Paleo/Primal Blueprint/Caveman Diet, Lifestyle
01-17-2011, 05:26 PM
#61
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 8
cut down fruits & soda
Hi, ShoshanaAviva,
may i suggest that:
. up your saturated fat (if you have problem with heavy cream, use coconut oil or ghee). you don't have enough.
. cut down fruits
. cut down honey
. skip soda (since you'r e on a budget, so don't waste your $ & perhaps health (if it's sweetened by HFCS)
. don't overdo nuts (too much Omega-6)
. moderate tubers or white rice (if you have to have carb).
. supplement Vit. D3 (w/ fat)
cheers,
may i suggest that:
. up your saturated fat (if you have problem with heavy cream, use coconut oil or ghee). you don't have enough.
. cut down fruits
. cut down honey
. skip soda (since you'r e on a budget, so don't waste your $ & perhaps health (if it's sweetened by HFCS)
. don't overdo nuts (too much Omega-6)
. moderate tubers or white rice (if you have to have carb).
. supplement Vit. D3 (w/ fat)
cheers,
01-18-2011, 03:32 PM
#63
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1
Starting Out
Hello folks! It's day three for me and I'm tired and craving a thick slice of bread with butter. And hot, sweet tea. My dad and I are doing this together but it is still hard even with the support. I look into the fridge after work and all the delicious carbs stare back at me, shouting "eat me!" How did any of you make it past the first week? I need pointers!
01-18-2011, 03:36 PM
#64
FitDay Premium Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 41
Love this thread!
My doc put me on a diet that is basically a paleo diet. I didn't exactly realize it at the time. For the first tie in a long time, I'm losing weight. Years ago, all I had to do was cut back on portions, etc. and the weight fell off. But recently (I'm 40+) and that changed. It seemed like no matter what I did, it didn't work. This was all very frustrating for me, because I ate in what was considered a healthy manner and exercised regularly. However, it no longer worked. HOWEVER, this IS working.
The major changes I made (based on my doctor's recommendations) was to eat a lot more vegetables. In fact, most days I juice my veggies. I eat lean meats (small portions) several times a day, nuts (small portions) several times a day and have fruit for dessert. I do NOT eat sweets, sodas (including diet sodas) and have basically eliminated dairy. I will eat feta cheese and have a Greek yogurt (but only once in a great while). I use coconut milk when I want dairy. I drink coffee...but the 50/50 kind and use a small amount of coconut milk and a small amount of Truvia in it. When I am thirsty...I drink plenty of water.
Today I purchased this new Primal Blueprint book...looks GREAT! I'm sure I'll get more ideas and confirmation of what my doctor recommended.
Good to see others are doing this.....it was really frustrating to work so hard with no results even when conventional wisdom said I was doing the right things.
These tweeks to my eating plan are working and working well!
p.s. Hard boiled eggs are my "best friend." Easy, inexpensive...great for a quick breakfast (along with my veggie juice) or a quick snack!
My doc put me on a diet that is basically a paleo diet. I didn't exactly realize it at the time. For the first tie in a long time, I'm losing weight. Years ago, all I had to do was cut back on portions, etc. and the weight fell off. But recently (I'm 40+) and that changed. It seemed like no matter what I did, it didn't work. This was all very frustrating for me, because I ate in what was considered a healthy manner and exercised regularly. However, it no longer worked. HOWEVER, this IS working.
The major changes I made (based on my doctor's recommendations) was to eat a lot more vegetables. In fact, most days I juice my veggies. I eat lean meats (small portions) several times a day, nuts (small portions) several times a day and have fruit for dessert. I do NOT eat sweets, sodas (including diet sodas) and have basically eliminated dairy. I will eat feta cheese and have a Greek yogurt (but only once in a great while). I use coconut milk when I want dairy. I drink coffee...but the 50/50 kind and use a small amount of coconut milk and a small amount of Truvia in it. When I am thirsty...I drink plenty of water.
Today I purchased this new Primal Blueprint book...looks GREAT! I'm sure I'll get more ideas and confirmation of what my doctor recommended.
Good to see others are doing this.....it was really frustrating to work so hard with no results even when conventional wisdom said I was doing the right things.
These tweeks to my eating plan are working and working well!
p.s. Hard boiled eggs are my "best friend." Easy, inexpensive...great for a quick breakfast (along with my veggie juice) or a quick snack!
Last edited by AAFlaca; 01-18-2011 at 03:41 PM.
01-19-2011, 12:51 PM
#65
FitDay Premium Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 41
Kotik...
You probably wont 'love' this answer. But for me, I knew that the first two days would be difficult. I just accepted it. I decided that it was worth going through the difficulty of that to get 'to the other side.' Sure enough, after a few days, it got easier. After about five days or so, it was MUCH easier. I figure, as long as I stay away from sugar and bread, the cravings are greatly diminished and so it is worth my while to do that! I ate sugar (and EVERYTHING) on Christmas Day and went through two difficult days afterward. Now, I am 'clean' again and it is 'easier' again. When I have a difficult 'moment' I do 'cheat' a tiny bit and have several walnuts dipped in a tiny bit of honey or agave nectar. This satisfies my sweet tooth big time!
