When I first discovered the Paleo lifestyle in February of 2011 I dove in headfirst and completed a strict Paleo eating plan for the first 30 days. My motivation was to figure out if what I was eating might be contributing to my fibromyalgia, fatigue, chronic respiratory infections and depression. I was already fairly lean but not especially healthy and I was frustrated with doctors who could not explain my symptoms. All my tests were normal and yet I was NOT okay. With the new year I am starting another “reset” by going Strictly Paleo© and thought it would be helpful to others to outline exactly what this means.
During my previous “experiment” I discovered certain food groups had been negatively impacting my health. The changes I have seen and felt since going Paleo have been pretty dramatic. If you have any unexplained aches and pains, inflammation, allergies, skin or digestive problems, or other ailments, or if you simply cannot manage to lose weight or keep it off you should seriously consider how the food you eat may be impacting your health. A Strictly Paleo reset may be just what you need to change your life.
What is Strictly Paleo©?
Most simply stated, Strictly Paleo means eating real food that excludes certain potentially problematic food groups for an experimental elimination period of at least 30 days.
What you DO eat:
- Meat
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Nuts and seeds
- Fats from nuts, seeds, and fruits
Here’s a handy guide to help with shopping.
What you DO NOT eat:
- Grains
- Legumes
- Dairy
- Sugar
- White Potatoes
The Strictly Paleo Details – Food Dos
Meat includes seafood and eggs. In an ideal situation, your meat would come from ethically raised animals that have spent their lives eating the way God created them to eat. That means wild-caught fish is preferable to farm-raised fish that are fed grains and other products that are not their natural diet. In the case of cows that would be GRASS. Cows are ruminants who were not designed to eat grains. “100% Grass-Fed” or “Grass Finished” beef will contain much higher levels of Omega-3 fatty acids and CLA. In spite of the advertising on egg cartons touting “Vegetarian Feed”, the fact is chickens are not vegetarians! When chickens are allowed to roam free they will eat worms and bugs which means their eggs will be richly yellow/orange and full of nutrition. The fat from these animals is actually healthful for humans to consume. If you are unable to purchase 100% Grass-Fed meats then stick to leaner cuts of conventionally produced meat.
Vegetables and fruits are fairly self-explanatory. You cannot really go wrong eating vegetables in any quantity. However, if you are trying to lose weight you will need to limit your consumption of tubers like sweet potatoes and yams because of their higher caloric count. When it comes to fruit I try to stick with lower sugar varieties like berries and eat smaller quantities of other, higher-calorie types. (Check the Paleo Food Matrix for more details).
Nuts and seeds are great sources of fat, fiber, and other nutrients. If you are trying to lose weight you need to be careful how much you consume. Think about it in terms of a hunter-gatherer. They would not ordinarily chow down on a big pile of already shelled nuts. Nuts also tend to be high in Omega-6 fatty acids. Since one of the goals is to get your Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio more in line with an ideal 1:1 ratio you need to be reasonable about your nut consumption. Check out this quote from The Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health:
Western diets are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids, and have excessive amounts of omega-6 fatty acids….Excessive amounts of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and a very high omega-6/omega-3 ratio, as is found in today’s Western diets, promote the pathogenesis of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, whereas increased levels of omega-3 PUFA (a low omega-6/omega-3 ratio) exert suppressive effects.
Fats that come from nuts and seeds and fruits are ideal when they are in their most natural state and not subjected to high heats and inordinate processing. Avoid things like canola, soy, and corn oils. Definitely do NOT ingest hydrogenated trans fats. Eat your extra virgin olive oil in things like salads and other lightly cooked dishes. Save your high heat cooking for fats like coconut oil, ghee (clarified butter), lard and tallow that have a high smoke point. Eat avocado and unsweetened coconut flakes as sources of healthy fats that are lower in Omega-6.
The Strictly Paleo Details – Food Don’ts:
Grains – Do not eat gluten-containing grains such as wheat, barley or rye. You will also need to eliminate oats, corn, rice, millet, bulgur, sorghum, amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, or any grain products like bran, germ or starch.
Legumes – Do not eat beans, peas, lentils or soy of any kind or in any form. This includes peanuts which are a legume and not a nut. The only exception is green beans, snap peas, and snow peas because they are mostly pod.
Dairy – Do not eat dairy products of any kind or in any form such as milk, cheese or butter from any animal source even if it is fermented. The only exception is ghee, which is clarified butter because the milk solids that contain potential allergens have been removed.
