Paleo Diet/lifestyle Questions?

Updated on April 17, 2014
E.B. asks from Sour Lake, TX
15 answers

Curious to hear from those who have adopted this way of eating. Most eating plans become boring. Is this easy to stick with? Did you lose weight? Do you feel better? Did it help you fight illness? Would love to hear your stories. Thanks and have a blessed day!

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S.T.

answers from Washington DC on

you guys inspire me!
i need to do something about my sugar addiction. i can't stand the thought of life with no candy, but i don't seem to be able to internalize 'everything in moderation.'
reading the answers with interest.
:) khairete
S.

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J.C.

answers from Philadelphia on

My brother is off of blood pressure meds for the last 2 years because of this way of eating.

Once you stop eating sugar, you really don't miss it and the results are fantastic.

Good luck!

8 moms found this helpful

L.L.

answers from Rochester on

I don't know what the paleo diet it (I'm so behind, sigh) but I do know how to eat well and I learned it all because my youngest child has Celiac disease. When we all decided to go gluten free at least for dinners so that we could all eat together, we ALL felt different. And it's not the elimination of the gluten itself that made us feel better - it was the elimination of a bunch of processed garbage.

If you think natural, non-processed food - that's the best way to go. That's the way people ate 100 years ago and they didn't have ANY of the food related health problems that we have. Whole grains, rice, fruits and vegetables that are either fresh or frozen (never canned), organic meat, organic dairy - I call it the "common sense" diet, where you don't eat anything that wasn't originally put here by God to consume. If it's got chemical sounding names in the ingredient list, that means it has chemicals in it.

Overall, my family hardly ever gets sick. We don't get the slew of cold/flu type illnesses that seem to flood everyone else's homes.

I'm sorry I didn't directly address the paleo diet (simply out of my own ignorance!) but if it's anything like my common sense diet, I highly recommend it. I don't recommend cutting out fruit, though - that's the sugar God gave us!!

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S.D.

answers from Washington DC on

Love it! We've been (mostly) paleo for about a year now. I say mostly because we do still eat some dairy & occassionally have grains. The energy benefits alone are worth it to me. Without the grains & sugars I just feel better. I've had a number of friends whose blood pressure & cholesterol levels have come back in the normal range. We've lost weight here & the cleaner we eat the less illness we have.
There are a ton of cookbooks out there that give absolutely mouth-watering recipes & we haven't gotten bored yet. I'll often look through a book & write down what I think sounds good; then when I'm in the mood for something different I'll go back through the book & other things will catch my eye.
I also must disagree with the first responder. Eating meat, veggies, & fruits isn't a fad diet; it's getting away from all of the processed & refined things that pass for food. Real food is obviously more healthy than processed junk.
Anyway, hope you find what works for you!

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

My FIL had a massive heart attack a bunch of years ago. He had open heart surgery with a quadruple bypass. When he got out of the hospital he researched diets and decided to do the low carb diet.

I think that we were born to be carnivores to eat meat and foods that have been around for centuries. I think this is smart.

His cholesterol was in the 300 range and triglycerides were higher. By cutting out carbs only, ONLY, to about 40-50 per day his levels dropped to nearly normal. He's been diagnosed as borderline diabetic too. He's never had high blood sugar again.

Every morning he has bacon and eggs for breakfast. His heart is healthier than it's been in 20 years. Most heart surgeries have a life span of 10 years successful. They have to go back in and redo it due to that person's body doing the same thing again.

His has been nearly 15 years ago and he's the healthiest he's ever been. Cutting out those grains and other foods that are not good for meat eaters was healthy for him.

I think with any "diet" there is the chance of giving up on it due to missing certain foods and activities that surround that food. So don't give up. If you want something and are craving it then perhaps you need to think about how you'll manage that once you start changing your lifestyle.

My FIL does occasionally have a piece of chocolate cake. Not every meal but maybe once every couple of months.

Another thought about all this.

Ever thought about what we feed our pets? Junk. They are supposed to be out chasing critters and eating them warm and raw. But we take pride in how many veggie and rice products are in their food. No wonder they're aging and having a hard time health-wise.

Want to compare? They are meat eaters filling up on stuff that's not healthy for them. So are we.

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S.T.

answers from New York on

My 18 yr old daughter and I started this yesterday. We're not doing total paleo as we will be having some dairy, cheese, etc. But all starches are out and most fruits. We're going to focus on vegetables, nuts & seeds and meat, chicken, fish. We are allowing ourselves some berries - as they're so good for you. I'm also using monkfruit extract as a sweetner becuase I'm not ready to give up coffee!

In two weeks we'll add back *some* fruit - maybe one serving a day.

I've done this before and always lost lots of weight and kept it off - but as soon as the carbs came back the weight would too.

I'll be 55 in June and although my blood tests results are all perfect I still need to lose weight - my knees and back will thank me.

I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the answers you get here - thanks for asking this question.

