Author Topic: Share your Paleo Badassity!  (Read 32073 times)

Joan-eh?

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Share your Paleo Badassity!
« on: January 18, 2015, 02:33:21 PM »
Paleo eating in our family has made remarkable changes to all our health. For us, it stared with one illness for one family member, and since we now all eat this way - everyone is experiencing the health benefits.    But our food bill has skyrocketed!

Help!  What are your financially efficient eating strategies?

A few of us eating Paleo  here in the forum suggested Paleo on 3$/ day / person - USA context.

I laughed and suggested that for the Canadians in the forum, that's probably 10$/day!

I also laughed thinking the IF (intermittent fasting)  doesn't count ;-) nor does living off a jar of coconut oil! Hee hee! (See marks daily apple for eligible foods)

Anyway, you get the drift!  How low can you go on healthy Paleo eating?? What is a reasonable food budget for Paleo eaters? What's your fav meal, and what does it cost you? What's your daily food spending?

Let's create a financially and body healthy cookbook here!
« Last Edit: January 18, 2015, 02:34:55 PM by Joan-eh? »

homehandymum

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #1 on: January 18, 2015, 08:22:59 PM »
Actual dollars spent is not useful for me to give, as I'm not in North America, but frugal paleo foods are:

Soup, especially made with bone broth
Organ meats (tongue, heart, kidney, liver are all popular in our house)
In-season stir-fry
Eggs (of course)

We buy our meat direct from the farmer, which makes it substantially cheaper than buying it retail, and we get to experiment with a bunch of different cuts and qualities.  We also get the organs thrown in free! - We organise a small co-op of cattlebeast-sharing, and nobody else wants the organs, so we get them ALL - 5 beasts worth of organs for free - except the livers which are too large for us to store, since the butcher doesn't cut or process the organs at all.  A whole cattle liver has to be seen to be believed.

We also are not strictly paleo which helps with the prices.  We were for a while, but have relaxed it a lot as we've discovered what specifically was causing issues for us.  (I'm a fodmap responder, but only to fructans.  So commercial baked goods are bad, but if I make them at home with a long/sour soaking then I'm ok.  They're also not a staple anymore).  I sprout chickpeas (garbanzo) most weeks for a vegetarian curry, which we eat on rice, we eat potatoes, and dairy (raw milk, but store bought other things like cheese and whipping cream), and the children all eat cereal for breakfasts. 

I found for myself that an occasional 'reset' of a few weeks of strict paleo is great, while we usually eat a low-grain whole-foods diet as our standard fare.

Bob W

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2015, 11:41:38 AM »
Thanks for this Joan-Eh!   

In my recent post on healthy cheap dinner competition I suggested several Paleo principals.  (for those new to paleo grains, dairy, beans, potatoes are out. 

I'm returning to paleo now that I cycled off and gained a huge amount of weight in a slight amount of time.  I swear,  this time it will stick!  I just downloaded the 21 day challenge from Mark's Daily Apple.

So when I was 100% paleo, feeling good and healthy my daily meals looked something like this.

Brk -  2-3 eggs fried in butter and maybe some bacon
Lunch - Man salad - consisting of a base of spinach with lots of veggies on top 1/4 lb meat or fish and maybe some dried fruit, seeds and or nuts.  Topped with olive oil and flavored vinegar.
Dinner -  Meat/fish/chicken - Usually stir fried with frozen or fresh veggies and liberally added healthy fats.

So a  daily US budget might be

Brk - 50- 100 cents
Lunch - $2
Dinner - $2

So around $5 per day.    I would add rice or potatoes  on some nights (but not for the 21 day challenge!)

I ate off the shelf, on sale meats, organ meats and canned Mackerel to keep costs low.

It is very hard to eat cheap on paleo and if one goes for grass fed beef it would be very expensive but worth it in health benefits.     

Would also be interested in hearing people's success stories with paleo eating and fitness?

Jon_Snow

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2015, 11:49:50 AM »
I'm in the midst of a "hair on fire" attempt to reduce my body fat% from my current 20% to around 10 - 15%.  I've read that the Paleo diet can be conducive in this effort.

Will investigate.

boarder42

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2015, 01:15:29 PM »
Jon_Snow .... you can also look into the Slow carb diet (also called 4 hour body). 

cashstasherat23

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2015, 01:37:19 PM »
Have one paleo recipe that I absolutely love, that you can also do for pretty cheap and it will last you for about 2 meals a day for 4 or 5 days!

