The Carnivore’s Dilemma – A Diet of Just Meats and Fats? | The Primal Parent
Pemmican, grassfed beef and liver, pastured eggs, lime, shrimp, chicken
I didn’t come about this decision intellectually, though I did read just about everything I could get my hands on about nutrition. I ended up here after years of experimentation in an effort to feel excellent.
In 2007, after having been Paleo for two years, I still had a good long list of symptoms I wanted to overcome, so I decided to try an elimination diet. Since I did’t eat grains, of course my base could not be rice, so I chose fermented raw dairy. I had eliminated dairy two years before, after going primal, but since I had never tried raw dairy and, being infatuated with Weston Price’s work, I thought I’d give it a shot.
For about six months or so I drank only raw dairy which I soured, unrefrigerated on the counter. I stayed on just that one food for so long because each time I tried adding something else, I didn’t feel as good. I was also reading the most underground, alternative nutrition info could find – all meat diets, raw meat diets, raw juice diets, raw dairy and blood diets. I had had enough of feeling like crap my whole life and so I explored everything.
At some point I added raw beef and blood. No problems there so I’d found another food. I added other raw meats and seafoods and even included a little white rice (which I don’t eat anymore) and eventually eliminated dairy again. For the next year or so I ate a raw Primal diet and felt amazing! I was able to maintain the discipline to eat a strict diet of raw meat, raw seafood, raw eggs, and a little white rice because I felt so great. It just didn’t make any sense to add other foods which altered my mood, impaired my delicate digestion, and fired up my joint pain.
It was getting practically impossible to get back to a “normal” diet because I was feeling so spectacular. I took long hikes every day carrying my daughter on my back for miles. I slept only 6 hours a night and always felt rested. I was happy and smiling all the time. I was busy and productive. My skin was clear for the first time in 12 years. I quit needing lotion or deodorant. Why would I ever go back?
I probably wouldn’t have had I remained a single mom, but I met my boyfriend who ate cooked food and thought it was kind of weird that I didn’t have a stove or oven in my apartment. He brought over a single burner for the counter and little by little I started eating cooked meat again. Cravings are not as easy to control on a cooked carnivorous diet as they are on a raw meat diet so I began trying other Primal based foods as well.
Very slowly I started to discover which particular foods bother me and why. While people are generally ready to accept that food affects our physical health, people often balk at the idea that our attitudes, intelligence, and motivation are affected by the same. After years of careful observation I am certain that the food we put in our bodies is largely responsible for our moods, our mental disorders, our productivity, and satisfaction.
It really is this big.
Interestingly, I have determined that at least for myself a carnivorous diet is not perfect either. A carnivorous diet comes with its own set of emotional complications, namely no emotions. A carnivorous diet makes me Vulcan.
This wouldn’t be much of a problem if I had remained a single mom with no emotional investments (raising children is a job, and doesn’t have to be particularly emotional) but I met this boyfriend of mine whose personality is in stark contrast to my own.
The dilemma: To be or not to be like everybody else. Well the answer is easy if it involves feeling crappy. I am done falling apart from the inside out and am quite content being a Vulcan thank you very much! Except that I am in a relationship and have friends and family who all have heightened emotions. That makes me look rather cold. If I could just run away to Mongolia where people eat a native heavy meat diet and don’t feel much pain, I would be fine, but here I am tethered to the US. Oh well, I went on being a carnivore anyway!
But one particularly hot summer week I stumbled upon a solution to this dilemma: non fat yogurt and a small amount of pure cane sugar does not bring about any of the symptoms I mention below and, in fact, makes me somewhat caring, silly, and mildly emotional. Sugar cured my apathy! (Not that I believe apathy is a thing to be cured. Weston Price noted repeatedly that primitive peoples did not “suffer” from a whole lot of emotion. When people died, loved ones did not dwell or freak out.) I realize that this may come with some trade off since sugar and pasteurized dairy are not primal foods but I have weighed this against ruining my boyfriend’s life (that’s almost a joke) and have decided that I will simply stay tuned for any deleterious effects and fine tune things as needed.
Laugh all you want it won’t bother me too much and if it does I’ll just remove sugar for a couple of days and return to my usual poker face.
With no further ado, I will leave you with a sample week of my carnivorous diet that has seen me well through many years (other than my moments of weakness and failure because we all have them, even Vulcans).
Food Diary and Exercise Regimen:
A note on exercisingI’m not really big on exercising anymore but I don’t drive very often and I live in a hilly area. I ride my single gear bike daily 6 miles to daycare and back, pulling my daughter behind me in a trailer. I also walk to the nearby stores and cafes. I get a lot of enjoyment out of walking and contemplating so I will often walk many miles in one day. I also run around and play a lot with my kid. I don’t do sit ups too often but being a singer and doing lots of turning movements gives me six pack abs nevertheless. My arms are fairly strong from the pull ups that I often do walking through my bedroom doorway and the heavy things I carry around (such as the groceries I have to carry up the hills and the 20lb trailer I place on the other side of the gate each day.) Life is exercise for me.
UPDATE: This is a sample of a real week. While I do eat pretty much the same things all the time, there is some variation. For example, I don’t usually eat yogurt every single day. I often throw one food in, which isn’t in my base diet just to keep it interesting and to observe my reaction. So, this month it’s been yogurt. Last month it was bacon. I’ve had hot dog phases, and gellato phases, phases where I drink a whole lot of tea or a whole lot of alcohol. Sometimes I even let myself eat peanuts for a week because I like them so much. As soon as I get tired of feeling icky, I get back to the tried and true.
I also wanted to mention that I was out of fish oil on the week that I charted all of this, but usually I take cod liver oil each morning. I also drink bone broth several times a week but it has been so brutally hot in the last couple of weeks that I haven’t fired up the pot. I eat 100% local grass finished grass fed ground beef because I lOVE it. I realize that steaks may be healthier but I love ground beef, so there.
A week in the life:
Wednesday:
Up at 6:30
8am breakfast: 2 eggs cooked in grassfed tallow from US Wellness with about 6 wild shrimp.
Bike ride 3 miles to daycare.
10am Black organic coffee.
12pm Lunch: Ground grassfed beef and a can of sardines.
4pm 3 mile bike ride to daycare
6pm Dinner: Two chicken thighs with skin, a glass of limeade (1 lime, 2 tsp sugar, water), and a few bites of raw, grassfed liver.
Walk to the river. We all stopped at the store hungry and bought some vanilla non-fat yogurt.
Bed at 11pm
Thursday:
Up at 6am
8am Breakfast: Decaf orgainic black coffee, a good sized handful of grassfed ground beef, 2 pastured eggs cooked in tallow.
Walked 1.5 miles to daycare (the trailer broke down!). Rode my bike back.
11am Lunch: Glass of limeade, 1 can of sardines in water with lime, cup of non-fat yogurt.
1pm cup of decaf coffee
6:30 Dinner: I had a coupon at a wicked sushi place nearby so we went out to eat.
We all shared tuna sashimi, muscles steamed in a saki lemongrass broth, and three huge orders of pork and apple skewers. Things I shouldn’t have had included apples, saki (rice), wheat free tamari, and maple syrup. Oh well. I survived.
A walk down to the river and back, about 2 miles.
