Paleo Diet?

RussianLynx

Paleo isn't just about losing weight, though that is a nice side effect ;o) A lot of which has to due with so many processed foods not fitting into the plan.

It's based on the idea that the agricultural revolution drastically changed how and what we eat. Our bodies, theoretically, are designed to thrive on a hunter/gatherer type diet.

Will it work for you? Maybe. A lot of people function better when they avoid gluten... but it's so hard to avoid. You won't see the benefit from avoiding gluten (or even all grains) unless you do it 100%. It takes a few weeks for your digestive system to calm down and function normally (if it was being upset by gluten in the first place). All it takes is just the tiniest exposure to gluten (something as simple as your steak being grilled on the same grill where someone had used a seasoning that contained gluten) every two weeks to keep your digestive system in turmoil. A tiny exposure like that just once every two weeks is enough to keep a gluten-sensitive digestive system in a constant state of turmoil. Which is why anyone eating gluten-free has to be ridiculously specific about how their food is prepared if they eat out. Many restaurants say something is gluten-free because there is no gluten in that specific food... but many times the food is prepared in the same space or with the same utensils as gluten-containing food. Or the seasoning will contain gluten.

If you're eating out and want to avoid gluten, be relentlessly specific. Going gluten-free is really an all or nothing proposition.

Try it for a month... if you feel better, great! If not... the worst-case scenario is you just went 30 days without some foods you like.

I've never been diagnosed with Celiacs disease or gluten sensitivity... but the difference between how I feel on a grain-free diet and on a "normal" diet is like night and day. No digestion problems. No blood pressure problems, No skin problems. My body just functions optimally on a grain-free and dairy-free diet.

Everyone is different and you have to find what works for you. Paleo works for me. I'm healthier and I sleep better and have to take far fewer medications. Many of my health problems were caused by the standard American diet. Doctors were more than willing to prescribe me all sorts of medications to fix the symptoms... but not one suggested that changing my diet would solve the problem. I like treating the problem, not the symptoms.

My recommendation is just to try it for a month and then have some meal that contains the grains and/or dairy you've been going without. Gauge how you feel. I had a meal containing pasta and cheese and felt like shards of jagged glass were making their way through my intestines. That made it really easy to give up gluten and dairy. I've never had a favorable reaction to dairy, but it's so tasty!

I do admit that it was very hard to give up cheesecake ;o)

If you want to read up on Paleo, I highly suggest The Paleo Diet Solution by Robb Wolf. He also has a website with really good info on it.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

As sidesteal said,

To clarify, I think that consuming "mostly" nutrient dense and minimally processed foods is a good principle. I don't actually think people need to divide foods into clean and/or dirty brackets and adopt an all or nothing approach.

I'm not knocking your methods just to be clear. I'm glad you've found what's working for you. I'm only clarifying your paraphrasing above.

I know you said this earlier.............but some of us have to have the all or nothing approach due to health issues.

Sadly, I am one of those people.

PaleoPath4Lyfe

This is not true. I have no desire to eat bread of any kind again.

Everyone in the Paleo community who knows about this can't wait to start eating bread again.

almostatgoalweight

But normal bread is so tasty!!!! It's much better not made of cave dust!

Normal bread being tasty is one of the reasons why we're on this website. I found bread easy to avoid, I have probably eaten less than a kilogram in the last year.

Shock_Wave

But normal bread is so tasty!!!! It's much better not made of cave dust!

You should try some low carb bread before you knock it, it tastes good. I don't eat much regular bread just because I have only so many carbs I can eat in a day and spending 50 carbs on 2 pieces is a lot when your diet consists of following macros intently. I am a bodybuilder so this can be useful for folks like me or other folks with different moderate to low carb. diets.

Shock_Wave

Urgh it's a fad. There are good principals about eating unadultered meat and vegetables but seriously just find a balance of foods that make you feel good and work for you. If you can say 'no' to bread for the rest of your life then Paleo might be up your street but personally I like to make my own diet that keeps me feeling good and doesn't ban food groups.

and as for this thats great you found your own diet that doesn't ban food groups but just because the ops diet doesn't follow your own doesn't mean its wrong. Maybe you ought to focus on your own positives instead of trying to instill your views on some one else that comes off negatively by making juvenile comments like in post above this one I quoted.

Phaedra2014

How do cholesterol levels stay within normal levels on a Paleo diet?

mrsdavidtennant

Urgh it's a fad. There are good principals about eating unadultered meat and vegetables but seriously just find a balance of foods that make you feel good and work for you. If you can say 'no' to bread for the rest of your life then Paleo might be up your street but personally I like to make my own diet that keeps me feeling good and doesn't ban food groups.




It is not a fad. How can this diet be a fad when it is the diet our bodies were designed for? And yes I do believe that we can stay on this diet for life. I love it, it's easy to stick to, healthy, and I alway lose weight on it.

mrsdavidtennant

And obviously I need to learn how to use quotes properly lol

stuffinmuffin

But normal bread is so tasty!!!! It's much better not made of cave dust!

