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So I kind of started my Paleo diet yesterday, although I really didn’t because I had ice cream yesterday evening. I didn’t know it at the time but the reason I had ice cream is that I’m addicted to sugar. Well, actually addicted might be too strong a word because scientists don’t really know what to think of it but certainly something is going on. Let me explain.

In case you haven’t heard of the Paleo diet it’s been around since the 1970’s and it’s all about cutting sugar, grains, legumes and dairy products from your diet to imitate the diet of our paleolithic ancestors. The guy who first thought of it had some sort of idea that because our DNA pretty much hasn’t changed at all since then we should be better equipped to eat what they were eating. Personally I think that sounds like bullshit but the fact is that people on the Paleo diet are healthier, thinner and have decreased risk of heart disease, diabetes among a whole lot of other things.

And it does kind of make sense if you leave the whole DNA thing out of it. (And stop comparing us to our paleolithic ancestors; they had to be in great shape or they would be eaten by a wild bear or something.) Grain and sugar based foods have a high glycemic index which means they release glucose into our blood stream faster than other foods. And research shows that following a low GI diet leads to decreased risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease while high GI diets are linked with a higher risk of obesity.

So as I said I began the diet yesterday evening with a lovely clay baked chicken with various vegetables. It was great but afterwards I didn’t really feel satisfied the way I usually do after a big meal. I didn’t think much of it but later that evening I started craving ice cream. I thought okay, since it’s the weekend I’ll allow myself some ice cream and that was it. Fast forward to today after a lunch of some raw vegetables (takeaway from a nearby salad place). Again, I was craving anything with sugar and this time I was feeling a bit dizzy and generally terrible. I told my good friend and colleague Lærke who said “Oh, that’s just because you’re addicted to sugar,” and gave me some almonds and a glass of water. After a while it helped a bit and I started to accept that maybe I was actually more dependent of sugar that I had realized.

I’ve just had a late dinner, left over chicken and veggies from yesterday with the addition of a couple of fried eggs and some sweet, sweet bacon. Again, I’m beginning to feel the sugar craving sneak up on me. This time I’m ready for it: I’ve cut up an apple and a pear which I’m currently snacking on, realizing I’m becoming one of those people who consider fruit an acceptable snack.

They say the sugar thing wears off in a couple of days. I certainly hope so.