One source of info for paleo

[sybs]

Can anyone tell me a good book or website to get more info on the paleo diet? I've tried googling and I'm getting some good info, but I'm looking for 'rules' of how to do it. Like on Atkins, eat lc, no more than 20g's of carbs a day, etc. This is the first I've even looked at this plan so I'm in the research phase.

Thanks in advance!

[Daryl]

Not sure about the rules, sybs, but here are some links to look into:

http://www.paleodiet.com

http://paleofood.com/

http://www.thepaleodiet.com/aboutus

http://www.beyondveg.com/cat/paleodiet/index.shtml

[ProteusOne]

Hi Sybs, the "rules" are fairly simple. Keep in mind that few, if anyone here in the US can follow 100% Paleo. Strive for as close an approximation as you can.

And the "rules" (for me) are...

-If you have to cook it, don't eat it (cooking food is okay, but if you could eat it raw, then you're probably on the right track with it).

-Think about which foodstuffs, given the above, that would have to be cooked in order to be eaten, and there you have a list of Standard American Diet foods to eliminate from your diet (beans, potatoes, rice, grains, etc). The idea is that we didn't evolve as primates eating that stuff.

Absolutely no processed foods should be eaten (which are usually made from the stuff you're trying to avoid anyway). However, this is probably where you, like the rest of us, will stray -- artificial sweeteners, "cured" meats, butter, etc.

Just remember that there are no real hard and fast rules, and if you adapt to eating ~70% of all your calories in unprocessed form, you're likely doing as good as anyone can reasonably expect.

Good luck! And hang around here, we're the experts! :D

[Nancy LC]

My rules are simple:

Don't eat grains -- Anything that is a seed of a grass plant, like wheat, rye, barley, oats, rice, corn.

Don't eat dairy products

Don't eat legumes -- lectins are nasty.

Eat low carb.

Eat mostly: meats, low carb veggies, low carb fruits, eggs, nuts, seeds, coconut products (milk, oil, meat)

When you cheat, stay low carb and try to continue to avoid the grains and dairy products.

My own personal exemptions: Vinegar, olives, olive oil, low-carb sugar substitutes (I don't use honey)

This works nicely for me. My arthritis and IBS are very happy with the diet and it is still liveable for me without making me feel too deprived.

[sybs]

Thanks so much for the information. I'm finding that there aren't any hard/fast rules to follow out there. So I guess I'll be doing a lot of reading up on this board.

Proteus One - Today I'm cooking up a bunch of squash - spaghetti, acorn and butternut. Plain. I guess I could gnaw it down raw, but eeesh...that's not gonna happen. I tried a raw diet this past summer and it worked well, but I didn't lose any weight.

Can ya'll tell me what your weight loss has been and how long it took, how much did you workout, etc? I've been on and off with Atkins and the part that always dismayed me was the lack of fruits on that diet. Anyway, I have lots of questions... :)

[ProteusOne]

Can ya'll tell me what your weight loss has been and how long it took, how much did you workout, etc? I've been on and off with Atkins and the part that always dismayed me was the lack of fruits on that diet. Anyway, I have lots of questions... :)
Personally, I keep fruit to a minimum. I've also thrown away my scales. There are some people, like me, who really have to monitor their intake of sugars (both "natural" and otherwise). The addictive cycle is a strong one.

You mentioned squashes. I love squashes, but since I consider them to be of the higher starch category of vegetable, I keep them to a minimum as well. Most of my vegetable intake consists of a broad range of lettuces and greens, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, leeks, etc. In fact, I think I could get by just swell eating only fatty meat and lettuce. But I feel like I need the variety and nutritional benefits of a wider variety of foods.

Try berries and nuts for breakfast; baked chicken for lunch, and; a big salad with low-starch veggies and meat for dinner. To me, this, along with a lot of water, is near perfect.

[Nancy LC]

Spagetti squash is very low carb. Acorn, not so much... but it sure is great tasting. I make Thai curry with squash. Oh yum!

As far as raw is concerned... that's Proteus's own thing, it isn't necessarily a part of paleo. People been cooking food for probably 140,000 years if not longer.

[sybs]

Cool...the spaghetti squash is good, but I love the acorn and butternut squash. Figures they'd have to be the highest carb HA!

What I plan on doing is lean meats, vegs, fruits and nuts. I must admit, coffee is not going anywhere...w/ creamer. I'd love to find a sub to creamer...any suggestions? I don't even need to the sweet if I have the creamer...

[ProteusOne]

Cool...the spaghetti squash is good, but I love the acorn and butternut squash. Figures they'd have to be the highest carb HA!

What I plan on doing is lean meats, vegs, fruits and nuts. I must admit, coffee is not going anywhere...w/ creamer. I'd love to find a sub to creamer...any suggestions? I don't even need to the sweet if I have the creamer...

I'll never give up coffee. With half & half. Nevar!

Nancy, I eat cooked food. The whole thing about raw was just an example of how you could help to tell if something was "Paleo" or not. Though, I must say, I do like to eat most veggies, fruits and nuts raw.

[Bat Spit]

Why the choice for lean meats? The fat in meat is good for you and helps you be more satisfied with your food.

I don't drink coffee, but I do like cream in my tea. I've been using Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla almond milk in mine. (One of my personal departures from the paleo ideal.) It works ok. 3 drops of sweetzfree per carton sweetens it just enough.