11pm Bed time
Friday:
Up at 6am
7:30am Breakfast: 2 pastured eggs cooked in tallow with 3 slices of bacon. (While I absolutely love bacon I don’t eat it too often because I can’t digest it well. The same is true for all processed meats.)
3 mile bike ride to daycare.
10am Black organic coffee
11am Lunch Cup of yogurt, super thick slice of ham, 1 hard boiled egg.
3 mile bike ride to daycare.
No Dinner: I decided to fast till tomorrow.
5pm Evelyn and Julian ate dinner and I had a small glass of fresh squeezed limeade.
5:30 5 mile bike ride downtown to go shopping and see a movie.
(Evelyn had a sucker during the movie. I had water. While Winnie the Pooh and I were fasting I was thinking that planning a fast before going out on the town would not a bad idea. I have super human discipline and think that anything sold at a movie theater is utterly repulsive so I wouldn’t have need for this tactic but I bet this could work for a lot of people.)
Bed at 10pm
Saturday:
Up at 6am.
8:30am breakfast: 2 pastured eggs scrambled in tallow with some grassfed ground beef.
I rode as fast as I could on my 3 mile commute.
10am Snack: A hard boiled egg, a cup of non-fat yogurt with sugar, and a cup of black coffee.
1pm Another Snack: Cup of iced coffee and a thick slice of ham plus a few bites of pemmican.
A 2 mile walk down to the cafe and back for a cup of ginseng peppermint tea.
5 mile bike ride to daycare and downtown.
6pm Dinner: Chipotle carnitas, double meat with lime.
2 mile walk downtown and back.
Cup of black coffee and one Grey Goose and soda with lime.
Bed at 2am
Sunday:
Up at 6am
9am Breakfast: 2 pastured eggs and 1 yolk with white fish cooked in tallow.
12pm Lunch: A potluck with our meetup group: 1 hardboiled egg, 2 bautwurst, homemade beef jerky, iced decaf coffee (this was not a carnivorous meetup group, that’s just what I ate for lunch.)
Long bike ride and walk in the hot sun.
6pm Dinner: Frozen yogurt – hot sun, hangover, and no sleep = bad decisions (although frozen yogurt doesn’t come with too many consequences for me).
Bed early
Monday:
Up at 5:45
8:30am Breakfast: Shrimp sauteed in tallow.
3 mile bike ride to daycare and back. Some pull ups
12pm Lunch: 400 calorie pemmican bar
7pm Dinner: 12 raw oysters with lemon juice, non-fat yogurt, and a chicken thigh with skin.
3 mile bike ride to daycare and back.
Sparring with Julian.
Bed at midnight
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July 27, 2011 at 2:22 pm
July 27, 2011 at 2:31 pm
I always wonder when certain things bother me or not. The main thing I’ve noticed since goin primal is more energy and better digstion. Though I still have weird digestion sometimes but it’s hard to pinpoint what it is. Sometimes I think it’s when I have a lot of berries. I’ve told you before I’m nursing two kids so I don’t want to eliminate a bunch of stuff to figure it out cuz I gotta eat enough to make lots of milk.
Anyway that was a really interesting post. Thanks for sharing a week in the life
July 27, 2011 at 3:35 pm
July 27, 2011 at 2:45 pm
July 27, 2011 at 7:53 pm
July 27, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Knowing what you eat on a daily basis is SUPER helpful! Now I have some awesome guidelines on what to work on! Thanks so much!
July 27, 2011 at 2:52 pm
July 27, 2011 at 8:00 pm
July 27, 2011 at 3:04 pm
Through research and personal experience I have come to most of the same conclusions as you. I am mostly Paleo/Primal in my eating but am still working to nail down what foods are best for me personally. Your story is encouraging.
If you have not already come across it, Dr Natasha Campbell-McBride published a book “Gut and Psychology Syndrome” which, as the title indicates, provides a lot of explanation and support for the connection between our diet and our psychological states.
Cheers
July 27, 2011 at 3:21 pm
July 27, 2011 at 3:07 pm
I remember you saying that you can’t tolerate butter, but it looks like you eat non-fat yogurt with no problems – was it cow’s milk yogurt that you ate? I have Celiac Disease too, so I didn’t eat dairy for about a year, and have experimented with adding it back into my diet. High-fat dairy like butter and cream I can eat with no problems, but the low or non fat does not treat me well!
July 27, 2011 at 3:19 pm
July 27, 2011 at 3:18 pm
July 27, 2011 at 3:30 pm
July 27, 2011 at 4:23 pm
We started SAD then went more WAPF and now are moving more Primal. I feel better with no grains. But still have lots of cravings and give in more than I should. (I’m also nursing right now and that has to have something to do with it all.)
Have you every heard of the GAPS diet? It uses lots of bone broth and fermented foods and is supposed to heal food allergies and gut issues. We’re working towards that, but it’s very restrictive…which you are already good at. LOL
Do you have reactions with ghee? I’ve read that most people who can’t have butter do fine with it.
Why do you only eat the non-fat yogurt? I’ve read so much about why it’s bad and why whole milk (preferably raw) yogurt is best. I was just wondering your stance on that.
Thanks!
July 27, 2011 at 4:32 pm
July 27, 2011 at 4:53 pm
July 27, 2011 at 5:18 pm
July 27, 2011 at 8:04 pm
July 27, 2011 at 6:48 pm
July 27, 2011 at 8:10 pm
July 27, 2011 at 7:18 pm
My question is this though: do you worry about nutrient deficiency since you’re not eating veggies? Veggies do not work well for me either. I’m currently pregnant and eating liver regularly and my body seems to LOVE nettle infusion, both of which my midwife is comfortable with me using to replace a prenatal vitamin (which I cannot tolerate because of the iron content), but I still wonder if I’m getting enough nutrients.
I also notice that if I eat no fruit/starches, I have no cravings. But as soon as I start again, oh man! The cravings get intense!
July 27, 2011 at 8:17 pm
I don’t worry about nutrient deficiencies. I eat lots of special foods like bone broths, shellfish, liver, kidney, and quite a variety of fishes, meats, and fats. When I first started this, I was worried about it but after doing it for so long it’s not so much of a concern. I experience the worst nutrient deficiencies when I eat foods which compromise my digestion.
July 27, 2011 at 10:37 pm
August 7, 2011 at 1:31 pm
July 28, 2011 at 4:37 am
July 30, 2011 at 12:50 am
July 28, 2011 at 5:24 am
July 28, 2011 at 9:24 am
I commend you on your determination for sure. For me cutting out dairy and grains was a huge deal and it has impacted my life pretty significantly. I’ve also read GAPS and found it to be a brilliant book that finally explained my digestion issues.
I’m still having some issues with fatigue and considering that I get 8 hrs sleep I think it could be food related, or possibly hormone related. Now I just have to decide if I want to bite the bullet and pay for a homeopathic dr visit to really find out.
Also I think it is great that you can get by without using a car. I imagine in the winter time you have to drive?
July 28, 2011 at 2:31 pm
I ride my bike up until about January here in Colorado. I actually have a snow tire so sometimes I’ll ride in snowstorms. My boyfriend has a car though so when we need it, it’s there, and when we want to go on trips, it’s there. We’re responsible driver; we only drive when we need to.
