I figure it's a wash...you'll never know how many extra calories you might burn working out.
=)
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Paleo Diet 101: How and why you should eat like a Caveman
- Thread starter Dash27
- Start date
I figure it's a wash...you'll never know how many extra calories you might burn working out.
=)
I am going to quibble with you here to say refined/processed/simple grains/carbs. I really dont even know how to categorize it myself. I just think: "well broccoli is a carb" when people say carbs are sugar.
Yeah this is what I always come back to as well. The incidence of heart disease, obesity, cancer and diabetes is really amazing. Sugar certainly seems to be a cause, and that looks to be on it's way to acceptance. Grains/carbs is a bit more ambiguous to me even now.
entremet
Member
LOL!
Price Dalton
Member
Well, the food industry has controlled the diets of millions, if not billions of people for decades with absolutely conclusive results.
As fat gets demonised, and "oh its so healthy now, with only 5% fat (ignore all the sugar)" foods get promoted instead, we've all paid the price.
Its worth pointing out that carbs and sugar are the same thing. Eat no sugar, but loads of grains, and you're doing the same damage.
It shouldn't surprise anyone that going from an average diet of 10-20% carbs, to 70-80% consumed in less than a century has had a disastrous effect.
Boggles my mind that 100 years ago heart disease was almost unknown in america, cancer was also very rare.
Not that life expectancy was shit hot, but we've beaten smallpox now.
So Americans were eating very low carb, high fat diets en masse a hundred years ago? I don't think that's true.
I agree that the shift away from butter and animal fats toward vegetable oils has been disastrous.
this is sorta OT, but I was wondering about juicing. My roommate wants to lose ~40lbs and was talking about doing a juice fast. Pretty sure he has no intention of using vegetables, all he's talked about is fruit. Wouldn't that be ridiculously high in sugar? I guess people have lost weight this way, so what do I know, but I was just wondering.
Fruit juices are indeed ridiculously high in sugar and on top of that they're not very filling either since they're devoid of most of the fiber.
Processed orange juice for instance is also potentially higher in pesticides because they crush the whole fruit at the factory unlike the home made stuff where the skin stays intact and doesn't get into the juice.
I'm sure it's possible to lose weight like this - if you don't eat enough calories you'll lose weight on a diet of pure sugar. I would imagine it'd be bloody difficult though, the hunger would surely be intense.
Just thought I'd give you guys an update real quick with how things are going:
I'm a little over two weeks into it now, I believe? So far, I honestly don't feel a whole lot different. It really makes me think like I'm not doing something right. I mean, I DID lose 4-5 pounds, so that's good. I'm not overweight, though; I'm trying to "correct" my body weight. So this is good because I'm trying to get rid of the belly and rump fat I still have.
In a way, unfortunately, I'm cheating every day. I'm having dairy because I don't think it affects me in anyway, but now I'm starting to wonder if this is truly the reason I don't seem to feel any different. Also, a couple carby meals that weren't paleo when I had to, and I had a few Kit Kats one day (oops.....couldn't resist.....love Kit Kats!) For the record, my positives have outweighed the negatives:
Pros:
---Losing fat so far
---My skin has definitely gotten better--by far the thing I've noticed the most
---Feel like I'm doing something awesome
Cons:
---Was expecting a crap-ton more energy, but I mostly feel the same
---The diet is incredibly boring. Limited time = slab of meat and veggies for 80% of meals
---I still crave my old foods and miss them very very much
Concerns:
---Am I doing it right? My meals are pretty much some kind of meat, seasonings, and veggies sauteed in some kind of approved oil. Breakfast is largely eggs and some form of fat (either bacon, eggs in the actual bacon grease, sausage, or guacamole)
---As I mentioned before, I'm wondering if I'm eating enough. Being completely sedentary because of my job, I think this is why my calories are way below normal but I still don't get hungry or lose dramatic weight.
---I want to start exercising (yay even less time to cook), but will eating the way I am now suffice with me exerting even more energy (meat, veggies, fruit, eggs are pretty much it)
Oh, and I still drink coffee. But as I mentioned, I'm also still eating dairy, but I've made sure it's full-fat dairy when possible: Full fat Greek yogurt, butter, heavy cream for coffee, and real cheeses.
How am I doing, guys?
Just noticed this Whole9/Whole30 program. Very intriguing. Could maybe help me even more....
I'm a little over two weeks into it now, I believe? So far, I honestly don't feel a whole lot different. It really makes me think like I'm not doing something right. I mean, I DID lose 4-5 pounds, so that's good. I'm not overweight, though; I'm trying to "correct" my body weight. So this is good because I'm trying to get rid of the belly and rump fat I still have.