Other people like coconut milk, but I don't like the tangy taste it gives to my tea. With coffee it might work better.

[sybs]

Yea, coffee is just my vice...and I'm ok with that....hello my name is Sybil and I'm a coffee addict HA HA HA. Seriously, I'm a dang hot mess without it in the morning! Coconut milk...hmm, that might work. Why isn't almond milk a good choice? When I was doing raw people RAVED about it, but I never got the necessary tools to make it. Gosh, I truly wish there was an easy button.

As far as lean meats, I read thats what it was about...this is all so confusing. BAH...!

[PlaneCrazy]

The emphasis on lean meats was one area that the primary authors of the books that lead to this way of eating got wrong, in my opinion. There is a lot of evidence that not only is saturated fat not bad for you, but especially for women, it is actually beneficial (http://forum.lowcarber.org/showpost.php?p=7067539&postcount=5). Of course, the fat in a porterhouse steak, for example, is actually half monounsaturated fat (oleic acid) which is the same as olive oil. Most of the rest is saturated fat, but 70% of that is steric acid which is metabolized into oleic acid in your body. Even the small amount of saturated fats that raise your LDL, also raise your HDL, and there's evidence that the LDL it creates is the large, fluffy kind that is not harmful.

All of that to say, fat is not bad for you. You don't need to eat lean meats. You need to eat enough fat if you're going to cut out a lot of carbs because your body needs fuel and it's either going to be carbs or fat. And if you're not eating dairy (I do, that's my non-paleo) then you have to get your fat from elsewhere, and meat is the best source. To get the same amount from nuts, for example, would require a lot of nuts.

So, don't worry about eating non-lean meats. They fill you up, give you energy and provide you with essential nutrients.

Good luck!

Plane
Oh, as for weight loss... The first time I ate this way, I lost 60 pounds in 9 months and did wonderfully. For various reasons I went back to a "normal" diet and gained almost all of it back. I'm now back eating right and I've lost 16+ pounds in 6 weeks. This time I'm not hesitant about the fat and I'm doing even better than last time. Only after I lose the weight I need to will I add back fruit. I'm on a paleo winter diet, mainly meat with a few fall veggies. :)

[Bat Spit]

PlaneCrazy about summed up the fat situation. Low fat and low carb is just asking to fail because you'll be hungry all the time.

Why isn't almond milk a good choice? When I was doing raw people RAVED about it, but I never got the necessary tools to make it. Gosh, I truly wish there was an easy button.

Almond milk is a fine choice when I make it at home. Commercial almond milk is less of a great choice because it has a little tapioca starch and a few preservatives in it. On the other hand, the commercial is also thinned out so it has many fewer calories per serving (a minor consideration, but still), the additives give it a more milk-like texture which I really miss, and its always available when I'm busy. Making it takes a while and makes a mess. I don't always have time for that.

What special tools? To make almond milk all you need is a pot or kettle to boil water, a blender, a strainer and a tight weave kitchen towel or some equivalent.

Boil your water. Mix 1 c water and 1c almonds (I like to buy slivered blanched at my local grocery) in the blender. Stop and wait 3ish minutes. Start it up again and add another cup of water. I like to add a smidge of salt, 1/4 tsp vanilla and 2 drops of sweetener. Line the strainer with the kitchen towel (just don't use terrycloth) pour the stuff in, let drain into a large bowl, squeeze the last of the liquid out when it looks like its done draining. Pour the milk into clean jars. It seems to last up to 2 weeks in the fridge, but it separates, so you'll need to shake well before using.

[Nancy LC]

Someone posted an egg milk recipe that I thought was better than any other milk substitute I've tried. Makes a mess out of your coffee cup though!

I won't give up coffee either, that is non-negotiable with me. However I did learn how to enjoy it black. Every now and then I sneak some cream into it and I always seem to end up paying for that mistake by feeling lousy.

[waywardsis]

Coconut milk in coffee is amazing...esp if you can steam/froth it. Also fantastic in a chai tea.

And yes, EAT FAT. I don't understand the lean meats thing...paleo ppl and HG's throughout history go after the fatty bits of the animal.

[sybs]

I'll have to try that almond milk recipe. The thing with raw eating is that you're supposed to get raw almonds and a food processor I suppose and do it that way. It's not supposed to get above some temp or it looses the 'live' stuff. I wasn't in to enough to go through all that, but I may still try it.

And as far as the meat w/ fat. Ok, I'm convinced. But I tend to avoid beef because it slows things down and I tend to bulk up pretty quick. For exercise I've been jogging in the mornings (about 4-5 times a week) and then doing 3 strength workouts without weights. Fact is I don't care how much I weigh as long as I'm a size 8/10 :D And right now I'm at a 14/16.

Egg milk? Never heard of it, do tell...

[bike2work]

Are soy and corn both out? Corn can be eaten raw, I'm not sure about soy. (Not that I have a great fondness for soy anyway.)

How much fruit do you eat? Are you trying to keep the whole mix low carb or is that not the point?

[bike2work]

How about chocolate?

[Nancy LC]

Are soy and corn both out? Corn can be eaten raw, I'm not sure about soy. (Not that I have a great fondness for soy anyway.)

How much fruit do you eat? Are you trying to keep the whole mix low carb or is that not the point?
All grains are out, that includes corn. Soy is out, it is a very new food to humanity.