Has anyone read The Paleo Diet website or book? It is Gluten Free and involves the consumption of whole foods, especially fruits, leaves, berries, meat, fish and poultry. There are a lot of good recipes on the website that our families can eat. What are your thoughts?
Gluten Free Forums - Elana's Pantry » general
The Paleo Diet
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Posted 2 years ago #
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I'm currently reading "Going Against the Grain", but admittedly, it's more for my husband's benefit since he was recently diagnosed with diabetes. The book briefly talks about the Paleo Diet, and also his doctor, who is more into natural methods, recommended for him to investigate that way of eating. Needless to say, I'm the one doing all of the studying, so it's a bit overwhelming trying to implement such drastic dietary changes all at once. We're slowly getting there, though, and I think the Paleo Diet could be nicely incorporated with all of this almond flour way of cooking/baking.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I understand exactly what you're going through. We transitioned for 3 weeks, and sort of used up some of the foods that we had, and ate some favorites we have now given up. We have been eating meat, fruit, veggies, and nut based products now for 2 weeks. Begin making a new recipe everyday, and incorporating more non-starchy veggies each day. You can do this.
Posted 2 years ago # -
I haven't read The Paleo Diet, but some very good information about native, hunter gather diets can be found at The Weston Price Foundation http://www.westonaprice.org Dr. Price studied groups of native peoples in the 1930's uninfluenced by modern foods and agriculture. He was a dentist and he made a very thorough study of 14 different groups from various places on the globe from Alaska to Africa ("Nutrition and Physical Degeneration" published in 1939). His findings are remarkable and the photos in his book are amazing. He found that even though the diets of the groups varied according to the foods available in their given locations all the groups had similar outcomes. These were namely: little to no dental caries (.4% , and these people did not have toothbrushes!), good jaw structure and straight teeth, no chronic diseases like heart disease, cancer or diabetes or they were good natured and emotionally stable.
He found that the groups all consumed a majority of their calories from animal products (meat, eggs, seafood, milk, and butter depending on their location), their diets contained considerable amounts of the naturally occuring fat soluble vitamins, especially A and D; they consumed no sugar and very little grain, if any at all. They also didn't eat very many fruits or vegetables, however the groups living in the warmest climates ate the most.
The Weston Price Foundation is an excellent source for unbiased nutrition information because they do not take any money from industry lobbiests or government agencies. It is just solid, evidenced based advice, founded on ancient principles.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Been on the diet for 5 months. No grains, starch, tubers, dairy.... with slight modifications. I eat sugar subs (palm/agave/honey) and chocolate (containing sugar), coffee... as well as dried fruits containing sugar. Also Arrowroot (used in Elana's bread) is also not allowed on the diet.
There are different variations. Paleo Diet (Cordain), Neanderthin (Audette), and Primal Blueprint (Mark Sisson) [marksdailyapple.com]. All eliminate wheat, gainsm, potatoes, and most dairy. Cordain allows "cheats" 3-4 a week, Mark allows cream/some cheese. I don't eat dairy or grains... nor cheat that much really except when I got out and I always feel crappy afterwards so I hardly cheat ever except for sugar/baked goods.
The best thing about it is chronic diseases vanish (my 30 year chronic asthma allergies vanished), mood/energy stabilizes. Hard first month followed by a 2nd month where you feel like a different person and slow and steady weight loss and muscle mass gaining. Went from doing 2-3 push-ups to like 20-25! Best thing is I hardly have to exercise - no more boring cardio/running. Just walk, stretches, tone my body. Still loose weight - I have a six pack now. My food bills have increased, but my medicine/doctors bills decreased.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Thanks for the encouragement, Lisa! :)
Kate, well said about the Weston Price Foundation. I've checked their site out frequently over the years, and they have some really invaluable information that can't be found anywhere else.
Posted 2 years ago # -
My husband & I (and two boys) have been Paleo for about 6 months now. It's awesome! You feel so much healthier!!! Check out http://www.robbwolf.com also. Granted, it can be challenging to come up with recipes for meals and snacks, but this website is a great resource, sometimes just needs a little bit of tweaking.