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V.S.

answers from Reading on

I started paleo for lent, so 34 days ago or so? I've lost 9 pounds. It has been very easy and satisfying for me. I eat nothing that's been processed. I have been gluten free because of a sensitivity for almost 2 years, so it wasn't as hard a transition for me as it might be for some. I can't say I'll do this forever, but I won't stop when lent is done. I feel really good, have a lot of energy, and sleep great. Im having blood work done next week to check my cholesterol levels, but i know after giving up wheat, my triglycerides were cut to less than half, from 163 to 68, so I expect good results. PM me if you want more info.

Eta: just wanted to add, cutting out sugar means fruit tastes sweeter, I don't get cravings, cutting out chips means celery tastes saltier and more satisfying. There is a lot of information out there about why not all calories are the same and calories in calories out is not a good nutrition model. All things in moderation sounds good, but some things just plain aren't healthy, especially as modern agriculture has bastardized traditional ingredients through genetic modification, cross breeding, and poor practices. Learn more. There is a lot out there.

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M.H.

answers from Minneapolis on

I just attended a health and wellness seminar over the weekend for people with autoimmune disorders. The keynote speaker was a nutritionist who herself has a serious autoimmune disorder. Her background speciality is helping people with diabetes. Her approach is all about balance and moderation. She doesn't believe in elimination diets or going crazy eliminating multiple categories of foods unless you find out you have a true allergy or intolerance for those foods and you do that by following a specific elimination diet (one type of food at a time) for about six weeks and keeping a food journal. She recently published the 2nd ed. of her book, "You Gotta Eat! A dietitian's common sense approach to facing life's health and nutrition challenges," by Linda Clancy Kaminiski. I started reading the book over the weekend and I really like it. It's all about balance and moderation. She has specific chapters on weight loss, metabolism, sodium, sugar, eating out, etc. I am going to try incorporate more of her recommendations into my diet and lifestyle. Personally, I don't think any type of diet or lifestyle that eliminates multiple major food groups (unless you have a verified medical reason to do so such as Celiac) is easy to stick with.

From her presentation and what I've read in the book so far she seems to have the biggest problem/concern with sugar and artificial sweeteners and she does recommend significantly limiting foods that contain those ingredients. However, she's human and admits to having a real weakness with respect to Oreos and M&Ms. She doesn't allow them in her house for that reason, but allows herself some dark chocolate when cravings hit.

ETA: I agree with the comments made by others about processed foods. I wish I could implement it better and will work on that! I forgot to mention that eliminating or cutting back on processed foods was a big part of Ms. Kaminiski's presentation and is discussed in her book.

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A.A.

answers from Tulsa on

It's a fad diet. Your best bet at feeling better and losing weight is just to eat responsible and well balanced meals along with exercise.

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L.Z.

answers from Seattle on

We actually eat a low-carb, grain-free diet and it's wonderful. There is evidence that people are becoming Insulin Resistant and it is causing them to become obese. I have done a ton of research about it and have realized that the best foods to eat are meats, veggies, small amounts of fruits and fats from things like avocados and nuts. We do eat dairy too, because we haven't had issues with it and we stick to the low-carb cheeses and things. I focus on serving and eating anything that will keep our blood sugar low. So flour and other grains are out and so is sugar. I feel great. Amazing in fact. If I go back to the regular way of eating, with carbs and sugar, I feel tired, bloated, have brain fog and more. I know this is a health issue for me, so I'm trying to make sure my kids eat limited sugars and flour too, so they don't have the same blood sugar issues that I have had my whole life. Also, we are super healthy and hardly ever get sick. The variety of foods and online recipes keep it from getting boring. There are even almond and coconut flour recipes for baking, so you never feel deprived by not getting baked goodies. I highly recommend this way of eating for weight loss, but also for energy and overall wellness.

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A.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I agree with Mrslavallie. My Chickpea is a GF kid. We replaced a lot of grains in our diet with vegetables. Spaghetti squash instead of pasta. A lettuce leaf wrapper instead of a flour tortilla or hamburger bun.

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D.B.

answers from Boston on

I have a few friends who have done it, and while they lost some weight, they're not healthier - lots of illness, no increased immunity.

No one's going to argue with SOME of the paleo philosophy, namely no processed foods, little or no sugar, no artificial sweeteners, and so on. I think the way our wheat is grown today (no more "amber waves of grain" but just 18 inches tall and quick-harvested) is a problem, and I think the way our dairy is processed is a problem. So getting rid of a lot of those things (which we eat too much off anyway since the dairy industry and the food processing companies have influenced everything from the "food pyramid" (now pretty much abandoned) to the price supports for the dairy industry which keep the products cheaper even if they aren't healthier.

However, I think it's a fallacy that paleo-followers are eating like prehistoric people. They are still eating meat from animals who are corn-fed and GMO-soy fed, or grazing on grass affected by pesticides and lacking trace elements in the soil. They're eating fish from polluted waters or farm-raised in pollution and even some sewage.

