Paleo Diet

[lisaemu]

Anyone do the Paleo Diet? Has it helped you healthwise, and have you lost any weight on it? Im thinking about doing it to see if it makes me feel better, and was just wondering your thoughts on it.

[CantEvenEatRice]

I am thinking about trying it too. I am going to try a combination of the Paleo and the Specific Carbohydrate diet. I have to avoid dairy, so I cannot follow the SCD diet exactly so I thought I would look into the Paleo diet. There are a lot of great recipes online.

[Ann1231]

I am doing MUCH better on the paleo diet and I am losing weight, slowly because I'm on prednisone right now but I am losing. I have more energy, my stomach feels so much better on this, my blood sugar has leveled out and even my rheumatoid arthritis is feeling better. I am really sold on this way of living.

[BRUMI1968]

I do Paleo, and it works well for me.

Caveat: you have to be sure to be good on your candida issues, because there is a lot of dried fruit on the Paleo diet. If you try the Paleo and find you're bloated or whatever, you may have candida issues.

This happened to me, and I had to go fruit and sugar free for a while to get balanced. Then I add back the fruit. If you think you have Candida problems, check out the Body Ecology Diet.

Back to Paleo:

I like it. Breakfast is weird, but you get used to it. I eat sauteed veggie omlets or poached eggs over sauteed veggies. Ocassionally I'll only eat apple with almond butter - but usually I do the eggs...probably too much.

It is hard for me to keep the weight on, if I don't eat the nut butters - so for someone wanting to lose weight, I would think it would work well.

If you have any specific questions, feel free to pop them - I've been doing this about 3 months...whatever my signature says about going grain free.

[Nancym]

I'm pretty relaxed with the rules, but I do try to keep to paleo foods. The better I do, the better I feel.

[BRUMI1968]

the weight is the issue, ins't it? I finally balanced out for a while, but then.....wait, I'll start at the beginning.

So ...BLOAT...that's the theme of my life. So I went on the paleo diet and it got a bit better, but not cured. So I went on the Body Ecology Diet which is ZERO sugar or fruit for a while, then very little fruit (yeast-killing diet). Well, the bloat went away, but I had ZERO energy and was losing weight hand over fist. So after a while, I went back on Paleo, and that was going well....but then I started eating sugar again -- and then the bloat came back. so now I'm back on Body Ecology. Am I always going to have to choose between energy or bloat? I'm hoping it is adreneline fatigue or something like that.

I'm nervous because when I started Body Ecology last time I weighed 130 and lost 5 pounds; well, now I only weigh 125 - so what will that look like in a week.

nut butters

meat

avocados

nuts - pumpkin seeds are good too

pumpkin butter and fruit butter (fruit-juice sweetened or honey)

almond milk or hazelnut milk

eggs (jeez, these only have 60 calories each)

I guess eating a lot is an option.

There's just not enough calories in veggies.

[BRUMI1968]

I eat squash - winter squash - and some sweet potato (but not potatoes). I don't think sweet potatoes are encouraged, but all diets should be flexed to the person who is doing it. I have trouble with too few carbs. Roasted carrots are probably also discouraged, but like I said...whatever it takes. All veggies/meats/fruits/nuts is going to better than grains and man-made junk...so adding a veggie here or there that is unliked by the paleo godfather seems more than appropriate to me. ESPECIALLY as winter comes.

I eat packaged almond milk. Sure, paleo chick wasn't eating it, unless she had some sort of stone cuisinart -- but I'm also not hunting rabbit and buffalo...so I eat the "milk" ocassionally. I only wish it were raw. I met some folks in Portland Oregon who make their own raw almond milk...but they have some exorbinantly expensive machine that I forget the name of.

One challenge is to find anything creamy - we've all gotten so used to creamy. Here winter squash comes in handy...and almond milk tea lattes. A good winter squash soup is just to roast it, along with one apple, and then blend them...salt/pepper/maybe carmelized onion. Good stuff. Creamy, startchy (comparatively), and yet still "allowed".

I'm sorry I haven't read the book, Paleo Diet or Neanderthin are two of the ones I can think of. I did get the Paleo Diet for Athletes, and don't suggest it - it is mostly for folks doing HARD athletic training, such as ironman marathons and the like. It's informative, but should be gotten from the library if anything, because most of it just isn't applicable to folks who don't run twenty miles a day.

I'm off to go eat sweet potato fries. Don't tell Mr. Cordain.

[Nancym]

I think coconut milk adds a wonderful creaminess to many foods.

[SylvanArrow]

Anyone do the Paleo Diet? Has it helped you healthwise, and have you lost any weight on it? Im thinking about doing it to see if it makes me feel better, and was just wondering your thoughts on it.

