Paleo and inflammation

impyimpyaj

** side note: I wish the "leave group" button didn't look exactly the same as the "new topic" button. I dont' have my glasses on right now!

The reason I decided to take the paleo plunge was to decrease inflammation in my body. Now I just started 2 days ago, so I don't expect perfection just yet, but I was wondering about something. I am not willing just yet to get rid of my coffee with sugar and creamer, although I did cut back my intake by half. From an inflammation standpoint, would I need to completely get rid of all inflammatory foods like coffee, at least for a while? Or is the massive reduction in these foods enough for me to see the benefit even if I continue to have my coffee?

WIChelle

Now I am a newbie and NOT well informed. I have a really good friend with fibro and arthritis. I found it very interesting that they took her off all wheat for the inflammation. It made a big difference! Could you use stevia instead of sugar? I've only read the primal book and a cup of coffee with cream seemed fine from what I read.

MamaDee2

** side note: I wish the "leave group" button didn't look exactly the same as the "new topic" button. I dont' have my glasses on right now!

Too funny!!!

Alexandria_JB

I'd stay away from the creamer (no dairy except kefir) and sugar and ideally even the stevia, if your goal is to lose weight. Adding artificial sweeteners doesn't add calories and I am aware that Stevia is plant based; nonetheless it can still make it hard to resist cravings because you're not addressing the underlying reason for over-eating, which is a disruption of the pleasure-reward centers in your brain due to a high-palatability diet. One of the reasons Paleo results in weight loss is that the low-palatability diet actually reduces your cravings for unhealthy food.

I don't think everyone has issues with black coffee (technically considered a 'grain' by strict Paleo people) -- some do, but everyone is different.

impyimpyaj

I'm not actually all that concerned with weight loss -- I'm in my happy range, and have been for quite some time (I was on MFP last year and came back). I wouldn't mind losing a few more pounds, but it's not imperative. My biggest things are allergies, chronic pain, acne, asthma, and sleep problems. Frankly, if I didn't have the sleep problems and the pain, I probably wouldn't need the coffee, but as it is, I do. One "rule" that I've always had for myself is that I don't use chemical sweeteners. They taste gross and the whole idea just skeeves me out.

I just don't know if my 2 teaspoons of white sugar in the morning and my tablespoon of creamer is going to keep the inflammation going, in which case I need to stop cold turkey, or if I can see an improvement with the other changes and give myself some time before making the last few changes. Does that make sense? I'm not looking for excuses or an easy way out, but frankly if I can keep this one vice, at least for a little while, I think I'll be more likely to stick with this change for life. The other foods I can give up at the drop of a hat, but my morning caffeine fix is going to be harder.

WIChelle

Could you start by having 3/4 of the cup followed by 1/2 the cup the next day and tapering off? I recently quit coffee and that was how I did it. I had to because cold turkey gave me migraines.

impyimpyaj

I cut back from 2 mugs (16 oz apiece) to one glass (14 oz). So I'm already tapering. But the idea of facing a whole summer with two crazy kiddos waking up before dawn (5:30 every day, yay!) with no coffee is terrifying. :laugh:

Alexandria_JB

I feel you on this, by the way. As spotless as I am about my diet in every other way, coffee and tea are habits I've never been able to break.

Is there a reason you can't use honey and organic (maybe even raw) milk in place of table sugar and creamer?

Also, check out the coffee/tea/caffeine section of this podcast for more specific advice, seems pretty comprehensive:
http://chriskresser.com/rhr-could-copper-zinc-imbalance-be-making-you-sick

Hope this helps!

impyimpyaj

Thanks for that link! I'll check it out.

No reason I can't do that, I've just never tried it. Honestly, I never thought about it -- I kind of figured if you remove the creamer and sugar, you're stuck with drinking it black, and YUCK. I never used to like coffee, so I've had to fiddle with it to get it to where I can enjoy it because for a while I really needed a caffeine source, and pop bloats me too much. I'll try honey and cream and see where that gets me. Thanks for the suggestion!

twinmom01

I drink coffee - usually two cups a day - one in the morning and usually a late afternoon cup as well...I don't have an issue with caffine and I only drink coffee, water and tea (no soda, juices and very limited alcohol (maybe a drink a month if I am in a social setting))

This is what I do a lot of the time...I use about 2 tablespoons of half and half and about 1 tablespoon of the Cofeemate Naturals Sweet Cream creamer (because it is simply cream, sugar and a bit of flavorings and not 27 different ingrediants) the serving of the sweet cream creamer adds a touch of sweet on the days I want sweet.

