Absolute Paleo

[twinjet]

For anyone unfamiliar, the Paleo diet is a diet modelled after Paleolithic mankind's available foods. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, meats and seafood. No added salts, sugars, preservatives, nothing. None of this Red 40, BHA or High Fructose Corn Syrup junk.

I'm hoping people may have a good word to spread to assist in my journey to fitness. It seems like literally everything I thought was OK to eat is now prohibited by Paleolithic standards. I started a week of paleo today and am already unsure how I will fare. A large portion of what is healthy by any other standard is not OK.

My initial diet looked like:
Eggs
Chicken*
Tuna*
Salmon (self-caught)
Sardines*
Turkey*
Cheeses*

Apples
Pears
Oranges
Grapefruit
Grapes
Tomato

Almonds
Cashews
Sunflower seeds
Granola*
Oatmeal*
Rice*

Salad
Broccoli
Carrots
Celery
Sugar snap peas
Avocado
Pickles*

Hot sauce*
Ketchup*
Mustard*

That's what I was eating for a solid two months. Any variety of those throughout the day; healthy by most anyone else's standards. Now, the stuff with asterisks all contain prohibited stuff, be it sneaky preservatives, added sugars, added salts or any other non-Paleo ingredient.

My biggest issue is this - how does one follow the Paleo diet with absolutely no leniency with regard to ingredients... While being able to stay satisfied through the day (yes, water is constantly ingested). Additionally, where do I draw the line on ingredients? I started this expecting zero leniency. But when I take ground beef and find it has added anything, now what? What kind of meats should I be buying, then, if it all has extra something?

Any and all tips are welcome here. Discussion on the diet is also welcome.

 

[Bassic Playing]

the Paleo diet is a diet modelled after Paleolithic mankind's available foods

This is patently untrue, its just marketed that way. The palaeolithic spans close to 99% of human existence, depending on where you draw the line of human, and geography has always driven diet. We also live for a lot longer than we used to and are generally much healthier, don't know why people have this 'good old days' mentality about an age when most people went through seasonal starvation and lack of nutrition kept the population below 10 million.

My parents are both palaeo. They seem to like it, they certainly seem healthier. I think it's a little too hardcore; humans have managed just fine without all this new age nutrition fad diets for a long time. Just eat what looks healthy and exercise and you'll be fine.

Don't know what you mean by 'satisfied'. If you mean full, just eat more. If you mean 'interesting', there are loads of good recipes.

 

[El Spearo]

I reckon it's too extreme and hard to maintain. Don't get me started on the "paleo" aspect of it. Pure marketing. I recently lost ten kilos just by reducing portions and doing more exercise. I've got 10 more to go, and I''l get there by following the same method, gradually increasing exercise.

 

[Gorn]

I predict that some time in the next ten years the cetacean diet will be all the rage. Skinny, sickly looking Californians will eat the diet of baleen whales. They'll line up outside specialty stores to buy bagfulls of various plankton and krill.

 

[Munjibunga]

I don't know if your list Is what you used to eat or what you consider appropriate for a paleo diet, but a lot of the items you list are loaded with added sugar, salt and other chemicals. Certainly, eating fresh fruits, vegetables and meats in appropriate amounts would be much healthier than many fad diets, so you're not going to hurt yourself. I wouldn't hesitate to add salt and other spices - even the troglodytes must have had their favorites, and you do need replenish your electrolytes.

 

[fendermademygibson]

Eat right, stay fit and die anyway.

Screw "diets". I don't mean to say abandon good food and healthy living I just mean that "diets" are inherently flawed otherwise it would be a one size fits all. Well guess what, that's not the case.

One major reason for failure is because people go all in right away making too many drastic changes all at once. While some have success the vast majority fail time and time again on a dozen different diets. It's the microwave society. Everybody wants it now and then gets upset when things don't change overnight.

I have never tried a "diet plan" of any kind and likely never will. What I did do was start paying more attention and make subtle changes over the months/years and still continue to do so. I still indulge in a few guilty pleasures now and then.

I believe "eating healthy" is mostly about portion control but if those portions, regardless of size, are filled with crap you aren't doing yourself any favors.