Yes. After just eliminating my food allergies (gluten, dairy, and eggs) didn't cure my symptoms entirely, I started doing the Paleo diet. After reading several books on the subject, I really feel that this is the healthiest way to live. My indigestion has gone away, I'm off asthma meds, and even my acne has cleared up. It'll probably be a while before my gut is completely healed, but overall I'm healthy. My vitals were normal before but now even better (blood pressure is 100/60 and resting heartrate 60). I can play hours of tennis without getting tired, and I'm never out of breath after a long rally like my opponents are.

As for maintaining weight, nuts and seeds make it pretty easy. Fruits also, if you're not dealing with Candida or something. I'm a fitness junky, and I am lean, but not weirdly so.

[eLaurie]

Feedback from those of you doing this is encouraging. Thanks!

I'm six months gluten free, GI issues much better, but depression and anxiety are pretty much unchanged. I'm also at a steady 190 pounds for a 5'5" frame. I've been reading about Paleo and am about ready to try it for a while.

[ArtGirl]

I've been giving this diet some thought, too. I must be addicted to potatoes because these are surely the very hardest food for me to give up. I've only read a bit on the internet about the diet, but did pick up that one needs to eliminate the PBGs - potatoes, beans, grains. Well, I'm still eating rice, and some beans, but until I can conquor this potatoe issue, I'm not going to totally eliminate the other two.

I don't have a gall bladder so don't digest fats well, and I can't eat dairy or eggs, so will have to modify the diet some, but for the most part, I think eliminating the big three will help me loose weight and become even more healthy.

[Nancym]

Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet, has a newsletter that is pretty interesting. Open Original Shared Link

He also says that striving for 85% on the paleo diet is acceptable. So you don't have to be perfect.

Me, I'm paleo but I use a lot of modern convienences and a few decidedly unpaleo things like diet soda, splenda and so on.

[BRUMI1968]

I've found it next to impossible to stay 100% paleo in the wintertime. I now eat some rice, some rice pasta, and some potato. But not much. I've also added rice milk (in the form of tea lattes), and that is helping me keep the weight on.

[Limpin]

It is good to know that other people are considering the Paleo Diet not only to help lose weight. I too am an "ectomorph", "hardgainer", i.e. I have a hard time keeping weight on. I suspect that this is partially due to malabsorption, something that being wheat free may help. Have people found it hard to keep weight on with the Paleo Diet, because of the low carbs? It seems easy to get plenty of calories with the high fat intake, but calories is not the sole measure of metabolism--the principle of low carb diets, is, after all, that carbs are what get stored as fat in the body. Your personal story would be appreciated!!

[Nancym]

Paleo isn't as low carb as many diets are since you can eat fruit. Right now my apple trees are producing buckets of apples and I'm eating loads of them and I'm putting on pounds. You can eat things like dates, figs, berries, apples, lots of things with fairly high sugar content. Not to mention nuts...

Oh, I ran into this article that folks might be interested in. It's about the harm that lectins (found in grains and beans) can cause.

Open Original Shared Link

[jmd3]

I am reading the Paleo Diet book right now. It is pretty good book. My hubby, little girl and I are all eating that way. The only thing I have been adding a bit of brown rice every couple of days. If I go off at all it is to get some flax seed crackers - for the omega 3. I make them potatoes, but I am not eating them. It is going pretty good, my body can tell the difference. I would say I am definately at least 85% eating that way. I am not eating anything processed right now - except for the few flax seed crackers - We cut out ALL high fructose corn syrup - yeah!! My body can tell tell the difference, but it will take a long while.

I have my little girl practicing eating this way for school - She is still asking for junk foods, but she told me her body feels different. Her doctor is not happy with my keeping PIZZA and junk from her, can you believe it?? I am giving her the healthiest food possible, and I am denying her??? (Along with her hoshimoto's disease, I believe she has celiac too - but can't get any dr's to test her, because she looks good - WELL I DID TOO - I ate wheat for years, and years, and years, and then got sick) Anyway, we got her new lunch box today. We have talked about all the great food she will have to take in her bucket, the other kids would be jealous at school. I am making extra, extra food at dinner for the next day, or two - hubby takes it in his bucket, and we have it for lunch the next day.

[gfpaperdoll]

Just finished reading the paleo Diet.

I have been gluten-free for 3 1/2 years & DF off & on, now 6 months dairy free.

Gave up corn syrup last year.

Cannot eat any of the replacement gluten-free things, makes me sick as can be...

I was eating rice, corn tortillas, fritos, peanut butter which I gave up about 4 days ago to go more Paleo.

I am trying to eat more meat & fish, but being allergic to beef just leaves turkey, fish, pork etc.