It's Paleo Spaghetti Pie, full recipe here:  http://paleomg.com/almost-5-ingredient-pizza-spaghetti-pie/

Ingredients:
1LB Ground Italian Sausage ($6) I usually buy whatever is on sale, and if it's in the casing just cut it and squeeze out
1 or 2 Containers Pizza Sauce ($3)
1 Spaghetti Squash ($4?)
3 Eggs ($.50)
Any veggies you want it in-I usually do Mushrooms

You brown the sausage in a skillet, while baking the spaghetti squash in the oven. Once the squash is baked, take a fork and take out all the strands. Mix the squash in a baking pan with the ground sausage, pizza sauce, and vegetables. Mix in the eggs. Bake!

Depending on how you cut it, makes about 8 servings, which are a pretty hefty portion, good for lunch or dinner. All in, about $13.50 total, or $1.68 a meal.

boarder42

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2015, 01:47:30 PM »
I've been 4 hour body for a while which is close to paleo...

the above recipe is a go to as well as

http://www.aspicyperspective.com/2011/02/chicken-chorizo-no-potato-hash.html

i also smoke a lot of meat we make this

http://www.aspicyperspective.com/2011/02/new-mexican-chile-verde.html

instead of the masa we substitute 4 cans of pinto beans blended( i know you cant do beans on paleo)

i also to cauliflower mashed potatoes/fried rice

another recent find is this amazing recipe served with oven roasted cauliflower or brussels

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/geoffrey-zakarian/roast-pork-tenderloin-with-charred-chimichurri.html

blackened anything - chicken fish etc.




boarder42

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2015, 01:48:15 PM »
oh and we also take chicken chunk it up dredge it in eggs then flax meal and bake it ... toss in hot sauce... homemade paleo boneless wings

including wine over the last 12 months my wife and i's monthly grocery budget for 2 was 400 bucks.  which probably was at minimum 100 bucks in booze. 

paleo/primal/four hour can be done affordably.  you may have to forgo the 100% organic best meat ever mindset though
« Last Edit: January 19, 2015, 01:52:19 PM by boarder42 »

MrFrugalChicago

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2015, 08:15:04 AM »
Paleo is not awesome. Carbs in moderation are fantastic. Paleo is another fad that people are slowly starting to realize how stupid it is.

boarder42

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #9 on: January 20, 2015, 08:29:50 AM »
Paleo is not awesome. Carbs in moderation are fantastic. Paleo is another fad that people are slowly starting to realize how stupid it is.

eating high protein lower carb diets is not a fad... these have been around for a long time and they work very well to trim off excess body fat and grow lean muscles.  I've been doing 4 hour body a similar version for a year and have lost over 35 pounds not even sticking to it 100% of the time. 

takeahike

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #10 on: January 20, 2015, 11:00:47 AM »
Paleo is not awesome. Carbs in moderation are fantastic. Paleo is another fad that people are slowly starting to realize how stupid it is.

eating high protein lower carb diets is not a fad... these have been around for a long time and they work very well to trim off excess body fat and grow lean muscles.  I've been doing 4 hour body a similar version for a year and have lost over 35 pounds not even sticking to it 100% of the time.

Be careful not to tell people you are on the "paleo" diet. They will give you the side-eye. I've been doing "paleo", or at least following a low-carb template for about 1.5 years to the commitment of about 90%. It's better to tell people you infrequently eat dessert and gave up bread. The second you give it the "caveman" name it loses all credibility. At least in my circles. Nevermind that it works. 

boarder42

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #11 on: January 20, 2015, 11:18:19 AM »
i have a reputation for being strange and going against the societal norms so when i do things like this people i work with and friends some times take notice and jump on board.

mm1970

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #12 on: January 21, 2015, 01:09:23 PM »
Yes, paleo can be expensive!  I used to eat mostly vegetarian.  That worked for me at the time (lots of bread and beans and rice) because I was in my 30's and I was running a lot.

Fast forward to my 40s, and a second baby (in my 40s), and joint problems from running.

I had a huge HUGE trouble losing the second baby weight.  Even on a low calorie diet.  So I tried many different things (yay for self experimentation).

I found that calorie levels remaining the same, I lost more weight the closer to paleo/primal that I got. 

