Paleo?

**Moffgal** · 27-11-2011, 02:34pm

My friend follows this to a degree and it looks interesting

Am in the early stages of reading up on it and what it means to eat this way. I'm not entirely sure I could totally cut out rice, pasta and grains, but I could certainly cut down and eat more protein.

I've found some great sites and food blogs, all US based, there appears to be no one in the UK actively promoting it as such.

Would love to hear your opinions on this.

**Rosa** · 27-11-2011, 03:00pm

I've been eating paleo for three months now

I couldn't imagine not eating bread or pasta but its been fine, I don't even think about it now, and I don't even like the smell of bread now, I can't imagine eating it again, which is something I NEVER thought I would say!

I eat so much more fresh fruit and vegetables now which is great and drink a lot of water and never feel bad, guilty or that horrible full to bursting way you get when you eat a lot of carbs.

I have a completely clean month, then I reintroduced a few things, so I do occasionally have rice, maybe once or twice a month, and sometimes normal chocolate (85% dark is allowed anyway but doesn't always hit the spot).

Eating out is easy as there is always a meat and veg option, take aways are quite easy, especially thai.

I find that by not having biscuits, cakes, sweets etc I never overeat. Its easier to have none than to stop after one iyswim.

I'm doing it for health reasons but have lost a bit of weight too, about half a stone to a stone, and interestingly most of it from my waist where I have lost 5 inches (my friend is a nutritionist and says that gluten "sticks" to our waists so that does seem to have made sense for me).

You don't need to snack if you eat a lot of protein at meals, so I don't get too hungry and if I do snacks can be dried fruit, coconut, dark choc, nuts etc.

I've read all the books and website

and I know people worry about "low carb" diets but this isn't low carb at all since you can eat all the fruit and veg you like. Breakfasts are a bit tricksy but once you get in to the swing of it and plan your meals well it's fine, I don't find it hard at all.

**DillyDally** · 28-11-2011, 08:43am

My friend does it. It worries me because the stict paleo cuts out all dairy - at our age

it's the last chance saloon to get enough calcium to keep your bones strong. She eats rice and drinks though

She does seem to really struggle with it

We meet every week in an Italian coffee shop, and it has display cases full of pastries. She always makes some sort of comment about how she will never be able to eat anything like that again.

The calcium/bones thing probably isn't your issue just yet, though

Personally, I wouldn't do it, because although I don't eat lots of grains/bread, I feel I need them for the effect they have on my mood. Oh, and i'm not overweight

ETA - on another forum I go on, there's an anthropologist who thinks it's a pile of rubbish - paleolithic people ate all sorts of things, including grains. It depended where they lived

So the 'theory' behind it is a bit suspect.

**Damsella** · 28-11-2011, 08:55am

I think Enchanted Wonderful did this a bit

I think we all eat too many wheat-based carbs, so anything that cuts down on that must be (partly) good!

**Dr Know** · 28-11-2011, 09:15am

Originally Posted by DillyDally

Personally, I wouldn't do it, because although I don't eat lots of grains/bread, I feel I need them for the effect they have on my mood. Oh, and i'm not overweight

ETA - on another forum I go on, there's an anthropologist who thinks it's a pile of rubbish - paleolithic people ate all sorts of things, including grains. It depended where they lived

So the 'theory' behind it is a bit suspect.

I agree with this. I actually lose more weight if I include whole grains/rice etc (although I never eat wheat). And there's no way I could give up cheese

**Rosa** · 28-11-2011, 09:17am

There are a load of wacko american forums about it where they are trying to be so true to it, including not using forks or cooking with electricity etc. Also some are raw only paleos etc. I have taken a lot of it with a pinch of salt but did consult my nutritionist friend about it, when I explained it to her, she said it sounded pretty healthy. I don't really approach it as "paleo" I'm not going around thinking "hm did a caveman eat that?"

You can get lots of calcium from green vegetables, fish, nuts and other food sources. And strict paleos do have raw milk/cream and grass fed butter, I sometimes use a bit of butter in cooking.

I not sure I could have have stuck to this diet for purely weight loss results

but I have seen so much evidence linking gluten and dairy to MS that it would silly to ignore that, plus the fact that sugar is just horrible for you anyway. I do find it easy now, I just don't even consider eating things I'm not meant to now, they're not appealing anymore.

**DillyDally** · 28-11-2011, 09:24am

I've noticed the grains/no grains thing divides people absolutely, with some saying that giving them up is the only way they lose weight, and others, like me, saying, well I eat them and am not overweight. I'm also not depressed, and have no desire to visit that dark horrible place again, so carbs are staying firmly on my menu

I agree with Damz that people do eat slightly too much wheat (toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, pasta for dinner, for example) - however, for a lot of people it does them no harm at all

**Dr Know** · 28-11-2011, 09:30am

Originally Posted by DillyDally

I've noticed the grains/no grains thing divides people absolutely, with some saying that giving them up is the only way they lose weight, and others, like me, saying, well I eat them and am not overweight. I'm also not depressed, and have no desire to visit that dark horrible place again, so carbs are staying firmly on my menu

I agree with Damz that people do eat slightly too much wheat (toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, pasta for dinner, for example) - however, for a lot of people it does them no harm at all

Some would say that it's a blood-type thing (Type A blood need and react well to whole grains etc and Type O react better to meat etc.), although I'm not sure how much I agree with that...

I think it's an extremely personal metabolism thing which is something everyone has to work out for themselves based on trial and error. I, for example, lose weight faster/digest better if I have a glass of red wine with my dinner. And champagne works even better (this is absolutely true too).

**DillyDally** · 28-11-2011, 09:34am

Originally Posted by Dr Know

Some would say that it's a blood-type thing (Type A blood need and react well to whole grains etc and Type O react better to meat etc.), although I'm not sure how much I agree with that...

I think it's an extremely personal metabolism thing which is something everyone has to work out for themselves based on trial and error. I, for example, lose weight faster/digest better if I have a glass of red wine with my dinner. And champagne works even better (this is absolutely true too).

I have to have a little bit of chocolate every couple of days, otherwise I get really moody, does that count?!

My blood type is A+ .... perhaps it is true what they say about grains ...

**Dr Know** · 28-11-2011, 09:36am

Originally Posted by DillyDally

I have to have a little bit of chocolate every couple of days, otherwise I get really moody, does that count?!

My blood type is A+ .... perhaps it is true what they say about grains ...

Yup. I'm A- ...

Every few days for chocolate? You're very restrained - I have to have a (little bit) every day.