I drink a lot of flavored coffees (thank you Keurig) so I don't always add the Sweet Cream creamer depending on the flavor.

For quite awhile when I was doing pretty strict paleo with no dairy I used coconut milk from a can in my coffee (I would use the lite version and transfer to a glass jar because it would stay liquid in the fridge - but you could use the full fat version and just scoop out a chunk and add it to your coffee) and would add a dash of cinnimon - I still do this from time to time (i.e. i will pop open a can of the milk and use that as my "creamer" until it is gone.)

For me my morning cup of coffee with a touch of sweetness is my one BIG vice...so to me if this is my big vice in the whole scheme of things it's really not all that much...I have no trouble saying no to a cupcake or a big plate of pasta...but give up coffee...ummmm not going to happen

Changing up table sugar for honey or agave isn't going to change any effects as your body is going to react the same way since the basic componets of table sugar and honey/agave are basically the same. The only thing the honey will do is maybe help a bit with allegies IF you buy locally produced honey...

twinmom01

You may want to read up more about inflammatory foods - I know in some of my readings that certain food groups can cause issues, like veggies from the Nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplant) and meat such as pork and beef (not grass fed) can cause inflammation responses as well.

impyimpyaj

For me my morning cup of coffee with a touch of sweetness is my one BIG vice...so to me if this is my big vice in the whole scheme of things it's really not all that much...I have no trouble saying no to a cupcake or a big plate of pasta...but give up coffee...ummmm not going to happen

This is exactly me. Once I break the habit of eating sweets, I really don't want them and I can say no easily, but I need caffeine, at least for now. Thanks for the tips! I won't do the CoffeeMate Naturals because I don't buy Nestle products, but the coconut milk sounds like a good option. I guess I'm mostly concerned about the creamer because I know it has weird ingredients, but you guys have given me some other options for creamifying. We're going to Ohio in a couple of weeks and I know my family is only going to have creamer available (probably CoffeeMate, ugh), but when we get back I'll try some of these other suggestions. Thanks again!

impyimpyaj

You may want to read up more about inflammatory foods - I know in some of my readings that certain food groups can cause issues, like veggies from the Nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplant) and meat such as pork and beef (not grass fed) can cause inflammation responses as well.

Yeah, I know about the grain-fed meats, but unfortunately I can't get grass-fed in this area. I can travel an hour away and pay twice as much for it, but that's not feasible from a time or financial standpoint. So unfortunately grain-fed meats are going to have to remain in my diet, but I'm going to start incorporating more of the fish that are on my list, and then stay away from eating straight grains and beans and dairy (except in small portions, like in my coffee). It's the best I can do, at least for now.

twinmom01

The coconut milk adds a touch of creaminess but not much sweetness - so try a dash or two of cinnamon as well...

Also do a search or scroll through a couple screens here on this forum for Bulletproof Coffee as there is a good thread- I haven't made it yet but want to give it a try since it sounds like it would give the creaminess factor, good fats and coffee all in one....

coloradocami

I'm am also following Paleo/Primal for inflammation. I have kept coffee in my diet and am still feeling great improvement in my health. I am drinking it black now and plan to cut back but it's hard to "give up" everything at the same time.
Good luck!
Cami

twinmom01

You may want to read up more about inflammatory foods - I know in some of my readings that certain food groups can cause issues, like veggies from the Nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplant) and meat such as pork and beef (not grass fed) can cause inflammation responses as well.

Yeah, I know about the grain-fed meats, but unfortunately I can't get grass-fed in this area. I can travel an hour away and pay twice as much for it, but that's not feasible from a time or financial standpoint. So unfortunately grain-fed meats are going to have to remain in my diet, but I'm going to start incorporating more of the fish that are on my list, and then stay away from eating straight grains and beans and dairy (except in small portions, like in my coffee). It's the best I can do, at least for now.

Depending on how many people you have to feed (i.e. just yourself or others) take a look in your store for ground buffalo - as that should be grass fed and I have seen it in my local grocery store.