As a direct comparison, in Sept and October of last year I lost about 1/2 lb a week.  I was around 150-154 during that time (I'm 5'2" female).
In November, I gave up bread, alcohol, fried foods, and sugar.  Note: I did not read labels, and I didn't eat much of these things before this.
AND - MY CALORIE LEVELS DID NOT CHANGE. (I replaced carbs with fat).

During November I would eat 0-2 servings of "carbs" a day. (Note: I still at 1-2 fruits a day and distinguish those from carbs from grains.)  Thus "Carbs" were beans, brown rice, potatoes, sometimes corn. 

So a typical "0" day would be:
fruit/protein powder smoothie for breakfast
cottage cheese for a snack
large salad with veggies, nuts, olive oil, vinegar, 2 hard boiled eggs, sometimes cheese for lunch
protein (chicken, beef, pork) for dinner with 1-2 cups of veggies cooked in olive oil, butter, or coconut oil
A little bit of hummus, cheese, or avocado - depending on what I ate that day

A typical "2" day would be a repeat, but maybe 1/2 cup of beans on my salad and 1/2 a baked potato or 1/2 cup of rice with dinner

I lost 7 lbs in November, 3x the rate of September and October.

Note, most of the year I was very resistant to restricting carbs because I'd been taught for 20 years that I should be eating 6-11 servings of whole grains per day (thank you USDA).  Then I read "What to Eat" by Luise Light, and realized that that was a made up number, and the real answer is 1 or 2 servings of whole grains per day.

So while I'm not "paleo", I lean more towards Dr. Mark Hyman's "PEGAN" (paleo-vegan).  Which means: take the best from both sides, and beans and rice are okay in small quantities.

http://drhyman.com/blog/2014/11/07/pegan-paleo-vegan/

A lot of people are anti-paleo, but I personally think paleo is a lot closer to "healthy" than a high carb diet is.
Strict paleo folks have zero starchy carbs a day.
The USDA says 6-11 servings.
Healthy is probably 1-2 for women and 1-3 for men.

mm1970

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #13 on: January 21, 2015, 01:18:13 PM »
Anyway, back to the topic of doing it on a budget, that's a good question.  I've been thinking about that myself quite a bit lately. I know that MMM has moved more in that direction, but he hasn't done much of an update in his blog.  So his grocery bill posts talk about oats for breakfast, and he updated it to say he's eating eggs, but that's about it.

I'd love more details on that. 

Much of paleo/primal eating really does recommend grass fed, free range, etc.

I think that moving more on the fat side and less on the protein side would help. 

So instead of thinking about "cheap paleo recipes" I tend to think about "cheap ingredients" - which means buying stuff that's cheaper per pound, eating more of that, and shopping sales. So, eat what you have (don't waste food), find out how to get what you eat cheaper (sales, bulk), and eat more of the stuff that's already cheap.

I aim for cheap fruits and veggies, whatever is in season.  Carrots, cabbage, lettuce, kale, apples, bananas.  And I eat a lot of veggies.

I am not afraid of fats, like nuts, seeds, cheese, olive oil, coconut oil.  And I try to incorporate these into my diet.  I try not to waste food, and I know that sunflower seeds are cheaper than macadamia nuts.  I love nuts.  Right now I'm trying to eat up the ones I have in my pantry before buying any more.

Protein is where it's expensive, so I aim for cheaper cuts.  I bought part of a pig at $10 a pound, but I use it as an ingredient, so a veggie stew with sausage.  I also eat a lot of eggs, which are cheaper unless you are going $6 a dozen free range.  I use whey protein powder daily and cottage cheese/ yogurt.

Finally, I'm not actually paleo, I do eat beans and grains, but I aim more for the beans than grains, so you'll find chickpea curry and black bean soup on my table.

Plus I'm the only one in my house trying to avoid grain. 

boarder42

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #14 on: January 21, 2015, 01:20:22 PM »
The USDA is a joke.  they should not dictate what is eaten in our country the food pyramid or the plate or whatever they have now.  They arent focused on nutrition there should be a special board or the head doctor dude and his cabinet should define this the USDA should just focus on food production not tell people how to consume what we are over producing

boarder42

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #15 on: January 21, 2015, 01:21:24 PM »
cheese isnt paleo either is it?

