Paleo-Diet versus Neanderthin

[Janice]

I bought Cordain's, The Paleo Diet yesterday and have read nearly all of it. I plan on reading Neanderthin next. I've been lurking in this section of the forum for some time and from what I gather, the main differences between the two WsOE is Paleo Diet stressing LEAN meats only (and I love my lamb) and consuming all the friut and veg. you want. Seems to me Paleo is overall lower in fat and higher in complex carbs than Neanderthin.

That said, what kind of results have you all been getting? Any switching from one WOE to the other?

Opinions greatly appreciated!

Janice

[Janice]

Have been to three bookstores and still have not found a copy of Neanderthin. Going to call around some more bookstores today.

I've been essentially doing Paleo, but not restricting fat. I've also not been consuming "fruit in unlimited quantities". Eating two servings of fruit a day which is a very nice change.

Last night made some fabulous lambchops that I got from the farmers' market. I marinaded them in some red wine, olive oil, 4 cloves of crushed garlic, fresh rosemary, and a teaspoon of dijon. Baked at 350 for 20 minutes, medium rare and FANTASTIC!

Hope you're all well, any comments on Paleo vs. Neanderthin, again much appreciated.

Janice

[PaleoDeano]

Hi Janice,

I have read both books and tried both diets. A year ago I went with Cordain's thoughts, but eating low fat was not good at all. I actually read Neanderthin about 6 months before that, and that is how I got into paleo eating. Then, about 6 months after reading The Paleo Diet, I read a book called Life Without Bread. In it they comment on Cordain's book and the fact that low fat is not good for you. LWOB authors say to eat animal fat (and saturated fat), and go into detail as to why. Great book! I don't know why Cordain stresses low fat, and really don't know why he says to eat all the fruit you want. It is strange to me how someone who is an "expert" on paleo diets does not stress low carb. In July I spent the whole month eating basically meat and eggs and lots of animal fat, and just a few veggies. I dropped my weight and body fat to record lows and had very even moods and lots of energy. Paleo people had nothing even remotely sweet in their diets. The fruit they could find was as tart as a turnip and they probably ate less than 20g of carbs per day. They thrived on animal fat - including saturated fat.

Check out this link if you want to know what real paleo people ate... and just how healthy they were from eating that way... look for the "80 percent" in the article... it's about fat consumption. :)

http://www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/native_americans.html

That lamb sounds tasty! I love lamb too. I buy grass-fed lamb from local farmers in the fall. I can't wait till they are ready for slaughter.

Hope this info helps.

Feel free to ask more questions.

You can always order Neanderthin off the web... and you might want to check out Life Without Bread.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0658001701/ref=lib_dp_sp_1/104-7495736-5830368?v=glance&s=books&vi=slide-show#reader-link

[Janice]

I still haven't found the Neanderthin book, but I think I saw Life Without Bread at Chapters.

Had some fabo lamb burgers and bison burgers last night (sans bun, avec mushrooms!).

From September 3 to October 2, I LOST 8 POUNDS!

This is rapid weight loss for me. However, whenever I would go on Atkins I would overeat; chicken wings, cheese, bacon to excess, hollandaise sauce on absolutely anything, sweet concoctions made with sugarless baking chocolate and Splenda, etc. And WINE, WINE, WINE. Now that I've cut out the dairy 100%, cut back on the coffee by 50%, and laid off the booze somewhat, I'm getting somewhere.

Hope you're all well!

Janice

[Hellistile]

I am a new member and am so glad I found this thread. Bear with me for a sec while I give you a brief history of my l/c eating and why I have turned to you for help.

I'm 53 years old, have a long history of arthritis, asthma, allergies and stroke. Weight had not been a problem until my stroke (at 46 years of age), due to being sedentary and relearning how to walk, etc.

Tried almost every diet in existance. Tripped over Atkins one day and started in April, 2003. Am having trouble following Atkins guidelines due to my stroke's leaving me with difficulty concentrating and focusing on things. I thought maybe NeanderThin would be easier to follow (no counting anything).

Phoned every mega-or otherwise and used bookstores in Edmonton and no NeanderThin books in stock but I will order one soon. In the meantime, can anyone give me a few tips on quantities. I know what can be eaten and what can't (thanks to websites), although there is some controversy from one website to another when it comes to certain things (for example one says parsnips are ok, another says parsnips are taboo).

Also, any little tips would be appreciated until I can get the book, such as "What do I put on my salads (just oil sounds boring, can I use say lemon juice?).

Any help will be appreciated. Thanks. :wiggle:

[med234]

LJ is higher in carbs than vinegar is, but if you like LJ, make a vinaigrette using 1c oil, + ¼c each of vinegar + LJ. Add salt + pepper, and a bit of herbs and spices, if you like. You can vary it every time you make some up.

[PaleoDeano]

Hello Hellistile!
Glad that you dropped in! Welcome! http://forum.lowcarber.org/images/smilies/wavey.gif (http://forum.lowcarber.org/misc.php?do=getsmilies#)

As far as what to eat. You can eat animals and eggs as much as you want. You should make sure to get plenty of animal fat too! Don't worry about cholesterol or saturated fat. These foods are very good for you. Eat game meat and wild meat (bison, elk, deer, wild salmon, free-range chickens and eggs) whenever possible... much better ratio of omega fats. You can eat veggies... this does not include green beans (which are legumes), corn (which is grain), potatoes, yams, turnips (starchy veggies). You can eat fruit in very small quantities (but you should avoid the high sugar fruits, or avoid fruit all together). You can eat nuts and seeds (although in moderation is best... the omega-6 fats in these end up giving you even more of something most people have way too much of). Walnuts and macadamias are the best balanced. Of course, no dairy, grains, legumes, sugar, starch (potatoes). Try to keep your carbs under 72 grams a day (or less if you are overweight). BUT, because of your age and medical conditions, you may need to move into this way of eating a bit slower than others. Consult your health care provider!

And, always drink lots and lots of water!

And check out the other threads in the paleo / neaderthin section of this forum. Good luck, and great to have you on-board!
http://forum.lowcarber.org/images/smilies/daisy.gif (http://forum.lowcarber.org/misc.php?do=getsmilies#)

[Hellistile]

Thanks Dean.

[MichaelG]

Hi from Australia

As I've mentioned before in various threads, Australian Aborigines until historical times were hunter-gatherers, and one of their biggest problems was getting enough saturated fats. They knew what seasons the game was carrying most fat, and in times of plenty they would actually ignore skinny kangaroos even if they skipped into their camp ("kill me, kill me")!

They (still) love witchetty grubs which are a fat-rich larva living under tree bark Fried up they are very nutty and delicious - they tell me.

Nevertheless there was never a fat aborigine until a western diet was foisted onto them

Michael Gardner
Queensland