Paleo people...what's a typical day look like for you?

[Whisky]

I'm reading up on the Whole30. While reading all I can think about is what a crabby bastard I'll be for a month. I need to look at some of their recipes and see if I can swing it.

 

[squeekieslayer]

Trust me, you will only be crabby from day 5 to about day 14... then you will adjust. Warn the wife about that period though... especially if she is doing it to. At least give your lawyer the heads up hahaha

Joe

 

[SDHNTR]

I look at it more simply. If it comes directly from a plant or something that bleeds, eat it. If not, dont.

except for beer.

Oh and keep more veggies on your plate than the meat. If not, you may see your cholesterol creep up. Mine did after the first year of paleo.

 

[Poser]

Living down South, we have Cracker Barrels at virtually every exit on the interstate. CB is a great place for eating Paleo on the road. They have tons of vegetable options -you can order a vegetable plate and, say a order of bacon or a piece of country ham.

 

[Ray]

over two years now. I have always been a simple eater (ie boring). I do not have auto immue issues or dairy issues, but have found that reducing the amount of grains has lead to a better overall healthy feeling in the body. Mostly due I believe to less inflamation caused by the grain proteins and significantly reduced insulin levels.

To be up front with you, to be long term succesful with paleo you need to at least like to cook. I am no chef, but I have always been told that I am a good cook and I enjoy the process of learning new methods of preparing food. If you hate being in the kitchen paleo will suck for you. I recommend the book Practical Paleo for basic how to for food prep and ideas. Everyday Paleo is also a wonderful resource and she has several cookbooks now.

Breakfast: two egg scramble with diced bell pepper and zucchini with coconut oil. Meat comes from all kinds of stuff, two to three slices of bacon, caribou/pork breakfast sausage, locally made reindeer/beef/pork sausages. Usually not more than 4 oz of meat. Need to start adding in more leafy greens. On the weekends I have been known to whip up a fritata in a cast iron skillet filled with shreaded broccoli and greens. While its finishing in the oven is when you do fun kitchen stuff with the girlfriend.

Lunch: huge salad from the cafe in the building I work in. No dressing other than balasmic. No beans or peas. No baby corn. No seeds. Some of the driest chicken you will ever find is on there as well as two tablespoons of real bacon. Usually buy 1.25 pounds. On the weekends I usually do not eat a mid day meal as I don't need it due to brunch timing or too busy.

Dinner: When pressed for time in the evening I default to frozen chicken tenders which have issues with the oil type and the breading. Other wise I am eating grassfed steak, game meat chili, red salmon, grassfed beef meatloaf, or NomNom Paleo Cracklin Chicken thighs. With that I eat a head of broccoli, which is a habit left over from my gym rat days, or a simple salad. I have been going with yogurt based dressings, which are typically almost as bad for you as the oil dressings.

Snacks: I eat way too many almond and macidamia nuts. And too much coconut meat. I should eat more jerky, but I get too distracted to make big enough batches to last more than two weeks.

For busy times during the week, its best to prep your food on the weekend and freeze portions. Harder to do if you are out on the weekends or have a hectic home life with family. A huge part of the paleo lifestyle is to destress and slow down so anything that feeds stress needs to be managed and changed to help you improve your life.

The one my wife likes the best is called PaleOMG or something lame like that. Civilized caveman is another blog she watches religiously.​

Both are good for info. My sister ran into that lame Julie girl in Denver and bought her current cookbook signed to me with a heart and silly lame motivational stuff. I do not enjoy her recent fashion friday trend, as my daughter has pointed out that she appears to promote thigh gap due to her super tight jeans and the selfie mirror poses she posts. (what did I just type?) My biggest "not a real problem" with PaleOMG is all the replacement bread like foods. I abore the trend by so many paleo cooks to create paleo based replacements for muffins and cookies. If you want a muffin, eat a frickin muffin. Just don't live off muffins every day. The 80/20 concept goes a long way to resolve food cravings, and in the long term those will reduce to a point that you don't have them.

Another great resource for cooking paleo is the Domestic Man. Russel is a great cook, and his book is very good.

 

[Ray]

I'm reading up on the Whole30. While reading all I can think about is what a crabby bastard I'll be for a month. I need to look at some of their recipes and see if I can swing it.

Actually you may only be crabby for the first week as you go through the "no carb flu". As long as you are eating enough fats you will be fine.

And to answer your question on the beans. Legumes are known to strip your body of minerals. And there are issues with some of the compounds in them that cause body issues for some folks.

 

[Whisky]

I look at it more simply. If it comes directly from a plant or something that bleeds, eat it. If not, dont.

except for beer.

Oh and keep more veggies on your plate than the meat. If not, you may see your cholesterol creep up. Mine did after the first year of paleo.

This is more or less the approach I took when I was into it. With the exception of potatoes, I cut them out. It worked good for me and probably easier to maintain then a "true" paleo diet.

 

[squeekieslayer]

I read an article from the folks that did whole 30 and they are considering adding white potatoes to whole 30.