Philociraptor

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #16 on: January 21, 2015, 01:29:12 PM »
Wife and I probably spend around $500/month USD on groceries, which is around $8.25 a day per person. We buy half-cows for around $5/lb, chicken when it's on sale ($1 with bone, $1.50 w/o bone), pork on sale (depends on the cut), and fish and shrimp when we can find them. TONS of fresh produce, a typical weekly trip to the Mexican or Vietnamese market will cost around $30+ on fruits and veggies alone. Eggs around here are $5 per 18-count. We use a lot of canned tomato sauce and coconut milk. I also buy various nuts, nut butters, seaweed and such for snacks. We eat VERY well on this budget and have no interest in reducing variety.

It also should be said that we both Crossfit and have rather high caloric needs for that reason. We each eat a large sweet potato after a workout, plus 50+ grams of animal protein and a heaping side of veggies. Lunches are the same minus the sweet potato.

mm1970

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #17 on: January 21, 2015, 01:47:51 PM »
cheese isnt paleo either is it?
technically no, but people who are "primal" (see Mark's Daily Apple) eat cheese.  It's a little more liberal.

mm1970

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #18 on: January 21, 2015, 01:50:42 PM »
Okay, I got bored with trying to do some programming at work and took a break to add some stuff up.  Because I'm a nerd.

Costs are based on sales, this is an example of what I eat.  You could adjust for your own intake.

As a mostly-sedentary during the day (but squeeze in workouts when I can) 40-something female trying to lose about 6-10 more pounds, I don't eat a lot. 

This is an example of "2 carb a day" vs "no carb a day".  It helps to break down what you eat and how much it costs to see where you can substitute.

Going to go for my walk now. :)

primalnuke

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #19 on: January 24, 2015, 08:11:36 PM »
When I went Paleo/Primal my grocery bill did go up. However, I no longer wanted to eat out to avoid soy and crappy industrial seed oils/hydrogenated fats.  (It's easy to avoid Gluten, but try to find something Soy/Canola/Margarine free. That's almost impossible.)

Therefore my overall food costs went significantly down. 

p.s.  Paleo is not a Fad.  Yes it's kind of a dumb name that causes people unfamiliar with what the lifestyle really is to roll their eyes.  Essentially it's just eating REAL food and limiting your sugar intake.  I don't understand why someone would think that was a bad thing.




primalnuke

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #20 on: January 25, 2015, 06:08:13 AM »
Totally agree that nothing is more important than our health.

Our grocery bill is the most ridiculous out of all our budgets. Depending on the season, it's between 400 and 600/month for a family of 3. I do what I can with buying direct from the farmer, growing a big vegetable garden and trying to eat in season.  But beyond that, I refuse to stress out about it.

Then again we are fortunate enough to afford it and don't need to stress out about it.

I don't find cooking real food that time consuming.  I cook simple dishes in big batches and eat leftovers for several days. It does mean Sundays are big cook-up days, but it's worth it to just be able to heat up leftovers for breakfast/lunch/dinner all week when I am gone for 12 hours a day.  For example, we'll fry up 2-3 pounds of hamburger meat and use it for taco meat, or eating it with other fried vegetables. Or cook up several chicken thighs and throw it in a container with steamed/baked vegetables and butter.   

Just make a big batch of meat and cook a ton of vegetables.  Then mix and match.   I usually don't get to fancy with my weeknight meals.  I save the fancy pants stuff for special occasions or when I get bored with what I am eating.

KMMK

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #21 on: January 25, 2015, 06:46:05 AM »
Completely agree. We eat tons of produce and I'm happy to spend lots on food especially when it supports local farmers and our health. Luckily we can afford it. I'm always kind of annoyed on the "low cost food" threads as people don't specify if they actually need to get their costs so slow or are just being cheap. I'm scared of our food supply turning into all sugar and carbs controlled by massive government subsidized corporations.

mm1970

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #22 on: January 25, 2015, 09:26:12 AM »
Totally agree that nothing is more important than our health.

Our grocery bill is the most ridiculous out of all our budgets. Depending on the season, it's between 400 and 600/month for a family of 3. I do what I can with buying direct from the farmer, growing a big vegetable garden and trying to eat in season.  But beyond that, I refuse to stress out about it.

Then again we are fortunate enough to afford it and don't need to stress out about it.

I don't find cooking real food that time consuming.  I cook simple dishes in big batches and eat leftovers for several days. It does mean Sundays are big cook-up days, but it's worth it to just be able to heat up leftovers for breakfast/lunch/dinner all week when I am gone for 12 hours a day.  For example, we'll fry up 2-3 pounds of hamburger meat and use it for taco meat, or eating it with other fried vegetables. Or cook up several chicken thighs and throw it in a container with steamed/baked vegetables and butter.   