In a way, unfortunately, I'm cheating every day. I'm having dairy because I don't think it affects me in anyway, but now I'm starting to wonder if this is truly the reason I don't seem to feel any different. Also, a couple carby meals that weren't paleo when I had to, and I had a few Kit Kats one day (oops.....couldn't resist.....love Kit Kats!) For the record, my positives have outweighed the negatives:
Pros:
---Losing fat so far
---My skin has definitely gotten better--by far the thing I've noticed the most
---Feel like I'm doing something awesome
Cons:
---Was expecting a crap-ton more energy, but I mostly feel the same
---The diet is incredibly boring. Limited time = slab of meat and veggies for 80% of meals
---I still crave my old foods and miss them very very much
Concerns:
---Am I doing it right? My meals are pretty much some kind of meat, seasonings, and veggies sauteed in some kind of approved oil. Breakfast is largely eggs and some form of fat (either bacon, eggs in the actual bacon grease, sausage, or guacamole)
---As I mentioned before, I'm wondering if I'm eating enough. Being completely sedentary because of my job, I think this is why my calories are way below normal but I still don't get hungry or lose dramatic weight.
---I want to start exercising (yay even less time to cook), but will eating the way I am now suffice with me exerting even more energy (meat, veggies, fruit, eggs are pretty much it)
Oh, and I still drink coffee. But as I mentioned, I'm also still eating dairy, but I've made sure it's full-fat dairy when possible: Full fat Greek yogurt, butter, heavy cream for coffee, and real cheeses.
How am I doing, guys?
Just noticed this Whole9/Whole30 program. Very intriguing. Could maybe help me even more....
Seem to be doing fine. If you find your diet boring, eat fruit. Nothing wrong with fruit
I dont find the diet boring at all, probably because I noticed my taste buds changed thanks to getting all of that sugar out of there. Carrots actually taste pretty damn sweet and delicious to me now. Sugar tastes disgusting to me and wheat makes my stomach feel like a bloated sack of crap
Might take you a little while longer to get to that point
As for energy, you don't get a crap ton more energy. You simply SUSTAIN a good energy level for much longer than on a carb diet. I honestly can't remember the last time my energy levels tanked because I was hungry. Only reason why my energy levels are low now is if I simply dont get enough sleep (need to work on that)
I dont find the diet boring at all, probably because I noticed my taste buds changed thanks to getting all of that sugar out of there. Carrots actually taste pretty damn sweet and delicious to me now. Sugar tastes disgusting to me and wheat makes my stomach feel like a bloated sack of crap
Might take you a little while longer to get to that point
As for energy, you don't get a crap ton more energy. You simply SUSTAIN a good energy level for much longer than on a carb diet. I honestly can't remember the last time my energy levels tanked because I was hungry. Only reason why my energy levels are low now is if I simply dont get enough sleep (need to work on that)
I like to use coconut (palm) sugar, agave nectar or raw honey.
percephone
Neo Member
---The diet is incredibly boring. Limited time = slab of meat and veggies for 80% of meals
---I still crave my old foods and miss them very very much
Concerns:
---Am I doing it right? My meals are pretty much some kind of meat, seasonings, and veggies sauteed in some kind of approved oil. Breakfast is largely eggs and some form of fat (either bacon, eggs in the actual bacon grease, sausage, or guacamole)
more....
I'm a single father with a teenage daughter and have trouble finding the time for cooking also but i find that i can whip out a meal pretty easily. My daughter would rebel if i was only making stir fry.
Sometime you can just rethink your old foods recipes. For examples, stews, soups or chili, can me remade with paleo ingredients. ie. sweet potato instead of potato. squash instead of beans.
Try making some cold salad as side to your meat instead of cooking your veggies. Example: Spinach and strawberry salad with some almonds (dressing is 1 tsp dijon mustard, 2-3 tsp red wine vinegar, 1 tsp honey(optional) and 1/4 cup olive oil). yummy
Soups are good too and can be refrigerated and heated when needed. Ex. Carrot, apple (or orange) and ginger soup which is one of my favorite soup.
Hope this help
One of the better psychological aspects of this diet for me is actually feeling like it is not "boring" at all. Opening your diet up to not being afraid of fat actually invites a lot of optoins for foods you can eat and cooking styles you can use. To put it this in context, my previous diet was what is probably called a "whole foods" or "bodybuilder" diet; the main differences compared to paleo being that you heavily target lean meats, eat plenty of whole wheat carbs, and to an extent there is less of an emphasis on eating fruit.