Posted 2 years ago # -
brksct,
Are you guys really strict Paleo, or do you eat butter, Peanut butter and green beans, for example? We are paleo with all three of these foods in addition. We have cut out so much from the way we ate before.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Lisa,
No we aren't strict Paleo. We still eat green beans (sometime), but no other legumes. No peanut butter; almond butter is great and my kids still think it's peanut butter. And some dairy too, which we are trying to cut down on. My main goal in changing my diet is to be grain-free, low carb and low glycemic (I'm at risk for diabetes, blah!). http://www.feedmepaleo.blogspot.com is great website for Paleo recipes (she's strict!!) Do you CrossFit?
-BrookePosted 2 years ago # -
Some other great resources are the books "Good Calorie, Bad Calorie" and "Primal Blueprint"
Posted 2 years ago # -
No offense brksct but that Robb Wolfe site is the most boring podcast/blog ever! I recommend marksdailyapple.com or paleodiet.com -
I've been doing paleo 5 months and all my diseases vanished after about a month (asthma/allergies/IBS/acid reflux/acne/belly) after 30 years of high medical costs/doctors. I also have more muscle mass & even energy. I recommend it with minor modifications: 1) don't eat splenda/nutrasweet like Cordain says. Just try to eliminate your soda/sugar by replacing it with honey/palm sugar 2) wrestle with the sugar issue -- do I use agave/honey/palm sugar? Stevia: an herbal drug and nasty IMO. Sugars not really allowed on this diet, though Cordain allows small amounts of honey. 3) prepare for a large grocery bill esp with grass fed beef being 2-3x the price. Farmers market is an option, though organic fruit is WAY overpriced. 4) Elana's recipes are not paleo when they contain arrow root, agave, etc. They are cheating but hey, it's a healthy cheat so take it as you will. 5) Massive Omega 3 supps are a must. Don't fall for Omega 3 hype on the internet. Trader Joes $9 1200mg Omega 3 is fine. 6) Just make your own recipes or look on the internet (marks daily apple is a good start). The ones in Paleo Diet book are pretty bland. 7) come up with healthy "cheats" - like coconut ice cream with agave (from Whole Foods) and 73% cacao chocolate (without soy lecthin). The elimination of HFCS + low glycemic loaded sweets and gluten free starches are how you get the major effects from this diet and still satisfy your cravings.
Posted 2 years ago # -
OK. I don't know anyone who is completely perfectly Paleo. Thanks for being honest. We have close friends who run a CrossFit Gym. We are not currently going, but do beachbody programs. We recently bought P90X and will use that to prepare for Crossfit!! Thanks for the resources.
We use a little cheese and butter but are trying to get completely off dairy. I have been making Peanut butter brownies with no flour, and I use 1/2 almond butter. We are getting there, but my family really likes peanut butter. I thought about adding some honey and vanilla to almond butter to help with the transition.
Posted 2 years ago # -
Wow, you guys are heavyweights. I don't think I belong in this thread yet. ;)
I've read that peanuts have a high mold content, but that may have been resolved??
Dr. Mercola recommends Arrowhead Mills organic peanut butter:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/07/17/peanuts-mold.aspxGood luck transitioning. Even I have to add honey to my almond butter to make it taste better to me. My kids still eat peanut butter, too (organic, but not Arrowhead Mills).
Posted 2 years ago # -
Hi All,
I have been trying to start the Paleo way of life as well. This site has helped so much! I started with the Stanley Burroughs lemonade cleanse and am now trying to transition to Paleo. I agree that most of the Paleo books out there don't have the greatest recipes. I've checked out marksdailyapple.com, but am overloaded with information! Does anyone have his book Primal Blueprint? Is it worth purchasing in your opinion?
I have also heard about The Healthy Urban Kitchen. I've seen it on a few Paleo blogs, I think it's an affiliate thing that bloggers make commissions on. I hate not being able to look at a book. I was just wondering if it is Paleo and if anyone has it and would recommend it. I'm just looking for good, fairly fast recipes.
