. I was falling off the wagon on occasion, but stayed on it long enough to see a nice difference in the way I was feeling. I've always been such a junk food fanatic. I'm not overweight, but I have Arthritis everywhere in my body. I was experiencing a lot of pain, enough to stop me from doing an activity that had become a passion for me. I run dog Agility. I had to give it up for several months due the pain. Funny, my dog's breeder actually suggested that I give Paleo a chance. She started it 16 years ago mainly for weight loss, but discovered many more benefits as a result. It's totally changed her life. With that testimonial, I had to try it, too. 
>
> By November 2008 I was feeling SOoooo much better that I got careless. The holidays were upon us. I suppose I thought, "I'm fixed! I can go back to the grains, and sugar that I had given up." HA!!! I was wrong. It wasn't immediate, but the pain was definitely returning, and my mind was fogged over, too. My energy was dropping, etc., etc. I doubt I'll ever be totally pain free, but this way of eating is a big plus in reducing it.
>
> SOoooo, I'm back and decided to find a group, like this one. Sometimes there are questions, and newcomers especially need that occasional "kick in the pants."  I've only been back for just over a week, but feel so much more committed than before. I'm a young 64, and want to keep as active as I can. Besides running Agility courses, I bicycle, work out, and am always on the run. I know Paleo has to become my way of eating for life, if I want to feel my best. I just have to say, "no" to the foods that stand in my way. 
>
> I have been eating meats of all sorts. My favorites are chicken, and a good rare steak. I have green veggies, fruits (like berries & melon), nuts, cheese, eggs (actually more Egg Beaters ... that's probably a big no no. Please share your reasons, if you agree with that.)  I do have coffee with real cream in the morning. I know, that's not Paleo either. Perhaps I'll drop some of these things that aren't, in time. 
>
> If any of you have good tips to share, I'm all ears. Thanks!! 
>
> Sincerely, Katie
> [snip]