By paying attention to and minimizing ones sugar, sodium and chemical (processed food) intake as much as possible you will do your body wonders with that alone.

Combine that with even a moderate amount of daily activity and at the very least you will feel better which will almost certainly lead to more energy, clearer thinking, better sleep, stronger metabolism and ultimately some weight loss.

Good luck.

Also water, water, water.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Weren't the diets of early man also based on the activities involved in everyday survival?
Like running down the next meal, or running to prevent being the next meal?

More to the point, won't you have to give up the bass,
find a hollow log and club, and become a drummer?

 

[Gorn]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
Weren't the diets of early man also based on the activities involved in everyday survival?
Like running down the next meal, or running to prevent being the next meal?

More to the point, won't you have to give up the bass,
find a hollow log and club, and become a drummer?
View attachment 878883

Yup. And on the rare occasion they ate meat (which was usually scavenged and half rotten) they gorged themselves on it.

How many times do people need to hear that you should eat everything and do so in moderation. A little of this. A little of that. Get off your ass. Boom. You won't be fat. It's fairly simple (says me with my 75 extra pounds). It's not easy, but it's simple.

 

[two fingers]

You're going to extremes. It is a choice you have made. Hey, we all do it.

As a spiritual thing, I did the Daniel fast some months back. I felt better after a week or so. It is even more strict than what you are doing. (I did it without cheating even once for a month.) We found lots of recipes on the internet. I'm sure there are paleo sites all over.

The thing is.... there is no need for such extremes on a permanent basis. What you need to do is eat CLEANER. But that doesn't mean you have to live like a cave man. It is a fad. Don't get caught up in all of that.

Eat cleaner. Get exercise. (All the diets in the world are no good at all without exercise. I could eat total garbage and exercise a lot and be healthier than someone who eats the "best" foods and sits around his duff all the time.)

Moderation. Have a brownie every now and then. Have a cup of coffee every now and then. Eat as clean as you can practically. Exercise. It's the best way to live without having to think about food all the time.

Just my opinions. I'm not saying you are dumb. If fact, I wish you the best of luck with it. Nothing would make me happier than your posting in a few months "Check it out TF you big poopie head! I lost 47 pounds and my BP is down 20 points!"

I took some things I learned during the Daniel fast and applied them to my life. I quit Diet Mountain Dew for good. That stuff is poison. I switched to Harris Teeter house brand for a lot of my groceries. Read the ingredients. By far that stuff is cleaner than most. Hopefully you will do the same. Go to the extreme to learn some lessons. Then apply much of what you learned and go back to a somewhat normal lifestyle.

Oh, and just keep this in mind. Life expectancy since cavemen walked the Earth has steadily gone up and up. We live several times longer than they did. So why exactly was their way of doing things better? A little hot sauce.....especially a fairly clean one......won't kill you. That's just silly.

Here's to good health!

 

[Michael B]

It's just a clever way to calorie restrict. Don't think it's more or less healthy or unhealthy. That's hugely debatable mainly because there are plenty of ways to eat healthy that are not low carb. Considering one way to eat as THE healthy way is not correct.

Your list has lots of carbs in it and therefore it won't provide the paleo calorie restriction you are going for.

If you eat lots of meats and non carb veggies you will lose weight. You must avoid carbs though.

Skip all grains, condiments, junk food, fast food, soda, alcahol, etc.

Only eat a small amount of fruit. And only if the weight loss is going well. Avoid carrots, corn, rice and white potatoes in any form. These are carb city. As an example of not eating too much: you can have a sweat potato (or 1/2 of one) once a week. For fruits eat a small amount of berries but NOT an orange.

Many paleos avoid dairy. Avoiding it helps with the calory restriction big time.

One of the good things about eating low carb is you don't get sugar crashes. So you binge less. And eating (good) fats makes you full fast. Eating this way actually feels like you are eating a ton but you still lose weight. It's a trick though as skipping all the carbs is what is helping you lose weight.

There are lots of great paleo recipes but in general you don't want to recreate the non paleo meals in a paleo style. It's easy to make a mistake and add carbs back in.

If your fiancee is into it you'll fair better. It doesn't have to be a lifetime diet. You could do it for a year and lose a bunch of weight.

