Roots And Squash To Replace Grains/"primitive" Diet

[YoloGx]

Anyone else here observed that eating roots and squash to replace grains has a positive effect in their health? I have been hearing about the low carb diet however this diet I am suggesting still has plenty of carbs. I learned about it years ago as the cave man diet though am not sure they suggested the roots and squash.

I still avoid potatoes/tomatoes and peppers. However I do eat lots of winter and summer squashes as well as roots (except for carrots which I am allergic to).

This diet has been very healing of several nagging residual effects I have had despite being off all gluten for some time. I have more energy, look younger plus my puffy abdomen has shrunk to normal for the first time in my life that I can recall. If I eat the wrong thing in fact now I can tell just by looking at my abdomen...

My boyfriend who also has celiac has noticed the same.

Both of us are sleeping better, have better skin (my eczema has gone away plus I look younger), resist colds and flu better and have more energy. This is so amazing since we have had health struggles for some time, both of us are around age 60.

Of course the diet means we are eating a lot of vegetables plus some meat twice a day and either yogurt or kefir once or twice a day... I usually eat a large salad once a day and cooked vegetables the rest of the time and celery to nibble on.

I also eat sunflower seeds a lot. I avoid nuts due to a huge nut allergy I have plus I also avoid sesame seeds. Ditto with my partner about the nuts although he is fine with tahini (sesame) and sprouted pumpkin seeds... However others here could probably handle eating nuts better than either of us...particularly almonds.

I haven't yet progressed to fruit except for pure cranberry juice with stevia and water occasionally and frequent lemon-aide with fresh lemon also sweetened with stevia. My boyfriend is also eating an apple every other day. Both of us have had chronic candida overgrowth thus we are still careful about eating fruit...

We also use apple cider vinegar with our minerals (2 tsp. to a tblsp. to a large glass of water) as well as a condiment on many of our vegetables...

And hey its really easy, cheap and the materials are available at most any grocery store.

Bea

PS--I bet its good against DH too--be interesting to find out for real from others however

[gc111]

Before going gluten-free, I had given-up carrots, squash, sweet-potatoes, many beans, etc... NOW, they're back in my diet. I eat peas 'n' carrots all the time, even made some sweet-potato French Fries not long ago. I think I'll even start growing Butternut squash again!!

My wife made an Italian style dish tonight; tomato sauce, Zucchini squash, etc... she eats the pasta, I eat a salad!!

:-)

[sickchick]

I notice a difference too Bea!

I had just assumed they contained some enzyme or something that made me feel better.

I get that when I eat fruit too I just feel healthier, they put me in a fabulous mood.

I like to make taco filling with sauteed root veggies, onions & black beans little bit of garlic & cilantro. They are great wrapped up in a corn tortilla!

Good to see ya!

[YoloGx]

Hi Collette!

Sounds wonderful! I have found however that I have to stay off all grains, so no corn for me!

What food did you think has the enzymes? I suppose fruit has a lot. I seem to react to the fructose however. Am not sure if its the candida etc. or an allergy to fructose..

I haven't tried beans again. I may do so one of these days...

Bea

[RiceGuy]

Though I eat grains and beans, I also eat a lot of squashes and root veggies too. Generally I just shoot for as much variety as I can, while avoiding the no-nos of course.

As far as I can tell, legumes don't bother me. I hope I never have to avoid them, since they're a major part of my diet. Lentils, beans, peas, legume flours, etc. At first I had to limit protein, because I had fluid collecting in the extremities. Sure glad that appears to not longer be a problem!

Some grains seem to not digest as well for me, so I do limit or avoid as need be. Buckwheat probably suits me best, though technically it's not a "true" grain, but a seed, related to rhubarb as I recall.

So what really makes something a grain anyway? Aren't they more or less seeds?

And almonds are apparently pits, not a "true" nut. So does this mean people with nut allergies are more likely to still be able to tolerate almonds? What impact does a nut allergy have on a person's ability to eat coconut?

[msmini14]

I find this topic very interesting. What kind of roots are you talking about and how do you prepare them? I love trying new things.

I still think to this day I have a hard time digesting certain grains (maybe carbs?) yet I still eat them. I also noticed when I started to consume more potatos, rice, beans my lower abdomen did swell but I was consuming dairy also which I have cut out again.

[sickchick]

Wow, I am so sorry about the no corn deal. I am watching myself too- in case- and eating it sparingly, not every day so I don't develop an intolerance. I am so sorry you are intolerant to fructose- yikes!!! I bet that is from Candida.

I would be so bummed I live on Legumes. I have bags in my pantry! I want to try Buckwheat I notice they have it @ my local Asian Market I like having options at this point HAHAHA I think there are two different kinds of nuts- am I right? Tree nuts and nuts that grow on the ground- peanuts are ground growing right? Don't hey grow on vines or something?

I sautee yellow summer squash, yams, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, fresh garlic in olive oil, add (precooked) black beans with some fresh chopped cilantro- kosher salt and some cumin too. Warm up some corn tortillas in the microwave on a dinner plate for 30 seconds, then fill them and top them with quacamole if I need some extra fat or just plain if I ate too many cookies that week

Dairy makes me bloat terribly too, I can't remember the last time I ate it HAHA

lovelove guys

[msmini14]

Wow, I am so sorry about the no corn deal. I am watching myself too- in case- and eating it sparingly, not every day so I don't develop an intolerance. I am so sorry you are intolerant to fructose- yikes!!! I bet that is from Candida.