July 28, 2011 at 10:01 am
I too was eager to see what your diet looked like, when I first saw that you didn’t eat nuts or vegetables. While I have always loved my veggies, I find that I am often left bloated, have heartburn and don’t have that great energy you expect to have from eating such colourful foods. It was a puzzle, and if you have any articles or books that were helpful to you, please post them. In the meantime, I have just naturally gravitated towards a more canivorous primal diet, With fat being my main staple, followed by meat, offal, and some veggies. I rarely eat fruit, though I have no problem with most of them (bananas and pineapple are a no go for me) I just don’t like too many sweet things. I eat a lot of pemmican, now that I know how to make it
July 28, 2011 at 3:07 pm
July 28, 2011 at 12:58 pm
I do not have many issues anymore. My weight and health are in check (started with Atkins and now I am mostly Paleo/Primal except for a thing here and there [real beer, not the mass produced crap]). I have no issues with “will power” as I’ve learned to be responsible for my actions (meaning, I learned that I could not blame anyone but myself for what went into my mouth).
Thank you for this!
July 28, 2011 at 3:10 pm
July 28, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Will power is a state of mind. No?
But you are an inspiration to many by how you are searching for what works for you, regardless of what popular fads are in fashion at the time. Thank you for being honest.
July 28, 2011 at 6:14 pm
One question: can you eat plain Greek yogurt?
July 29, 2011 at 12:23 pm
July 29, 2011 at 2:30 am
I’m eating a ton of raw goat milk kefir, butter and raw goat cheese now, it goes pretty good i think, i want to experiment soon with adding some grasfed beef and fish and leaving the dairy out… see if i feel anything different! Greetz!!
July 29, 2011 at 2:30 am
I’m eating a ton of raw goat milk kefir, butter and raw goat cheese now, it goes pretty good i think, i want to experiment soon with adding some grasfed beef and fish and leaving the dairy out… see if i feel anything different! Greetz!!
July 29, 2011 at 12:21 pm
July 29, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Im 21 and used to be depressed. Ive become better but I still dont feel as good as I hope to become. I sometimes feel strong anguish and sadness. Sometimes even thoughts about suicide if something goes wrong. But those are just thoughts these days, not wishes.
My question is if you think becoming less emotional by eating certain foods would help?
I too feel bad if I eat fruit or nuts and other natural healthy stuff. Im sensitive to many things.
Thanks for a great blog. Take care!
July 29, 2011 at 8:46 pm
July 30, 2011 at 12:39 am
But yes, I agree with the above comments – another great post! I’m so glad I’m not alone in my carnivory… Do get a lot of questions about my bowels though, which I think might be a tad invasive.
July 30, 2011 at 8:47 am
I have gone into my doc’s office in the same way. “Can’t you please help me eat other foods!?” So far, she can’t…
July 30, 2011 at 1:58 am
I’m the spanish girl with acne and PCOS who commented a couple of weeks ago. After reading your post I decided to try a zero carb diet combined with intermittent fasting, in order to try to clear my skin and feel better. And well, two weeks after starting the diet I am ALMOST CLEAR. So, so unbelievable. You don’t know how big is that for me. I had been trying with paleo diet for A YEAR with little or no improvement in my skin condition.
You know, I had always read these stories about people getting magically clear one way or another, and for me It just wasn’t happening. I was asking so desperately for my little miracle… and two weeks ago, I stumbled upon your post through Mark’s Daily Apple, I read it and I just thought “everything is going to be fine”.
At the moment I’m having no troubles with ZC diet. Not constipation at all (fat is great for that) and not insomnia, although I do need less sleep. My mood is so great, I’m completely free of anxiety and cravings and I’m just peaceful and happy. I’m also trying to exercise, have a lot of sun and enjoy life.
I’m eating lots of pastured eggs, liver, seafood, meat and fish. I’m also eating raw cheese, heavy cream, organic butter and some yogurts (but only the cheese is raw, I’m afraid). I’m supplementing with magnesium, vit C and cold liver oil, and planning to get a good multi. I don’t know if I will continue eating this way my whole life, since I do miss veggies and I think I will try to include them again when I get clear. But, as you said, I want to be healthy and I will change my diet and lifestyle until I get it. No matter what is needed to be done, I’m going to do it.
I hope things will continue this way, and I just wanted to THANK YOU so much. I don’t know if I would have tried ZC if I hadn’t read your post, but I do know it arrived in a moment of my life that I was so hopeless and desperate, and so needed for my miracle. Acne has been my curse since I was 12, and I’m 26 now.
You will never know how thankful I am. I really have no words. Keep on being so brave and doing things your very own way. You are truly amazing.
July 30, 2011 at 3:05 pm
I spent the same number of years trying everything, every supplement, every diet, every holistic and conventional approach – nothing.
I was so hopeful when I started the Paleo diet. I read Loren Cordain’s paper about the absence of acne in uncivilized peoples and it made so much sense. I totally quit processed foods and it didn’t make a damn bit of difference. I kind of gave up on the acne – thinking I was plagued to be different – but I couldn’t give up on the digestion. Bad digestion is distracting and noisy and itchy and irritating. It was through the desire to not notice my belly that I was blessed with clear skin. (By the way, there is a connection to digestion and acne but it is not bi-conditional. If I have acne, my digestion is undoubtedly messed up, but if my digestion is messed up, I may not necessarily have acne. Processed meats mess up my digestion but they do not cause me acne. Peanuts majorly mess up my digestion but also do not affect my skin terribly. Just had to throw that out there.)
Please keep me posted, Marina.
August 1, 2011 at 2:08 pm
I’m in my 30s now, and have started to wonder how I will ever have children, if I have to be on birth control pills my entire life. A few years ago I went off the pill to see if my hormones had adjusted, but it resulted in a rapid return of the acne and a course of Accutane. The scarring was just as bad as when I was a teen.
Peggy’s recent posts have been so helpful, and although I haven’t yet gone zero carb (I’ve had to teach myself how to cook and eat meat, so I’m working toward this goal), I’ve noticed a definite difference in mood and energy levels on days when I can keep my carb intake below 40-50 g. I’m hoping within the next few weeks to convince myself to try organ meats, so that I will feel more comfortable switching to a zero-carb diet…who knows for how long…and possibly even go off the pill again.
Thank you, Peggy, for all of this information! I’ll always have more questions, but you’ve answered so many. I really appreciate your sharing this with us.
August 2, 2011 at 4:21 pm
August 2, 2011 at 11:15 pm
August 7, 2011 at 2:52 pm
August 8, 2011 at 2:23 pm
August 17, 2011 at 10:58 am
I’m very interested in the details, as I think we’ve had a similar history with acne. If you’re not comfortable discussing further in the comments or forum, perhaps we can swap email addresses somehow?
August 17, 2011 at 11:14 am
If you’d like to swap emails, let me know and I’ll email you guys the other’s email addresses. (mouthful)
July 30, 2011 at 5:31 am
I know this was TV, but it’s worth looking up to see if this “phytate intolerance” really exists. If it does, then you know you have company–it probably has a genetic base.
A totally true fact to dwell on: traditional Eskimos get very little vegetation or grain in their diet, and mainly live on seal blubber, seal meat, fish, and whatever else they can get meat-wise…nothing grows in the ice caps!
Could you be part Eskimo?
July 30, 2011 at 5:39 am
“PHYTATE INTOLERANCE – The liver’s inability to digest phytate (a phosphorus-containing compound sometimes referred to as phytic acid) most abundant in the outer hull of cereal grains. The intolerance reduces absorption of zinc, copper, iron and other minerals as well as vitamins.”