Just make a big batch of meat and cook a ton of vegetables.  Then mix and match.   I usually don't get to fancy with my weeknight meals.  I save the fancy pants stuff for special occasions or when I get bored with what I am eating.
We spent >$800 a month last year for four.  I will try to cut that a bit this year, but I try not to stress too much.  I eat a TON of vegetables, and since I don't garden, there's only so much I can do there.

Bob W

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #23 on: January 25, 2015, 09:55:49 AM »
Cabbage, spinach and frozen broccoli are healthy and relatively cheap.

dungoofed

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #24 on: February 01, 2015, 11:35:01 AM »
I think that moving more on the fat side and less on the protein side would help. 

+1

You can only eat so much chitlings before you are full.

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #25 on: February 01, 2015, 01:23:21 PM »
You folks who are eating paleo - do any of you have issues with high cholesterol/triglycerides?  How did your cholesterol levels change when you started eating this way?

Bob W

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #26 on: February 01, 2015, 02:33:53 PM »
You folks who are eating paleo - do any of you have issues with high cholesterol/triglycerides?  How did your cholesterol levels change when you started eating this way?
. http://paleoleap.com/cholesterol-is-not-bad/

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #27 on: February 01, 2015, 02:58:38 PM »
You folks who are eating paleo - do any of you have issues with high cholesterol/triglycerides?  How did your cholesterol levels change when you started eating this way?
. http://paleoleap.com/cholesterol-is-not-bad/
Hmmm.  Interesting, but I'm wondering if there are unbiased information sources on this topic.  The linked site obviously is promoting paleo (and probably making $ off of it somehow?).  It says "studies show" this and that, but does not link to or cite those studies, with the exception of one study on the connection between LDL and memory.  Some of the stuff sounds plausible, but that kind of one-sided presentation with no supporting information gets my BS detector going.

dungoofed

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #28 on: February 01, 2015, 03:15:02 PM »

Hotstreak

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #29 on: February 01, 2015, 06:01:15 PM »
You folks who are eating paleo - do any of you have issues with high cholesterol/triglycerides?  How did your cholesterol levels change when you started eating this way?
. http://paleoleap.com/cholesterol-is-not-bad/
Hmmm.  Interesting, but I'm wondering if there are unbiased information sources on this topic.  The linked site obviously is promoting paleo (and probably making $ off of it somehow?).  It says "studies show" this and that, but does not link to or cite those studies, with the exception of one study on the connection between LDL and memory.  Some of the stuff sounds plausible, but that kind of one-sided presentation with no supporting information gets my BS detector going.


*sigh* and the folks saying eating this way will increase your cholesterol and give you heart attacks are definitely NOT unbiased.  The posts above this one give a good description of what's going on.


Bob W

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #30 on: February 01, 2015, 06:05:01 PM »
Because of the emphasis on veggies,  nonprocessed foods and healthy oil you can't go wrong on paleo.  To clarify the paleo/primal movement does not generally promote high protein intake.

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #31 on: February 02, 2015, 03:55:47 AM »

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #32 on: February 02, 2015, 04:01:10 AM »
You folks who are eating paleo - do any of you have issues with high cholesterol/triglycerides?  How did your cholesterol levels change when you started eating this way?
. http://paleoleap.com/cholesterol-is-not-bad/
Hmmm.  Interesting, but I'm wondering if there are unbiased information sources on this topic.  The linked site obviously is promoting paleo (and probably making $ off of it somehow?).  It says "studies show" this and that, but does not link to or cite those studies, with the exception of one study on the connection between LDL and memory.  Some of the stuff sounds plausible, but that kind of one-sided presentation with no supporting information gets my BS detector going.


*sigh* and the folks saying eating this way will increase your cholesterol and give you heart attacks are definitely NOT unbiased.  The posts above this one give a good description of what's going on.

They're definitely not unbiased, but they ARE backed up by decades of medical research.  Have they misinterpreted the results of all of those studies?  Quite possibly.  But we'll figure that out through a careful, unbiased consideration of scientific data, not through cheerleading web sites that have a vested interest in one side of the debate.

Monkey Uncle

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #33 on: February 02, 2015, 04:05:42 AM »
Because of the emphasis on veggies,  nonprocessed foods and healthy oil you can't go wrong on paleo.  To clarify the paleo/primal movement does not generally promote high protein intake.