Sugar – Do not eat added sugar in any form. That means no table sugar, brown sugar, molasses, agave, maple syrup or honey. You should also not eat artificial sweeteners in any form such as Splenda, Nutrasweet, Sweet n Low, xylitol or stevia. The only exception is fruit juice when used to sweeten a dish – as opposed to drinking glasses of highly caloric and nutritionally sparse fruit juice.
White Potatoes – White potatoes are extremely high in carbohydrates. We tend to rely on them as a filling starch rather than eating more nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits that are lower in carbohydrates and calories. Additionally, white potatoes are in the “nightshade” family of foods which is suspected to exacerbate autoimmune disease in some persons. While this is not a nightshade elimination diet (otherwise we would cut out tomatoes, eggplants, and certain peppers too) it is just one more reason the Paleo diet eliminates white potatoes as a general rule. (Check out this post for details about the nutritional content of potatoes.)
What to Expect
When I was first starting out I was the only one in my family interested in going down this path. Because I am the one doing the shopping and cooking, everyone in my family essentially had little choice to come along for the ride – at least in part. Even so, it was not long before my husband was on board and the results he saw and felt caused him to become a believer in the Paleo way of eating. But for many of you, there may be a few obstacles in your way. While there is some wisdom in a gradual implementation by slowly eliminating certain foods/food groups, the Strictly Paleo Plan is meant as a more abrupt change that forces you to adjust your eating all at once.
The first couple of days for me were rough. I made it until the afternoon on the first day before I was leaning over the kitchen sink stuffing a cinnamon roll in my mouth! I started again the next day and did well until I got up in the middle of the night and scarfed down two bowls of cereal. In spite of the inauspicious start, I began the third day determined to stick with it and I did. After about 72 hours I got a headache that lasted a couple of days and I did not have much energy. It turns out this is what is known as “Carb Flu”. It only happens to some people but is a type of withdrawal symptom from certain foods and food additives. Within a couple of days, the Carb Flu had subsided and my energy level was much higher than it had been before I started.
For me, it was much easier to go “cold turkey” than to try and ease into it. Just knowing I WOULD NOT eat certain foods forced me to find new recipes and ways of cooking. It led me to websites with lots of hints and tips and recipes. And once I started feeling better the motivation grew and I eventually found it fairly easy to be compliant. After 30 days of Strictly Paleo eating, I was not tempted to go back to my old ways.
The Dairy Dilemma
Dairy is the only major category of food I have eliminated that is still a source of temptation. Keep in mind the idea of the Strictly Paleo Plan is to eliminate these foods for at least one month in order to determine if they are causing you problems. Many people are lactose intolerant or have an immune reaction to casein in milk they do not even realize. I strongly recommend you completely eliminate dairy for the first 30 days. Add it back into your diet after that time and see how you feel and perform. If or when you do add dairy back into your diet I recommend sticking with full-fat varieties such as cream and butter and some cheeses. If at all possible try to consume dairy products from pasture-raised animals. The prices are higher but the nutrition is also much higher. There are several kinds of butter on the market (Kerrygold is one) that come from pastured animals and the options are growing as consumer demand increases. Even if you decide to give dairy a try after the Strictly Paleo reset I would advise you to seriously limit the amount of milk you drink. Milk is very high in lactose which is a sugar and if you want to lose weight or maintain your weight you are better off sticking with smaller additions of cream, cheese, and butter.
Prayer Will Help
Rather than easing into the Paleo way of eating, the Strictly Paleo Plan is a more drastic change to your life. There will be many temptations, especially initially, and times when you are discouraged and want to stop. As with anything that requires strength, commitment and determination I believe prayer will help. When I started eating this way I prayed that God would give me extra motivation and commitment so that I could see it through the first 30 days. It seemed like a last resort to figure out what was at the root of my health issues. I believe God helped me stick with it. It was a blessing to be able to finally determine some of what I was eating had been detrimental to my health. So even though it will not be easy God can help you make it through.
Encouragement!
The idea of the Strictly Paleo reset period is to COMPLETELY eliminate these potentially problematic foods. Remain determined to avoid slip-ups or “cheats” during this period of time. It is only 30 days after all. Tell yourself you can eventually have the occasional corn chip or Paleo-friendly dessert. (I have some on this blog after all!) But for the next 30 days, you will be STRICT. Just remember, even if you do fall off the wagon, pick yourself up and start again. You will need to go back to the beginning and restart the clock to make this a true elimination diet. Anything else and you will not be able to fully know if or how these foods might be impacting your health.
