N=2

So far, I've considered my diet experiment as an N=1 experiment.  N=1 is when there is only one subject and it is the worst type of experiment since there is no way to determine if the results are real.  No comparisons.  No other subjects.  What about age, race, gender?  It is an experiment of one.  It is also the mantra of the Paleo community.  Go ahead, try the diet, become your own N=1.

Anyway, although I've been considering Paleo/Primal as an experiment of N=1 is is really N=1.5 since hubs eats in the same house as I do.  However, I can't count him as an entire one since he still eats cereal, bread and sandwiches but his dinner is Paleo/Primal and he is eating pastured meats for this meal.   This week he has made some interesting comments to me including the following repartee:

Him: How does your diet make you not burn in the sun?
Me: It is the pastured meats.  Possibly the omega 3s.  Not totally sure since I haven't found any science to back up the blogs I've been reading. Why?
Him: I didn't get a sunburn yesterday.
Me: Were you out in the sun all day?
Him: Yup.  And my friend is a lobsta (short for brilliant red sunburn) today.
Me: Did you burn at all?
Him: A little on my neck.  Just pink though.  Not red.
Me: Not lobsta?
Him: No.  Not lobsta.
Me: It must be the meat.

Today he told me that he feels better than he used to.  He isn't sick and has always felt well but now he feels even better.  He worked all day in the heat and came home only wiped out not nauseous or headachy like he normally would.  He was also telling me that his sweat doesn't reak like it used to.  And I think the same goes for me as well.  I'm not nearly as stinky as I used to be.  I guess I have fewer toxins to get rid off.  Now it takes me several days of nasty heat before I get mildly stinky whereas before I used to reak the same day.  Finding deodorant has always been a problem for me but not this year.  He is very happy that he is less stinky than he used to be.

So to add to the list of prior positives of my diet, I'll add less body odor and hubs is feeling great.  He is now cutting down on his bread and soda consumption so that he can feel even better.  Over time I think this will become an N=2 experiment.  Possible even N=3 once my kid moves back in when college starts.

I guess I'm kind of encouraged that my family is feeling better even with only one Paleo/Primal meal a day.  The body really is an amazing machine.