You should try some low carb bread before you knock it, it tastes good. I don't eat much regular bread just because I have only so many carbs I can eat in a day and spending 50 carbs on 2 pieces is a lot when your diet consists of following macros intently. I am a bodybuilder so this can be useful for folks like me or other folks with different moderate to low carb. diets.

I run and I need carbohydrate, and I like it, I probably go way over my 'macros' for it each day. Personally (each to their own) I refuse to eat fad foods. As far as I'm aware carbohydrates have been a key source of sustenance around the globe. I do agree that modern agricultural methods are questionable and particularly in America (Europe is also coming come up to speed in hugely damaging intensive farming practices) and processed food is bad and full of cr*p for many reasons - mostly economical. However I am fussy when I purchase bread - make sure it's wholemeal...make sure sugar is waaaaay down the ingredient list! Unfortunately there are 2 monopoly bakeries in the UK and they produce everything from most UK mainstream bread, to dough for supermarkets and restaurants and the flour we buy at home to 'make our own from scratch'. There are certain additives that become unavoidable. BUT scratch under the surface and there's a whole more interesting story behind diet and 'fad' foods produced for demand and profit.
If the whole of Western society started eating the Paleo way there would be a food crisis. I'm just doing my part by not being on it... :drinker:

Shock_Wave

But normal bread is so tasty!!!! It's much better not made of cave dust!

You should try some low carb bread before you knock it, it tastes good. I don't eat much regular bread just because I have only so many carbs I can eat in a day and spending 50 carbs on 2 pieces is a lot when your diet consists of following macros intently. I am a bodybuilder so this can be useful for folks like me or other folks with different moderate to low carb. diets.

I run and I need carbohydrate, and I like it, I probably go way over my 'macros' for it each day. Personally (each to their own) I refuse to eat fad foods. As far as I'm aware carbohydrates have been a key source of sustenance around the globe. I do agree that modern agricultural methods are questionable and particularly in America (Europe is also coming come up to speed in hugely damaging intensive farming practices) and processed food is bad and full of cr*p for many reasons - mostly economical. However I am fussy when I purchase bread - make sure it's wholemeal...make sure sugar is waaaaay down the ingredient list! Unfortunately there are 2 monopoly bakeries in the UK and they produce everything from most UK mainstream bread, to dough for supermarkets and restaurants and the flour we buy at home to 'make our own from scratch'. There are certain additives that become unavoidable. BUT scratch under the surface and there's a whole more interesting story behind diet and 'fad' foods produced for demand and profit.
If the whole of Western society started eating the Paleo way there would be a food crisis. I'm just doing my part by not being on it... :drinker:

If low carb. bread is a fad food then I am glad its around as I explained why as it can serve a great purpose in many different forms of fad or non fad diets that consist of moderate to low carb diets. Its just a low carb healthy food not some infectious virus. Not really sure about all this other jargon you are talking about as I was just simply refering my comment to the low carb. bread. Its not your war against how other people want to eat and if you honestly think "the whole of western society" is going to eat paleo and we are going to have some type of food crisis then you really need to grow up... just sayin.

Elleinnz

Love Paleo eating - suits my body and lifestyle...... I do occasionally indulge in a bit of diary - but not much.....as for carbs - not missing them one little bit - having said that I still get around 120 / 130 grams of carbs a day from vegetables, fruit and a bit of milk - so as someone said it is not extremely low carb....

And it is not just meat and vegetables - I get to eat lovely nuts, avocado, salmon, olives, coconut milk / cream to name a few gorgeous things - more than makes up for bread, pasta etc....

And like everything else in life - if I want to eat a slice of cheesecake, or chocolate brownie I still indulge - and oh - the occasional slice of NY style pizza ;-)

suziecue66

Julian Bakery out in California is debuting the Paleo Bread this Friday, actually. There are two varieties: one made with Almond flour and the other, Coconut Flour. Everyone in the Paleo community who knows about this can't wait to start eating bread again.

http://www.facebook.com/ThePaleoBread

The ingredients look good.

stuffinmuffin

But normal bread is so tasty!!!! It's much better not made of cave dust!

You should try some low carb bread before you knock it, it tastes good. I don't eat much regular bread just because I have only so many carbs I can eat in a day and spending 50 carbs on 2 pieces is a lot when your diet consists of following macros intently. I am a bodybuilder so this can be useful for folks like me or other folks with different moderate to low carb. diets.