I am also working out at the gym, wanting to lose about 15 lbs

I think Paleo is the way to eat, with an occasional treat - rice, corn tortilla or a gluten-free goodie. I also am going to continue to eat sweet potatoes etc. I think it is a big mistake when people go gluten-free they go crazy buying all the replacements for their old gluten foods...

[ksb43]

I'd like to try this diet since I am gluten free but still having symptoms. I figure if I eat only unprocessed ingredients I can't possibly feel as bad. The only problem is I am skinny and it's impossible for me to put on any weight. I feel like being on this diet would make it even harder to gain weight and I can't really afford to lose weight.

I eat pretty healthy and I actually tried counting calories and it was tough to make it up to 2000 calories even. On this diet, 2000 calories would be like 60 lbs of fruit, veggies, meat, and fish. I don't think I could handle that kind of volume.

One of the things I've considered is that while our bodies may not have evolved to eat the way we do now, our society has. Is it possible that if everyone went on a diet like this that some may not be able to thrive? Think about if we let natural selection take over instead of modern healthcare...there's no way that people would be able to sustain themselves like we can now.

Kevin

[Nancym]

You should focus on eating fattier and starchier foods that are paleo: Nuts, coconut, avocado, squashes, yams. You'll get plenty of lovely fattening starch and fat from them. And the starchier and sugary fruits too: Mangos, bananas, dates, figs, etc. Honey and agave syrup too. Nuts and nut butters and coconut are very dense in calories. You can use full-fat coconut milk or coconut cream to make Thai curries and desserts and soups. You can even make delicious snack bars from nuts, dried fruits, honey, coconut and coconut oil. Yum!

[Ann1231]

Just finished reading the paleo Diet.

I have been gluten-free for 3 1/2 years & DF off & on, now 6 months dairy free.

Gave up corn syrup last year.

Cannot eat any of the replacement gluten-free things, makes me sick as can be...

I was eating rice, corn tortillas, fritos, peanut butter which I gave up about 4 days ago to go more Paleo.

I am trying to eat more meat & fish, but being allergic to beef just leaves turkey, fish, pork etc.

I am also working out at the gym, wanting to lose about 15 lbs

I think Paleo is the way to eat, with an occasional treat - rice, corn tortilla or a gluten-free goodie. I also am going to continue to eat sweet potatoes etc. I think it is a big mistake when people go gluten-free they go crazy buying all the replacements for their old gluten foods...

my son is also allergic to beef, as is my mil. They can both eat bison with no problems. Can you eat it too?

[nige2008]

Hi, I started the caveman diet on Sunday 8th December 07, so just over 3 weeks now.

I've been strict with it and previously to it I was only eating really bad junk food. before the diet I was in a bad way and vomiting a lot with banging headaches and feeling very tired all the time. My heart rate was also racing (for me anyhow, 60+ beats per minute) and my skin condition, dark around the eyes, badly aching joints, back, and other parts, very frequent urination and the inability to think clearly, very confused and getting unable to remember easy things in conversations. I was convinced that I was developing Alzheimer's at 42 years old.

Began the diet and felt just as bad physically and still felt sick but noticed an improvement in thinking a bit more clearly. Walked ever day and found that my energy levels were at an extreme low, I had to keep stopping and it felt as if I was going through a massive detox.

For 2 weeks I had a cold with runny nose and blocked sinuses, still the very low energy although my thinking was improving and although I had low energy when training I didn't feel as tired afterwards.

After 3 weeks I've experienced what can only be described as a massive surge in energy and my heart rate has also dropped dramatically (45 beats a minute now). I am walking further and faster with not many rests and uphill is becoming much easier. My joints aren't hurting so much, my thinking is much clearer and the freaked out feeling that I had most of the time seems a lot better. The list goes on but basically I believe that I must have been allergic to grain products and dairy, maybe potatoes even, probably starchy foods.

I've now started eating mainly raw, with my meat and eggs only slightly cooked.

My question is, can I use the Organic cider vinegar just for soaking the meat for 15 minutes and Sea Salt with boiling water to boil up the meat for a very short time, then rinse the meat with cold water thoroughly?

After I do this the meat does taste a little bit of ocv but there's no aftertaste of salt at all. I've read that vinegar isn't allowed so can I or can't I?

Also I have lost some weight and am quite thin as it is so this is a worry, will I put the weight/muscle back on any time soon?

Thanks for reading..

Nige2008

[ruthla]

Anyone do the Paleo Diet? Has it helped you healthwise, and have you lost any weight on it? Im thinking about doing it to see if it makes me feel better, and was just wondering your thoughts on it.