I'm with you on the veggies and non-processed foods.  I think the vast majority of the medical profession is with you on that as well.  If by "healthy" oil you mean olive oil, I'm with you on that as well.  If you mean coconut oil, butter, lard, or some other saturated fat, that's where I'm going to need some data to convince me.

Also, you say paleo/primal is not high protein, but the food pyramid on the primal web site (linked by dungoofed) has meat, fish, poultry, and eggs at the base.  How is that not high protein?

dungoofed

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #34 on: February 02, 2015, 05:05:36 AM »
I remember Mark clarified that, it's based on calories. You've got to eat a LOT of vegetables in order to be taking in more calories than you get from protein. But volume-wise you aim to eat more vegetables than protein.

boarder42

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #35 on: February 04, 2015, 06:10:14 AM »
Ok so a four hour body recipe i just modified.  I've been trying to make fake mashed potatoes work for 2 years now.  Finally i figured it out

-mashed cauliflower.

break up one head of cauliflower into florets toss with oil, salt, pepper, thyme, cajun, garlic powder
spread even layer on baking tray
Roast in oven for 20mins at 450 degF

put in food processor with 1 TBSP of Cottage cheese
blend until all lumps are gone

Been having issues with the steamed and the boiled being too watery or having way too much cauliflower taste. 
This solves both of those.  Got my wife onboard with them too she loves mashed potatoes. 

also i have amazing cholesterol to weigh in on that convo above.  paleo/4 hour/primal are all very similar diets.  lower fat/more veggies/no processed food.

rathga

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #36 on: February 08, 2015, 03:00:35 PM »
Because of the emphasis on veggies,  nonprocessed foods and healthy oil you can't go wrong on paleo.  To clarify the paleo/primal movement does not generally promote high protein intake.

I'm with you on the veggies and non-processed foods.  I think the vast majority of the medical profession is with you on that as well.  If by "healthy" oil you mean olive oil, I'm with you on that as well.  If you mean coconut oil, butter, lard, or some other saturated fat, that's where I'm going to need some data to convince me.

If you want a very detailed analysis of all the scientific literature on why saturated fat is not bad for you (and why carbs probably are) I can highly recommend Good Calories Bad Calories by Gary Taubes.  It is not a Paleo book but is more a scientific review, and completely changed my thinking on diet.  Before this I was very much in the 'low fat' camp and it transformed my understanding.  The conventional wisdom and government advice will inexorably change, but it will take time.


Also, you say paleo/primal is not high protein, but the food pyramid on the primal web site (linked by dungoofed) has meat, fish, poultry, and eggs at the base.  How is that not high protein?

It is definately higher protein but Paleo does not have to be super high.  You can get a lot of calories from fat (many of the food items - eggs, red meat, etc. have a lot of fat - or you add olive oil/butter to veg etc.) or - in fact- also from carbohydrates.  Starchy tubers (sweet potatoes etc.) are paleo, as is honey, maple syrup etc.  If your goal is to lose weight rather than just 'eat healthy' though, adopting a lower carb approach is likely to be more beneficial.

On a seperate note - very nice to see other Moustashians adopting paleo!!  it is probably my other big passion apart from ER! :)

enpower

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #37 on: February 08, 2015, 03:21:56 PM »
I eat the same thing every day to keep things cheaper. Ben Greenfield does the same (generally).

Breakfast is 4x eggs with mushrooms, spinach leaves. Perhaps a tomato if it is summer.

Morning snack is mixed nuts and a piece of fruit.

Lunch is leftovers (meat being steak or chicken, either potato, sweet potato or rice and frozen vegetables). Otherwise I have tinned tuna in a can with rice and frozen vegetables. I know you say rice isn't paleo but I go off the Perfect Health Diet book which is a version of paleo.

Afternoon tea is a coconut cream, berry and protein powder smoothie. I may also snack on raw carrots, nuts and dark chocolate if I'm hungry.

Dinner is the same as lunch leftovers but I cook it fresh. Instead of vegetables I make a salad.

I find eating the same general things over and over again means I'm not tempted to buy things in the supermarket. I buy most of my things from a butcher or fruit/vegetable shop instead of supermarket which works out cheaper. I also know when the produts I buy each week are a good price or not.