Sweet cravings are a major problem for me - I cheat a lot with Elana's recipes. But, at least I'm not eating grains or dairy. I will never give up dark chocolate, I'm sure. I guess agave nectar is next!
Any feedback about these books or any other input is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Posted 2 years ago # -
I just read back over this thread, and it is so rich in content, encouragement, and suggestions/links/books. Thanks to all who have commented so far. Let's keep it going.
When it comes to Paleo, I follow Loren Cordain. I heard him speak at a Juice Plus conference a few years ago about his research. I implemented some of his recommendations then, but our family wasn't ready to give up grains, and we had no idea you could bake with almond flour until recently. I plan to buy his book, The Paleo Diet, in the next week or so.
I am motivated to follow his program because my husband has crohn's, my daughter is gluten and grain intolerant, and I am a wellness consultant convinced that his dietary recommendations are based on sound research. As I read his book and spend more time on his website, http://www.thepaleodiet.com, I hope to prepare a powerpoint presentation that I can give in my community, in fitness centers, churches, etc.
We have been Paleo/GF/SCD for 3 weeks now. I so appreciate hearing from you who have been doing it for months and are getting great results.
Thanks.
Lisa
Posted 2 years ago # -
So, I bought the book, and have much more insight than just from his website. Two things have stood out for me this week: vinegar and oils. Vinegar is not allowed, lemon juice is substituted in dressings, marinades, etc. Grapeseed oil is on the bad oils list. He prefers we use oils that have a higher Omega 3 content. Flax seed is #1, Canola Oil is good, and Olive Oil is ok. I used Canola Oil quite a bit in the past, and since my husband is sensitive to olive oil, it makes the most sense for us. I will buy some flax oil too, to mix into homemade salad dressings.
I am increasing my exercise and cutting back on my baked goods. I am ready to look like someone on The Paleo Diet. LOL
Posted 1 year ago # -
There are quite a few modifications from the Paleo Diet which was published in 2002. One is that Cordain no longer likes Tomatoes or any nightshades because of lectins. 2nd is that most people disagree with Cordain on his promotion of diet soda because of the artifical sweetener and most people consider Aspertaine toxic and sucralose (Spenda) an unknown. Third, most importantly, Canola Oil is NOT favorable according to must primal/paleo eaters because of its GMO status and highly processed nature and nor is flax oil which disintegrates/becomes a problem at high temps. I would say most people are going with tallow, lard, Olive Oil and Coconut Oil (Cordain doesn't really get into Coconut flour/oil that much because it wasn't that popular back when the book was written). Grapeseed Oil is not bad per se it just doesn't have any Omega 3. With O3 supplementation this shouldn't be an issue. You should prob follow thepaleodiet.com blog for updates.
Posted 1 year ago # -
This link may be helpful in choosing other oil/fat sources:
http://www.westonaprice.org/Know-Your-Fats/Also one with more info on Canola oil, specifically:
http://www.westonaprice.org/The-Great-Con-ola.htmlPosted 1 year ago # -
Thanks for your comments. I have read some more of Dr. Cordain's blogs, and have emailed him with some questions.
Are you guys using The Paleo Diet to help with weight loss, athletic performance, blood sugar regulation, other health reasons?
Posted 1 year ago # -
As I said in an earlier post, my husband's doctor only mentioned Paleo in passing as perhaps a way he may want to look into eating because of his diabetes. (Probably in response to my asking, "What do I feed this guy?") lol I think she's a wonderful doctor in many aspects, but when it comes down to laying down a nutrition plan, that doesn't seem to be her specialty.
I haven't gotten very far into investigating The Paleo Diet. I've read some reviews of the book at Amazon.com and checked out a bit at the official site, but my eyes have just glazed over at this point, plus I'm the type that gets easily discouraged when I come across negative controversies in regards to certain health-related matters, which of course there seems to be with this Dr. Cordain. Hard to sort it all out...
It is strange about the diet soda recommendation that vyvyan brought up. In the FAQ section at the Paleo site, Dr. Cordain says:
"Although fruits would be a much better choice for taming the sweet tooth, diet sodas can help people to make this transition."