It gets REALLY boring after a while eating whole wheat carb sources (which tend to be particularly bland tasting) and lean meats (top round, boneless skinless chicken breast, and tuna get old very quickly!) as two of the primary pillars of your diet. I've also personally noticed that I have been more open to food "experimentation" on a paleo diet - mainly buying and cooking things I would not have previously considered. I've always had an adventurous palate, so I'm not a stranger to ordering unusual items at restaurants, but never did I think I would be purchasing exotic vegetables or organ meats as ingredients for a mid-week dinner.
negreenfield
Member
The only time this way of eating might be considered boring to me is when you're trying to lose weight. Only because for me I have to really limit fruit, sweet potatoes, cheese and even high fat diary (I know some of these aren't necessarily pure paleo, more primal but whatever) to lose weight.
If they are salted odds are they contain vegetable oils.
Only risk I can think of is the omega 6 levels. Also they are high in calories, which I don't care, but some might if they are trying to keep their calories under a certain threshold.
Well as a general rule too much of anything is bad for you.
Nuts can be both healthy and unhealthy depending on what you are aiming for. As snack, a handful of nuts a day would be recommended by most diets since they are cholesterol free (actually work to help balance good HDL cholesterol in favor of bad LDL) and have protein and fiber.
Not sure what the paleo diet says about nuts but I doubt even if they say its ok they'd want you to eat the salted, flavored, or any processed nuts.
Go with raw almonds, pecans, walnuts, and or pistachios.
That's fantastic. Nuts are amazing, one of the healthiest foods there is -- don't listen to anyone who tells you that you shouldn't be eating that much.
You've got the good and bad types completely backward and there's no harm to come from consuming dietary cholesterol anyway.
Edit: nvm, saw you edited.
Yeah realized that I had it mixed up.
Anyway its confusing because some people still recommend to NOT eat nuts while some say go nuts.
Again I think moderation should be key. You don't want to eat so many that it causes some issues and because of them you deprive your body of other essential foods.
What the fuck is moderation?
well that's good. Like I said, it's my go to snack now, whereas in the past it would have been potato chips, pretzels, popcorn, or whatever. So it seems like a much better alternative.
I'm gonna try to mix it up and eat a greater variety of nuts/seeds as well. I think macadamia was highly recommended in here.
It's only a concern if you're worried about phytates (nutrient blockers)...
Paleo basically wants you to avoid peanuts and soak your nuts (haha) to remove the phytates, but I say go for it.
I only eat macadamia nuts which supposedly require no soaking, but damn they're expensive. I avoid almonds only because they hurt my stomach.
http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/the-benefits-of-soaking-nuts-and-seeds
What's the truth on bacon and nitrates? I've read some scary shit today that I never knew before about sodium nitrate preservatives in processed meats and how they're broken down into nitrites and bond with amino acids during digestion to create carcinogenic nitrosamines.
I know that there's a debate on whether or not consumption of nitrates actually produces nitrosamines because several vegetables have vastly more nitrate per serving than bacon and (at least in the US) processed meats are legally required to contain ascorbic acid, which prevents the creation of nitrosamines, but the counterpoints to this are that vegetables are non-hazardous in spite of their much larger nitrate quantities because they naturally carry ascorbic acid and that bacon is doubly dangerous because frying produces nitrosamines and ascorbic acid in the presence of fat actually promotes further nitrosamine production after consumed.
There's a lot of conflicting data on this and I don't know what's reputable and what's not, but I'd hate to lose one of my staple foods. At least where I live, it seems impossible to find bacon that isn't nitrate-free because (if this is true) bacon that's marketed as such simply employs celery juice instead, which has just as much nitrite content as sodium nitrite. Anyone with experience on this debate willing to shed some light?
I know that there's a debate on whether or not consumption of nitrates actually produces nitrosamines because several vegetables have vastly more nitrate per serving than bacon and (at least in the US) processed meats are legally required to contain ascorbic acid, which prevents the creation of nitrosamines, but the counterpoints to this are that vegetables are non-hazardous in spite of their much larger nitrate quantities because they naturally carry ascorbic acid and that bacon is doubly dangerous because frying produces nitrosamines and ascorbic acid in the presence of fat actually promotes further nitrosamine production after consumed.
There's a lot of conflicting data on this and I don't know what's reputable and what's not, but I'd hate to lose one of my staple foods. At least where I live, it seems impossible to find bacon that isn't nitrate-free because (if this is true) bacon that's marketed as such simply employs celery juice instead, which has just as much nitrite content as sodium nitrite. Anyone with experience on this debate willing to shed some light?
