You should ideally get a lot of your calories from lipids, particularly animal fats. This is because generally speaking, carbohydrate metabolism causes inflammation, which causes modern ailments. As you said, every one is different, but I think this is a central part of the primal/paleo phsilosophy. Truth be told, its hard to imagine aborigines eating 150 grams of carbs every day.
I need to lose weight, and I’m thinking about going on a paleolithic, low-carb diet, something that is now more appealing after watching the documentary “Fat Head.”
I was wondering if anybody could share any info on this kind of diet. I actually know a couple who are doing the diet right now. It consists of plenty of organic meat and veggie consumption, and no carbs. Funny thing is, before they started this diet they were vegetarians for 10 years, and within doing this diet they’ve lost over 30 pounds.
- Go for the pastured meats* because they contain more nutrients than grain-fed meats; thus, you being satiated more quickly; thus, you eating less food; thus, you eating less calories.
- Drink lots of water so that your body can process what you eat without you getting dehydrated.
- Once you have adapted your body to fats, you will be able to fast**.
*Some people say that pastured/organic meats are too expensive; however, remember that you eventually end up eating less food than you would have otherwise because you are not getting the craving caused by not consuming enough nutrients from the food that you eat. I always go for pastured meats and eggs and organic everything and I am now spending less money than I did before. It is like buying a high-quality pair of shoes than last you 5 years versus buying low-quality shoes that are replaced every six months. Also, think about all money that you would save from preventing health problems caused by the high-carb, low-fat diet.
**Some people say that the primal diet contains too much meat; however, fasting solves that issue because you are not eating meat everyday.
I highly suggest this lifestyle. I haven’t been sick in almost 5 years now. Not even a sniffle. I tend to agree with most everything on Marks Daily Apple. Except completely avoiding running. I tend to enjoy running. It’s a great stress reliever, and I see no difference between running 3 miles and playing a game of pickup basketball. Also, dairy. If you can get raw milk, and its subsidiaries (butter, cream, kefir, etc), do drink. Anything pasteurized though avoid. Lastly, find some good raw sauerkraut, or raw milk kefir, or raw kombucha. It will repair the damage to your gut from the SAD, and you will then see marked improvement in nutrient absorption. Doesn’t matter what foods you’re taking in (or vitamin supplements) if you can’t absorb the nutrients.
You can try using a blender. Get some yummy fruits, kale and other vegtables, hell, even add nuts if you wish, and blend it all into a smoothie. Drink during the morning and work out etc, youll feel alot better (i think). I havent tried this but i saw a video, and i have an aunt that does this. Seems like a good idea for getting something on the go.
http://www.twomomsintheraw.com/pages/our-food has really great products. The only downside is the agave sugar they use. I think that for marketing purposes they maintain such a high level sugar (for us primals, at least). That and the price; but I cannot wait until more producers enter the market and drive prices down*.
*Do not go all Austrian on me! Y’all understand what I mean.
Thanks for the link, Daniel. Here is a starter list of companies to look out for. Dr. Mercola also has a nice store. He now has much, much more than supplements. Also try US Wellness Meats. I just discovered iHerb recently. Seems like a nice store. That should set you pretty well on food, and for supplements iHerb, Mercola, Dr. Ron’s, Redmond (their toothpaste is phenomenal), and Mountain Rose Herbs. If you’re eating healthily your sweat shouldn’t produce too bad an odor, but if you feel naked not applying deodorant I highly suggest Herban Cowboy. Hopefully that expanded your market a bit. Also, attending farmers markets and networking with them is a great way to find things you thought you couldn’t locate nearby. Often times it’s cheaper, too. Good luck!
