Paleolithic Diet

[Mally-bug]

You have all been so supportive since I started as a member of this forum. I love "talking" to you, reading your stories, and your advice. I have another question for you... I have begun reading about the Paleolithic Diet and how it is a wonderful way of eating for celiacs and those with gluten intolerances. Have any of you tried this? Is it difficult to stick to because of its restrictiveness? Just looking for your comments, advice, experiences....

Looking forward to hearing from you all soon!

Renee

[Ann1231]

You have all been so supportive since I started as a member of this forum. I love "talking" to you, reading your stories, and your advice. I have another question for you... I have begun reading about the Paleolithic Diet and how it is a wonderful way of eating for celiacs and those with gluten intolerances. Have any of you tried this? Is it difficult to stick to because of its restrictiveness? Just looking for your comments, advice, experiences....

Looking forward to hearing from you all soon!

Renee

Hi Renee,

Paleo is the only way I survive

It's so easy, meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. No thinking necessary if you keep it simple. I've lost over 50 pounds which I needed to do and I feel great. I no longer have any symptoms of gluten intolerance and even my husband and son say they feel so much better eating this way. My hypoglycemia is much better and I don't have as many arthritis flares. I highly recommend this woe.

It's not hard to stick with at all.

Here's a great message board for paleo:

Open Original Shared Link

[darkangel]

You might also want to explore the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which is also a grain-free and mostly dairy free diet shown to be helpful for all types of digestive diseases. Open Original Shared Link

I'd disagree with the previous poster. I do find these diets to be difficult (although certainly not impossible) to stick to because of their restrictiveness. However, if you find them to be helpful for you, then the increased health and fewer symptoms/problems will probably be the reinforcement you need to stay with the program.

[JamiD]

By virtue of eliminating so many foods, I found myself on the Paleolithic diet for a few months. During that time I also gave up nuts and have since found that I can't eat all fruits or in excess. The only difference for me now is that I have added sugar back in to sweeten my tea or to dip a banana in brown sugar as a treat (weird, I know).

It's been difficult, but not impossible. The upside was that I lost a lot of weight and gained energy and my mood stabilized to the point that I'm handling a divorce with less anxiety than I had been experiencing over the last several years prior to going gluten free.

Socially, it's hard at times and it takes a lot of planning for packing meals for work/trips, but at the same time, I'm actually able to take those trips and go back to work because I feel so much better.

Some things I keep on hand this time of year: skinless boneless chicken breast from Costco to freeze, bags of avocados from Costco, fruit in varying stages of ripeness (melons, bananas, fresh and frozen berries), bagged salad, thin cut pork cutlets for breakfast, almonds, natural peanut butter, olive oil, tea, & cranberry juice.

It's expensive to eat this way, I'd have a hard time doing it without Costco.

I usually have grilled chicken or beef for dinner always cooking enough for leftovers and slicing it up to put over salad greens the next day for lunch. Topped of with fresh avocado makes a nice meal.

[BRUMI1968]

I tried it an conceptually like it. But too many nuts bug me. Also, I had a hard time keeping on weight. When winter rolled around, i added potato and millet bread to keep warm/fat.

If you have weight to lose, I think it's an awesome healthy diet. Expensive, though, it can be. Especially if you get organic.

Good luck.

[gfpaperdoll]

I mostly eat paleo except that i do eat cooked rice & corn. About maybe once a month I will make cornbread, & about once a week or so I have fresh white corn tortillas (usually for weekend breakfast with PB & J & bacon) & I eat fresh corn on the cob, but not canned corn. canned corn makes me sick, as does canned roasted peanuts. I do not drink anything except water except for an occasional diluted 100% grape juice. I just finished my saturday night snack of broccolli dipped in salsa & almonds with a big glass of ice water. I am dairy free & cannot seem to tolerate any dairy although I have been gluten-free for 3 years. My sister cannot tolerate dairy either. We are double DQ1.

I do not eat potatoes or beef. I do eat tomatoes & I eat pinto beans, cooked from dried beans, about once a month - to go with my cornbread, that is made with coconut milk.

I have eliminated all corn syrup & either eat my own homemade jam or the bought ones with no sugar. Although sometimes I do have sugar, just not everyday.

every once in awhile I try baking gluten-free - & wow does it taste good & everyone I know loves it, but it makes me sick as a dog, & will usually cause me to miss work on a Monday...

there are some things that you can bake using almond meal...

I think it is a process, I did not start out gluten-free 3 years ago thinking that I would eat like this. I have had a lifelong problem with food allergies, so changing my foods is not too difficult for me. I stay attuned to what I am eating & how I am feeling. I am 60 go to the gym, have a plate & 5 screws in my knee & have no pain - which amazes everyone I know & my doctor.