One thing I do when dieting is have one single cheat meal a week. Then if I have a thought to eat something oitside the plan, I just look forward to it rather than indulge on the spot.

 

[D M C]

I'm not sure what all of the asterisks mean, but I can help cross at least one item off of your list - chicken, which is Asian in origin (I don't know why I assume you're not Asian,) and arose from domestication of red jungle fowl approximately 7,000 years after the Paleolithic era.

 

[Joe Nerve]

What he said:

This is patently untrue, its just marketed that way. The palaeolithic spans close to 99% of human existence, depending on where you draw the line of human, and geography has always driven diet. We also live for a lot longer than we used to and are generally much healthier, don't know why people have this 'good old days' mentality about an age when most people went through seasonal starvation and lack of nutrition kept the population below 10 million.

My parents are both palaeo. They seem to like it, they certainly seem healthier. I think it's a little too hardcore; humans have managed just fine without all this new age nutrition fad diets for a long time. Just eat what looks healthy and exercise and you'll be fine.

Don't know what you mean by 'satisfied'. If you mean full, just eat more. If you mean 'interesting', there are loads of good recipes.

What he said:

Eat right, stay fit and die anyway.

Screw "diets". I don't mean to say abandon good food and healthy living I just mean that "diets" are inherently flawed otherwise it would be a one size fits all. Well guess what, that's not the case.

One major reason for failure is because people go all in right away making too many drastic changes all at once. While some have success the vast majority fail time and time again on a dozen different diets. It's the microwave society. Everybody wants it now and then gets upset when things don't change overnight.

I have never tried a "diet plan" of any kind and likely never will. What I did do was start paying more attention and make subtle changes over the months/years and still continue to do so. I still indulge in a few guilty pleasures now and then.

I believe "eating healthy" is mostly about portion control but if those portions, regardless of size, are filled with crap you aren't doing yourself any favors.

By paying attention to and minimizing ones sugar, sodium and chemical (processed food) intake as much as possible you will do your body wonders with that alone.

Combine that with even a moderate amount of daily activity and at the very least you will feel better which will almost certainly lead to more energy, clearer thinking, better sleep, stronger metabolism and ultimately some weight loss.

Good luck.

Also water, water, water.

And what some others said.

If I were to make up a great statistic I'd say 99% of people eventually fail when going on any kind of diet .

The best way to eat healthy is by making small, sustainable changes, over time. It's what I'm helping people do by becoming a certified health coach. And I'm seeing it really works for people.

We're all different. Some people actually do need meat in their diets. Some get fat eating nuts, others can live on them with no problem... and so it goes, on and on and on.

The science of nutrition is complicated, and completely off the wall. Most science is clear cut, accurate, and everyone is in agreement. We know the speed of light, we know how far the moon is from the earth, we know how cells divide, and everyone is in agreement on all of this. In nutrition however, people couldn't DISAGREE more. No carbs, only carbs, dairy depletes calcium, you need dairy to build strong bones, meat will give you cancer, meat is essential for a healthy diet, rice will make you fat, rice should be a staple.... I could go on and on and on. I now find it to be entertaining.

There are however certain things that just about everyone who isn't marketing something can agree upon. And it doesn't take a scientist or a nutritionist to figure it out. Most of us know this stuff.

If you want to eat well and get healthier eat more greens and other vegetables, eat less meat and dairy, cut out (or limit) to the best of your ability any added sugars and processed foods, and eat a variety of different foods. Drink lots of water, and limit alcohol, soft drinks, and coffee. You can of course expand from there - eat only organic, stay away from GMOs, etc... but that's inviting argument, so I won't go there. I'm also not telling anyone what to do.

The interesting thing (in my new career) is that as I said, most people know this - few however can seem to do it, though it's not really difficult. It also ties in with our lifestyles, physical activity, and emotional states. That's where the whole coaching thing comes in. It makes me happy to be able to help people get on the right path. Enjoying this much more than teaching, though I'm still doing that.

I highly recommend researching health coaches to anyone looking to eat more healthfully. They cost less than personal trainers, and what they help you with lasts a life time. Most work by phone, skype, or facetime, too.