I agree with Ray to an extent about the paleo baked goods. We make them on a very limited basis... but the fact of the matter is that when I eat a paleo muffin, i dont get that grumble in my stomach 5 minutes later like I do when I eat a real muffin. So for us, it is a limited thing, but it is better than wheat.

If interested read the book called "Wheat belly" It is very very good information from a doctor that had Diabetes himself.

I can tell you this... I eat wheat, I feel very hungry 10 minutes later and crave more wheat. I eat paleo fake muffins, I don't. Maybe thats just me though

Joe

 

[squeekieslayer]

I look at it more simply. If it comes directly from a plant or something that bleeds, eat it. If not, dont.

except for beer.

Oh and keep more veggies on your plate than the meat. If not, you may see your cholesterol creep up. Mine did after the first year of paleo.

coming from a plant would include whole wheat, corn, peanuts, potatoes.... Not paleo
Coming from something that bleeds would include dairy.... not paleo

I like the idea, but way to over simplified

Joe

 

[hodgeman]

Just for what it's worth...since shifting to a Paleo way of eating my blood chemistry improved remarkably and my wife had even more dramatic results, reversing diabetes. Her A1C dropped nearly in half in 180days.

 

[Poser]

Actually you may only be crabby for the first week as you go through the "no carb flu". As long as you are eating enough fats you will be fine.

And to answer your question on the beans. Legumes are known to strip your body of minerals. And there are issues with some of the compounds in them that cause body issues for some folks.

Yeah, the carb withdrawals are tough for awhile. Then you get over them and, on the occasion that you do eat carbs, the fill you up really quickly and leave you with a stiff gut feeling.

As far as legumes, I guess I always had stomach problems relating to eating beans, but I never realized the full extent until I started eating paleo. Now I have realized that legumes absolutely wreck my gut. I do still eat them on occasion, for example when someone makes chili with beans in it, but I try to stay real light on them. Diary is not an issue for me at all. I still eat cheese though not near as much of it. I also eat yogurt and cottage cheese if I'm in the mood for either. My wife is just the opposite: Legumes cause her system no problems but she can't handle diary.

Once you been eating this way for awhile, your body tends to become very sensitive to processed food and carbs. So, for example, if you go to New Orleans for a couple of days and live it up with King Cake, beer and muffalettas, you'll feel it like a bad hangover for a few days. Your body will feel stiff and inflamed.

As for beer, I've cut way back on how much of it and how often I drink it. If I'm in the mood to drink, I usually either nurse a glass of bourbon or I'll even do the "Paleo Margarita": Tequila, lime and soda water. (Agave is not a grain, so tequila is technically "paleo" -most other alcoholic beverages rely on fermented grains such as rice, wheat, corn or, in the case of vodka, potatoes). Going back to carbs having a filling effect, I never really understood people complaining that beer is "filling" until I started eating this way. Now it kind of feels like drinking a loaf of bread.

The overall best benefit, IMO, is the consistent energy levels. Eating paleo is like putting a big, cured piece of oak in your furnace and turning the dampers down -a long, slow, consistent burn of energy with no energy crashes. If you need a spike for a workout, throw in a sweet potato or two that day. As a result, my workdays are much more efficient since my energy and concentration are stable.

 

[squeekieslayer]

Yeah, the carb withdrawals are tough for awhile. Then you get over them and, on the occasion that you do eat carbs, the fill you up really quickly and leave you with a stiff gut feeling.

As far as legumes, I guess I always had stomach problems relating to eating beans, but I never realized the full extent until I started eating paleo. Now I have realized that legumes absolutely wreck my gut. I do still eat them on occasion, for example when someone makes chili with beans in it, but I try to stay real light on them. Diary is not an issue for me at all. I still eat cheese though not near as much of it. I also eat yogurt and cottage cheese if I'm in the mood for either. My wife is just the opposite: Legumes cause her system no problems but she can't handle diary.

Once you been eating this way for awhile, your body tends to become very sensitive to processed food and carbs. So, for example, if you go to New Orleans for a couple of days and live it up with King Cake, beer and muffalettas, you'll feel it like a bad hangover for a few days. Your body will feel stiff and inflamed.

As for beer, I've cut way back on how much of it and how often I drink it. If I'm in the mood to drink, I usually either nurse a glass of bourbon or I'll even do the "Paleo Margarita": Tequila, lime and soda water. (Agave is not a grain, so tequila is technically "paleo" -most other alcoholic beverages rely on fermented grains such as rice, wheat, corn or, in the case of vodka, potatoes). Going back to carbs having a filling effect, I never really understood people complaining that beer is "filling" until I started eating this way. Now it kind of feels like drinking a loaf of bread.

The overall best benefit, IMO, is the consistent energy levels. Eating paleo is like putting a big, cured piece of oak in your furnace and turning the dampers down -a long, slow, consistent burn of energy with no energy crashes. If you need a spike for a workout, throw in a sweet potato or two that day. As a result, my workdays are much more efficient since my energy and concentration are stable.

nailed it. I jsut got back from a week in jamaica eating like total shit and drinking copious amounts of pina coladas and other syrupy crap.... i felt like i had arthritis from head to toe.