Best wishes for all success!
Great post! I’m sharing this with my Paleo Experience Bootcamp class (posted to our Facebook page).
Great! Best wishes for a great “Paleo Experience Bootcamp”.
Here are 2 totally free fat loss programs that actually work. They are standard, however help make absolutely no oversight over it… They are proven beneficial to shed weight. You don’t also need to do these kinds of …Paleo Diet
Could you explain further about the correct chickens to purchase? I cannot always find pasture raised chickens at my store. The other alternatives given to me when not available are labeled a “Free Range All Vegetable Diet”. Does this label of Free Range give the okay that the chickens were aloud to roam free or is this saying they are only fed a vegetable diet?? Hope this makes sense and Thank you for any help or advice you can give!
Shannah, you raise an excellent question. The exact definitions of the terms “organic”, “free range” and “pastured” are not always easy to figure out. The most optimal chicken to eat would be one raised on pesticide free pasture where it can roam around eating worms and other bugs. The term “pastured” tends to cover this scenario but it’s not governed by the USDA. “Free Range” sounds similar but the USDA only requires the chickens have access to the outdoors which might be just a little square of concrete. So while it’s better for the chickens than having them crammed in cages all their lives, they aren’t exactly out pecking and scratching for little critters to eat. I believe “organic” just means they are fed organic feed (probably corn and/or soy). Chickens that have had a more natural diet on pasture would be the best ones to eat. But these chickens can be very expensive and tough to find in a local store. You can order them if you are willing to spend the money. Or find a local farmer. Here’s a link to a resource for pastured chickens. http://Www.apppa.org
I hope that helps at least a little. Keep in mind there is what is optimal and there is what is practical. I try to find a good balance in these things and hope the better options become more easily accessible in time.
Here’s some info that might help explain as well. Great site, thanks for the info!
http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2009/02/17/ethical-meat-vs-meat-hype-a-look-at-all-natural-grass-fed-and-other-half-truths/
What results have you seen with your fibromyalgia? My fiance suffers from it pretty badly (headaches every day and flu symptoms every month just about) and I wonder what type of improvement she could see by a primal diet.
I had a lot of peripheral neuropathy that went unexplained by tests – lots of fatigue, muscle and joint aches and headaches. I do have celiac disease which went undiagnosed until I requested my doctor test for it and I think that was the root of much of the problem. I also suspect I am intolerant to the casein in milk because some of my symptoms seem to flare up when I eat dairy. So I suggest she try a strict elimination diet like paleo to see if there may be some food intolerances that could be the root of the problem. I’ll give the disclaimer that I am not a doctor so she should obviously check with her doctor first. But my doctor did not even suggest I try an elimination diet – I had to figure it out on my own – so he/she may not try to help your fiance in that way. The paleo diet has certainly helped my symptoms so it might help your fiance too.
I am a Human Nutrition major at Arizona State and I think it’s a shame that more physicians do not educate and promote this type of preventative medicine. If this information were more widespread, not only could individuals weed out what causes reactions to allergies and intolerances but I also think the incidence of chronic disease would be lower. (Forgive me for ranting.)
Recently came across your blog through your coconut flour pancakes and love the information you post and the faith you incorporate. Thank you!
Thank you Lyndee. I just realized I neglected to respond to your comment. I completely agree it is a shame more doctors do not understand much about preventative care. Unfortunately, they are trained to treat existing illness – usually by prescribing medications. I have great respect for the medical profession. My late father was a physician but he would have agreed this is not their area of strength. I’m still rather shocked it never occurred to my doctors (an M.D. and a D.O. and a neurologist and a gastroenterologist) to test for celiac! Mind-boggling.
So glad you enjoy the blog. Thanks for your comment!
Hi, I’m so glad I found your blog! I saw your Apple Cider Donuts on pinterest and have been looking for good paleo/gluten free treats for my kids to help transition them to our new lifestyle. I just started the “Paleo Diet” two weeks ago and have felt awful all last week, exactly like you described in your post. I have never heard of “Carb Flu” but I’m going to look into it! I want to make this a permanent change in our lifestyle but I don’t want them to have to go through feeling this awful. Do you have any ideas to help get over it quickly or for kids to avoid it?
