Paleo Lifestyle Change?

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  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
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    Wouldn't a gastroenterologist be the person to ask about what diet is best for a person with GERD, rather than people on a forum?

    Potentially, but many don't treat the condition correctly as I've found over my years of research and first hand experience on the subject, which is why I've referred to Dr. Stephen Wright's work on numerous occasions now. Take his word for it if you don't want to take mine. :smile:

    I've found the same thing with thyroid issues. Many doctors, including endrocrinologists, are very set in their ways and miss major things quite easily. I think I went to 3 endos that didn't even test for antibodies (the most definitive way to confirm Hashi's). It's infuriating. So, you can go to some supposedly great doctors that are very clueless about such things for years, even the ones that are supposed specialists in their fields.

    It wasn't until I hooked up with others with similar issues in forums, that they pointed me to various research, etc., and specialists, that I finally was able to get a hold on things. It was those forums that started the whole process moving in the right direction. It wouldn't surprise me if GERD sufferers have similar experiences.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Here's my experience with Paleo/Primal. I started out strict Paleo, but later shifted into a more Primal approach as I found that I could add certain foods back in with no ill-effect. For example, with Primal, you can eat dairy if it agrees with you (don't have any adverse issues with lactose, casein, etc.), though they aim for full-fat varieties over low fat versions (cream, butter, cheese, full-fat yogurt, whole milk, etc.). But strict paleo adherents will say no dairy at all. For more info on Primal, check out marksdailyapple.com

    I find that I just feel waaaay better eating Primal, and I think that's something you'll find with a lot of people who love the Paleo/Primal lifestyle. However, I now understand why it feels so much better to me. After years of bouts of major fatigue and weight gain/difficulty losing weight (among other symptoms), the only thing that had helped was switching to Primal. Although the fatigue had gotten better, I was still really struggling with losing weight (I had a good 30-40 lbs to lose). After eating at a deficit of 700+ calories/day and not losing any weight, I finally convince my doctor to look into it further. He finally believed me that "eat less and move more" wasn't enough for me and something was up.

    A few specialists later, and I was diagnosed with both Hashimoto's thyroiditis (thyroid condition) and insulin resistance. I suspected the Hashi's for some time and pushed for blood tests specific to that, but the insulin resistance was a surprise (though I now know that they often go hand-in-hand). Primal works great for Hashi's as it's an autoimmune disorder and they think is triggered by certain foods -- gluten seems to be the most popular of the suspected culprits. My specialist actually suggested Paleo and was happy to hear that I was already eating that way.

    I suspect that a lot of people that love Primal have experiences like mine -- they've had undiagnosed conditions for years -- either digestive issues, GERD, thyroid issues, lymph issues, etc., but they haven't been severe enough to be diagnosed by their doctors. They start Paleo/Primal and all of a sudden a lot of their symptoms clear up and they feel awesome.

    As for weight loss, I know a lot of people that have done great body recomp and weight loss through Primal eating and exercise, though that may be accomplished just easily with a similar macro level. Usually, for Primal people, it ends up being a high fat, moderate protein and low-ish carb diet. The carbs are adjustable based on whether you want to lose fat (then lower the carbs) or are already at a good weight and just want to maintain or gain muscle or focus on performance (then can have more carbs). Eating Primally just sort of lends itself to these macros generally since you're really only getting your carbs from vegetables, some fruits and occasional starchy carbs like sweet potatoes.

    I cook Primally, and I don't find it difficult at all. Vegetables, often in butter or coconut oil, tons of herbs, full-fat cheeses, tons of protein (love me a good steak), fruit on occasion (I'm low carbing it for the insulin resistance so I limit my fruit intake), dark chocolate on occasion, certain nuts (almonds, macadamia, etc.), bacon, etc. Shoot, I make a mean vodka sauce and instead of serving over pasta, I use spaghetti squash -- it's really good. In many ways, it's very similar to French cooking.

    So, yeah, you're giving up grains so if you're a big bread, pasta or baked goods/sweets person, that part may be difficult. I have dark chocolate from time to time and I find that satisfies my sweet tooth. But, personally, I don't miss the bread, pasta, rice, etc. at all anymore. If I want to do something that they'd normally be served over -- like my penne alla vodka or a nice curry, I just make the sauce and serve it over spaghetti squash. I find it to be an awesome sauce delivery vehicle.

    I'm not sure why Paleo/Primal gets so much gruff on this site, but I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone.

    The voice of reason - no doubt you will get shouted at by the voice of insanity!
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    Wouldn't a gastroenterologist be the person to ask about what diet is best for a person with GERD, rather than people on a forum?