I don't understand the avoidance of legumes - it makes no sense. We have massive health problems from people being brainwashed into avoiding soy, for example, which the problem is chemically processed soy from GMO beans, and it being stripped of lunasin. We've lost the health benefits including cancer prevention - granted it's hard to get enough from most conventionally processed forms of soy, and nobody's going to drink a gallon of soy milk or eat a pound of tofu every day. But to sign up for a diet that doesn't allow a bioactive supplement of non-GMO, mechanically extracted (non-chemical) soy peptide?

In any case, there is NO nutritional model that says we can get our nutrients from our food anymore, no matter how many whole foods we eat. The values just aren't in the soil, the foods or the fertilizers (natural or otherwise) anymore. We may eat more veggies or eat locally or organically, but the fact is, none of us is likely to really live off locally raised animals and produce year-round. We still want our strawberries in January and our products that can only be grown in season on the other side of the world. I don't see that changing in most people.

So we're not seeing the necessary health benefits at all with this program. My prediction is that this diet will go the way of all the other diets that various people have promoted over the years: grapefruit diet, no-carb diet, no-fat diet, no-salt diet, etc. Where have these gotten us? We still have epidemic rates of cancer, heart disease, cholesterol, diabetes/metabolic syndrome, and skyrocketing rates of food sensitivities, epidemic rates of asthma and allergies, autoimmune diseases, and behavioral conditions like ADD/ADHD, Asperger's, autism, and so on. (For perspective, read "Animal, Vegetable Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver and see how hard it was for a family to live off their farm and their neighbors' farms for just 1 year!)

I use a research-based model for food science that is founded on clinical data, and not on old data and "common knowledge" that's just not accurate no matter how much we want to adhere to "truths" and accepted norms that don't work anymore (if they ever did). I see nothing to support these diet fads or food elimination programs (other than the artificial ingredients or chemical processing of course) in any scientific papers from collaborative work with the National Cancer Research Institute, the CDC, the American Heart Association, UC Davis & the Nutritional Genomics department, or the food science departments of major universities. Yes, you hear people talk about it, but usually those are people making money off selling a book. I see no clinical trials on any of this, and I don't see people on these diets who are getting off medications or getting substantial reductions in autoimmune disorders or so on. So I don't think this is a viable approach in its entirety even though it has some merit in terms of getting off the processed foods. It involves no super foods, and it eliminates some key elements that are irrefutable.

I predict that a whole bunch of people will do this, maybe lose some weight, and then in 5-10 years we will see the fall-out from it, as we have from many other fads even if there is some basis for the philosophy.

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K.H.

answers from Richmond on

my husband has gone paleo, he has lost 110 pounds, and no longer pre diabetes! not an easy fix but worth it! K. h.

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C.N.

answers from Baton Rouge on

I do the common sense diet. I eat a variety of foods - some meat, some vegetables, some fruits, some grains, some dairy, some fats, some processed (love my bacon and Zapp's), some alcohol - all in reasonable amounts.
I won't eliminate whole categories of food from my diet.

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M.H.

answers from Chicago on

As the saying goes you are what you eat!

I have several friends that yes, have done Paleo. All have said the same thing.. it was awesome to eat clean. way more energy, no bloating feeling, and weight changed.

My son is Gluten free, and I avolid Gluten most of the time. When I eat it, I feel sluggish and crappy. So Gluten Free for me is helpful.-I have not been tested I do not thnk I have an intollarance, but you never know.

I have lost weight just going Gluten Free.. Paleo, difference .. Paleo is Gluten free (from What I read). and then some. I think it is also Dairy free and most impt process foods free.

We do our best shopping the permiter of the store, with kids needing convience foods, it makes it hard. I read, everything.

If you can not do the Paleo diet, do cut down or remove. Fructose (it is created, not the fructose in strait fruit). High fructose corn syurp and corn syrup.. that has made a huge differnce in personalitiles in this house.

Paleo, is "cave man" diet.. Meat, veggies etc. No beans, bread, dairy from what I was told.

My friends cook all the meals for a week or better on Sunday, then like she siad you make better choices.

We do the GF for my son, so eating out can be more challenging. Last weekend we went out, and the food was gross.. it is crazy how just eating home made soups, stews and other foods are so much more tasty than eating out and you really notice the salt in food..

I recently took my son and daughther for sensitivity testing. My son showed the gluten issue (which I knew about already) and it also showed dairy. She also mentioned that Gluten and Dairy can make thing like MS worse, and that if you legimettly do the no gluten and dairy, you can sometimes reverse the effects. But .. gluten is everywhere.. it is like a virus that spreads and moves easily.. so most familys that have one member that is GF, the rest do it at least for home meals to keep the cross containmination down.

Why are there so many issues and things from this?? GMOs etc. is why. our bodies are not adapting as quickly.. hence the Paleo diet (cave man diet) is good in the sense our bodies can digest it better and work better.. keeping the sludge out of it.

Good luck. and GO FOR IT!.. but do talk to a nutrionist and make sure you are eating enough of the right foods- your plate should be 1/2 veggies, 1/4 meat, 1/4 carb.. at least.

Yes, Dairy and gluten free ( nut shell of Paleo) can help a lot with illness. But adding foods like Garlic, Ginger is also good and helpful.

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