Hi Allison. I’m glad you found us too. My two boys have been doing really well with Paleo eating. I didn’t notice them going through any type of carb flu like I did. I eat a fairly low carb diet now and it works well for me. But I have discovered that my kids need more carbs – they are growing after all. So I make sure I give them more starchy carbs now than I did initially. If their carbs are too low they get cranky – not good! They also eat some dairy at this point which makes the transition easier for them. They have really done well learning to like all sorts of veggies. Making sure I cook them with plenty of good fats makes a difference as well. Getting kids to eat Brussels sprouts is easier if you cook them with bacon, for example. 🙂 Best wishes to you and your family. Stay in touch and let us know how it goes!
I am thrilled to have just discovered this website! I’ve been on a whole food diet for aboaut a year and have eliminated ALL processed foods and have changed my body inside including eliminating my “foggy” head feeling! I also count on the Lord to help me through times when I’m tempted to fall back into the undesirable days!!
So glad you found us here, Sue. Isn’t it a wonderful feeling to know we can get help from God even when it comes to food matters?
I am so thankful to have found your blog. You are the first Paleo blogger I’ve read who mentions our Creator, and prayer. I, too, have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and recently completed a 30 day strict Paleo experiment (with my husband along for the ride, but not so strict) to see if any relief was to be found by changing my eating practices. We feel so much better and enjoy the food so much that we do not want to return to our former ways!
What astounded me the most about my experience was that I had not ONE craving during the entire 30 days. I think that was due to the fact that I had gradually drastically decreased my sugar and unhealthy oils intake in the several weeks leading up to starting my strict Paleo. I have gone cold turkey off of sugar in the past, and it was incredibly tough for me. So for people who are really sugar (sweetener) addicts, perhaps spending a week or two cutting progressively further back on sweet or high-carb foods might decrease withdrawal symptoms and increase successful resistance of temptation to go off-plan in those early days.
Now I’m going to go cook up my first batch of coconut pancakes!
I really appreciate your comment, Dana, because I struggle sometimes with how to advise people to best implement the change. You seem to be dead on with your recommendation to decrease the sugar and carbs FIRST and then make more drastic changes. There really are withdrawal symptoms but it’s hard to believe until you experience it firsthand. Going cold turkey may work for some people but it can also lead to failure and then utter discouragement.
Lea
Ditto to the post by Dana on May 5th. All the books and sites I have found focus on evolution. I end up skipping over so much because I believe in God’s creation and not evolution. I admire you for the going cold turkey. I just found out about Paleo and am determined to see if it will help my own health issues. Now to get my husband on board with me!
Hi Lea:
I too am so glad to have found your web-site and to know that you are a follower of Jesus!!
My husband and I are trying to be faithful to the Paleo way of eating…we know how much better you can feel but have a hard time not “cheating”. Loren Cordain’s book leads you into the diet by allowing 3 cheat meals the first week, 2 the second week and then one from there on…but I’m thinking that we take more libertys to cheat when doing that…..anyway…love your dessert recipes…haven’t made them yet but they look great. I just purchased the coconut flour and crystals…we cannot find the packet of creamed coconut….any suggestions?
Thanks Lea,
Kim King
Welcome, Kim!
Whether or not to have “cheat” meals is a very individual thing. In some ways it can make eating this way seem like something you need a break from. But then again, I understand how hard it is to be 100% all the time so giving yourself permission to go off the rails a little is probably not a bad thing. If I’m out to dinner I might eat chips and salsa or rice with sushi and I make the treat recipes from time to time. But I never schedule “cheats” for x number of times per week. If I am at a point where I am trying to lose weight I try to be pretty strict and just see how creative I can be with the ingredients I have to choose from.
I have an Amazon Affiliate store that has lots of links to products I use. I make a small commission from it but it doesn’t raise the price for you. I mainly have it there to give folks the resources if they can’t find them in their local stores. I’m definitely not getting rich from it! 🙂 Here’s the link to the creamed coconut if you’re interested. http://astore.amazon.com/paleospirit-20/detail/B00113ZZ5U Creamed coconut is showing up in more and more stores these days so it might become available in your area at some point. If not, you might consider buying online.
I hope that helps!
Lea
I’ve been doing this style of eating for a very long time.Far before it got “cool”. I have been telling people that their health issues are due to the chems they put in the western food, but people did not want to listen. I am glad that this style is gettting trendy, because now people will listen and be more open minded. While it takes more effort to live this way,it’s worth it!
