(Update: I don’t consider myself “paleo” per se anymore. I just focus on real food and I’m happily label-free.)
If you follow my Instagram feed you’ve probably noticed I’ve been eating a Paleo-ish way while traveling. Seven glorious weeks in Sydney and a fast, exciting month in Chiang Mai exposed me to incredible beaches, temples, food and culture. Those sights, sounds and tastes will stay with me long after I return home — and they’ve helped clear the autoimmune brain fog I used to have.
And yes, it’s all been Paleo(ish).
I added that “ish” on purpose, and I’m completely fine with it.
Why I no longer stress about dietary labels
If a single perfect diet existed for everyone, we’d all be at optimal health. The reality is different: we each have unique bodies, genes, microbiomes, ancestry and lifestyles. What helps me may not help you. What helped my parent may not help me.
After three years of ups and downs, I’ve learned to eat more intuitively — to choose real food that energizes me and to notice when something makes me feel off. I still write about and cook Paleo recipes, and I appreciate Paleo as a useful framework: a baseline that removes obvious and hidden inflammatory foods from a typical diet.
But I’m also rooted in reality. My safe, well-controlled kitchen is comforting, yet I don’t want to be confined to it. I like exploring, tasting local specialties and experiencing culture. Food is part of travel and living.
Enter the grey zone
I do have one absolute rule whether at home or abroad — I remain 100% gluten-free. As a person with celiac disease, avoiding gluten is non-negotiable: triggering an autoimmune reaction is simply not worth it.
Beyond gluten, most choices are flexible. I aim to eat Paleo about 80% of the time because that approach makes me feel great: no grains, quality proteins, plenty of vegetables and fruits, raw nuts, no refined sugar and minimal additives like artificial colors or preservatives.
That way of eating helps calm my adrenals, supports thyroid function and keeps my immune system strong. Those are tangible benefits.
But then there’s the other 20%
And honestly, that 20% often brings me a lot of joy.
Sometimes I’ll enjoy a corn taco at a Mexican restaurant in Sydney, make gluten-free oatmeal on a long flight to Cambodia, or savor mango sticky rice from a street stall in Chiang Mai. These choices aren’t strictly Paleo, but they’re not harmful to me either. Worrying obsessively over every deviation from a diet can be more damaging than an occasional indulgence — I say this as someone who’s been down that road.
Food should nourish the body and delight the senses. If you’re stressed about whether every vegetable came from a certified organic farm, you’re missing the larger point of a lifestyle approach. Emphasis on lifestyle.
Eat healthy, but don’t forget to live
Practically, I do the best I can: I plan ahead, research menus and pack snacks. There’s always something healthy stashed in my bag. But when it’s 90°F in Chiang Mai I’ll happily have a few extra fruit smoothies, and in Sydney I indulged in more flat whites than usual. I’ll likely find more tempting treats in Bali, where I’m headed next.
The surprising result is that my overall nutrition has improved since I stopped striving for perfection. I’m no longer chasing an unattainable ideal. Instead I focus on being healthy and happy for the long term. That means treating my body with kindness, choosing nourishing foods most of the time, and allowing room for pleasure and adventure.
A lot of adventure — with healthy food along the way.
Do you find yourself rigidly following the rules of a diet or listening unquestioningly to a dietary authority? It’s easy to fall into that trap. I’d love to hear your perspective in the comments below.