The only remedy? Soaking your grains via the WAPF method (Weston A. Price), or just eliminating them altogether. The WAPF method wasn’t working for me, so I just eliminated them myself.
This (above) may be why you feel like crap when you eat certain foods.
July 30, 2011 at 8:43 am
Having been a long time lover of WAPF and Weston Price I know all about soaking of grains and nuts and, of course, I tried that too. No different for me. Maybe these extreme cases of intolerance are beyond soaking though.
Thanks a WHOLE LOT for thinking of me. I have managed to figure out that I can only eat meat, but I sure am vexed by why, even my ND has no clue…
July 30, 2011 at 3:44 pm
July 31, 2011 at 10:07 am
August 1, 2011 at 4:42 pm
August 2, 2011 at 4:18 pm
July 30, 2011 at 6:26 pm
That’s really interesting about the apathy thing. I’m a highly emotional person. When I was in college I went on Prozac for two years to get me through to my degree. I hated that it stunted my emotions. Even though it prevented depression and rage, it also prevented me from feeling excitement and elation. But being “Vulcan” would be much easier than being a mental or physical wreck, for sure. Luckily, I’m getting less negatively emotional as I eat better.
Obviously, you’re eating the best diet for you, but I’m really curious about how meat-heavy diets affect longevity. I’ve read a few articles on this, but was wondering if you knew of anything helpful on the topic.
By the way, I am so amazed that you were able to eat only soured dairy for six months. Talk about determination. I don’t think I could handle that kind of restriction.
July 31, 2011 at 9:40 am
I have read a few studies on meat affecting longevity and the ones I’ve read are poorly executed. You have to understand that sooooo many of the studies done today employ terrible statistical methods. For example, check out this widely accepted study about calorie restriction. http://theprimalparent.com/2011/05/29/calorie-restriction-the-quality-of-diet-seems-to-matter/ The methods are non-sense, though, because the test subjects eat a high-carb diet. Likewise, you can’t conclude that eating a lot of meat affects longevity when the meat your using in your study is feed lot, processed meat, alongside a high grain diet. Nobody that I know of has done studies on real people that eat a variety of healthy meats and seafood and organs.
But even if meat did have some affect on longevity, I couldn’t care less about it. I am only interested in the quality of life, not how long I live. It doesn’t make any difference to me if I die tomorrow as long as the days I do live are great ones.
July 31, 2011 at 7:29 pm
Weird about the dairy fat thing. Usually it’s the sugar or protein people can’t handle. I just keep thinking it’s so amazing you have been able to figure out how to feed yourself because it’s so different from the norm.
August 2, 2011 at 3:10 pm
August 2, 2011 at 5:32 pm
July 31, 2011 at 2:29 pm
July 31, 2011 at 8:01 pm
August 2, 2011 at 4:14 pm
August 2, 2011 at 7:06 pm
I have no idea what foods disagree with me outside of grains, legumes and dairy. I’m not even one hundred percent sure that all foods in those groups cause me harm. Ill be starting an elimination experiment after my camping trip with my siblings. Thus, it starts on Monday, august 8.
Thanks so much for the inspiration Peggy!
August 2, 2011 at 11:30 pm
1) You mentioned that certain foods give you panic attacks. May I ask which ones have you seen a link to (diffinitive or possibly) and if you came to this conclusion purely through the elimination diet? I suffer from heart problems related to panic attacks and have been looking for possible alternative solutions, namely nutrition.
2) How do you know/think you have the fructose malabsorbtion? My 1 yr old gets diarrhea frequently and can be timed to have anything int he berry family (including the non-berry blueberry) go through her within a half hour. I’m trying to figure out if it is fructose. Namely I need the diagnosis so my extended family doesn’t give her anything that upsets her stomach.
3) Do you ever feel restricted in your diet? Or is it restricting to the point of liberation?
4) Any words of encouragement? lol.
Thanks so much for your blog. It is so very helpful to an aspiring Primal Mom.
August 3, 2011 at 10:13 am
1. while I suffered many different mental problems before I changed my diet, panic attacks were never among them. Until, that is, I had a severe brain injury last year. For months I was a very different person and the panic attacks seemed life-threatening. After the accident I was still eating paleo but had added starches and several other things I cannot tolerate. In retrospect, it seems that the panic attacks were due to the TBI in conjunction with starches and allergens.
2. I suspect I have fructose malabsorption because I get a very rumbly gassy stomach each time I eat fruit or honey and almost always get diarrhea too. I also get acne and depression. It was difficult for me to believe this for a long time because fruit is supposed to be detoxifying and healthy. It is also supposed to elevate the mood. Anyway, I’ve done some pretty controlled tests on this with myself and these symptoms are undoubtedly linked to fructose. There is a test for it but I haven’t bothered getting it.
3. Oh yeah, I do feel restricted sometimes. But I find that feeling of restriction is exaggerated after I actually eat the stuff I shouldn’t be eating. But yeah, sometimes I give in. And then I force myself to pull it together again. These phases usually last me a week. Once my digestion has gotten bad and my skin and my mood I get out of it.
4. When I want to eat something out of my ordinary I deliberately think of the consequences I can expect. I ask myself if it’s worth it. 95% of the time I answer no. I have a vivid imagination so I can really put myself there.
August 4, 2011 at 5:39 pm
August 4, 2011 at 7:34 am
I have been having digestive issues for 7 years or so, mostly bloating, and in the past 4 years have been experimenting with WAPF and primal diet stuff. My diet is so clean now (raw dairy kefir, coconut oil, pastured eggs, no grains etc), you would think I should be totally healthy, but there is still something else going on. The reaction to a food seems so random and I read it could be delayed up to 72 hours! I have thought before about trying a raw meat and egg only diet for a while to see how I do, but that seems scary.(don’t I need fiber?!) This post has inspired me to try it though. I was a vegetarian for a while (I know now all that soy protein was hurting me), and I wonder if I could eat that much meat all day. Sometimes just chewing it grosses me out. I don’t like liver, except some liverwurst, and definitely don’t think I could it raw! Did you have any problems with that at first? I do really like ground beef, filet mignon and our pastured eggs, although I have never tried them raw!
I am very tired of trying to figure this out and usually feel like I am the only person dealing with something like this (which I don’t understand when everyone around me is eating fast food SAD), so I am excited that I found your site.
I am looking forward to reading more of your blog, although I am not on my computer much because I am outside playing with my kids!
August 4, 2011 at 1:47 pm
August 4, 2011 at 4:26 pm
August 4, 2011 at 1:48 pm
August 5, 2011 at 10:11 am
Another thing I started doing was putting it in my bone broth (I’m all about condensing as many nutrients as possible into a meal) You can keep it in your broth for the benefits of the nutrients, or, throw the liver in after the broth has been simmering for a few hours, for five minutes. When you take it out, it might be a little pink inside, but that’s just fine. It will have soaked up some of the flavour, and is unbelievably tasty. It’s doesn’t have the mushy gritty texture beef does either. It’s easier here for me to get lamb liver than beef liver, which is just fine because I happen to like it!
August 8, 2011 at 9:04 pm
My husband and I raise our own meat, dairy, and eggs on our little farm. I am much better at raising animals than veg, though I’m no slouch in that dept either.
