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Eating the Paleo way

Posted: Jan 27, 2014

I've been generally slim my entire life. I'm in my early 50's now and into menopause. Recently, I put on a lot of weight all of a sudden. I developed a huge gut, and it was definitely fat, not bloat. It got so big so fast, it actually felt like my fat "hurt." I had read about the diet of hunters-gatherers over 20 years ago, but I kind of forgot about it until about 2 weeks ago, when I picked up The Paleo Answer and started eating the Paleo way.

I cannot believe how well this works. I'm lucky in that I do not have much of a sweet tooth, so I don't miss the sugar. Still, a few times a week I will have a little dark chocolate with my after-dinner decaf. Even though dairy is supposedly out, I do have milk in my coffee. The author claims that if you following the eating plan 85% of the time, you can be much more lax about it 15% of the time without suffering setbacks. Despite the fact that I have not been following this eating plan to the letter, I am shrinking. On Saturday, I put on freshly laundered jeans, which are always too tight right out of the dryer, and they slipped over my hips like they were tailor-made for me. There is no scale in the house, so I don't know exactly how much I've lost, but it feels like at least 5 pounds, possibly up to 10.

Just wanted to add to the many praises for Paleo eating that I've seen on this board already. It's not just about the weight, either. According to lots of authorities on this diet, it promotes good health, including a better lipid profile and lower blood pressure. I'd be interested in reading about the experiences of people who have been eating this way for a longer period of time. It would be great to see what other health benefits may be down the road for me.

;

Please have your thyroid checked!!! - have you been tired?

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when my thyroid problem was discovered my TSH was 125

I have been taking thyroid medication for several - years for

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Hashimoto thyroiditis. Thanks for the heads up, though. :)

Paleo is a very dangerous diet - sm

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The Paleo Diet is extremely risky. Doctors and scientists warn against it for many reasons. Here are a few reviews:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/530538-what-are-the-dangers-of-the-paleo-diet/

U.S. News and World Report ranks Paleo at the bottom of the barrel.
http://health.usnews.com/best-diet/best-overall-diets?page=3

That is ridiculous! - What is In My Lunchbox?

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I would not take any advice from livestrong.com, especially something written at grade-school level.

US News is better, but the article still does not warn against the paleo diet. It warns against raw meat, which is not a part of the original paleo diet. If you worry about raw meat, and you should, don't eat it.

It also says positive things about it. The most negative is a comment that most people would find it too difficult to follow. That's why it ranks last ... too difficult to follow. Meh.

Oh, for crying out loud. How on earth could - species appropriate

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eating a species-appropriate diet be harmful? Tell me.

Let's get the SAD eaters (standard American diet -- full of processed crap the human animal was never designed to ingest) lined up against some Paleos and do some comparing. I'm not merely talking about weight or HbA1c, either (although those, too...). I'm talking about glow to the skin, clear eyes, energy to spare, lack of systemic inflammation, youthful appearance, suppleness of motion, clear mental function and ability to focus, fertility, erectile function. The list goes on.

Bring it.

These people look in danger to you? - species appropriate

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541 pages of before and after photos below.

Why try to steal the OP's joy? - nm

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nm

too much googling is dangerous to your health - Deb

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That's funny. What's wrong with eating primarily whole foods? Sure, you could eat too much meat per the paleo way, but you gotta have some common sense too and not just follow any plan blindly.

ROFLMAO - Now that's funny - First laugh of the day. Thanks

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After having such a depressing day the thought of too much Googling dangerous for my health just made me laugh.

Thanks,

My problem with all this - Is people diagnosing themselves

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Sorry, if my gut blew up "all of a sudden" I would want to be checked for stomach, liver, CHF troubles. I'm not sure what she means by "all of a sudden," but she's decided to diagnose herself and treat herself.

Drives me kablonko. Eat anything you want people, but stop diagnosing yourselves. Googling does not replace years and years of medical schooling and clinical training. And there is PLENTY of incorrect (and biased) information on Google.

She didn't say her gut blew up all of a sudden - and yeah, I diagnose myself

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I know my body. As an MT I know if I'm having a health issue how to research and find out what the problem is, make an adjustment to whatever, or if its serious go to the doctor. I don't go to the doctor if I have a pimple for him to tell me I have a pimple or go for a paper cut to have him tell me I've got a paper cut. Self diagnosing is an important part of knowing what is wrong with us and learning what we need to do.