    Potentially, but many don't treat the condition correctly as I've found over my years of research and first hand experience on the subject, which is why I've referred to Dr. Stephen Wright's work on numerous occasions now. Take his word for it if you don't want to take mine. :smile:

    Steve Wright is a health engineer and author. (Yeah, I'm sticking with a specialist on this one.)
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
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    Wouldn't a gastroenterologist be the person to ask about what diet is best for a person with GERD, rather than people on a forum?

    Potentially, but many don't treat the condition correctly as I've found over my years of research and first hand experience on the subject, which is why I've referred to Dr. Stephen Wright's work on numerous occasions now. Take his word for it if you don't want to take mine. :smile:

    Steve Wright is a health engineer and author. (Yeah, I'm sticking with a specialist on this one.)

    HAHAHA **** me! It's Jonathan Wright. http://www.amazon.com/Why-Stomach-Acid-Good-You/dp/0871319314

    Damn brain farts.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Options
    Here's my experience with Paleo/Primal. I started out strict Paleo, but later shifted into a more Primal approach as I found that I could add certain foods back in with no ill-effect. For example, with Primal, you can eat dairy if it agrees with you (don't have any adverse issues with lactose, casein, etc.), though they aim for full-fat varieties over low fat versions (cream, butter, cheese, full-fat yogurt, whole milk, etc.). But strict paleo adherents will say no dairy at all. For more info on Primal, check out marksdailyapple.com

    I find that I just feel waaaay better eating Primal, and I think that's something you'll find with a lot of people who love the Paleo/Primal lifestyle. However, I now understand why it feels so much better to me. After years of bouts of major fatigue and weight gain/difficulty losing weight (among other symptoms), the only thing that had helped was switching to Primal. Although the fatigue had gotten better, I was still really struggling with losing weight (I had a good 30-40 lbs to lose). After eating at a deficit of 700+ calories/day and not losing any weight, I finally convince my doctor to look into it further. He finally believed me that "eat less and move more" wasn't enough for me and something was up.

    A few specialists later, and I was diagnosed with both Hashimoto's thyroiditis (thyroid condition) and insulin resistance. I suspected the Hashi's for some time and pushed for blood tests specific to that, but the insulin resistance was a surprise (though I now know that they often go hand-in-hand). Primal works great for Hashi's as it's an autoimmune disorder and they think is triggered by certain foods -- gluten seems to be the most popular of the suspected culprits. My specialist actually suggested Paleo and was happy to hear that I was already eating that way.

    I suspect that a lot of people that love Primal have experiences like mine -- they've had undiagnosed conditions for years -- either digestive issues, GERD, thyroid issues, lymph issues, etc., but they haven't been severe enough to be diagnosed by their doctors. They start Paleo/Primal and all of a sudden a lot of their symptoms clear up and they feel awesome.

    As for weight loss, I know a lot of people that have done great body recomp and weight loss through Primal eating and exercise, though that may be accomplished just easily with a similar macro level. Usually, for Primal people, it ends up being a high fat, moderate protein and low-ish carb diet. The carbs are adjustable based on whether you want to lose fat (then lower the carbs) or are already at a good weight and just want to maintain or gain muscle or focus on performance (then can have more carbs). Eating Primally just sort of lends itself to these macros generally since you're really only getting your carbs from vegetables, some fruits and occasional starchy carbs like sweet potatoes.

    I cook Primally, and I don't find it difficult at all. Vegetables, often in butter or coconut oil, tons of herbs, full-fat cheeses, tons of protein (love me a good steak), fruit on occasion (I'm low carbing it for the insulin resistance so I limit my fruit intake), dark chocolate on occasion, certain nuts (almonds, macadamia, etc.), bacon, etc. Shoot, I make a mean vodka sauce and instead of serving over pasta, I use spaghetti squash -- it's really good. In many ways, it's very similar to French cooking.

    So, yeah, you're giving up grains so if you're a big bread, pasta or baked goods/sweets person, that part may be difficult. I have dark chocolate from time to time and I find that satisfies my sweet tooth. But, personally, I don't miss the bread, pasta, rice, etc. at all anymore. If I want to do something that they'd normally be served over -- like my penne alla vodka or a nice curry, I just make the sauce and serve it over spaghetti squash. I find it to be an awesome sauce delivery vehicle.

    I'm not sure why Paleo/Primal gets so much gruff on this site, but I love it and would highly recommend it to anyone.

    The voice of reason - no doubt you will get shouted at by the voice of insanity!

    Huh, usually people use all caps when shouting. You've used mixed case.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Options
    Wouldn't a gastroenterologist be the person to ask about what diet is best for a person with GERD, rather than people on a forum?

    Potentially, but many don't treat the condition correctly as I've found over my years of research and first hand experience on the subject, which is why I've referred to Dr. Stephen Wright's work on numerous occasions now. Take his word for it if you don't want to take mine. :smile:

    Steve Wright is a health engineer and author. (Yeah, I'm sticking with a specialist on this one.)