Joe

 

[bjaegers]

It's great to see so many of us are benefiting from a Paleo diet. Dietary problems stole a couple of years from me in my early thirties as I went from Dr. to Dr. trying to get better. Finally found this diet and it has made me bullet proof once again. I have been eating this way for over two years and it is just a normal way of eating at this point for me.

I'm a lucky Dude and my wife has embraced these changes and has made a great life style and carrier out of online nutritional counselling. Check out her site http://member.fitnationreset.com/ this might be a real useful tool in getting you crossed over and eating clean. Food ideas are real tough when you start but it can't be an easier once your a few months into this and reaping the rewards.

The thing that I relate to as a hunter is the whole evolutionary part of Paleo. What we kill and stock our fridge with is the "Rock Star" portion of this diet. My wife is way more generous and understanding now of my hunting and killing multiple animals over multiple seasons now. Hey- just trying to put high quality fat and protein in out diet... what a great husband.

Performance wise it's pretty cool to be fueling your body on Ketones instead of Glucose. It takes my body about 30 minutes to warm up on hikes but I can perform all day at a high levels and never fill like I'm crashing. No need for all the Gu and Shoot blocks for a glucose spike. I feel in a Zen state body and mind when hunting that's just natural and balanced. Understanding the evolutionary dynamics of this type of diet is very rewarding. Hunting is our evolutionary role in the food chain and is my definition of being human.

 

[SDHNTR]

coming from a plant would include whole wheat, corn, peanuts, potatoes.... Not paleo
Coming from something that bleeds would include dairy.... not paleo

I like the idea, but way to over simplified

Joe

True, but easy enough to include the exceptions of grains, potatoes, and dairy.

 

[Steeliedrew]

What do you guys do about bacon and jerky? Seems like a lot of store bought cured meats have been cured with sugar.

 

[kyle1112]

Uncured

 

[kyle1112]

Or buy from a butcher that can make it for you

 

[hodgeman]

What do you guys do about bacon and jerky? Seems like a lot of store bought cured meats have been cured with sugar.

DIY can't be beat. Bacon is easy...jerky is easier.

 

[tstowater]

I did the same thing as Joe with the LuRong Paleo Challenge and the Resolution Challenge that started on Monday. I didn't have any problem adapting, but I work off sheer determination and had already eliminated a lot of the problem foods. I definitely feel better and can do more. The prior challenge was going on when I took a 2 week hunting trip. Just need to plan ahead and use good judgment. Didn't have a cheat the whole time. I couldn't hardly wait for this challenge to start and as Joe stated, it creates accountability that you see everyday the challenge is on.

As to what I generally eat: Meats, eggs, veggies (lots of greens), no legumes, fruits (need to watch for sugar spikes-eat a few nuts with an apple, etc.), nuts(not peanuts-a legume) usually almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans. Get good clean olive oil and infused balsamic vinegars---makes awesome salads. There are lots of good recipes out there in the places already talked about and plenty of cook books.

Rule #1: you need to mix it up or it gets pretty dull in a big hurry. Paleo does require you to plan, especially if Paleo base ingredients are not readily available where you live.

I would not look at Paleo as a diet, but rather a lifestyle change. It can be done. If you love booze and processed foods and don't have the discipline to stay away from them, then short of a "cheat day" here and there, you will eventually fail.

BTW, I love making Paleo banana bread and actually made a loaf last night and may make another tonight.

 

[Poser]

The thing that I relate to as a hunter is the whole evolutionary part of Paleo. What we kill and stock our fridge with is the "Rock Star" portion of this diet. My wife is way more generous and understanding now of my hunting and killing multiple animals over multiple seasons now. Hey- just trying to put high quality fat and protein in out diet... what a great husband.

Its definitely a great way to sync hunting, hunting lifestyle, hunting culture and the benefits of hunting into "domestic living." If you are buying most or all of your meat from the grocery store and you are sticking to the fundamentals of eating Paleo, its likely a pretty expensive way to eat. Of course, as hunters, we spend a lot of money procuring that meat, but we are going to do that anyway, so from a pure $ to calorie ratio, we have it pretty good on the paleo diet scale and we get meat that simply cannot be obtained (hunted, purchased, or otherwise) any other way AND we have tend to have abundances of it.

I look at it like this: For a non hunter to commit to eating Paleo, its kind of a big undertaking. For a hunter, it can be a relatively easy thing to wrap one's head around and transition into. Likewise, the popularity of the Paleo diet has created not only more public respect for hunting, but actual interest in hunting itself. I was invited to a Paleo potluck recently and showed up with a plate of roasted squirrels. I was the freakin' Paleo rockstar with some squirrels that I shot in my backyard with a pellet gun. All the cooked made with Tapioca flour + 400 other expensive ingredients are cool and tasty and all, but, those things flat get "out paleod" by a plate full of tree rats any day of the week