I must admit eating paleo is more expensive than not eating it and takes more time to prepare but I'd rather be doing this and keeping my body healthy than not eating it and getting sick, tired and not feeling well like I used to.

KD

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #38 on: February 08, 2015, 07:58:49 PM »
You folks who are eating paleo - do any of you have issues with high cholesterol/triglycerides?  How did your cholesterol levels change when you started eating this way?

Try watching Dr. Peter Attia or Dr. Stephen Finney on youtube - they are promoting Nutritional Ketosis which is very similar to paleo.  Try Primal Body, Primal Mind by Nora T. G...... something can't recall spelling her last name at the moment, or Dr. David Perlmutter (Grain Brain), Dr. William Davis (Wheat Belly).  Hubs is just almost there to get off cholesterol meds...down about 35 lbs from switching to this kind of eating.  His blood work came back awesome this time just waiting for the follow up visit w/doc to get tapered off them per the nurses' phone call.  Try also reading "Cholesterol Clarity" by Jimmy Moore.

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #39 on: February 08, 2015, 08:28:16 PM »
5 years on paleo/primal for me! 3 years for fiance. He's lost ~60-80 (depending on how you count muscular gains) lbs and has kept it off. And now competes casually as a power lifter. I'm 15% body fat (25 female), started at 27% and he is 7% (26 male), started at 30-35%.

We do TONS of veggies, particularly cabbage, artichoke, brussel sprouts, and green beans. And then a lot of game (elk mainly), organ meats (especially heart and liver), and fish (sardines, halibut, and king salmon mainly). Most of our lean game like elk is supplemented with beef fat to get it fatty enough though- elk is really lean sometimes.
How we eat is certainly expensive, but partially because we have very little storage space. Hunting and fishing by ourselves and family helps mitigate costs though. When we've had space for a big freezer, our costs are a lot lower. With a garden, basically non-existant lol.

It has made major improvements on my blood sugar regulation and depression issues. I won't go back even if it delays FIRE 10 years. Not kidding. 100% worth it for my health and wellness. I haven't had a cold the entire time I've been in nursing school. Unheard of.

MMMdude

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #40 on: February 08, 2015, 09:35:06 PM »
Can someone suggest a good paleo recipe site?  We are interested in trying this, but want to follow something simple and tasty

boarder42

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #41 on: February 09, 2015, 05:56:31 AM »
just google something you like to eat with paleo in the title and you will get tons of recipe sites.  IE paleo fried rice, paleo mashed potatoes, paleo pancakces.... etc. 

Bracken_Joy

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #42 on: February 09, 2015, 06:29:42 AM »
just google something you like to eat with paleo in the title and you will get tons of recipe sites.  IE paleo fried rice, paleo mashed potatoes, paleo pancakces.... etc.

I personally would caution against this in terms of pancakes, muffins, bread, etc. As one blogger called, "paleo bakery bullsh*t". It's more expensive, there are some big question marks surrounding the health of replacement flours, and most importantly, you won't get the nutritional density which is what makes paleo so successful for people.

Most people already have a combination of meat and veggies that they love- start from there as your first paleo meals.

As far as sites go, Mark's daily apple and Nom Nom Paleo are the gold standard of delicious (+good photos and easy to follow recipes). Best of luck!

Bob W

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #43 on: March 05, 2015, 02:16:26 PM »
Because of the emphasis on veggies,  nonprocessed foods and healthy oil you can't go wrong on paleo.  To clarify the paleo/primal movement does not generally promote high protein intake.

I'm with you on the veggies and non-processed foods.  I think the vast majority of the medical profession is with you on that as well.  If by "healthy" oil you mean olive oil, I'm with you on that as well.  If you mean coconut oil, butter, lard, or some other saturated fat, that's where I'm going to need some data to convince me.

Also, you say paleo/primal is not high protein, but the food pyramid on the primal web site (linked by dungoofed) has meat, fish, poultry, and eggs at the base.  How is that not high protein?

I suppose everyone's interpretation of High is different.  For me paleo is 1/2 lb of animal based food + healthy oils including those saturated fats that helped my grandparents live to be 95-103 + lots and lots of veggies.    The sat fat debate is over in my mind (as I have read lots and lots of positives) but you may want to do your own due diligence to feel comfortable with more oils than grapeseed and olive.

What it is not is processed foods including grains.   The idea is to get plenty of micronutrients and base your fuel on fats instead of flour and sugar.  And definitely I think we can all agree that canola and soy (veggie) oil are evil.