    I thought he is a comedian.
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Lol where's your cat gif ?
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
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    I think I'd prefer the Game of Thrones Diet.
    Drink all the booze and bang all the time.

    Look what it did for them! Most of those folks are super fit!
    Looking forward to the next season of banging and drinking and of course the great imp, incest, killing, eunuchs, girls with swords, and more banging and drinking and to see Ayra make Joffrey cry like a little baby.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Options
    I think I'd prefer the Game of Thrones Diet.
    Drink all the booze and bang all the time.

    Look what it did for them! Most of those folks are super fit!
    Looking forward to the next season of banging and drinking and of course the great imp, incest, killing, eunuchs, girls with swords, and more banging and drinking and to see Ayra make Joffrey cry like a little baby.

    That's the second phase of the diet!

    (and yeah, me too! Sooo love that show!)
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
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    Are you thinking of doing it just because of the GERD issue, or do you ave any other reasons? GERD is acid reflux issues, right? I really do not see how paleo would help with acid reflux….

    I had horrible stomach ulcers, gas etc etc for years. I was never diagnosed with GERD but cutting out the gluten completely ended all symptoms.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
    Options
    I think I'd prefer the Game of Thrones Diet.
    Drink all the booze and bang all the time.

    Look what it did for them! Most of those folks are super fit!
    Looking forward to the next season of banging and drinking and of course the great imp, incest, killing, eunuchs, girls with swords, and more banging and drinking and to see Ayra make Joffrey cry like a little baby.

    Arya never meets Joffrey again.
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Options
    I think I'd prefer the Game of Thrones Diet.
    Drink all the booze and bang all the time.

    Look what it did for them! Most of those folks are super fit!
    Looking forward to the next season of banging and drinking and of course the great imp, incest, killing, eunuchs, girls with swords, and more banging and drinking and to see Ayra make Joffrey cry like a little baby.

    Arya never meets Joffrey again.

    You're supposed to post "Spoiler Alert:" before you do something like that. tsk tsk.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
    Options
    I think I'd prefer the Game of Thrones Diet.
    Drink all the booze and bang all the time.

    Look what it did for them! Most of those folks are super fit!
    Looking forward to the next season of banging and drinking and of course the great imp, incest, killing, eunuchs, girls with swords, and more banging and drinking and to see Ayra make Joffrey cry like a little baby.

    Arya never meets Joffrey again.
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHiu6fxvlNFsJN0JylKGytNpjIvDIWt6lFyRovMbRuYpJ6sdn8DA

    :sad:
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
    Options
    I think I'd prefer the Game of Thrones Diet.
    Drink all the booze and bang all the time.

    Look what it did for them! Most of those folks are super fit!
    Looking forward to the next season of banging and drinking and of course the great imp, incest, killing, eunuchs, girls with swords, and more banging and drinking and to see Ayra make Joffrey cry like a little baby.

    Arya never meets Joffrey again.
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHiu6fxvlNFsJN0JylKGytNpjIvDIWt6lFyRovMbRuYpJ6sdn8DA

    :sad:

    She could've told you much more regarding those two than she did, so be thankful
  • DamePiglet
    DamePiglet Posts: 3,730 Member
    Options
    I think I'd prefer the Game of Thrones Diet.
    Drink all the booze and bang all the time.

    Look what it did for them! Most of those folks are super fit!
    Looking forward to the next season of banging and drinking and of course the great imp, incest, killing, eunuchs, girls with swords, and more banging and drinking and to see Ayra make Joffrey cry like a little baby.

    Arya never meets Joffrey again.
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHiu6fxvlNFsJN0JylKGytNpjIvDIWt6lFyRovMbRuYpJ6sdn8DA

    :sad:

    I know. But WWAD (What would Arya do)
    arya-stark-game-of-thrones-18154535-500-281.jpeg?w=500
  • myplacetohide
    myplacetohide Posts: 25 Member
    Options
    GERD, IBS, thyroid, they all have a leaky gut connection. Like many of the above posters, i went through 4 endocrinologists before I found one who actually looked me in the face and was more interested in my health as a whole than in prescribing me pills and scheduling the next appointment 6 weeks out.

    Although, I do think in many ways they too get jaded after dealing with so many people who want a quick fix, yet don't want to do the hard work. When I was absolutely adamant that I wanted my issue fixed to the greatest capacity available to both of us, I too was daunted by what was required.

    If anyone is interested in what it has cost me literally thousands of dollars to learn, here is what I have finally been told (and so far, he's proving himself correct)

    1. Weight loss is NOT the issue. If you have ANY leaky bowel issue, your concerns are far greater than you can possibly imagine and THAT is the biggest issue on your plate. It is THE doorway to every auto-immune disease.

    2. IF I have the guts to follow through with this journey (and few do, he says) We are looking at approximately TWO YEARS to heal the lining of my bowels.