I'm on a modified Paleo Diet. I've been low-carbing since before I cut out gluten, and so far I've lost about 20 lbs (30 more to go!) There are a bunch of foods permitted on Paleo that I can't eat personally: legumes such as green beans or fresh peas, since they cause as much GI distress as gluten, and I limit the carbs (fruits and honey) for weight loss purposes. The weight loss isn't JUST about vanity- I had high blood pressure and liver damage before I started losing weight.

I also include coffee, tea, stevia, apple cider vinegar, and small amounts of wine (about 1 glass per week) even though they're not Paleo, because I can tolerate them and I've cut enough out of my diet already!

Basically, I've cut out the foods I suspect are hurting me, and ended up with something incredibly close to a Paleo diet. I'm following what works for my body, not a list of rules from a book or website.

[BRUMI1968]

My question is, can I use the Organic cider vinegar just for soaking the meat for 15 minutes and Sea Salt with boiling water to boil up the meat for a very short time, then rinse the meat with cold water thoroughly?

After I do this the meat does taste a little bit of ocv but there's no aftertaste of salt at all. I've read that vinegar isn't allowed so can I or can't I?

Also I have lost some weight and am quite thin as it is so this is a worry, will I put the weight/muscle back on any time soon?

Thanks for reading..

Nige2008

I try to do about 70-80% raw, and follow paleo pretty much, save for no sugar or sugary fruits since they bloat me out. I've added buffalo, beef, and ostrich back after going back veggie for a while (changing to raw I went vegan, I think mostly since the "cook" books lean that way). I already feel a bit better adding back the meat, mental-wise. I, too, am still physically weak as to exercise. I have to force myself to get out and walk right now, to try to get back into shape.

Anyway, as to the vinegar. My understanding of RAW Apple Cider Vinegar is that is is quite good for you. Especially if you get it with "mother", the weird stringy bits that don't look so appetizing, but are apparently superfoods. ACV is supposed to help with joint pain, too, which it sounds like you've had some of. Are you wanting to use it on the meat to kill germs/"cook" it? I myself have not moved to barely cooking my meats, though I'm quite sure it's healthy...there is always the food poisoning thing, and I quite literally have a phobia of vomiting, so mentally, it's hard for me to do.

Sounds like you've really stuck with it through your healing crisis. This is great to hear because it is so hard to tell if I'm in healing crisis, or if what I'm doing isn't right. i try to just use my intuition - does it feel right? I know that not eating grains/beans/dairy/soy/gluten/sugar feels right -- I just need to work out the details and get over my "healing" and into "health".

As to the weight loss thing...this remains my problem. Nancym here seems to do really well and not lose too much weight, you might try checking with her. I know she eats lots of dense foods like avocado, agave, coconut, nuts, etc. I read an interesting thing the other day - if you wanted to eat 2,000 calories and all you had was raw veggie (non-starchy), it would take 30 pounds of it. I try to stick to 80/20 veggies/meat, but I might up it to 70/30 or 60/40 and see how that goes. Then I worry about not being alkaline enough. I don't know...now I'm over complicating things. Some things in the past that have helped me keep weight on:

rice milk tea lattes (or nut milk tea lattes) - you can make raw almond milk in the Vitamix if you have one.

sweet potato/yam/winter squash - in the wintertime, I need to add this in to keep warm, frankly.

nut pates and the like - I use Ani Phyo's cookbook for raw food, and think most of it is yummy.

Good luck.

[nmw]

I have also defaulted into a pretty much Paleo diet after cutting out all the foods that bother me, including dairy, all grains, rice, potatoes and most nightshades. I've lost about 15 lbs. in 5 months and have added in probiotics and enzymes to help digest all that protein and keep good gut flora. I don't follow a book or a specific diet - I just eat what doesn't bother me and try to maintain a balance. I feel that my body is moving naturally toward it's true weight. Works for me!

[marciab]

Here's a good explanation of why the Paleo diet works.

Open Original Shared Link

I've been on it since November 1st, 2007 and haven't noticed any improvement in my energy, but I am getting fewer hypoglycemia symptoms.

I started taking GlutenEase 2 weeks ago. I had a detox period with smelly poo and watery "D" for a couple of days, but that's gone now. I seem to have more energy ... It's still too early to know if the GlutenEase is what I needed.

Digestive enzymes detox the body of undigested foods if taken on an empty stomach or in this case, taken without eating gluten. This article explains it ...

Open Original Shared Link

I keep my weight up by eating fruits, nuts and salad dressing made from pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds, healthy fats and herbs.

I noticed that the Paleo diet restricts fatty meats, but with the current research on how fats are good for us, does anyone think the fat found on meats might be good for us ?

Thanks ... Marcia