Interested in Paleo

[SunsetRunner]

So I've been doing some research about the Paleo diet and am extremely interested. I realized that a lot of the foods I already eat are Paleo and a lot of foods I do not like are considered "non-Paleo", which is pretty nice for me. Does anybody here do Paleo? Have any tips for someone who is just starting out? I have already planned my meals for this week so I would like to start eating Paleo next week. 

[HelenaFitbit]

I am sure @PaleoCrossfit can give out some information about this, she's very knowledgeable. 

[AutumnTiger]

Hi there, 

I have been primal/paleo since November 2013.  I would highly recommend it.  You don't mention whether your interest is for weight loss, specific health reasons, general health reasons or just plain curiosity, so I wont go into great lengths about my own story and bore you.

I would just say that I am primal at heart now and would never go back to SAD eating (Standard American Diet).  I occasionally have a slice of buttered toast or something, and by occasional I mean like once every three months or so, but generally I am primal.  I say primal because I am still working on ditching the dairy, which would be paleo.

I have read a lot of the supporting books both around paleo/primal and general health such as intermittent fasting, and from the understanding I have gained from those there is just no need to have any other carbs in your life than those that come with a hefty dose of vitamins and minerals.

I could go on ad infinitum about the benefits of the lifestyle but I'll just briefly recap the obvious ones: tonnes of energy, all minor aches, pains, niggles & sniffles gone, sleeping well, always having a clear head, rarely feeling bloated (even though I still have weight to lose), much more even temperament, did I mention bags of energy? 🙂

That said, you have to try it for yourself ... I hope you enjoy the experience!

[SunsetRunner]

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@AutumnTiger wrote:

Hi there, 

I have been primal/paleo since November 2013.  I would highly recommend it.  You don't mention whether your interest is for weight loss, specific health reasons, general health reasons or just plain curiosity, so I wont go into great lengths about my own story and bore you.

I would just say that I am primal at heart now and would never go back to SAD eating (Standard American Diet).  I occasionally have a slice of buttered toast or something, and by occasional I mean like once every three months or so, but generally I am primal.  I say primal because I am still working on ditching the dairy, which would be paleo.

I have read a lot of the supporting books both around paleo/primal and general health such as intermittent fasting, and from the understanding I have gained from those there is just no need to have any other carbs in your life than those that come with a hefty dose of vitamins and minerals.

I could go on ad infinitum about the benefits of the lifestyle but I'll just briefly recap the obvious ones: tonnes of energy, all minor aches, pains, niggles & sniffles gone, sleeping well, always having a clear head, rarely feeling bloated (even though I still have weight to lose), much more even temperament, did I mention bags of energy? 🙂

That said, you have to try it for yourself ... I hope you enjoy the experience!

---

My interest is for a few of the reasons you mentioned. I am looking to lose 30 lbs but I also want to change the way I eat to be healthier. For me this wouldn't be a diet, this would be a lifestyle change. I do not have any diagnosed health issues but I do suffer from back and knee pain regularly. I also have had severe acne for about 10 years. I was on accutain for 6 months in 2012 but the acne came back a year later. I have increased my water intake recently which has actually helped clear up my skin a lot. 

If you don't mind sharing, I would actually really love to hear your story. I'm so interested in learning more about nutrition and hearing other's experiences really help me figure out what's best for me.

[SunsetRunner]

The Primal / Paleo is interesting, but very little now - is like it was then.

We live in houses with heating and air conditioning (few live in caves), and we buy food in a store

(few are hunter gatherers), and we eat grains that have been genetically modified, and meat that has

been force fed and given huge loads of anti-biotics to keep them alive long enough to slaughter.

We can go part way to Primal / Paleo, by exercising (as if we were looking for roots and berries,

and walking very long distances (on very few calories, as if we were hunting for wild animals to eat),

and buying only free range chickens and grass fed beef, and produce from organic producers.

Now if only we could find some non polluted air and water without carcinogens.

[SunsetRunner]

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@yarddog wrote:

The Primal / Paleo is interesting, but very little now - is like it was then.

We live in houses with heating and air conditioning (few live in caves), and we buy food in a store

(few are hunter gatherers), and we eat grains that have been genetically modified, and meat that has

been force fed and given huge loads of anti-biotics to keep them alive long enough to slaughter.

We can go part way to Primal / Paleo, by exercising (as if we were looking for roots and berries,

and walking very long distances (on very few calories, as if we were hunting for wild animals to eat),

and buying only free range chickens and grass fed beef, and produce from organic producers.

Now if only we could find some non polluted air and water without carcinogens.