 

[Michael B]

+10

If you want to eat well and get healthier eat more greens and other vegetables, eat less meat and dairy, cut out (or limit) to the best of your ability any added sugars and processed foods, and eat a variety of different foods. Drink lots of water, and limit alcohol, soft drinks, and coffee. You can of course expand from there - eat only organic, stay away from GMOs, etc... but that's inviting argument, so I won't go there. I'm also not telling anyone what to do.

 

[twocargar]

I did something similar back in October, called the Whole 30. BTW, Halloween is the WORST time to do any kind of diet.
It's basically no added sugar, wheat, legumes, most nuts or dairy. I will say that it opened my eyes and got me reading labels on things a little more carefully. There is sugar in almost every processed food. Amazing.

I did lose about 15 pounds (and I don't exercise), so that was nice, but I think I've put it all back on. I have a friend that does paleo and he seems happy. The Whole 30 was strict enough, so I can't see myself doing paleo anytime soon. I think what was mentioned about moderation is true too.

Good luck to you though!

 

[S-Bigbottom]

My biggest issue is this - how does one follow the Paleo diet with absolutely no leniency with regard to ingredients... While being able to stay satisfied through the day (yes, water is constantly ingested). Additionally, where do I draw the line on ingredients? I started this expecting zero leniency. But when I take ground beef and find it has added anything, now what? What kind of meats should I be buying, then, if it all has extra something?

This will be the hardest thing to start with. You need to change where and what you shop for.

In a regular grocery store 97% (my statistic) of the food is poison. Go to the one aisle that they call the "Heath Food" section and there is a better chance to find better versions of what is on the regular shelf, some of the time, still need to read labels.
Look at peanut butter on the regular aisles, it has high fructose corn syrup and sugar added plus three or more other ingredients. It is ground peanuts, that is all that should be in it, maybe a little salt.

With meats if you are only finding it with added crap then you need to go some wear else to get real meat. A good butcher shop, or if you know of someone that has livestock and are going to butcher get some of that. This is how I get my meat. I am in an area that has a lot of farms, so I get my meat from the field.
When my neighbor is going to cut up one of their cows I get half a cow from them. I know what that cow ate, and my boy got to watch them cut it up and wrap it into the white butcher paper. Alaska might not have that many options, just need to look around, it will be out there.

I like oatmeal and think it is a good carb. If you want to eat oatmeal get just whole rolled oats and cook it. I cook mine with coconut milk, makes it a little creamy, and if you want to add a little sweet to it, a squirt of Blue Agave nectar. Yes the stuff they make tequila out of, it is like honey but is slower in the sugar absorption.

Bread, make your own, all bread on the shelves are garbage. Instead of flower I use ground almond and flax seeds as a flower. drool

Spend more time in the produce, lots of dark greens.

Just eat cleaner food. After a few months you will not go back.

 

[twinjet]

I don't know if your list Is what you used to eat or what you consider appropriate for a paleo diet, but a lot of the items you list are loaded with added sugar, salt and other chemicals.

Yes, plenty of the foods I listed were what I did eat on a normal basis. The asterisk-marked foods are foods now prohibited and no longer used.

I reckon it's too extreme and hard to maintain. Don't get me started on the "paleo" aspect of it. Pure marketing. I recently lost ten kilos just by reducing portions and doing more exercise. I've got 10 more to go, and I''l get there by following the same method, gradually increasing exercise.

I've burned off 12 pounds myself just doing that. I looked at paleo as a better way of eating, cutting out additives I don't need. I remember fitness trainers suggesting that to me once, figured I should try it. But yes, it does seem a bit extreme...

You're going to extremes. It is a choice you have made. Hey, we all do it.

Funny thing is, when I initially started it looked easy! I already didn't eat processed foods. What it looked like was an elimination of dairy and grains. Boy, was I wrong... It's so much more. Thankfully this is only a week-long trial that I'm doing with my lady.

Your list has lots of carbs in it and therefore it won't provide the paleo calorie restriction you are going for.

Interesting, I thought paleo was about avoiding the processed foods and bad ingredients? Is this meant to be a quick-burn diet? If so, I may switch back to normal eating much sooner.

