[3FCer344892]

Yes, I realize that a while back I said I wanted to go raw, but after a quick reevaluation ... I definitely do not have the food budget to cover such a diet or lifestyle, nor do I have the budget to purchase all those expensive gadgets that all of the recipes I looked at use.

Anyway, the paleo diet or lifestyle sounds more manageable and definitely less expensive. I've done some research on it, and pretty much you just have to cut out all the processed junk, sugar, dairy, and starchy foods. Basically Carbs. I'm a little worried about adding fat in the diet (they want you to cook with lard, and not trim the fat off your meat). My husband seems more enthusiastic about this than going raw too, and we had been talking about giving up dairy.

Is anyone on this diet? What are your experiences with it? The pros and cons? It seems healthy to me, like it seems balanced.

[3FCer344892]

To clarify, I don't mean raw paleo (as in raw meat). Healthy or not (as they claim) eating blood is against my religion, so that's out. I actually just found that out while researching paleo, but I digress....

And I don't want a mostly meat diet, either. I wanted to kind of balance it out between (cooked) meat, fish, maybe eggs, (raw or cooked) vegetables, fruit, berries, and nuts, and just forfeit legumes, grain, starchy foods, sugar, dairy.

I might still drink herbal teas, though. So i guess it's not truly paleo, but it's close, and it sounds like a balanced, healthy way to eat.

[ValRock]

Sounds a bit like Atkins. I freaked out with all the fat at first... but I'm finding the more fat I had the day before the quicker I lose. Your body will switch to burning fat for fuel instead of carbs. It's pretty cool. This WOE sounds interesting... I'm gonna read up some more on it .

[nelie]

I definitely don't do Paleo but there is a thread in the carb counters forum about it:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/carb...h-october.html

I follow Crossfit which tends to have a high Paleo following so I've talked to people who have done it. I have yet to meet someone who has done it long term, usually they go for a few weeks then go off because they find it difficult to follow long term. One of my friends said she hated it and felt horrible on it and was glad to go back to what she was doing prior which was basically portion controlled diet.

I personally eat a lot of legumes and I don't eat meat so yeah no way I could do anything remotely related to it.

[3FCer344892]

The meat I've been eating is very healthy. I helped my dad butcher it. The cow was only grass-fed (he rejected feed), and his meat is very lean. I also eat a lot of deer, and I will sometimes buy wild caught salmon in bulk bags of ten pieces. That's really the only meat (except maybe canned tuna) I am going to eat.

BTW, do they sell Kosher Lard? My husband won't touch pork.

[LandonsBaby]

I'm wondering how this went for you? I doubt you'll see the post but I'll ask anyway. I would think it's expensive? I don't know. I feel like meat it so expensive when you want free range, grass fed and organic. I need kosher meat too which just makes it even more expensive. I've had to make compromises and it's still expensive! I limited meat to once a week (if that much) and generally just chicken. We eat fish several times a week though which isn't exactly cheap either.

[3FCer344892]

Meat is only cheap at the moment, because my Dad hunts and gives me a portion of his kills. Honestly, it's the vegetables and fruit that's expensive. I can't afford organic (except maybe carrots and bananas). I kind of fell off the wagon, but will be going back to it as soon as I get groceries. When I was good it seemed to make me feel a lot better. I wasn't so bloated, and actually discovered that I weigh less than I thought which is good but weird. Apparently I've been carrying several pounds of water weight around this whole time.

[kaplods]

I follow an exchange plan, but try to make whole food and paleo choices as much as I can. I don't sweat it if I choose a modern food, but I try to make more and more "older" choices.

My philosophy (if not always my behavior) is to more and more frequently choose foods that my ancestors would recognize - and the further back I can go, the better.

Eating and moving 1950's style is better than living 2011 style. 1900 is even better, and 20,000 B.C. even better (I'm not advocating replicating the entire lifestyles. I still want my modern conveniences like medicine and technology, but I am trying to make my activity level and food choices less modern).

I don't consider it a diet I can't ever deviate from. I see it as a guiding principle - a goal to eat more and more of the oldest food types, but without setting myself up for failure by setting strict rules to follow.

In terms of eating/exercise, I haven't even left the 20th century yet, but I am making progress.

[nelie]

Although totally non-Paleo, I've been reading "Born to Run" which is fascinating. I had heard many things about the running tribes in Mexico but didn't know anything about them. They run for enjoyment and they are a pretty basic tribe, with very little health issues but they engage in LOTS of activity, like 4 mile run in the morning to 'stretch out'. Their primary diet is corn and beans although mouse is mentioned as well as chia seeds and limes. I'm guessing they eat other fruits available in Mexico and not sure about veggies. It is mostly whatever they can get off the land or trade with others.

[Wildflower]

Originally Posted by Serval87

BTW, do they sell Kosher Lard? My husband won't touch pork.

They don't sell Kosher lard (as it comes from pigs which are not kosher), but you might be able to use beef tallow that's not certified kosher to use a fat that does not come from pork. Traditional Jewish homes use kosher chicken fat in place of lard, or margarine or butter.

Kosher chicken fat can be found under the name shmaltz, or you can make it yourself by rendering chicken fat.

[LandonsBaby]

Originally Posted by Wildflower

They don't sell Kosher lard (as it comes from pigs which are not kosher), but you might be able to use beef tallow that's not certified kosher to use a fat that does not come from pork. Traditional Jewish homes use kosher chicken fat in place of lard, or margarine or butter.

Kosher chicken fat can be found under the name shmaltz, or you can make it yourself by rendering chicken fat.

You can use goose fat too. I wouldn't but it can be done.

[3FCer344892]

Thanks, but I've decided to use coconut oil since you can't find tallow or anything else like that in Kroger or Walmart.

[bleujean]

I was raw paleo for a year (raw meat, dairy, the works) and have never felt better in my life. If I could afford it I would go back to it, as it is I am doing the cooked paleo thing while I am a starving student.

Your options aren't as limited as you'd think. Some paleos do go for dairy. If you can get raw dairy I highly recommend it, cooked dairy messes me up but all of the enzymes in the raw just make magic happen. For sugar, you can have raw honey. I was surprised at how much you can do. I've made cakes and pies raw (with almonds and raw butter for crust). Not exactly low cal but you can budget.

Do not be afraid of fat. You absolutely must buy organic, grassfed beef or organic cage free birds. I think it's a moral and civic duty to the animals and a big middle finger to the meat industry, but it really is better for you and you'll feel great. You can't lose weight when you are pumped full of hormones that are designed to make other mammals put on mass amounts of weight! It does cost a little more, but pay the doctor or pay the grocer

You should go paleo, you will feel soooooo good! (And lose mad weight!)