---

Sorry, Yarddog, I'm looking for meaningful responses here 😞

[SunsetRunner]

Did you miss the meaning?

There is no way to have anything like a Paleo lifestyle and/or nutrition,

but you can do your best to get somewhat close, if you try really hard.

The response was intended to make people think about how far removed

we are from the Paleolithic era from about 2.6 million to 12,000 years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic

[SunsetRunner]

---

@yarddog wrote:

Did you miss the meaning?

There is no way to have anything like a Paleo lifestyle and/or nutrition,

but you can do your best to get somewhat close, if you try really hard.

The response was intended to make people think about how far removed

we are from the Paleolithic era from about 2.6 million to 12,000 years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic

---

But that's not what Paleo is about, not according to the research I've done. Paleo isn't about living the same exact way as our ancestors, that's obviously impossible. I would appreciate if you didn't come to this topic with such a negative tone, especially if you clearly do not know much about the topic. 

[SunsetRunner]

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@Emchuw wrote:

---

@yarddog wrote:

Did you miss the meaning?

There is no way to have anything like a Paleo lifestyle and/or nutrition,

but you can do your best to get somewhat close, if you try really hard.

The response was intended to make people think about how far removed

we are from the Paleolithic era from about 2.6 million to 12,000 years ago.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic

---

But that's not what Paleo is about, not according to the research I've done. Paleo isn't about living the same exact way as our ancestors, that's obviously impossible. I would appreciate if you didn't come to this topic with such a negative tone, especially if you clearly do not know much about the topic. 

---

I know a great deal about the topic, and my observations are a logical/intellectual analysis.

Perhaps you may wish to read: https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=Paleolithic_diet

[SunsetRunner]

@SunsetRunner none of your comments have been useful to me thus far. You have answered none of my questions. Thanks. 

[HelenaFitbit]

Guys, let's keep this courteous mmkay? 

Also, @SunsetRunner have you checked this thread? A lot of members have shared information in it 

[SunsetRunner]

I'm sorry that I seem hostile. Yarddog tends to come into conversations to passive aggressively (and actually quite condescendingly) downgrade any diet that isn't Pritikin. I just wanted some answers about Paleo, not a lecture about why I shouldn't do it.

And I haven't seen that thread yet but I will check it out now. Thank you @HelenaFitbit

[DominicJ]

"given huge loads of anti-biotics to keep them alive long enough to slaughter."

Simply not true.

Few farmers can afford to treat the actually sick animals, let alone routinely provide ongoing, uneccessary treatments to their live stock.

The average meat chicken is 35 days old at slaughter, barely enough time to even get sick...

[Ragnar753]

Hi - I started eating paleo in November. The thing I missed the most was bread. I now make flatbread with attowroot and tapioca flour...really tasty : )

[Raviv]

I ate Primal (Paleo plus dairy, for the most part) a few years ago and did really well with it.  I lost about 20 pounds and, other than the first week or two, had much more stable and elevated energy levels.  It really did feel good.

I don't eat Primal now, though I do try to make more natural choices given two foods sitting in front of me.  And I cook more or just eat a whole, raw food (fruits and vegetables).

For me, it wasn't sustainable because I already have so many foods I can't eat.  Hearing people go on and on about bacon and dark chocolate (two things I can't eat) was misery.

So I did take a lot from eating that way.  Like I said, I make more natural and unprocessed choices when I can.  I do feel it's a very healthy way to eat, but givem my own issues, it wasn't good for my head.  I could see it being a huge help to the majority of people.

[JohnRyan]

If you are still interested in a Paleo lifestyle, make sure to check out some of the leaders in the industry as they have thouroughly researched health and nutrition.

marksdailyapple.com - The Primal Blueprint

balancedbites.com - Diane Sanfilippo - "Practical Paleo", "21 Day Sugar Detox"

stupideasypaleo.com - Steph Gaudreau - "Performance Paleo Cookbok"

    * Both Diane & Steph are very active and responsive on social media - Instagram, twitter, facebook etc...

robbwolf.com - Robb Wolf - The Paleo Solution

realfoodliz.com - Liz Wolfe - "Eat the Yolks"

Chris Kesser - The Paleo Solution

Those are some of the top people advocating paleo diet/lifestyle and some of their literature.  I personally recommend "Practical Paleo" as i find the writing about the science and biology of our bodies and the foods we eat to be easy to read and understand.  Plus it comes with meal plans and tons of recipes.  Most of these books are pretty cheap on amazon right now last I checked.

The 21 Day Sugar Detox is a great program to "reset" your food intake and bust sugar/hunger pains and cravings, allowing you to "start over" and focus on real foods.