You probably wont 'love' this answer. But for me, I knew that the first two days would be difficult. I just accepted it. I decided that it was worth going through the difficulty of that to get 'to the other side.' Sure enough, after a few days, it got easier. After about five days or so, it was MUCH easier. I figure, as long as I stay away from sugar and bread, the cravings are greatly diminished and so it is worth my while to do that! I ate sugar (and EVERYTHING) on Christmas Day and went through two difficult days afterward. Now, I am 'clean' again and it is 'easier' again. When I have a difficult 'moment' I do 'cheat' a tiny bit and have several walnuts dipped in a tiny bit of honey or agave nectar. This satisfies my sweet tooth big time!
01-20-2011, 08:51 AM
#66
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1
All foods not created equal
One thing I want to point out to some of the newer Primal Blueprint/Paleo eaters is that the old ideas of eating less calories than you burn and eating low-fat foods to avoid accumulating fat on your body have been proven to be wrong, and that this style of eating corrects many deficiencies and errors in the Standard American Diet (S.A.D.)
One recurring theme of Paleo eating is that foods of the modern era, specifically sugar, gluten-containing grains and dairy, cause chronic low-level inflammation in the body. The mechanisms for this inflammation include intestinal micro perforation and the immune response to the resulting intestinal leakage, and the hormonal responses to high levels of sugar and dairy. The inflammation in turn causes fat accumulation and diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The inflammation also causes a general sense of less-than-well being, which is also fixed by Paleo eating.
It doesn't take much gluten, sugar or dairy to cause these problems, so eating less will help but won't completely alleviate the problem. The effect is more like an allergic response than poisoning. Complete elimination is the best solution.
Most proponents of Paleo acknowledge that most people can't avoid these things completely and all of the time. The main idea is to know what the effects of eating them is, and to balance the upside with the downside. The usual advice is to do a 30-day complete elimination of these things from your diet, then add one at a time back to your daily meals, and see how you feel. That will help you determine whether they make a difference in your health, and whether or not those foods are important enough to you for you to live with the consequences of eating them.
One recurring theme of Paleo eating is that foods of the modern era, specifically sugar, gluten-containing grains and dairy, cause chronic low-level inflammation in the body. The mechanisms for this inflammation include intestinal micro perforation and the immune response to the resulting intestinal leakage, and the hormonal responses to high levels of sugar and dairy. The inflammation in turn causes fat accumulation and diseases like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The inflammation also causes a general sense of less-than-well being, which is also fixed by Paleo eating.
It doesn't take much gluten, sugar or dairy to cause these problems, so eating less will help but won't completely alleviate the problem. The effect is more like an allergic response than poisoning. Complete elimination is the best solution.
Most proponents of Paleo acknowledge that most people can't avoid these things completely and all of the time. The main idea is to know what the effects of eating them is, and to balance the upside with the downside. The usual advice is to do a 30-day complete elimination of these things from your diet, then add one at a time back to your daily meals, and see how you feel. That will help you determine whether they make a difference in your health, and whether or not those foods are important enough to you for you to live with the consequences of eating them.
01-21-2011, 06:55 AM
#67
FitDay Premium Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 41
Thank you VERY much David. I'm trying to take it all in at the moment. My doctor recommended an eating plan (I've mentioned it on this site in places) that as far as I can tell, is similar to what is mentioned in the primal blueprint. I am reading the primal blueprint currently. It resonates with me. It seems to me that since more often than not I was compliant with low calorie + exercise (no one is perfect) and NOT getting appropriate results, that another factor or factors had to be involved. This (new way of eating) IS working. I am losing weight slowly, but SURELY and I feel good. I do not worry as much about eating low calorie, however, eliminating sweets and eating a lot more vegies has basically made that happen anyway. Can you recommend any other good books for me to read? I AM finding this lifestyle healthy, helpful and fascinating! Thank you!!!
01-22-2011, 02:12 AM
#68
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 3
Help me modify Primal Blueprint Please
Hi. I have a big question for other PB'ers who think they could help. I am going to have to
do a modified plan, being starch intolerant and fructose intolerant, and need to make
important adjustments to the volume of veggies and lactose-based "carbs" I will be
consuming. The problem is, I have always overeaten when trying to use the PB, because
somehow my intolerances make me think I can eat all I want of veggies or protien now; couple
that with the fact I have not been exercising for years, I don't have much control over milk
or cheese-based cravings, either. So I'm always on this see-saw of either ingesting too much
protien, too much fat, or maybe once or twice a week, too much lactose, and I am very
frustrated over this! I need a little help finding my balance, here. (I do take vitamins and
minerals, but don't take Mark's brand yet because I am Hyperthyroid, consume all my vitamins
and minerals separately so as to avoid minerals that aggrevate my thyroid.)