The great news is if you look hard enough you can find uncured bacon, or better yet, make your own. There's a huge smoking/charcuterie movement sweeping the US right now.
http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/s...play?productId=363003&storeId=10052&langId=-1
http://www.wegmans.com/webapp/wcs/s...play?productId=363003&storeId=10052&langId=-1
Eh, dietary cholesterol has little to no effect on cholesterol in the blood, so eating cholesterol-free foods doesn't mean much. If anything, eating high cholesterol foods has been shown to have positive effects. And labeling LDL as bad and HDL as good is an over simplification. There are different types of LDL, LDL that oxidizes becomes dense and heavy which leads to arteriosclerosis, or so that's what it looks like. Truth is, cholesterol is tricky and it's hard to find out exactly the best way to use it as a predictor of poor health. The current system is outdated and not very helpful. Getting a VAP test, which will test to check the particle size and type of LDL seems to be the much better choice. But really, a good HDL to triglycerides ratio has proven to be, thus far, a much better indicator of health.
Well, you'll definitely being cooking a lot more eating this way. Even if you don't know, learning is fun and a useful skill, plus, girls love a guy that can cook! But still, baking is really simple, as is using a Foreman grill, you can steam and microwave veggies if you need to. There are ways to keep it really simple and still taste good. When I first started, I could basically only use a microwave or toaster, now I can make some pretty decent stuff.
for dinner tonight, nomnomnom
I've learned over the past week, Thyme..awesome. Rosemary, ehhh not so much.
Anyone try making their own greek yogurt? Shit be expensive and I'm poor
http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-make-greek-yogurt.html
That seems like the easiest recipe to follow. A gallon of whole milk and 1 cup of plain yogurt (can reuse your creation as the starter afterwards) and a bit of electricity seems a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a quart of fage yogurt for 7 bucks
Hrmm, probably should have put this in the weight loss thread, cause paleo don't like dairy for some silly reason. Oh well
http://inthelittleredhouse.blogspot.com/2012/08/how-to-make-greek-yogurt.html
That seems like the easiest recipe to follow. A gallon of whole milk and 1 cup of plain yogurt (can reuse your creation as the starter afterwards) and a bit of electricity seems a hell of a lot cheaper than buying a quart of fage yogurt for 7 bucks
Hrmm, probably should have put this in the weight loss thread, cause paleo don't like dairy for some silly reason. Oh well
percephone
Neo Member
Look good. Is that a spaghetti squash?
SquiddyCracker
Banned
Heh, tried Google image searching for vegetarian paleo food pyramid without much success.
I shall try my hand at making such an image myself.
I shall try my hand at making such an image myself.
Fruit
EGGS EGGS
EGGS EGGS EGGS
EGGS EGGS EGGS EGGS
Veggies VEGGIES VEGGIES VEGGIES VEGGIES
enjoy
Looks like zucchini to me.
Oh and for a good marinara sauce, see if your local store carries whole or crushed san marzano tomatoes in a can. Mine does for $2.50, blend them up with some salt and other seasoning for a kick ass fresh sauce with nothing funky in it.
Just take out the meat? You're definitely limiting yourself, but it's doable.
Eggs
Dairy
Nuts/Seeds/Coconut
Veggies/Tubers
Fruits
Healthy Oils/Fats [butter/ghee/coconut/olive/ect]
Dark Chocolate
I've read a few pieces about this and haven't come to any firm conclusions - overall I'd say there's not much to worry about. This is a good analysis of the supposed dangers of eating bacon - it doesn't go into the details wrt nitrates etc, but looking at it from the level of cancer causation is still useful.
http://www.dcscience.net/?p=1435
SquiddyCracker
Banned
It's just paleo, but without the meat
Even if we're doing the whole "what our ancestors ate", I'm pretty sure there were populations of humans eating mostly vegetarian and meat very rarely.
That sounds about right.
I'll try to throw it into a pyramid pic.
Looks like Mens Journal is becoming Paleo friendly, they've got some surprisingly good articles on it.
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/the-paleo-diet-and-the-case-for-primal-living-20130226
This one is a good intro to paleo, it's short and simple
http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/seven-rules-for-eating-paleo-20130226
http://www.mensjournal.com/magazine/the-paleo-diet-and-the-case-for-primal-living-20130226
This one is a good intro to paleo, it's short and simple
http://www.mensjournal.com/expert-advice/seven-rules-for-eating-paleo-20130226
Only concerns with nuts:
1. They are very calorically dense, so that can be a concern if you are trying to lose weight. If you are anything like me, then you can put away 6 oz of cashews in a sitting without blinking an eye.