Enjoyed reading your page!!
Hi! I have just recently go into Crossfit, and everyone seems to really believe that Paleo is the way to change. I really want to try Paleo, but honestly I’m kind of nervous about it. Carbohydrates are a HUGE part of my diet, I love bread, pizza, and noodles! I have heard you could substitute spaghetti squash for noodles but haven’t tried it… I still live with my family, and though I buy groceries for myself, all of those bad foods are so readily available that I don’t think I could go Strict. I want to, but how do you do it when you are surrounded by people who won’t give those things up?
Is it possible to be a vegan on the Paleo diet?
Debra,
Others may have a different view, but from my perspective the answer is yes and no. One of the most important parts of following the paleo way of eating is the consumption of whole fruits and vegetables. The vast majority of my diet is probably vegan-friendly. I eat mounds of veggies, some fruit, some nuts, seeds and fats. People who do not consume dairy can also find a lot of common ground in paleo recipes. We also have a lot of common ground when it comes to concern about the ethical treatment of animals. Here’s an interesting article about the subject that you might find helpful.
Hi There,
I want to lose some weight approximately 7 – 10 kgs. I currently weigh 68Kgs which for me is a little heavy. My main problem however is a huge belly which I just can’t get rid off no matter how hard I try, so now I want to start a new eating and exercie regime and came across the Paleo plan by chance. I eat a lot of dry instant oats as I suffer from IBS and about 5 years ago discovered that the only way I could get my stomach moving is to eat oats, roughly 3 – 4 servings a day and then my stomach works beautifully. If I stop my stomach clogs up for days on end and it eventually moves or I have to take a laxative. During that time I get sweats, headaches, chest, side and back pain and terrible stomach pains – so I have not been keen to stop the oats, but it has one terrible side effect – excessive phlegm production which itself has terrible consequences – excessive coughing and vomiting. So I need to make a drastic change in my eating habits. I am going to go on the Paelo diet and see how that works for me. I am not a big carbs fan and don’t eat bread, pastas etc unless there is really no other choice. The oats is my only carbs vice.
I have recently converted to a Paleo Diet b/c of health issues…mainly Fibro/CFS-like symptoms and allergies. Never once along the way has a health care professional suggested diet…I finally took it upon myself to go to a Registered Dietician for testing for food sensitivities as well as converting to Paleo.
My question is “how long does it take to get rid of the fatigue?” I feel better, but today have felt really exhausted. After decades of feeling awful, I just want to feel vibrant!
Roxanne,
I think it really depends. I felt an improvement after a few days and things got better from there over time. There was an initial adjustment period where I felt worse for a few days. That is supposedly due to a type of withdrawal from certain types of grains and other ingredients. You will need time to nourish your body and give it time to heal. Don’t get discouraged. If you have not been absorbing nutrients efficiently or your body’s immune system has been fending off allergens, etc… it stands to reason it will need time to get back to “normal”. Everyone is different so my experience will not be exactly like yours. What I do know is you are doing the right thing for your health by eating nutrient-dense whole foods that have less potential to tax your immune system. Best wishes for better health.
Lea
Hi – Love the recipes and have been Paleo for quite some time. Would like to warn folks, though, that many fruits can cause sharp blood sugar peaks and valleys and aggravate CFS and Fibromyalgia. Dates are almost pure sugar, for example. Bananas and many tropical fruits are also high in sugar. Apples are very high in fructose. Many people diagnosed with IBS are actually mildly to severely allergic to fructose. You can google food by its fructose content and find varieties that are “safer,” (like berries and some melon varieties) but I urge you to remember that fruit is “nature’s seasonal candy” and we need to be careful of that – honey, too. Personally, I’d rather eat a gluten free tortilla with my bison wrap for lunch than a date and nut energy bar, but that is a personal decision based on food sensitivities. Happy foraging!
Went Paleo a month ago to try and get my type 2 diabetes under control. I was able to control it by diet for 5 yrs . But that quit being enough and was put pills six months ago. Numbers weren’t real bad but also were not good. Started Paleo a month ago and numbers are between 80 -100 and never over 130 after eating, I am down to one pill a day and will be coming of them all together after next physical. This way of eating (do not want to call it a diet because it is not, it is a lifestyle) has been amazing, my energy level is through the roof constantly on the go, have to be doing something all the time. And a side benefit is I have lost 16 lbs and 8% body fat in a month, feel like I am in my 20’s again. Thanks to all who care enough to have sites like this just to help others.