I have gained 10 pounds after getting rid of starches and sugars and getting my thyroid
levels "back in range" - so, my digestion is far better than it was in the beginning! My
insulin levels are in range too. But I have not started my exercise program, and definitely
overeat.
do a modified plan, being starch intolerant and fructose intolerant, and need to make
important adjustments to the volume of veggies and lactose-based "carbs" I will be
consuming. The problem is, I have always overeaten when trying to use the PB, because
somehow my intolerances make me think I can eat all I want of veggies or protien now; couple
that with the fact I have not been exercising for years, I don't have much control over milk
or cheese-based cravings, either. So I'm always on this see-saw of either ingesting too much
protien, too much fat, or maybe once or twice a week, too much lactose, and I am very
frustrated over this! I need a little help finding my balance, here. (I do take vitamins and
minerals, but don't take Mark's brand yet because I am Hyperthyroid, consume all my vitamins
and minerals separately so as to avoid minerals that aggrevate my thyroid.)
I have gained 10 pounds after getting rid of starches and sugars and getting my thyroid
levels "back in range" - so, my digestion is far better than it was in the beginning! My
insulin levels are in range too. But I have not started my exercise program, and definitely
overeat.
01-22-2011, 04:12 AM
#69
FitDay Premium Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 41
I just started this plan. You are trying to lose weight, correct? (Sometimes people who are hyperthyroid want to gain weight.)
Personally, I have found that getting rid of sugar and bread has made me have less desire for them. The first few days are rough, but then it subsides. I drink herbal tea when I have a craving w/ Truvia. I also sometimes drink a comercial Green Drink which has fruit puree. Not sure, but I suspect that this puree has actual sugar in it. I only have about 1/2 a cup. This drink has a TON of veggies in it, so that's my justification for drinking it. It is my 'go to' emergency drink when I have cravings of any kind. Another craving satisfier is walnuts with a mini tab of Agave nectar. HOWEVER, I do not lose as much weight when I do either of these things. (That's the negative). BUT, I still lose and I still feel good. Keep in mind, that I only do these two "cheats" when having bad cravings, that both of them are still kinda healthy and they are mini portions.
My digestion is also FAR better than it has EVER been. In fact, I was often taking a stomach med (almost daily) and since I gave up sugar, bread and grains....I haven't taken anything for my stomach.
I'm reading the primal book on my Kindle which isn't the best 'cause its not that easy to find things again.
Are potatoes considered ok?
I am combining Mark's book along with a food plan my doc suggested.
She suggested JUICING several times a week.
I have experimented with various combos and have found some that I really like (fresh green drinks). These too help me control cravings and are super healthy and hardly add calories.
Hope this helps a little....please let me know about the potato.
BTW...I haven't really done the exercise yet....would love to hear from someone who has....need more info!
Personally, I have found that getting rid of sugar and bread has made me have less desire for them. The first few days are rough, but then it subsides. I drink herbal tea when I have a craving w/ Truvia. I also sometimes drink a comercial Green Drink which has fruit puree. Not sure, but I suspect that this puree has actual sugar in it. I only have about 1/2 a cup. This drink has a TON of veggies in it, so that's my justification for drinking it. It is my 'go to' emergency drink when I have cravings of any kind. Another craving satisfier is walnuts with a mini tab of Agave nectar. HOWEVER, I do not lose as much weight when I do either of these things. (That's the negative). BUT, I still lose and I still feel good. Keep in mind, that I only do these two "cheats" when having bad cravings, that both of them are still kinda healthy and they are mini portions.
My digestion is also FAR better than it has EVER been. In fact, I was often taking a stomach med (almost daily) and since I gave up sugar, bread and grains....I haven't taken anything for my stomach.
I'm reading the primal book on my Kindle which isn't the best 'cause its not that easy to find things again.
Are potatoes considered ok?
I am combining Mark's book along with a food plan my doc suggested.
She suggested JUICING several times a week.
I have experimented with various combos and have found some that I really like (fresh green drinks). These too help me control cravings and are super healthy and hardly add calories.
Hope this helps a little....please let me know about the potato.
BTW...I haven't really done the exercise yet....would love to hear from someone who has....need more info!
Last edited by AAFlaca; 01-22-2011 at 04:18 AM.
01-22-2011, 01:05 PM
#70
FitDay Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 3
Potatoes
Flaca, potatoes are still considered medium high on the glycemic level so you would have to consider doing away with them as soon as possible once you are comfortable with a lower carb level beginning induction. I have some different questions in mind altogether about the veggies/lactose-based foods since I am past doing away with starches.Thank you for mentioning your "green veggie drink." Sounds yummy and energy-stabilising.