The OP said she is going through menopause. So am I, yeah, I've gotten fat "all of a sudden". It all depends on how long "all of a sudden is" hours, days, what. For me getting fat all of a sudden means over the past year or so DUE TO MENOPAUSE.

And yes, I and others I know will continue to do research, diagnose and treat ourselves if we feel comfortable doing so. There is nothing wrong with that. People do know when to go to a doctor and when there is something they can treat at home with as little of a change as in the type of diet you are eating or lack of exercise.

Doctors are for more serious things.

And OP - way to go. Proud of you. Going to by trying the Paleo myself reading your post.

LOL If the paleo diet is unhealthy how did our ancient - ancestors survive on it? nm

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nm

Our ancient ancestors - xx

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had a life expectancy of about 35 years.

They died from appendicitis or were taken out by a bear. - sm

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Or an infected tooth that caused sepsis. Or childbirth.

But paleontologists know for a fact that there is no evidence of any sort of degeneration to their very healthy bodies. If you could manage to avoid the above, it was actually highly likely that you would live until a ripe old age. With the introduction of grains, paleontologists see for the very first time dental caries and tell-tale signs of degeneration of the spine and hips. Also interesting to note that height began to decline for the first time in the evolutionary record.

Please, people, do some reading before you form an opinion on something.

Also, infant mortality rates were very high... - ...bringing the average way down

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No/msg

Only if you believe in cavemen/evolution. - anon

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I am not pro or con the Paleo diet, but believing our ancestor did not have fire so eating raw food and no grains only applies if you don't believe in the Bible. I personally agree with the healthy aspects of it (or any healthy lifestyle) but wonder if Paleo is just another trend. That being said, if it works for the OP - good for her!

Paleo is not raw. That is a big misconception - Cooked, whole, unprocessed foods

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Take out the name Paleo or Primal or ancestral, which is so very confusing and/or off putting to a lot of people, and what you have is a diet based on whole, unprocessed foods. Whole and unprocessed DO NOT equate with raw, unless you do want to go on a more raw tangent.

Grains, by their very nature, must be processed, therefore I don't eat them. My rule of thumb is if it has an ingredient list, I don't eat it. That means NO pre packaged, processed food.

A diet based on whole, unprocessed food with an emphasis on meat and veg is ANYTHING but a fad. Humans have been eating that way for millennia. It's the processed crap that's a fad, having primarily been introduced in the last century or so, not coincidentally coinciding with the explosion of obesity in humans.

Let's talk about grain. Grain is a seed. It's purpose in life is to make another plant. It does not want to be digested. Because of that, there are anti-nutrients on the outside of grain that work to prevent that digestion. Whole grains are not the be all and end all that the wheat lobby would have you believe. My own personal experience is that the only time I deal with constipation is when I've eaten bread of any kind. My asthma has gone away since I've stopped eating food products that are a second or third cousin to the weeds I'm allergic to.

The basis of the Paleo and Primal movements are that humans evolved before wheat and other grains were introduced into the diet and, therefore, our bodies did not evolve a way to properly digest them. Some people adapt or just never know how good they'll feel if they don't eat it.

I'll get off my soap box now, but please, ancestral acting is anything but a fad. Whole foods people, whole food, not processed stuff.

Man has been cooking food for 1 million years now (sm) - species appropriate

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Up until 2012, scientists agreed upon the 800,000 years number, but just in 2012, in a cave in Africa, charrings were discovered that dated back to 1 million years. We've been cooking our meat for 1 million years.

The Paleolithic period ended a mere 12,000 years ago (at 10,000 BC). At this point in time, there was the most significant shift in human history from small clusters of hunter-gatherer family bands to living in one set place, cultivating grains, and domesticating animals in order to assist in processing those grains. As Jared Diamond, Professor of Medicine at UCLA wrote, that shift was likely the biggest mistake in the history of the human race. Not just for our health, either.

There is one weirdo out there and a few followers who eat meat raw, but Paleo is NOT raw meat.

Have women been cooking for 1 million years too? - wheres_my_job

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Just wonderin' :)

Not exactly... - Sashimi Carpaccio

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Let's correct that ... it is more accurate to say that it only applies if one does not believe in your personal interpretation of the Bible.

And, which verse exactly is it that tells about God giving us fire?

Our ancestors were eating raw meat regularly well into the 20th century. I think few cultures don't have a dish like sashimi, carpaccio, steak tartare, or ceviche, and that includes Europe and the Middle East.

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