-Peanut butter is a no-no. Peanuts are legumes and legumes are off-limits. You can substitute with almond butter, cashew butter or sunbutter. I LOVE almond butter.

-If you stick with the strictly organic, cage-free, grass-fed stuff, unfortunately it is a little more expensive. I think it's worth it to know I'm putting more high quality, less chemicalized foods into my body. You don't have to do everything organic/grass-fed, though. It's just recommended. You can find lists online of the best fruits and veggies to buy organic, because some aren't as affected by the pesticides as others. (Trader Joe's has great prices on some organics. If you have one close by, go check them out).

-Avoiding soy isn't as hard as you think. If you avoid processed foods, you'll avoid a lot of soy.

-I've had a hard time avoiding dairy, too. I just keep it to minimally processed dairy items, and only have one small serving a day (if that).

What I've read about protein is that if you eat too much, the excess is elminated by the body as waste. Carbs, on the other hand, if you eat too much, your body will store it as fat. Guess which one I'd rather eat more of?

no such thing as too much protein, no eating peanut butter, no eating soy, nuts in moderation, and like above poster , goat cheese if possible.

pretty much agree with monkeydharma :bigsmile:

I am starting Primal New Years day and I wondered if Shirataki/Miracle noodles are considered primal?

I am starting Primal New Years day and I wondered if Shirataki/Miracle noodles are considered primal?

Depends on how strict you want to be. They are processed food, so in the strictest sense, No. However, as long as you buy the ones that don't have soy added, then Yes as they are just a starchy root similar to a yam in composition.

If you are just starting out, I'd try zuchini "noodles" or spagetti squash in place of pasta instead.

I am a dairy lover, so I am afraid I would have to go Primal rather than Paleo. Have to have my cheese, yogurt, and butter! It just makes the meat and veggies go down better.

I made the same decision to be primal. I cut out Splenda and then honey from my coffee, but I don't want to cut out the cream. I buy local organic low pasteuriized non-homogenized cream. Raw goats milk is probably best but I don't want the risk of raw milk. We actually had a case of a local girl in kidney failure due to raw milk from a very respectable dairy farm. I also love my cheese. I just try to limit it to really enjoy it and don't drown everything in it. I try to buy pastured butter

I understand the need for pure food without preservatives, extra sugars, and so on. How (other than raising your own food, which I do some of) can you consistently buy these foods at good affordable prices?

I try to buy in bulk and look for sales. I bought 1/4 grass-fed cow from a local farm. It was about 100 lbs of beef at around $5/lb, and that's for all the various cuts. That's a year's worth of beef for my family. You can find local sources at www.eatwild.com. I figure the money I'm saving from not eating as many takeout or packaged meals goes towards the healthier food. You can buy frozen veggies for less money than fresh especially at this time of year. If you're really motivated, you can buy in bulk from farmers markets in the summer and can veggies and fruits for the winter. I'm lazy and buy into a canning CSA.

Do you recommend a lot of nuts, and of different types?

Nuts in moderation or even limited. Lots of cals in nuts for something that doesn't really fill you up much.

There are 2 ways you can go about starting paleo/primal.

Option 1: Go strict, get good at eating well, like doing a whole30. Give your gut a chance to heal and give your brain the 30 days to build the new habits. Then after that, you will be the master of your diet and wont be driven by cravings. you can make the choices about what to add back in, and how you can make it sustainable for you.

Option 2: Go slow. Eliminate gluten first. Then eliminate the junk food. Or eat Paleo during the week but not weekends. Or at home but not when you eat out. Or however you want.

I chose Option 1. Now I have a good sense of how and when I prefer to "off road". For example, we eat takeout Chinese about once every two weeks. At first, I ordered steamed veggies with shrimp, no sauce, no rice. Nothing else. I felt really deprived. Now, I figure that I eat well 90% of the time. I can enjoy that one meal a little more, and now I order what I want. I still try to order something that doesn't have a ton of soy, but I don't stress over it. I enjoy a crab Rangoon and a sesame ball. I might take a small serving of rice. I'm happier, and I don't let it derail the rest of my eating.

Just remember that even if you're Paleo, you're also human, and it's impossible to be perfect 100% of the time. Strive for it, and allow yourself the exceptions when it works for you.