Thank you for your work and easy to read site. I won’t bore you or anyone else with my health issues, but in beginning this journey towards health, I know that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Blessings,
Hi Tracy, Thank you. I’m glad you found our site and enjoy it. Best wishes for your good health.
Lea
So good to find someone with the right perspective on exactly Who designed us! My daughter has fibro and I am really hoping the Paleo will help her. My ‘get-up-and-go’ got up and went and I am also trying to lose about 15kgs. We have been gradually changing our eating patterns, cutting gluten first, now all grains, eating more veggies and fruit. We have lapses and I don’t have complete buy-in from the kids, (my daughter is 20 and my son is 15) but it is making a difference. Keep up the good work
Thank you so much for all the great information. I will share you site on my blog!!
Thank you for your great site. I’ve learned a lot. I find it quite special because you are so true to God is the creator of many healthy producuten.De earth is God’s supermarket, full of yummy things. God has given us because He knew it was good for us. If candy was good for us that he had really made it. 🙂
All thanks to him! Since I can (we) enjoy it and deal with it in a proper way.
I forgot to tell you, i am from The Netherlands!
Hi Jacoline,
Glad to meet you. Thank you for your comments! I agree with you.
Lea
Hey there,
What an article dude, I’ve been doing Paleo for about a month now and I seem to have went through a lot of the things you mentioned. The start is tough but after the first 4/5 days all you have to fight is temptation in my opinion. I take a cheat meal every week as I’m not particularly trying to eliminate any sickness, just want to lean up for the summer. My dad and brother are overweight and i convinced them to both follow the lifestyle too and you wouldn’t believe the results.
I just have a couple of questions for you.
1. I fry in olive oil and use cocunut oil sparingly as i detest the taste and smelI of cocunut! You think i should use lard instead, my dad had a heart bypass a couple years ago, will that affect his cholesterol?
2. Any snacks that I could eat quickly, I know avocados and cocunut oil but as I said I can’t stand it.
3. I’ve got my dad eating liver a couple of times per week because I have read it is excellent for you. Is this true? Is there much protein in it. It is either lamb or pork liver we eat.
4. Garlic powder, chilli powder and other powders. What are your opinions?
5.Eating the fat of meat as we are using fat as our energy source, will this affect my dads cholesterol?
I’d really appreciate if you could answer my questions, great article once again!
I found your website when looking for paleo breakfasts. i really love the breakfast porridge, especially that it is egg-free. i enjoyed reading your story about your first few days of eating paleo (eating the cinnamon roll and the bowls of cereal). I have been managing about a 75% paleo diet over the past 2 months, and have been unable to get past those STRONG cravings for carbs. sometimes i go all week, but then will binge on tortilla chips or something carby. it feels like my body NEEDS the carbs. did you experience that? any advice for getting past that feeling? thanks you so much!
Lyndee,
On the Paleo diet is it alright to drink coconut, almond or rice milk?
thank you
I’m not sure who Lyndee is… 🙂 Drinking coconut or almond milk is fine. But keep in mind some of the ones that come in cartons in the grocery store have a high sugar content and other questionable ingredients. Your best bet is to stick with canned coconut milk. But either way I’m not sure it’s a huge deal if you drink some coconut or almond milk now and then. I use those items in cooking but since I don’t eat cereal anymore I find that I don’t really need to just drink it straight. But that’s just my personal preference.
Regards, Lea
What type of exercise do you do with your fibromyalgia?
Candy,
I do yoga and walking. My fibromyalgia symptoms are mostly under control as long as I stick with a strict gluten and grain-free diet.
Lea
Hi there
My dilemma. Started Strick Paleo just over 2weeks ago from a low fat-high (good) carb diet. Felt great. Only wanted 3 meals and no snacks. No withdrawals but since day 10 I have major acid reflux and no bm’s for 5 days! Apologies for the “TMI”. Drinking over 2 litres of water and lots of veg. Any suggestions?
Thanks
:). Anna the new baking soda infomercial!
Hi Anna,
It sounds like you are doing all the right things. I think it can take some time for our systems to adjust to a new way of eating so it might just be a transitional thing. Here’s a post from Mark’s Daily Apple about GERD you might find interesting. You might also try adding some magnesium to your diet. I have used “Natural Calm” in the past. If your GERD continues you should probably get checked out by a doctor who may test you for h. pylori. But if it is something that came on suddenly after changing your diet then my instincts tell me it’s probably something that will pass in time.