It sort of reminds me of giving methadone to a heroin addict. ;)
I just can't see how anyone would want to take a chance getting someone off sugar but then hooked on diet soda?! Regular sugar would be a far better option than a chemical sweetener any day, IMO.Posted 1 year ago # -
For several weeks now I have been investigating various grain-free diets. Basically my advice is to take what you can use from the various theories... yes, you end up with a hybrid but if your hybrid is healthier than the standard american diet, then you are taking a step in the right direction.
I will probably use the SCD recommendation to use hard cheese only since it's low lactose, but will probably continue to buy store available Kefir. I am not a cook by any means and it will be hard enough for me to transition to cooking every meal, let alone making my own kefir and yogurt.
I will probably also use butter over oils. Maybe eventually I will move to using ghee. It makes me laugh with the Paleo Diet recommendations to use oil versus butter, "because butter wasn't in use in the paleo period"... uh, was bottled olive oil?! LOL.
We'll probably use stevia, agave and honey as our sweeteners. The SCD recommends saccharin but as a previous poster stated, why move towards artificial sweeteners? However, in defense of the use of diet soda recommendation though, I mean if you are doing everything else to the letter and "cheat" with diet soda, you are still doing good. ;)
Posted 1 year ago # -
Vyvyan,
We are now off nightshades about 95% and working towards 100%. I have read more about oils and we are using a variety, getting off Canola. Next step is quitting the use of the microwave. I am starting a new thread on this subject with a link to a great article.
We follow the rules of the SCD with just a smigen of cheese for my husband and daughters. I have been off dairy completely now for 4 weeks. We limit our honey and plan to stay off beans.
I am becoming more involved with the Paleo Community through facebook and other websites. I see Paleo as long term and permanent.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Lisa, I'm confused, SCD allows some cheeses. I think it's hard cheeses with low lactose. Um, cheddar cheese I believe is one?
Here is a great link that compares the various (autism) diets(click on the dairy tab) http://www.lowoxalate.info/recipes.html
Posted 1 year ago # -
The SCD does allow some cheeses and homemade yogurt. The Paleo Diet allows no dairy at all. We experience congestion in our family when we consume too much cheese. It's hard for me to just have a little, so I have cut it out completely. That's one reason I have embraced the Paleo Diet and the community of followers. We use a little coconut milk in our rare cup of coffee or homemade ice cream. It's working for now.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Paleo Cookbook By Nikki Young. This is a great cookbook for healthful lifestyles. The link is a specially priced link just for you!
Posted 1 year ago # -
For those of you that are grain free, have you given up pasta dishes completely? I had until I found Organic Mung Bean fettucini, delicious substitute (I thought). It's made out of mung beans and water and THATS IT. yay I can have pasta again! They have a variety of them, I can get them at my local organic store, but I haven't seen them anywhere else. I'm assuming it's easier to get this sort of thing online anyway. Grain free, potato free ( all other grain free pasta I've found have been potato starch) spaghetti. I'm very excited about this.. :D
Posted 1 year ago # -
I'm surprised people are following the SCD diet rather than Paleo/Crossfit which is more advanced and at least based on evolutionary science which is up to date. SCD is based on some very flaky science from the 1920's which could be considered pseudo-science. SCD works great though, and helps a lot of people, no doubt, inspite of its dubious scientific claims... that is probably because of the low glycemic load (low sugar), no grain/gluten, no beans (which are toxic), all reduce inflammation in the body... and it's very close to Paleo (which is based on sounder science) except for yogurt/cheese. To answer the above question, mung beans would not be Paleo because of beans... and are also illegal on SCD (http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/legal/legal_illegal_d-n.htm) because beans are toxic unless soaked.