My daughter is a doctor and so she had 1 - 3 credit hour course on nutrition.   I always disregard her advice on nutrition.  lol   (seriously, run from any doctor that isn't an expert on nutrition or that attempts to prescribe you blood pressure drugs,  anticholesteral drugs or diabetes drugs.  IMHO)

DSKla

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #44 on: March 05, 2015, 02:40:04 PM »
I've been paleo since 2008, but after finding this site I realized it is a huge expense for me in terms of the quantity of meat I was eating. When lifting a lot, I was putting down 3 lbs of meat per day. Luckily an injury derailed me, but to further reduce food expenses, I have found that eating a warrior-diet style in the form of one massive meal in the evening tends to save me money. I definitely can't put down 3 lbs that way, and being in a ketogenic fast throughout the day keeps my energy up. Probably saves me $2-3 a day over eating two or three meals, and i am still consuming probably over 3,000 calories a day.

I've also started randomly varying my diet in ways described by Nassim Taleb in Antifragile. I'm usually paleo/moderate carb, but occasionally I will have a day of either high, or zero carbs, and i've also done a few no-meat days, and 24-hr fasts. None of these are scheduled, nor very regular, but it feels good to shock my body's nutritional expectations from time to time, and definitely saves me money for that day.

Just thought I'd share that if any carnivores were struggling with the food budget on paleo.

boarder42

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #45 on: March 06, 2015, 09:43:15 AM »
Well i just got my numbers for my blood work back and they are off the charts good.  I'm 4 hour body not paleo but vary similar.  So at least for me it works and keeps me healthier than i've ever been.  including one day a week i get to eat what i want.

HDL's 50
LDL's 88
TRY's 50
Glucose 75

plus i'm down from 215 to 195 since the beginning of the year.

proof in results

kib

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #46 on: March 06, 2015, 11:36:23 AM »
You folks who are eating paleo - do any of you have issues with high cholesterol/triglycerides?  How did your cholesterol levels change when you started eating this way?
. http://paleoleap.com/cholesterol-is-not-bad/
Hmmm.  Interesting, but I'm wondering if there are unbiased information sources on this topic.  The linked site obviously is promoting paleo (and probably making $ off of it somehow?).  It says "studies show" this and that, but does not link to or cite those studies, with the exception of one study on the connection between LDL and memory.  Some of the stuff sounds plausible, but that kind of one-sided presentation with no supporting information gets my BS detector going.
Checking in super late but this is one of my interests.  Try "Fat and Cholesterol Are Good For You" by Uffi Ravnskov.  Horrible title, but an unbelievable amount of in depth data analysis and study dissection that pretty much puts the whole 'dietary cholesterol is an issue' argument to bed.  Last time I checked in, this author seemed to have absolutely no product or diet to promote.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2015, 11:41:46 AM by frufrau »

jjcamembert

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #47 on: March 06, 2015, 11:57:04 AM »
I got blood tests before and about 30 days after starting paleo. Now I have been eating paleo for 2 years. I should note that I didn't go directly from junk food -> paleo food; I was eating "healthy" for years (beans, brown rice/pasta, lots of vegetables, lean meat, minimal fat) but never saw these kinds of results.

Before:
HDL: 67
LDL: 180
Trig: 94

30 days after:
HDL: 58
LDL: 138
Trig: 79

I also used to consider a weight of 205 lbs to be "lean" for me, now I easily maintain 195 lbs even without excessive exercise.

KD

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #48 on: March 06, 2015, 01:35:49 PM »
Frufrau, you might want to check into the books "Cholesterol Clarity" and "Keto Clarity" by Jimmy Moore and a doctor whose name I don't recall at the moment.  Hubs had high cholesterol before going on a nutritional ketosis diet and his numbers are way down and he's lost weight and next doc visit is scheduled to taper him off his cholesterol meds.

MandalayVA

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Re: Share your Paleo Badassity!
« Reply #49 on: March 06, 2015, 01:42:39 PM »
Frufrau, you might want to check into the books "Cholesterol Clarity" and "Keto Clarity" by Jimmy Moore and a doctor whose name I don't recall at the moment.

Eric Westman.  He's all right but I can't STAND Jimmy Moore for a variety of reasons.

I do more primal (see the ever-awesome Mark's Daily Apple) than paleo because I like butter too much.  When I keep to it, it does work and I feel better.  Eating real food is awesome.