The best way to eat healthy is by making small, sustainable changes, over time. It's what I'm helping people do by becoming a certified health coach. And I'm seeing it really works for people.

I'm glad you stopped by! Yes, my everyday eating habits have changed greatly. The above listed foods have pretty much been the norm for several months. I really do feel a change and I'm told I'm looking slimmer these days. Always welcome comments. Now, it wasn't all sudden. It took about a year to go from fast food and sweets cravings to what I eat today. But the changes have certainly paid off.

If you want to eat well and get healthier eat more greens and other vegetables, eat less meat and dairy, cut out (or limit) to the best of your ability any added sugars and processed foods, and eat a variety of different foods. Drink lots of water, and limit alcohol, soft drinks, and coffee. You can of course expand from there - eat only organic, stay away from GMOs, etc...

Greens, meats, fruits, bulk nuts/grains. All good stuff! I'm always checking ingredient lists these days. Makes shopping a lot harder! Alcohol I am pretty good about keeping in check. Soda I do not drink anymore. I just eat for fuel, not for feeling full. It's proven helpful.

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

This will be the hardest thing to start with. You need to change where and what you shop for.

In a regular grocery store 97% (my statistic) of the food is poison. Go to the one aisle that they call the "Heath Food" section and there is a better chance to find better versions of what is on the regular shelf, some of the time, still need to read labels.
Look at peanut butter on the regular aisles, it has high fructose corn syrup and sugar added plus three or more other ingredients. It is ground peanuts, that is all that should be in it, maybe a little salt.

With meats if you are only finding it with added crap then you need to go some wear else to get real meat. A good butcher shop, or if you know of someone that has livestock and are going to butcher get some of that. This is how I get my meat. I am in an area that has a lot of farms, so I get my meat from the field.
When my neighbor is going to cut up one of their cows I get half a cow from them. I know what that cow ate, and my boy got to watch them cut it up and wrap it into the white butcher paper. Alaska might not have that many options, just need to look around, it will be out there.

I like oatmeal and think it is a good carb. If you want to eat oatmeal get just whole rolled oats and cook it. I cook mine with coconut milk, makes it a little creamy, and if you want to add a little sweet to it, a squirt of Blue Agave nectar. Yes the stuff they make tequila out of, it is like honey but is slower in the sugar absorption.

Bread, make your own, all bread on the shelves are garbage. Instead of flower I use ground almond and flax seeds as a flower. drool

Spend more time in the produce, lots of dark greens.

Just eat cleaner food. After a few months you will not go back.

Mmmmmmm Oatmeal!

One thing we did was switch to Almond Milk.
Actually I get the Almond Coconut blend.
It tastes better, maybe a bit sweeter than Almond alone.
We get the version with no added sugar.
I like it even better than whole milk, and I like whole milk but don't drink it.
My wife used to have a cholesterol issue.
Cholesterol numbers are good now, and that was the only change we made.
Before Almond, we had been drinking 1% for several years.

 

[S-Bigbottom]

One thing we did was switch to Almond Milk.

I am still trying to figure out where the teats are?

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

I've been eating a ketogenic diet for a couple of months now- it's not too dissimilar from a paleo diet. Very low carbs, no grains or legumes, little dairy and sugars, mostly veggies, eggs, and meat. It focuses on high fat though so you stay full and satisfied longer. It's been surprisingly easy to stay on- the one exception is I drink diet soda now, which isn't good in any way, but way better than the bottle of Coke or Mountain Dew I'd drink a day Pork rinds are fair game, so they're my snack of choice,

I've lost 20lbs without exercise so far- my ideal weight is only about 5-10lbs less. Normally I run a lot so once that's going again it should be easy to get there and maintain.

One thing that's helpful when you don't feel like cooking meat and kale every meal is making a big pot of vegetable beef stew with a nice chunk of grass fed butter in it. It lasts a while in the fridge and is an easy, filling, quick meal when you don't feel like cooking. Gluten-free tamari is a good replacement condiment, along with grass fed butter and various coconut products (coconut butter is delicious).

 

[Old Garage-Bander]

I am still trying to figure out where the teats are?

Ain't we all?