I think I have a very healthy diet & I enjoy it. I think enjoying your food is a good thing. Eating the whole foods is such a tasty way to eat. I mean this morning I had the perfect peach sliced with some blueberries sprinkled over it. when i got back from the gym I had some wonderful red & yellow cherries !!! oh my they were so cold & crunchy delicious!!!!

I have good skin & a nice complexion. Just a couple weeks ago at one of my offices a lady & I were chatting about age & she was telling me that she (54) & a couple of the other women had some botox treatments. I said well I am 60 but I have never "had anything done" She said "OMG you are beautiful I cannot believe you are 60!". Then the young lady at the movies almost made me show my ID before she would give me my senior discount last week! She said but you have to be 60 or older... I told her she had just made my whole year. I think that old saying "you are what you eat" is very true.

[BRUMI1968]

You reminded me of what I'd say about paleo. I think I very much benefit from not eating most grains - and no beans and no refined sugar. I went over a month w/o a drop of sugar a couple weeks ago; then we had some guests and they brought gluten-free pastries they had bought special in Vancouver, so I felt compelled to eat them. Now I'm weaning off sugar again; it happens so quickly - the hook.

But the no beans has helped tremendously with gas. The no grains has helped as well, with bloat and with gas. I can't do dairy either, without bloat and gas and C, so it works well for me, this diet. I do eat millet bread almost every day - and I'm glad I have that for calories, because I'm a bit light right now, and any downspiral in weight freaks me out.

Anyway, I think giving paleo a try is well worth while.

[Mally-bug]

Wow! Your responses are just terrific! thank you so much. I'd like to give it a try, ...I have to give a tad more research to this and see some sample menus. I can think of a few right off the bat but I fear the boredom and then I'm back with the old habits.

chicken, beef, pork, fish. yum!

veges - yum!

fruit - yum!

nuts - love 'em

i love dairy tho...this will be a toughie.

quarter pounder with cheese, large fries, and a diet coke? haha-just joking

Thanks everyone.

[tom]

Wow! Your responses are just terrific! thank you so much. I'd like to give it a try, ...I have to give a tad more research to this and see some sample menus. I can think of a few right off the bat but I fear the boredom and then I'm back with the old habits.

chicken, beef, pork, fish. yum!

veges - yum!

fruit - yum!

nuts - love 'em

i love dairy tho...this will be a toughie.

Yeah Mally, isn't this forum an awesome collection of helpful ppl?

Hey, 1st off, I grew up in Mt. Prospect! Are u anywhere near the NW suburbs?

Now the meat of the matter - I've been on something very close to a paleo diet for 2+ years and I don't miss anything!! (Ok maybe sometimes a little cheese on something might be nice)

In some ways my super-strict version of an anti-candida diet is more restrictive (no beef or pork or most fruit) but in other ways looser I believe (brown rice).

Once I gave up soy, finally(!), in early June, I began feeling better than I ever would've dreamed. I mean FAR better than pre-celiac times. Every day is as great as being a kid in the summer, waking up happy, smiling and ready to go.

Gotta mention that somehow the soy elim test was nowhere near conclusive in the 3-5 days every other test was. It was 11 days before I was sure!!!!! (I may never understand why)

At first sugar cravings are nearly constant. I don't even give it a thought now. I have no sugars, sweeteners etc except occasionaly having a hazelnut milk which is sweetened w/ a brown rice syrup. And rarely a fake rice krispies cereal w/ same brown rice syrup.

Any desire for ANY food is so massively thoroughly trumped by feeling fantastic every day w/ a brain that's working better than I ever thought possible, after all the years of being fogged-up or almost braindead and joyless.

When a diet works THIS well, the foods are not missed!! I do wondrous things w/ salmon, chicken, vegs & a variety of salads and wraps (brown rice tortilla).

Good Luck Mally & don't be worried about missing foods - if u feel fantastic u will NOT care!!!!!!

[tom]

Grrrrrrr double-post

[darkangel]

...in early June, I began feeling better than I ever would've dreamed. I mean FAR better than pre-celiac times. Every day is as great as being a kid in the summer, waking up happy, smiling and ready to go.

Wow... that's awesome, Tom. What a great description. Some of us have been sick so long, we've forgotten that feeling. So glad you're feeling so good!

[Nancym]

I've been Paleo for a couple of years now and I have to say I'm healthier than I've ever been. It takes awhile to adjust and sure, you miss the foods and have occassional lapses, but the good health feels better than the bad foods taste. I'm not 100% paleo about everything, I still drink coffee (probably always will), and I only recently managed to give up diet soda. I actually went on the SCD diet and decided it was so close to paleo that I might as well call myself paleo.

There's a support forum I can steer you to if you send me a PM.