    3. If I am following the diet correctly, weight WILL come off. It is not however the goal. You must remember that so you don't go trying to adjust the diet to make it create more weight loss faster. The goal is healing.

    4. With leaky gut, whole grains are just as deadly as refined white grains. A gold gun is just as deadly as a white gun and as a silver gun.

    5. If i follow the diet, I will not need an antacid after 1 week. (This was true after 3 days)

    6. If I follow the diet, I will no longer battle constipation or loose stools (this also became true within 2 weeks)

    7. If I follow the diet I will stop belching excessively, I will stop having pain around my gall bladder and those super scary pains around my pancreas that so many have and refuse to talk about., Yuppers to that too.

    Is this diet for everyone? Hell no. But for the love of God, if you don't know what you are talking about, please don't thump on your bible with the blank pages in it. Seriously.

    Not only do I have the chief of endocrinology taking care of me, I also have concrete results. I have blood work. Do you? Has your cholesterol dropped by 108 points in SIXTY days? Are your tri's in the healthy range? Are you averaging 1 1/2 pounds a week?

    Do not knock what you do not understand ;)
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
    Options
    I think I'd prefer the Game of Thrones Diet.
    Drink all the booze and bang all the time.

    Look what it did for them! Most of those folks are super fit!
    Looking forward to the next season of banging and drinking and of course the great imp, incest, killing, eunuchs, girls with swords, and more banging and drinking and to see Ayra make Joffrey cry like a little baby.

    Arya never meets Joffrey again.
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHiu6fxvlNFsJN0JylKGytNpjIvDIWt6lFyRovMbRuYpJ6sdn8DA

    :sad:

    I know. But WWAD (What would Arya do)
    arya-stark-game-of-thrones-18154535-500-281.jpeg?w=500
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS4GmZ-DFMpDFcnKqVbV2Y_qXr_-C4U-CbCS4Oygze5Wt680ir3ow
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ7Lkqu-4qStocIDJ_yiudnVVubSrPqiIUIoHDxnipxo6rGEQEF9A
  • RockWarrior84
    RockWarrior84 Posts: 840 Member
    Options
    Hi everyone. I am seriously considering transitioning into a paleo lifestyle. I don't know that I can cut out grains completely, I love my brown rice & occasionally whole wheat pasta & cereal, but I can definitely cut back. Everything that I have been reading about it seems to be great. I have GERD & I've read a lot of reviews that adopting the paleo lifestyle not only cleared it up, but also cleared up a whole slew of other health issues that they had as well. Has anyone adopted the Paleo lifestyle here & can you please tell me what your experience has been by doing so? I'd appreciate your feedback.

    Thanks!!
    Tiff

    I understand reducing stuff to remove symptoms of GERD. My wife has Crohns and what we learned and that no diet is the right diet. It is an individual effort. I would say start with a food journal and remove some foods and see if symptoms decrease or stay the same. Do this and figure out what foods affect you negatively. Have you been tested for celiac disease? What the wife and I found out is that some foods that are natural and healthy according to most diets still had a negative impact on her gut such as Apples and other fruit and vegtables. IMO when it comes to gut issues its about what affects you and not the diet.

    QWe have found out that adding a probiotic helps or adding food such as greek yogurt that has active cultures helped as well.
  • lindsey1979
    lindsey1979 Posts: 2,395 Member
    Options
    I think I'd prefer the Game of Thrones Diet.
    Drink all the booze and bang all the time.

    Look what it did for them! Most of those folks are super fit!
    Looking forward to the next season of banging and drinking and of course the great imp, incest, killing, eunuchs, girls with swords, and more banging and drinking and to see Ayra make Joffrey cry like a little baby.

    Arya never meets Joffrey again.
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHiu6fxvlNFsJN0JylKGytNpjIvDIWt6lFyRovMbRuYpJ6sdn8DA

    :sad:

    She could've told you much more regarding those two than she did, so be thankful

    Funny irony here too -- that we're readers of the series and they're merely watchers of the HBO version.
  • cwsreddy
    cwsreddy Posts: 998 Member
    Options
    I think I'd prefer the Game of Thrones Diet.
    Drink all the booze and bang all the time.

    Look what it did for them! Most of those folks are super fit!
    Looking forward to the next season of banging and drinking and of course the great imp, incest, killing, eunuchs, girls with swords, and more banging and drinking and to see Ayra make Joffrey cry like a little baby.

    Arya never meets Joffrey again.
    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSHiu6fxvlNFsJN0JylKGytNpjIvDIWt6lFyRovMbRuYpJ6sdn8DA

    :sad:

    She could've told you much more regarding those two than she did, so be thankful

    Funny irony here too -- that we're readers of the series and they're merely watchers of the HBO version.

    somehow I'm not surprised.