Posted 1 year ago # -
My husband and I have been eating primal for about 2 weeks now and feel good about it. I am excited for all the new recipes I have found and do not even feel like I would be missing out on much of the grain & gluten foods at all. There are a lot of recipes on freecoconutrecipes.com that use coconut flour - including one for pizza crust. Blogs like sonofgrok.com and girlgoneprimal.blogspot.com also share a lot of primal recipes. If you are not strictly paleo and are looking for a pasta/noodle substitute, you can try noodles made of konjac which is a type of yam/tuber. It's gluten free, very low in calories and mostly just fiber. The texture is definitely different from a wheat noodle. You can find it in asian markets and at Whole Foods in the deli section.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Ah ok Lisa. :)
I can't see myself going dairy-free just yet, haven't wrapped my head around it ;)
I did get some ghee though, because the thought of living without butter made me :| Haha.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Butter is one thing we still use a little bit of. We use no milk, cream, ice cream..., and I am having no cheese. I have used a little oil on fish and veggies, in place of butter a few times. We still like a little butter or Earth Balance spread (non dairy oil blend) on our almond flour waffles.
The Paleo Diet says to eliminate salt from the diet, but our natural practitioner said that my daughter is low in salt. She said to continue to use Celtic Sea salt to taste, so our whole family will continue to do that. She said Dr. Cordain doesn't want us to have "Table salt."
Posted 1 year ago # -
I used to use Earth Balance but vegetable oils (processed or not) are not Paleo... or probably good for you. Even though they contain healthy fats, they are not converted properly by the body, according to Cordain and the other people who study this issue. They say animal fats (butter, ghee, lard) are preferable to vegetable oils, and also recommend olive oil, flax seed oil, canola (rapeseed). I use butter, lard, coconut oil and almond butter (for spreading on Elanas bread).
It might be hard to grasp this claim, but my flat stomach and increase in muscle mass is a testament to this rejection of conventional wisdom.
Posted 1 year ago # -
vyvyan
I haven't read anything really about this diet, but I have read a bit about good fats and I have been using coconut oil, olive oil, i will use butter when I can find that incredible goats butter again... I can definitely tell the difference just from starting to make my diet simpler and more traditional. I'm grain free at the moment (except oats, for some reason I can't tolerate gluten but I seem to be genetically adapted to oats) because I'm trying to lower my carb intake - something about insulin resistance and what not. I'll read about these diets, but I don't think I'm going to give up my morning porridge drizzles with coconut oil and the teeniest bit of cocnut palm sugar (I was surprised to find it's lower GI than agave)
HAve you read anything by Mary Enig on traditional foods and oils?Posted 1 year ago # -
I follow the Mark Sisson's "Primal Blueprint" as closely as I can.
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/definitive-guide-primal-blueprint/It is very straightforward; no grains, no sugar, no legumes, some fruit, some nuts, lots of vegetables, meat and eggs, coconut, unrefined oils, a bit of dairy (raw or unpasteurized if possible, and only if your body can handle it), red wine and dark chocolate on occasion (okay, for me, a few times a week!).
I've lost a lot of body fat eating this way, and I have a ton of energy all the time! I've also completely lost my taste for grains (and sugar, as long as I keep my consumption to a minimum).
Posted 1 year ago # -
I have read The Paleo Diet and The Primal Blueprint. I do not drink any alcohol. Might have 4 ounces of fruit juice per week, with protein. I eat no grains, no soy or other legumes, no dairy, no sugar. I make some of Elana's recipes with honey instead of agave, and have them as treats occassionally. I am very strict to not eat outside of these guidelines and have maintained this for 13 weeks. I eat meat, vegetables, fruits, berries, eggs, nuts, and use a little almond milk and coconut milk.
I am 46 years old. I am transitioning my exercise program over to The Primal Blueprint way. I am not losing any weight and really need to take off 20 - 40 pounds of fat. Last year I dropped 32 pounds and gained back 10 in December baking and sampling treats for my daughter to share with her friends, using standard ingredients. My weight has stayed the same, give or take a pound or two, since Christmas. Last year, most of my exercise was done with DVD's. They included cardio, working with bands, and using my body weight in resistance training. They don't exactly fit with the Primal way, but I might still be able to use some of them.
I have been walking, hiking, and doing push offs, squats and lunges. I just finished reading the section about sprint workouts, so I am doing one this Wednesday.
Do you guys have any suggestions for me?