I’m very hopeful that I’ll be able to get past fibromyalgia symptoms by exploring paleo eating.
August 8, 2011 at 10:51 pm
August 7, 2011 at 8:42 pm
August 8, 2011 at 2:21 pm
My daughter got her dietary calcium from bone broths, canned fish with the bones and skin in, and dark green veggie broth. She also eats a little bit of cheese (like 6 oz every two or three weeks) and occasional yogurt.
I don’t know that calcium deficiency leads to grey teeth. A few things that definitely do, however, are a trauma to the tooth, tetracycline anti-biotic, and too much iron.
August 7, 2011 at 10:25 pm
August 8, 2011 at 3:17 pm
August 8, 2011 at 9:43 pm
you mention your mood being a bit too level without a little bit of sugar. I find that my mood is greatly influenced by the amount of fat i eat. for me, high saturated fat = level mood. do you eat enough fat? i’ve found jackkuses.com pretty good reading regarding this.
and @Gavin… we have essential amino acids, essential fats and now… the essential carbohydrates? explain how one can manage a constant and virtually unwaivering blood glucose level of 4.8mmol/L (can binge on carbs every two weeks and not see a change of more than .3) despite consuming less than 25g of daily carbohydrates per day and lifting weights for hypertrophy (hint, glycolysis is a necessary process, but that does not mean that ingested carbohydrates are)
August 8, 2011 at 10:26 pm
Thanks for taking the time to comment. I am aware that people with gluten sensitivities are also sensitive to casein. I eliminated dairy for years with the assumption that I was not ok with the proteins. I tried butter – still a problem. I tried ghee – no different. (I think I already said something to this effect in another comment above.) And I have not found digestive problems with non-fat dairy so it kind of looks like there’s not a sensitivity there. Dairy fat (and vegetable oils too) makes my digestion very messed up. I don’t want to go into graphic detail here in public (unless people are dying to hear lol) but it was so bad and consistent that I thought I had some sort of bile problem or a bad liver or pancreas that could not process fats. I actually quit eating fat for a while because I just couldn’t process the stuff. But I’m not ignorant enough to go fat free for long so I kept trying to add it back in. Always the same horrible digestive problems, until I discovered tallow. As long as I stay away from dairy fat and veg oils, I’m cool.
My mood is absolutely great. That’s kind of the problem. I am happy and fun loving but just not emotional. I imagine that part of my vulcanness comes from the fact that I used to be so incredibly overly emotional. I’m kind of repulsed at this point by the hightened emotions which ruin people’s lives.
I eat tons of fat – saturated fat. I don’t eat vegetable oils. I eat pemmican and tallow and fatty cuts of meat and eggs. Did you not notice? I don’t eat much carbs so I’d be kind of dying without a lot of fat.
August 8, 2011 at 10:54 pm
August 12, 2011 at 11:36 pm
thanks peggy for your response. i totally identify with what you mean about emotions on a low carb diet. my jibe about fat, however, was not directed at you!
August 13, 2011 at 2:59 am
August 8, 2011 at 5:45 pm
Do/did you have mercury fillings? Did your mother? Have you or your mother ever smoked cigarettes, been near a broken thermometer, a broken flourescent bulb, lived in a house with lead paint, played with lead toys, smoked out of a painted bong or hookah, etc?
I recently had my amalgams removed, began taking many supportive supplements as described by Andy Cutler in his book, and I’m now slowly experimenting with food reintroductions, like milk and broccoli. It’s going extremely well. There is an inexpensive hair sample test you can get for under $100 that can tell you if you have heavy metal issues. If I was standing in front of you, I would plead for you to order Andy Cutler’s book “Amalgam Illness”, have a read, and just see for yourself. You’ve got nothing to lose. The book title is a bit misleading, as it covers any sort of heavy metal toxicity.
August 8, 2011 at 6:49 pm
I have read a couple of books about heavy metal poisoning. Believe me, in all my searching for a cure I read plenty about heavy metal poisoning. And then I had my metals checked. I had no significant metals in my body. It was a big disappointment. I was really hoping to have all my problems solved by something as simple as chelation… Oh well.
August 9, 2011 at 2:18 pm
Some toxic metals get sequestered away and bound up so tight in certain areas of the body that there is no simple way to test for them other than to evaluate your symptoms and then start trying to remove the toxic elements through methods like chelation.
August 9, 2011 at 2:55 pm
Tony,
That’s exactly as I understand it as well. This also applies to blood, urine, and stool tests. Andy Cutler covers this subject as well. Along with the hair test, they provide you with a blood mineral analysis, which can help to diagnose malfunctioning metabolic pathways, which may be malfuntioning due to heavy metals. Andy has written another book on interpreting these results, and the yahoo chelation groups have much experience in this area as well.
Quite frequently, the person’s followup analysis do show the heavy metals after chelation once they are pryed from their hiding places. Symptoms improve concurrently. It’s all very interesting and repeated over and over by newcomers.
August 9, 2011 at 6:17 pm
1. I had undiagnosed celiac disease until I was 26 – my mineral levels got seriously unbalanced and low since childhood.
2. I was a soy consuming vegetarian for 13 years – soy being known to destroy intestines and estrogen levels.
3. I suffered very dramatic and extreme stress which depletes a body of essential nutrients, hormones, and the ability to make neurotransmitters.
4. I was raised on shortening (transfats) and omega-6 oils and rarely ever saw any omega-3s.
Growing up this way, there are many solid reasons why my body turned out the way it did
August 9, 2011 at 3:10 pm
I mean, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if I did…
Here’s the thing, though, I spent soooo many years believing everything I heard about health. I needed to believe at first. I didn’t know any better and I was desperate. I also spent a whole lot of money. I’m extremely skeptical these days and am not as likely as I used to be to read a book and go out and spend a ton of time and money chasing yet another solution that doesn’t apply to me.
August 9, 2011 at 3:35 pm
This is where the mineral analysis comes in. It may show you your mineral levels are completely out of whack with what you thought they were. It may be showing you are not absorbing or are quickly excreting essential minerals, even if you are supposedly ingesting ‘enough’ of them from real food. Thyroid and adrenal tests are also recommended in establishing your baseline.
If you’re not sure it’s worth it to proceed, it’s important to ask yourself the questions I proposed above to try and get an idea of you’ve ever had significant exposures over your entire life, even in the womb. Heave metals are carried to the fetus before the placental wall is developed, and can also be in breastmilk. My mother had a ton of amalgams since childhood, and so have I. I’ve been tourettic, OCD, manic/depressive, you name it. A diet very similar to yours has mitigated much of it, but I think i’m now really getting to the bottom of it.
It’s my opinion that those of us who have to take drastic measures such as salicylate/phenol avoidance to feel and function OK have more going on underneath than simple food allergies. We have enzymatic problems, and why are they screwed up? These are common subjects and symptoms that are addressed and resolved in Cutler’s world. You won’t be any worse off by simply reading his book.
August 8, 2011 at 5:51 pm
August 8, 2011 at 7:17 pm
What is your daughter’s diet like?
I’m currently breastfeeding a 6 month old who has yet to start eating solids (gonna hold off as long as I can! Why mess with a perfect food?). I’m certainly not going to feed her baby cereal, will probably do fruits and other normal baby mush, but my midwife/pediatrician said meats might give her too much protein early on.