2. Some have better O3/O6 fat ratios than others, but generally they are all good for you, so I wouldn't worry too much about eating the most "optimal" nut over others if that is not your preference.
Good stuff! Did you get this idea from the post I made earlier in this thread, or from another recipe?
In my next attempt at substituting vegetables for pasta, I am going to try to make a pad thai using spaghetti squash. I've seen a few recipes online and it is something you may also want to try if it sounds at all appetizing.
The omega 6:3 thing is something I haven't quite mastered. Are fish the only thing I can eat that is high in omega 3's (that aren't artificially added or anything)??? Also, because I don't have the money to eat as much fish as I would like, I'm thinking about taking fish oil pills, which I already asked about and seem to be fine. However, I was wondering if there was a particular brand(s) I should try to go for because the ones I was looking at had a bunch of different ingredients in the list that I didn't know. Is there such a thing as a fish oil pill where, like, the only ingredient is "fish oil", haha. Couldn't find any at the store where I looked.
Also, anyone else get frustrated with surprise non-Paleo things sneaking their way into a meal? It really boggles my mind. I've been using my McCormick spices for seasonings which I bought only about a month before I started seriously looking into Paleo and then actually starting it. These things weren't cheap, so I don't want to throw/give them away and buy all new ones of a more organic (and expensive) brand. But man....these things have soybean oil, vegetable oil, traces of wheat, etc. I couldn't believe it. But just how bad would it be to continue using these until I run out? I mean, it's just seasonings......right? Little did I know that my basil and garlic blend would be littered with non-paleo stuff.
Eating out is also way too hard. Kinda takes the joy of going to restaurants away
. I went to Pita Pit today thinking I could make a paleo meal, so I got a salad and chicken slouvaki. I asked what kind of oil they used, and she said canola oil. I simply asked her to not use oil...no problem. Then I needed dressing. I asked if they had olive oil and vinegar.....they sorta did, but it was a mix with oregano and stuff. Also, she didn't know the oil base for that one, but I'm going to make a safe bet that it wasn't olive oil.Blah. Even the "safe" places aren't safe!
Oh! And chocolate! Saw a 70% cocoa bar and wanted to get it as a special treat. Nope. Contained soy, wheat, and more. Ugh.
Damn, this doesn't deliver in my area. Of course. Where DOES this deliver?
Nah, it's zucchini, and it's so good.
I got the idea from this thread, but I used this recipe.
http://nomnompaleo.com/post/5695132949/zucchini-spaghetti-zoodles-meatballs
Julienne peeler is probably my fave kitchen tool now.
How was the texture/flavor? I saw nomnompaleo's zuch noodles and searched out other recipes and want to try this so bad: http://www.thefitnessdish.com/?p=11501
Just haven't decided on whether I want a julienne or one of the fancy spiralizers. I keep pushing myself to try to get more veg in my day and I feel like this could be a good way.
It tasted amazing, I was honestly surprised at how good zucchini is as a pasta replacement. And I didn't even stirfry it, just microwave. I can't imagine how much more awesome it would be stirfried, well that's the next step.
MaximumFlipFlop
Banned
Got pretty sick about a month ago and moved away from my paleo and intermittent fasting. Now that am back to full health, I decided to kickstart my way back. I bought a nice Breville Juicer last week, and have been on a juice fast since last Thursday. It is not easy, at all, but I am working through. Friday will mark the end of 9 days on the juice fast and from there I think I will use every Monday and possibly Tuesday a juice fast day.
Here is a picture of todays Juice ingredient prep. Obviously Fat content is non existent but this is merely to be used as a cleanse to get me back into my groove. I am drinking 2 protein shakes so I am getting about 60+ grams of protein per day. All the ingredients are organic. Carrots, Celery, Spinach, Bell Pepper, Beets, Cucumber, Ginger and Apple. I am craving fats and foods that I can chew so FUCKING bad! Only 5 more days
Here is a picture of todays Juice ingredient prep. Obviously Fat content is non existent but this is merely to be used as a cleanse to get me back into my groove. I am drinking 2 protein shakes so I am getting about 60+ grams of protein per day. All the ingredients are organic. Carrots, Celery, Spinach, Bell Pepper, Beets, Cucumber, Ginger and Apple. I am craving fats and foods that I can chew so FUCKING bad! Only 5 more days
Awesome. Can't wait to try it.
Maybe TMI but I have noticed less buildup when flossing most of the time.