Another option that someone brought up in a thread via the absence of grass fed is to buy the leanest ground you can find and add in good coconut or olive oil

Cerebrus189

Coffee is a big vice for me. I will have some in the morning and it used to be that I would use creamer and sugar. I did coconut milk for a while and switched to pasture-raised half & half because it just tastes better. The coconut milk was just too heavy for me and made me sick at times. But I follow Primal, not Paleo, because I cannot give up dairy. I love it way too much. When I first started drinking my coffee with only half & half, especially the first few sips, I thought that there was no way I could go without sugar. But what I found is that the half & half is sweet in itself and then I got used to it. Later I realized that it wasn't the coffee that I was addicted to, it was the sugar in the coffee that gave me a rush and then gave me a crash later. You should try just half & half if you're able to do dairy, and see if you have a similar experience and can tolerate it without any sugar. You might surprise yourself.

As far as sugar goes, one thing I've learned that if I eat any type of sugar in the morning, no matter how little the amount, I crave it for the rest of the day. So I have to stay away from it especially in the morning with my coffee.

impyimpyaj

Would you believe that we HAVE a buffalo farm right outside town, but I can't buy the meat anywhere? I've been tempted to go knock on that door and say, "Hey, that one over there. I want to eat it." I don't know where they sell the meat, but they certainly don't sell it locally. I have no idea why.

The reason I'm going the paleo route and skipping dairy is because I actually have a dairy allergy. Always have. But it was undiagnosed when I was a kid, so I just had it by the truckload and wondered why I was always sick. Then as an adult, I was too lazy to cut it out, until my kids were born. They both had dairy allergies, so I had to cut it out of my diet to avoid the projectile vomiting. And I felt so much better! But then my youngest weaned, and I like cheese, so I started eating it again, and got sick all the time again. It's stupid, really. I do seem to be able to have it in small doses, like a little sour cream on my potato, or cooking with butter, but I can't like have a glass of milk and then some pizza and then ice cream. KWIM? So I do think I'll try cream in my coffee, since I'd only be using like a tablespoon or so, but I'll also try the coconut milk to see which I like better. I do think the sugar has a lot to do with my need for it, though.

MikeFlyMike

slightly off topic from the original post.

aj, I would definitely go knock on the door of the buffalo farm. I found a ranch nearby that sells estate angus. They don't sell their beef, only their cows. They coordinate with a butcher. I got 4 families together and we are going to slaughter soon. Yum.

On the inflammation thing. I had a horrible shoulder and was in PT and considering surgery to get rid of the constant pain. I was told I just couldn't work out (I kickbox and lift) or golf. It was a post on MDA about systemic inflammation that caught my eye. I read and read and read not believing that food / grains could cause my shoulder to hurt (indirectly of course).

Then I started doing it. Lbs came off, and so did the ice packs. My rotator cuff still will let me know it is there - but do NOT have the shooting pain as in the past and literally threw away the ice packs I used after every exercise.

I do still drink coffee, but try to limit to 2 cups a day.
Been eating Primal since 1/1 and the dairy allergy I had for the last 15 years - Gone! I couldnt touch cheese or milk or ice cream etc.. Now it doesn't bother me. I don't eat it every day, but nice to have a slice of high grade cheese now and again.

Eating Primal/Paleo did cause me to lose weight, but I have experience so much more in hidden benefits that I never expected.

impyimpyaj

Wow Mike, that's awesome! I was wondering how long it typically takes to start noticing the difference. I don't expect to feel much difference right now because it's only my third day AND I'm sick, but I was wondering about that. Good for you. Thanks for sharing.

I might call up that buffalo farm. Because seriously, they have to sell it somewhere! I've even called the local meat lockers and no luck. It's ridiculous. They're RIGHT THERE. Maybe they're just a breeder, I don't know.

Alexandria_JB

Raw, unprocessed honey is much better than table sugar! It is chock full of probiotics, which are the beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract and are essential for the function of pretty much every physiological process -- especially for brain health and the immune system. Only local honey helps with allergies, and even then it only helps with pollen allergies, due to trace amounts of pollen in the honey slowly acclimating your body to the types of pollen in your area (although the improved immune system from probiotics could help with that over time).