Best to you, Lea
“Do not eat added sugar in any form. That means no table sugar, brown sugar, molasses, agave, maple syrup or honey. You should also not eat artificial sweeteners in any form such as Splenda, Nutrasweet, Sweet n Low, xylitol or stevia”
Depending on the sources of brown Sugar, Molasses (Both Natural Cane Sugars), Agave, Maple or Honey, it ain’t unnatural!
Xylitol and Stevia is NOT Artificial Sweeteners! Xylitol is a Sugar Alcohol, from Bark Trees, Fiber rich Vegetables and Fruits! Whether it being completely Paleor or not, depends on the processing of it.
Stevia is from the Stevia Plant, also completely Natural, but again, it depends on the processing of it, but please don’t call it Artificial, cause that simply isn’t true!
Recently I discovered that humans may not be healthy by eating sheep, because of their genetic make up, something in their genes.what do you think.?.
Hmm. I’ve never heard of such a thing so, unfortunately, I can’t weigh in.
Does anyone know anything about it?.
Hi, just checking is anyone out there, regarding the sheep ?.
I did the strictly Paleo plan last June and stayed strict for 30 days and then continued on. All was good I felt great and after 6 months my labs came back for my high cholesterol and my Dr was shocked! Triglycerides went from 580 down to 216! My hubby also went Paleo but he ended up losing TOO much weight so he added in organic white rice and organic white potatoes. I had them in on occasion and ended up little by little adding on various “clean” foods and wine and beer once in a while but the once in a while became every day! Although I was eating clean, I didn’t feel well and I gained back most of the 13 lbs I lost and 4 inches on my waist… It was time to start over! I’m on week 3 now and I feel good again and I’m sleeping great. I’m not going to weigh myself until the 30 days though but I feel like I’ve lost at least a few lbs. There are 2 things I’m eating on the 1st 30 that I didn’t last time around and I can’t seem to find any info anywhere on them. In the past year I’ve discovered so many recipes and I make a Paleo Naan bread that I use for wraps and breakfast burritos, tacos, gyros, ect. It’s cocnut milk almond meal and tapioca starch. I can’t find anywhere that those ingredients aren’t acceptable in the first 30. Also the 2nd one is dairy. I already omitted it last time completely and re introduced it without any issues. But this time around I get Raw milk weekly and I drink it and make butter and sour cream out of it but even though it’s dairy it’s Raw which is so beneficial and I already know I can toletrate it so what are your thoughts on Naan bread ingredients and Raw dairy for the strict 30 for the 2nd time around?
Christie,
The way I look at it is paleo works on many different levels and for several reasons. If you are primarily following it because you are suffering from an autoimmune disease (or similar) then the most important thing is making sure you can tolerate the food you are eating. For instance, if you find you can tolerate dairy then it’s not going to make you sicker if you eat it. But if you are primarily following paleo to lose or maintain weight then keeping the carbs and calories in check may make a difference. For example, I find that I can tolerate white rice and potatoes pretty well. However, as soon as I start eating those foods I have a harder time maintaining my weight. The same may be true if you are adding dairy because even if you are not allergic or intolerant it may be causing you to overeat in general. So while I know I can eat certain forms of dairy, rice and potatoes I know I have to be careful about that. If I eat “strict” paleo I have found it is virtually impossible for me to gain weight. So the bottom line is what works for you will depend on you goals and underlying reasons for eating this way. I’m probably rambling but I hope this is somewhat helpful.
Regards,
Lea
Thank you for responding that does make a lot of sense 🙂
Hi Lea,
i am suffering of a skin condition called Keratosis Pilaris(KP).Does the Diet help. Did you met anyone who had it and it Disappeared after the diet. I would love to try if it’s going to help my condition.
Rima,
Check out this article written by Robb Wolf regarding
Paleo puts Keratosis Pilaris in Remission
Please include that in a strictly paleo lifestyle, we don’t eat industrial seed oils. This is a major thing! No canola, corn, cottonseed, safflower, sunflower or soybean oils. Use saturated fats for cooking: ghee, butter, lard, bacon fat, tallow, coconut oil. Olive oil at low temperature and raw. There’s lots of science about this. The fats are everything.