Posted 1 year ago # -
So I am actually nearing the end of The Primal Blueprint and have gotten to the chapter on weight loss. Today is my sprint day, since I missed it yesterday. I am cutting back to a goal of 50 gms of carbs per day. I will allow up to 100 gms two days a week, and call those my treat days.
I am increasing my "heavy weights" training with dumbells and a kettle ball.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Kudos to you, Lisa, on how disciplined you are. :) Earlier in this thread I had called you guys "heavyweights" and that I didn't belong in this discussion (and I still don't), but just wanted to let you know that I'm impressed with your diligence to make healthy lifestyle changes.
As for your inability to lose weight (which seems a bit surprising given how you do eat so well and also exercise), have you ever had your thyroid tested or any other hormones? Maybe there's a missing piece to the puzzle, especially since you're of perimenopause age where things can start to go haywire in that regard.
Oh, and you might want to look into proper food combining if you're not eating fruits alone. I don't recall all that it entails, but am just going by a fuzzy memory of past readings of Suzanne Somers' books, who is big into the "Fit for Life" food combination way.
Keep up the good work, though!
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks so much for your encouraging reply. I had blood work recently, and it was all excellent, including the thyroid.
I think the answer lies in 3 components - doing the right amount of the right exercise consistently each week (sometimes I have trouble sleeping and fail to exercise), limiting my fruit, almond flour, honey (carb) intake, (I think I was eating more of these than I realized, and over time, it was sabotoging my efforts), good quality sleep of sufficient duration. (Natural Calm was recently recommended to me on The Paleo Chix blog to help me sleep through the night. I am waiting for my order to come in the mail). My plan is to get all three of these components on track at the same time.
Once I reach my ideal body weight, I can increase my carbs a little bit and maintain my weight.
I have tried food combining at times. My concern with it relates to the surge of sugar in the bloodstream and the ensuing surge of insulin which causes excess to be stored as fat. Thanks for the idea. I value smart caring people who take the time to share their thoughts generously with me.
This forum is part of the reason I have been able to be so disciplined with my diet. I feel supported and part of something bigger than myself.
Have you read The Primal Blueprint? I don't agree with absolutely everything in it, but I highly recommend it.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Thanks so much for your encouraging reply. I had blood work recently, and it was all excellent, including the thyroid.
I think the answer lies in 3 components - doing the right amount of the right exercise consistently each week (sometimes I have trouble sleeping and fail to exercise), limiting my fruit, almond flour, honey (carb) intake, (I think I was eating more of these than I realized, and over time, it was sabotoging my efforts), good quality sleep of sufficient duration. (Natural Calm was recently recommended to me on The Paleo Chix blog to help me sleep through the night. I am waiting for my order to come in the mail). My plan is to get all three of these components on track at the same time.
Once I reach my ideal body weight, I can increase my carbs a little bit and maintain my weight.
I have tried food combining at times. My concern with it relates to the surge of sugar in the bloodstream and the ensuing surge of insulin which causes excess to be stored as fat. Thanks for the idea. I value smart caring people who take the time to share their thoughts generously with me.
This forum is part of the reason I have been able to be so disciplined with my diet. I feel supported and part of something bigger than myself.
Have you read The Primal Blueprint? I don't agree with absolutely everything in it, but I highly recommend it.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Hello,
I am new to this forum and in fact these types of diets. After suffering from coeliac disease for 3 years now, despite following a gluten free diet, I never felt 100%. Last week I decided to research my symptoms I still felt and stumbled across the SCD. Despite the fact that it's not quite the paleo diet, I have now been following it for 3 days and already the inflammation of my stomach has gone right down, along with symptoms of nausea and very dry skin. I have read many SCD success stories and seen enough reports to convince me that this will work for me. However, after learning about the paleo diet as well, I was wondering whether it is worth switching. I now only eat fruit, vegetables, fish, eggs, honey as a sweetener (and only occasionally) and hard cheese. I am finding it hard at the moment as I keep getting carbohydrate cravings and feel very tired! But I'm hoping these things will get better. I was just wondering if there are many differences between the SCD and paleo in terms of the effects on your body? Thanks!Posted 4 weeks ago #
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