I know your daughter is much older than mine, but I’d love to hear your thoughts and experience feeding her.
for me, I love love love dairy. Lots of raw milk mixed with heavy cream (or just a swig of cream when I’m feeling peckish), kefir, cheeses, butter (I eat grass fed butter straight from the block. Yum). I even eliminated all dairy when I thought my daughter might be sensitive for about 6 weeks, missed it terribly, and felt great when I added it back in. Maybe my northern European heritage helps . . . ? Still not sure what I’ll do for daughter with dairy.
Anyway, thanks!
August 8, 2011 at 10:37 pm
She ate things like avocado, raw liver, banana and raw egg yolk, vegetables blended with lots of butter (you could use tallow), raw fish, and home made chicken and beef soups made with bones, coconut oil.
August 8, 2011 at 9:48 pm
August 8, 2011 at 10:33 pm
August 9, 2011 at 1:09 pm
August 9, 2011 at 3:47 pm
You are an inspiration! I look forward to following your blog!
August 11, 2011 at 9:13 pm
August 12, 2011 at 7:57 am
Eating a diet like mine of meats and fats keeps me extremely lean but eating just raw food makes me even leaner (if that’s even possible). There’s a trade off for everything. Eat more and feel sated or eat less and feel like a trillion bucks.
December 16, 2011 at 2:01 pm
December 17, 2011 at 2:45 pm
December 17, 2011 at 7:49 pm
I just tried some raw, and I’m not quite sure if I will be able to stomach it. I haven’t tried the swallow holding my nose method yet, but I will if it’s more nutritious raw.
August 13, 2011 at 5:55 pm
You say you think you may have fructose intolerance. This made me start to question if I may have it too. My only question is, in your diet you show some days when you consume sugar in your yogurt and also in your limeaid. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I thought sugar(sucrose)is made up of glucose and fructose. Do you have any bad reactions with having sugar? Wouldn’t the sugar cause you problems too if you were fructose intolerant or would it have more to do with the dose so to speak? I am just curious as I only consume fruits and veggies as my source of sugar, but am now wondering if plain old sugar would cause me the same problem. I am now wondering if my problem has more to do with the fiber particularly in the veggies. Would love to get your thoughts on this as I would love to weed out any foods that may be causing my digestive problem. Thank you so much,Peggy!
August 13, 2011 at 6:14 pm
August 14, 2011 at 2:17 pm
August 15, 2011 at 11:07 am
Oysters? I eat them at restaurants often and I get them from whole foods too. I don’t think it really matters which raw foods you eat, just as long as you do eat some. So, oysters are fine.
I buy from US Wellness about once a month these days. I eat pemmican just about every day and they are the only place to get it. (I could make it myself…) Plus, I add their tallow to just about everything I eat. I eat a whole lot of fat, that’s what keeps me kickin. I also like to buy my beef bones from them – soup bones and marrow bones. I buy my steaks and ground beef from a local 100% grass fed and finished farm.
August 18, 2011 at 9:27 pm
Cheers,
Dave
August 18, 2011 at 9:33 pm
August 18, 2011 at 9:47 pm
Cheers,
Dave
August 19, 2011 at 6:36 am
August 23, 2011 at 12:20 pm
I really believe I need to eat carbs tho, so I am following a lowcarb, timed/portioned program…usually lol. Just eating meat with some fibrous veggies would probably be ideal for me!
August 24, 2011 at 8:56 pm
August 25, 2011 at 2:17 am
A couple of links: http://www.kickas.org/londondiet.shtml
http://www.lowstarchdiet.net/index.html
I discovered starches were the issue for me through playing around with my paleo diet, going low carb and then adding “safe starches” back in because of low mood. I was baffled until someone told me about AS and the low starch diet.
August 25, 2011 at 9:45 am
August 25, 2011 at 11:59 am
August 25, 2011 at 4:51 pm
Thanks for your. Awesome post! I have just posted a long question on paleohacks about my digestive issues as I think I have little choice but to give the carnivore thing a go. My post is: http://paleohacks.com/questions/60708/help-food-intolerances-ibs-sibo-do-i-go-zero-carb#axzz1VzrxbpDg
Cheers,
Adam.
August 25, 2011 at 6:45 pm
August 25, 2011 at 10:40 pm
August 26, 2011 at 7:03 am
Paul recommends to have at leat 400 kcal from carbs (100 from rfuit, 300 from starches). I enjoy an occassional sweet potatoe but I find white rice boring and adding it to my diet is something I can do without causing me health issues but I do not enjoy it a lot. As I am an athlete Paul would recommend probably more in my case..I am scared to provoke health issues especially as I found it convincing that vegetables do not count as a carb source as the sugar content is digested by gut bacteria…I still feel I haven`t found my own path nutrition wise…I would love to hear your opinion! It would be also great if you could recommend some sample menues for those who include more vegetables/starch than you do for I like your approach of simplicity but I need more plant stuff! Would you mind sharing how many calories you usually eat and how much (if any) you added when pregnant?
Thank you so much and please keep on blogging!
August 30, 2011 at 8:58 am
September 28, 2011 at 2:46 pm
http://www.gnolls.org/1984/the-science-behind-the-low-carb-flu-and-how-to-regain-your-metabolic-flexibility/comment-page-2/#comment-6@100@2254
-and-
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=1077#comment-31321
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=1077#comment-31349
I hope those links help
August 29, 2011 at 11:19 am
I am curious if you found your ideal diet strictly through trial & error, or if you at any point consulted w/naturopath or nutritionist? Any references you found helpful? I appreciate hearing about your experience.
(Hey, I’d love to be Vulcan too – live long & prosper!)
August 29, 2011 at 2:19 pm
September 2, 2011 at 6:52 pm
I just happened on your site through MDC and I have to say that it is intriguing! The idea of eating raw meat sounds interesting to me, though it is not within our means at the moment, as we cannot afford grassfed beef.
My question is this: when I was in college my A & P professor scoffed at all-meat diets because he claimed that a person would develop fatal ketoacidosis. How does one prevent such a condition from occuring? Have you ever come across someone claiming this? As you can see, I don’t remember all the details about ketoacidosis
Clearly, at least a few pre-industrial cultures ate minimal to no plant matter and remained healthy.
September 2, 2011 at 7:50 pm
Your professor was mistaking ketoacidosis for ketosis – a common but careless confusion. From Wikipedia,
“Ketoacidosis is a pathological metabolic state marked by extreme and uncontrolled ketosis. (Normal ketosis, by contrast, is a functional aspect of fat-based energy metabolism, induced by prolonged fasting or a low-carbohydrate diet.) In ketoacidosis, the body fails to adequately regulate ketone production causing such a severe accumulation of keto acids that the pH of the blood is substantially decreased. In extreme cases ketoacidosis can be fatal.”
Ketoacidosis is a dangerous condition that often happens to people with type 1 diabetes.
September 2, 2011 at 8:45 pm
I wonder what a biologically appropriate diet would be for someone with Type 1 Diabetes, who didn’t produce insulin.
September 3, 2011 at 8:12 pm
September 3, 2011 at 8:24 pm
September 8, 2011 at 9:01 pm
September 10, 2011 at 5:31 pm
Take care!
