I don't understand it either. Focusing on a primal approach ... and by no means perfectly... has done so much to alleviate my joint pain, digestive issues and blood glucose levels.

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich doesn't taste that great when I'm looking at a scaly rash on my face the next morning, doubled over with cramps wondering if I'm going to find a restroom in time or dreading my next round of blood work.

All you can do is make the suggestion and lead by example. Plus I don't know about you, when I first heard about Paleo, I said "There is no way in hell I will try it." However, the more I learned the more it reasonated with me. I have known for a long period of time that wheat bothers me and I'm addicted to sugar. But whenever, I would cut sugar I would be miserable, until I cut out bean/all grains/sugar could I live without sugar. So your suggestion, may fall on deaf ears, or it may reminate in her for some time until she becomes brave enough to try it.

Honestly, it's worse than suggesting people quit smoking. everyone knows smoking is bad and why. With food choices, they don't realize the addiction is there, what causes it, and it's not only socially acceptable to consume butt-tons of grain, it's suggested to do so by lots of misinformed individuals led astray by a falsified scientific study that was taken as gospel in the 50's.

People change when they are ready, and not a second before. I know I wasn't ready to give up my morning Coke habit for 6 months after I learned about Paleo. All anybody can do is suggest it and offer encouragement. I have a tendency to not tolerate when people complain about their health issues when they refuse to try something as simple as avoiding certain foods to fix their issues, though. Some might call me a ***** for it, but I don't care. If shoveling trash into your body is more important to you than a pain-free ( or at least less pain) existence, I got no time to listen to you whine about it. It's 30 damned days out of your life to see if it helps. And it sure as hell won't kill you.

I think the suggestion needs time to grow in the mind. You have planted the seed - it may take a year to grow to fruition (by which time she may have forgotten where the idea came from), but she may eventually think it's worth a try.

I have CFS / ME and the number of whacky things people suggest to me is amazing. I take my time and think about things, and eventually try out that which makes sense.

I really don't think anyone is ever likely to jump at Paleo the moment some-one suggests it. These things take time to plan out and consider. I heard that this may help my condition in May '12 - I had only been ill 2 months at that stage. I cut out grains in December and only in the last two weeks have I cut out dairy.

However, having thought it through, I am now in a frame of mind to make a committment and to see it through for a viable time.

Your friend may well consider this after she researches the idea some more. Just because she "says" she can't do it, doesn't mean she won't be able to do so at a later point in life.

You did the right thing suggesting it.

My parents are this way, and it is so frustrating to be around them! Both obese, "metabolic syndrome" kind of shape, mom has early Alzheimer's.......Dad takes many pills for digestive purposes, etc.

I suggest they try a new way of eating and all I hear is a list of reasons that to change in their 80's wouldn't work and how their doctors want to do this procedure and take that pills.. Thank God they have money because they are going to live a lot longer and pretty sickly.....at least their doctors pockets are getting padded :mad:

It takes time. I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 4 years ago, and was at the point that I would get the kids to school and then go back to bed until they got home. The pain, the tingling in my hands and feet, the mental fog - it was horrible. My doctor told me dietary changes wouldn't help, and then proceeded to try me on every medication under the sun. One made me stutter, my hands tremble and my hair fall out. A friend kept suggesting I go gluten-free - just for a week to see what would happen - and for six months I told her that it was a fad and wouldn't help.

I finally got fed up with it all one morning, did a google search on fibromyalgia and gluten and went gluten-free that very day. I had about an 80% improvement in my symptoms. It wasn't until I found paleo about a year later that I finally considered myself healed. As long as I eat this way, I have no symptoms. What my doctors called fibro was probably a gluten-intolerance all along.

Eating this way isn't easy and it takes time to understand that food can be not just a cure, but the cause. When you're already so sick, it can be so overwhelming to undertake such a big change. Planting those seeds and modeling a solid paleo diet is the best thing we can do to help encourage others to make their own changes. Giving smaller suggestions like "try gluten-free for a week" can also be really helpful. That seems more manageable than "give up everything you love for 30 days", which is how a lot of people hear "try paleo or primal", and can set the groundwork for even more positive improvements.

Being a recovering alcoholic (quit over 27 years ago), a former smoker (quit 20 years ago), former chewer of tobacco (quit 15 years ago), and now, after 40 + years of eating crap and ruining my health (332 lbs. and all sorts of medical problems), I can tell you it is not easy to just up and quit an addiction. Before anyone can change, they have to hit their personal low before the “see the light” if they ever do, and then, sometimes, they still can’t change. My “light” was finally getting serious about my diabetes and eating to my meter. I eliminated everything that spiked my blood sugar, which turned out to be all of the crap that Paleo/Primal says is crap. I actually eat a diabetes diet which is quite similar to Paleo/Primal, eating 60% fat, 35% protein and 5% carbs.