You can get a lot of info and great recipes over at marksdailyapple.com. I also really like fastpaleo.com. Diet and sleep are most important. Once you get a good relationship with food and listen to your body, incorporate fasting for even better results (I like doing 24 hours from lunch to lunch or from 6 p.m. to 1 p.m. the next day). Don’t feel constricted by “proper” meal eating times. I’ve always found meal plans and easy meals helpful–I would suggest getting a pint of organic coconut oil or lard to use for the majority of your cooking. Here are some easy meals:
2 pcs of pastured bacon, 2 organic eggs cooked in the bacon fat, 1/2 avocado (adjust amounts according to your size/hunger)
1/2 lb steak pan fried in coconut oil (with spices–I like chipotle chili powder and cayenne), sliced peppers and onions or spinach
1 broiled salmon steak, 1 microwaved (I know, not primal, but quick) sweet potato covered in 1-2 tbsp clarified butter (no milk solids) with cinnamon or cumin
1 microwaved spaghetti squash (will last several meals), and combine a pot 1 lb ground beef, tomatoes, Italian spices, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, etc. (whatever you want to throw in there for sauce)
These are quick 10-15 minute meals, the 2nd and 4th ones are good to make lots of so you can bring them to work for lunch (if you have that kind of job). Once you find some meals you like and which satisfy your hunger, you can keep using them and occasionally trying new things and incorporating them. This is just what works for me though, I think this is all about self-experimentation and self-knowledge.
Thanks for all of the links guys, this is really good stuff.
All the time I wonder why Penn and Teller made an episode of Bullshit! about organic food. I think that episode of BS was…BS.
a) Penn & Teller have interviewed about how Bullshit itself is bullshit - it’s not scientific and is just an expression of their own opinions. It’s their own personal critique of the absurdity of modern life.
b) Organic is bullshit. My Mom makes homemade soap and she looked into getting it certified organic… wow, what a joke. It’s an attempt to create an economic enclave wholly separated from the rest of the economy - tribal economics. I worked at a grocery store for my first job as a kid, back in 1996-1998. The fruits and vegetables being sold at that time as “ordinary” at ordinary prices were of the same quality as today’s organics, which are now priced up to two and three times as high as “ordinary” fruits and vegetables which are now bottom-of-the-barrel quality. The bottom line is that organic creates a parallel industry that delivers what 15-20 years ago was standard quality food and charges 2x-3x the price of ordinary food.
Clayton -
Interesting how much the whole organic thing seems to be so confused among libertarians. Agorists seem to like it.
@Skeptical: I think you have to differentiate between “non-corporate” and “Organic®”. The former is just common sense. The latter - at least in the US - is economic mumbo-jumbo and a gigantic ripoff scam. Buying cash from local farmers is a great idea. Blindly picking up anything with the “Organic” sticker on it is just throwing money away.
Clayton -
I see. So basically what Organic is, is it’s corporations realizing that people are catching on to what they are doing, and then doing the exact same thing by re-labelling everything as…organic. Did I get that right?
@Skeptical: I’m not sure if the mainstream players are in on it or not. What I am sure of is that Organic is being pushed from the Agenda 21/Council-of-Rome crowd who understand enough economics to know that artificially raising prices on food is the quickest way to create starvation, which slows and can even reverse population growth. The way Organic is certified, every input to an “Organic” product must itself be Organic-certified. It’s a completely bogus system.
Clayton -
I see. Do they sell the brands found on the Real Foods Market at most supermarkets, like, for instance, at a Publix?
In terms of sourcing foods, see what kinds of small farms are in your area. I’ve got only one that I know of, but up my parents’ way in Connecticut they can go to a multiplicity of local farms that pasture their animals and sell both meat and veggie products right there. A lot of those kinds of farmers struggle so I like to buy direct if I can. Prices ARE high. I’m jealous though. They can buy lard from pastured pigs essentially right up the road. That’s the kind of thing I wind up paying more in shipping than for the actual product.
Some farms operate only as a subscription type of thing where you get eggs, milk, or meat on a schedule based on pre-paying. It’s annoying for the consumer but easier for the farmer to plan and stay financially solvent. The milk, in states where cowshares are necessary to sell raw milk, is unavoidable anyway.
I don’t look for an organic label. I prefer to actually go look at the farm and the health/living conditions of the animals I’m eating, whenever it’s possible. When not, I just buy pastured and hope for the best.
You can get Kerrygold brand butter and cheeses, which are made from grass-fed milk (pasteurized) at publix. Kerrygold cheese is getting popular.
I do not get it. What is wrong with “corporate”?
Anyway, I have had problems with farmers markets lately. Many vendors of pastured bacon and sausages add chemical presevatives to the product. Many organic soaps are made from organic olive oil, organic coconut, organic aloe, etc., but then a bunch of chemicals are added.
It is more probable that lower-priced low-quality foods caused a boom in humans, albeit with lower quality of health.
I’m also curious to know if dairy products such as milk are permitted in the Caveman diet. We buy the Horizon brand of milk.