September 11, 2011 at 7:27 am
September 11, 2011 at 12:28 pm
September 26, 2011 at 1:35 pm
September 28, 2011 at 2:50 pm
http://www.gnolls.org/1984/the-science-behind-the-low-carb-flu-and-how-to-regain-your-metabolic-flexibility/comment-page-2/#comment-6@100@2254
-and-
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=1077#comment-31321
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=1077#comment-31349
I hope those links help
Your comment is awaiting moderation.
September 29, 2011 at 12:05 am
September 30, 2011 at 12:11 am
http://www.archevore.com/
and Paul Jaminet deals with the issue concerning cancer treatment (the idea of deficient glycosation in cancer patients is interesting)
October 4, 2011 at 5:10 am
October 4, 2011 at 11:34 am
December 5, 2011 at 11:56 am
December 20, 2011 at 7:58 pm
I recently found myself full after eating only 1300-1700 cal per day (after switching to MAINLY meats, fats, stock and eggs). Maybe the TYPE of calorie has much more to do with satiety than total amt.
Thanks again, and happy holidays from Boston!
December 21, 2011 at 5:21 am
Happy holidays to you too! One of my brothers used to live in Boston.
December 21, 2011 at 9:27 am
Since going primal though, I make my own lard and tallow, butter and eggs almost daily, making coconut milk a few times a year, along with batches of sauerkraut.. and feet nd old bones for my weekly stocks! Odd transformation
Technically I’ve eaten raw pork before in Germany when I lived there, but topped in with salt and onion and served on a roll.
All the best!
December 17, 2011 at 8:04 pm
December 17, 2011 at 8:09 pm
December 21, 2011 at 5:52 am
You mentioned herbs/spices in your raw meat post. Can you elaborate a little more on which ones you can tolerate? And does it make a difference if they are dried as opposed to fresh?
I have such a hard time with plant matter, and often I think I am reacting to even small amounts of herbs and spices (bloating, cravings, burping…oh the list is endless it feels!.
But it is so hard to know for sure. Sometimes a bit of parsley or chilli or cilantro or mint ‘seems’ to be okay but then other times I seem to get horrid bloat and distress and they seem to sit in my gut for enormous lengths of time. At least it feels like they do because I have yucky buprs where I can still ‘taste’ them 10-12 hours later!!
Vegetables are a nightmare for me, I’ve had no ‘testing’ done but can’t find any so far that don’t wreak havoc on my body and my mind. Fruit is easier, it seems, for me to digest and I ‘could’ eat it if the only factor to consider were GI response, but it leads to other physical issues plus massive cravings, brain fog and mood disturbances which then cause horrid bingeing, so that’s out too.
Anyway, I won’t go on about my long and miserable history with plants, but it does ease the heart and loose the tongue when you find others who understand the same suffering! Thank you for the time and effort you have put into making this info available for others.
December 21, 2011 at 6:33 am
I feel you. Spices do the same to me. If I eat bacon or sausage made with spices (which is most of them), I will burp spices all day. It’s so lame. This is the case with pretty much everything that grows in the ground. Most herbs are also bad for me. My daughter is the one who is such a lover of herbs. I use them occasionally but most of the time not. Parsley is the best herb for me in small amounts. I don’t really care about herbs and spices anymore. I’ve gotten used to life without them. I too like hearing comments from others who can’t tolerate vegetables. When I first figured it out, I thought I was the only one on earth like me. It was kind of scary. Thanks for commenting.
January 3, 2012 at 1:18 pm
my confusion is this…was there a time evolutionarily when all we ate was raw meat and butter and dairy and no vegetables or fruits? i thought our main diet, pre-agriculture, included plenty of plant matter…well, more plant matter the closer to teh equator, more animal foods the closer to the poles.
anyhoo, very curious. as a human with a brain. and as a human who has health issues.
much appreciation everyone for your willingness to experiment and make change.
lynn
January 7, 2012 at 8:01 am
January 7, 2012 at 3:34 pm
I’m doing a meat only trial for a few weeks (previously on GAPS intro for a few months) to see if I can’t get some of my digestive issues under control. Honestly, I’m hoping I don’t have to maintain meat only long term, but I’ll do pretty much anything to feel better at this point : ) I’ll probably never go back to grains though. I’m only on my second day…definitely feel pretty crappy but that expected.
January 11, 2012 at 6:44 am
January 11, 2012 at 8:55 am
January 27, 2012 at 6:10 am
I was wondering if you would address the issues of primal living, the Vulcan state of mind and Art. As a musician and a Vulcan how do the two poles work together in your life? Does being a Vulcan remove the emotion from your art?
My experience is as follows: I’m a filmmaker. Film is an art form whose closest sibling is music. As filmmakers/musicians we must know the difference between a wink and a blink, be aware and anticipate a beat, a colour or a composition. But more specifically, artists must know about the emotion called desire. Desire is film’s stock and trade, it is the main theme for all great films. In fact until the advent of abstract expressionism almost all great art was about desire…and I must report my own personal desire is currently having a dirt nap.
My primal lifestyle is as hardcore as it comes, for the past four years I have eaten nothing but bison, elk, (mostly raw…like tartare) sockeye salmon, low or no glycemic veggies, kimchee and my own mix of supplements. I also do 5×5’s four times a week and sprints twice a week. I went from a rotund 196 to a Spiderman like (the comic not the movie) 155. Waist from 36/37 to 27 (it’s hard to buy jeans now because I also have 36 inch legs). In short, I look and feel fantastic. The flip side to this lifestyle is my desire, empathy and emotion is like my carb intake…like near zero.
My strength as a filmmaker came from my ability to identify a emotion, no matter how small, amplify it and pay it like a violin. I used to get emotional over the most trite matters…tempests in a teacup. Those days are gone. These days I walk though people like a lion meandering through a field of three legged antelope. People look up to me these days. However, the other side of this situation is now I’m looking down at them. This is disastrous for a person in my field. I can still function in my profession because I have a good handle on my craft…I define craft as grab bag of tricks an artist uses to get through various situations. But, craft is no substitute for inspiration, desire or empathy. These days my work seems like a mechanical construct and that’s Ok, but I’m astute enough to see an essential missing element…an element I no longer possess.
In my primal mind emotional meanings have changed for me. Empathy at one moment long ago felt like compassion, now it gives off the foul stench of weakness and desire has changed from the urge to strive to a faint echo of the perverse. I’ve believe I have become a self-contained system in a world full of emotional vampires. As you can imagine, I’m not interacting well with my arts community. Truly, I feel like a Vulcan from the constellation Rigel Five, placed here on earth to observe and report. The same holds true for sex, the emotion and the heightened desire is gone, it has become a pleasant bodily function. I’m not the rational sexual Vulcan that St Augustine envisioned Adam in the Garden of Eden to be…but I’m close.
It seems to me we can play our bodies through the food we eat the same way we can play or choose a musical instrument. And with every choice comes a tradeoff. In my case the tradeoff is health or art.
I’m seriously mulling over the kabbalahic contention that wheat not the apple was the forbidden substance in the Garden of Eden in that it removed humans from state of immortality but gave them knowledge of good and evil…and I’m reaching here…emotional art.
As an aside I can see how primal or “barbaric” peoples were so hard to conquer.
Will I give up my primal lifestyle for art? Absolutely not. But I’m curious how other artists have coped and created art with a reduced emotional palette. Maybe, it’s time for me to drop this art form and move on, there are a lot of things to do in this life…I’m not married to directing. Anyway, I’m looking forward to your response Peggy.