I run and I need carbohydrate, and I like it, I probably go way over my 'macros' for it each day. Personally (each to their own) I refuse to eat fad foods. As far as I'm aware carbohydrates have been a key source of sustenance around the globe. I do agree that modern agricultural methods are questionable and particularly in America (Europe is also coming come up to speed in hugely damaging intensive farming practices) and processed food is bad and full of cr*p for many reasons - mostly economical. However I am fussy when I purchase bread - make sure it's wholemeal...make sure sugar is waaaaay down the ingredient list! Unfortunately there are 2 monopoly bakeries in the UK and they produce everything from most UK mainstream bread, to dough for supermarkets and restaurants and the flour we buy at home to 'make our own from scratch'. There are certain additives that become unavoidable. BUT scratch under the surface and there's a whole more interesting story behind diet and 'fad' foods produced for demand and profit.
If the whole of Western society started eating the Paleo way there would be a food crisis. I'm just doing my part by not being on it... :drinker:

If low carb. bread is a fad food then I am glad its around as I explained why as it can serve a great purpose in many different forms of fad or non fad diets that consist of moderate to low carb diets. Its just a low carb healthy food not some infectious virus. Not really sure about all this other jargon you are talking about as I was just simply refering my comment to the low carb. bread. Its not your war against how other people want to eat and if you honestly think "the whole of western society" is going to eat paleo and we are going to have some type of food crisis then you really need to grow up... just sayin.

I don't have a war on 'how people eat' but it's good for people to question things before embarking them. I don't impose my way of eating on ANYONE so it annoys me when people that follow Paleo/low carb do. Surely it's good for the Op to have a balanced view. Me and the UK National Health Service think that this is a fad diet. Just sayin'

Enjoy your toast! : )

amy1612

Im actually not missing bread whatsoever so far. Im getting plenty of carbs from things like fruit, veg and sweet potatos.

wetsel23

I did this diet for a few months and found it very hard to follow due to my lifestyle. Im in the military and with traveling a lot it made it difficult and a lot of times not having choices of where i can eat. When i first statred i had headaches for about a week and made me feel tired. Although i did lose weight and fast. Down side, as soon as I got off it i gained more weight than i had lost. If you can make it a lifstyle and not just a quick fix then go for it. Otherwise not worth your troubles.... in my opinion

LadyConundra

I disagree with using the word Paleo and diet in the same sentence. Paleo eating is a lifestyle choice. I love it! I feel so much better than before. Calling it a 'fad' diet is crap and said from someone who has not done any research on it. Ok yes I admit that before February I had never hear of Paleo or primal but now I am switching to the style of eating. I LOVE Bread and it is hard to give it up but just like everything else we have had to 'give it' to lose weight and get healthy. I do once in a while have bread (loves me some Great Harvest bakery) but I can tell the difference when I eat clean and when I don't (this last weekend is a fine example, and I suffered for it). All and all you have to enjoy your life. Paleo is not for everyone. I would suggest checking out Whole9life.com or theclothesmakethegirl.com they are my favorite Paleo sites.

I wish you luck on your search, and hope you find what makes you happy and health.

To the lady who said the Paleo was just a fad, sorry don't mean to sound like a witch.

stuffinmuffin

I disagree with using the word Paleo and diet in the same sentence. Paleo eating is a lifestyle choice. I love it! I feel so much better than before. Calling it a 'fad' diet is crap and said from someone who has not done any research on it. Ok yes I admit that before February I had never hear of Paleo or primal but now I am switching to the style of eating. I LOVE Bread and it is hard to give it up but just like everything else we have had to 'give it' to lose weight and get healthy. I do once in a while have bread (loves me some Great Harvest bakery) but I can tell the difference when I eat clean and when I don't (this last weekend is a fine example, and I suffered for it). All and all you have to enjoy your life. Paleo is not for everyone. I would suggest checking out Whole9life.com or theclothesmakethegirl.com they are my favorite Paleo sites.

I wish you luck on your search, and hope you find what makes you happy and health.

To the lady who said the Paleo was just a fad, sorry don't mean to sound like a witch.

LOL no worries, I'm not looking to debunk anything. As for research...I've done a fair bit have not actually tried it myself, I'd have to buy really ethically farmed meat (personal choice) and I probably couldn't afford to! ; ) In my old house-share I lived with a Paleo following fitness fanatic and a GP...so we had some quite interesting debates from two very different schools of teaching/learning and I have actually witnessed someone use 2 litres of oil on their food in a week!

Phaedra2014

I don't know very much about a Paleo way of eating but, as I asked earlier, what are the repercussions on cholesterol levels?

Midwest4ever

Paleo is not a fad. It is all about healthy eating. Eat your meat and vegetables (except white potatoes). That is what we have always been taught. Paleo eliminates the fillers that are put on your plate like grains, legumes. Why do you add bread crumbs to meatloaf - filler. No dairy. Paleo gets a lot of hard knocks for this but yet vegan and lactose intolerant are fine with almond milk and coconut milk. Diabetics are put on a low glycemic diet and Paleo is just that. Lots of good books explaining benefits of Paleo.