I would be so bummed I live on Legumes. I have bags in my pantry! I want to try Buckwheat I notice they have it @ my local Asian Market I like having options at this point HAHAHA I think there are two different kinds of nuts- am I right? Tree nuts and nuts that grow on the ground- peanuts are ground growing right? Don't hey grow on vines or something?

I sautee yellow summer squash, yams, zucchini, mushrooms, onion, fresh garlic in olive oil, add (precooked) black beans with some fresh chopped cilantro- kosher salt and some cumin too. Warm up some corn tortillas in the microwave on a dinner plate for 30 seconds, then fill them and top them with quacamole if I need some extra fat or just plain if I ate too many cookies that week

Dairy makes me bloat terribly too, I can't remember the last time I ate it HAHA

lovelove guys

Oh that sounds tasty. I kind of do the same thing but make them enchilda style. mmm cookies...

[sickchick]

I keep cans of organic beans on my shelves- so I can be eating in like less than 20 minutes. It's very simple.

MMM cookies HAHA I have a pastry weakness HAHA

xox

[msmini14]

I keep cans of organic beans on my shelves- so I can be eating in like less than 20 minutes. It's very simple.

MMM cookies HAHA I have a pastry weakness HAHA

xox

Me too, that and peanut butter! I want some good chocolate cake. I am going to make some brownies this weekend, hope they turn out ok, it is a low fat version lol.

[CMCM]

I eat very much like you do! When I finally got diagnosed with celiac disease, I was at a point where I felt like I couldn't eat anything at all. Now I've realized that I do best with meat, eggs, moderate cheese, veggies such as spinach, collards, broccoli & cauliflower, cabbage, squashes (which I love).

For most of my life, I thought my big problem was dairy intolerance of some sort. Once I got off gluten, I can now handle small amounts of dairy, although I'm supposedly casein intolerant too. I mostly just have it in my daily cappuccino and a small amount of cheese and that's about it. If I start adding in yogurt, or if I have milk with cereal, I get bloated and feel lousy. So I really minimize the dairy.

I can't handle starches at all, so potatoes & rice etc. are out. I really don't eat any of the nightshades because they all bother me. If I eat them, I pay for it. I have extremely small amounts of fruit: 1/2 grapefruit at breakfast sometimes, occasional apple, strawberries or blueberries, that's about it. I used to make lovely big mixed fruit salads but they made me sick. I believe I'm sugar/fructose intolerant too.

When I first went gluten-free, I experimented a lot with baking and using the various gluten-free grains, but the large amount of sugar in these things made me sick, plus I think a lot of the alternate grains bothered me too. So I just don't eat any of the permitted breads and I rarely have cakes/cookies etc. either.

I rarely eat legumes (beans) because they bother me too. Just tiny amounts when I do. I also don't eat much in the way of nuts. I like sunflower seeds (raw) on my salads, occasionally I put some pecans or walnuts in the salad too, but other than that I don't eat nuts. No particular reason....I like nuts now, although I hated them all as a kid.

I used to be able to eat a lot, but now my system can only handle very small meals. And when I eat, I don't include a lot of variety because that's bothersome too.

When I eat right I feel great. When I eat wrong, I'm bloated and feel horrible.

[YoloGx]

I eat very much like you do! When I finally got diagnosed with celiac disease, I was at a point where I felt like I couldn't eat anything at all. Now I've realized that I do best with meat, eggs, moderate cheese, veggies such as spinach, collards, broccoli & cauliflower, cabbage, squashes (which I love).

For most of my life, I thought my big problem was dairy intolerance of some sort. Once I got off gluten, I can now handle small amounts of dairy, although I'm supposedly casein intolerant too. I mostly just have it in my daily cappuccino and a small amount of cheese and that's about it. If I start adding in yogurt, or if I have milk with cereal, I get bloated and feel lousy. So I really minimize the dairy.

I can't handle starches at all, so potatoes & rice etc. are out. I really don't eat any of the nightshades because they all bother me. If I eat them, I pay for it. I have extremely small amounts of fruit: 1/2 grapefruit at breakfast sometimes, occasional apple, strawberries or blueberries, that's about it. I used to make lovely big mixed fruit salads but they made me sick. I believe I'm sugar/fructose intolerant too.

When I first went gluten-free, I experimented a lot with baking and using the various gluten-free grains, but the large amount of sugar in these things made me sick, plus I think a lot of the alternate grains bothered me too. So I just don't eat any of the permitted breads and I rarely have cakes/cookies etc. either.

I rarely eat legumes (beans) because they bother me too. Just tiny amounts when I do. I also don't eat much in the way of nuts. I like sunflower seeds (raw) on my salads, occasionally I put some pecans or walnuts in the salad too, but other than that I don't eat nuts. No particular reason....I like nuts now, although I hated them all as a kid.

I used to be able to eat a lot, but now my system can only handle very small meals. And when I eat, I don't include a lot of variety because that's bothersome too.

When I eat right I feel great. When I eat wrong, I'm bloated and feel horrible.

Perhaps we are twins?? Though I still don't do well with cheese and really am allergic to nuts...though very occasionally I can sneak an almond or too. Am hoping at some point I can eat fruit such as you do. Thank god we have a lemon tree!

But same story basically. Eating this more primitive diet seems worth it since it it makes me feel good rather than awful...

The books available on celiac don't seem to get into this type of diet. Its all recipes with alternative flours. Which like you I tried too. But was bloated and itchy in my nethers and ears all the time.

Am wondering if anyone else here has improved skin and health in general from this more primitive diet?

Bea