Best,
P.S I just checked out your music. I’m betting the Primal life has impacted your style…Hey, maybe we should create or formulate a Primal aesthetic.
January 27, 2012 at 7:42 am
But all of this ties into what I’m calling the spiritual aspect of Primal…I feel eating this way has completely eliminated my ego chatter. I feel very “one with universe” and see our true nature. Which makes everything we do seem somewhat useless. I’m choosing to take that feeling and go with “if everything is useless, I’m open to doing anything that feeds my soul”.
Anyway, that my contribution…I’m going to be thinking about this from now on. Really, really interesting!
January 27, 2012 at 2:04 pm
January 27, 2012 at 7:04 pm
I hope you don’t mind me chiming in and I say this with much respect, but I hope you don’t give up what you love to do if you in fact really love it. I did the low carb paleo diet for a few years and I just found out this past year that I’m hypoglycemic so I had to stop eating that way. I now eat a pretty high carb whole foods diet and I’m finally seeing the emotional roller coaster completely gone and I now have nothing but a calm state about me. I Just wanted to point that out as I think for a lot of people low sugars can be a major culprit and to many people go undiagnosed because the standard tests for it aren’t catching it.
I know we all have a different way of eating that works for us so I respect how you eat and I respect Peggy so that is why I still frequent her blog. I’m not trying to sound all emotional when I say this, but I would hate for you to give up something that seems to have given you such joy in the past, just for a 27 inch waste and an invincible Spiderman like feeling.
You write so beautifully and you must inspire those around you who look up to you not for your grand stature, but for your true passion for your art. The greatest thing we can do for ourselves is to be true to who we are and do what we love. I know I’m always inspired and in awe when I’m in the presence of someone who is in his/her element and being true to themselves. That’s when we are at our best! Some never truly figure out what makes them tick, but you seem to have and that is definitely more valuable than the food you eat.
What would we be without emotion? I for one never want to be in a world where, for example, the sight of a my baby being born or the passing of a loved one, doesn’t bring a tear to my eye. It is not weakness, but love and my wish for you is that you find what makes you love to the fullest! Then and only then, will you truly be on top of the world. Compassion just means you can relate to others around you, simply because you yourself have lived! Do what makes you feel alive!
Blessing,
Jennifer
February 1, 2012 at 12:55 pm
Thank you so much!
February 1, 2012 at 1:26 pm
February 3, 2012 at 3:18 pm
thanks! kelli
February 13, 2012 at 8:12 am
I’m so impressed that you stick with a diet like this. I try very hard, but end up binging (something I never used to do) on junk that makes me feel like junk. I want to stop so badly…was binging ever an issue for you? Being on such a restricted diet?
Also, whenever I cut out fruit and high starch veg and go ultra low carb (which makes me feel amazing btw) I can’t sleep. Until I eat a banana and then fall asleep like a baby. Do you know why this would be?
February 20, 2012 at 8:15 am
March 9, 2012 at 7:42 am
Thank you so much for this blog and for sharing your experience. You are a truly beautiful person from inside and outside, and a great inspiration for me. I wanted to ask you how long did it take you to get clear of acne, after you started your paleo diet (or better say “Meat only diet”). I have major problem with acne on my face right now and I started a total elimination diet with just grass fed beef, sauerkraut, spinach, green beans, and zucchini+ olive oil and ghee (they seem to be ok for me). i hope to last for 3 or 4 weeks before adding anything if my condition improves. But I know it will be difficult, cause I work and breastfeed (although only a couple times a day) my 21-month old daughter. I would really appreciate if you could share your experience with acne. and also – is it safe to continue breastfeeding with so few carbs? Many thanks in advance, and sorry if this was too long.
March 10, 2012 at 8:31 am
March 15, 2012 at 9:02 pm
p.s. I’m with you on the food at the movies… I don’t find the popcorn there to be remotely palatable
April 2, 2012 at 12:40 am
I am an adoptee who was raised exclusively on formula prior to the introduction of solids. I have a university background in the human sciences, have been researching EXTENSIVELY over the past two years and could literally go on for hours about the problems that formula feeding creates for infants; however, I will choose to address your comment about feeling like a Vulcan when obzerving a primarily meat-based diet. I too have experienced the same phenomenon. In addition I have experienced as a result this style of diet. The thing is when animals are killed (and prior to it due to crowding and other stresses, if they are battery “farmed”) there are a flood of chemicals (adrenaline, etc…) that enter their tissues, essentially poisoning the meat. Ingesting these by-products will certainly affect one’s mind/body. I have to avoid most foods in general as I didn’t get the start (i.e. breast milk) that nature intended. I have, however, had the opportunity to witness calves frolicking and playing like puppies (creeps me out when I think about the meat I have eaten – honestly, not trying to be manipulative). There is a social reality to be witnessed with mowt animals if one looks closely. White rice and green beans (and the odd carrot) are my go-to foods. Dark chocolate and plain potato chips are my recreational foods. I react (and always have) to pretty much anything I ingest as I posses little more than an innate immune system (THEY call it ADHD). If you haven’t already, look into the “Failsafe” diet. It helps those with salicylate/mold/yeast/amine/histamine intolerance. Though if you are also sensitive to wheat/dairy/egg/meat/fish/nut, etc…, things may get a little restrictive. For me the choices are: a.) abandon my diet in the interest of entertaining my palate, or; b.) listen to my body in the hopes of relating to others and not winding up in an alley muttering to myself. Pretty cut and dry, unfortunately. I have learned that the effects build up in my system as time passes and the “bucket” overflows.
April 2, 2012 at 12:45 am
My third sentence should read: In addition I have experienced depression/aggression as a result this style of diet.
P.S. most is a word… mowt is not (too my knowledge)}
April 16, 2012 at 10:30 am
May 25, 2012 at 1:23 pm
July 17, 2012 at 5:40 pm
October 13, 2012 at 10:34 pm
October 15, 2012 at 8:15 am
October 27, 2012 at 4:20 pm
I have to ask before I try this all animal ( no veggie) lifestyle- how are your stools on this diet? Do you have them comfortablely, are they smaller than the average veg. eater, does it only occur every several days…???
I’m sorry but I have to ask b/c that is the reason I want to try this.
I have a History of constipation and spastic colon that i have not resolved. Now i have internal hemorrhoids to show for this problem while using the vegan diet :-/
I’ve been vegan for 20 yrs thinking tweaking within the vegan diet (ive even done 100%raw for 10 yrs) will solve this, it has not so maybe this is the answer?
Any tips I will gladly try them out
November 1, 2012 at 4:27 pm
Have you read the fiber menace? Google it if not and check out his website. He’s probably got the answer to many of your questions. I cannot realistically say what your stools will look like. Our bodies and history is totally different. You should definitely experiment though.
November 1, 2012 at 6:54 pm
I have read it and I don’t remember him ever suggesting no produce, just no suppliment fiber. that is why I was asking your personal experience with this approach. Just so I know what to expect ” in general”
Don’t worry, I’m not asking for visuals (no more pictures of toilets
November 1, 2012 at 8:48 am
Have another question to ask you in addition to the one above. How are you getting all the vitamins and minerals without veg. And fruits? Is this safe longer term?
November 1, 2012 at 4:30 pm