Paleo?

[ghost_whistler]

What do people think? Is it just a basic moderate carb diet with a weird caveman gimmick? Or is there more to it? Obviously not a ketogenic diet, if that matters.

 

[Chook]

My husband sort of follows a Paleo diet which veres towards low carb after having had a mini (TIA) stroke about year ago age 56. He has lost two and a half stones and hasn't looked this good or felt this healthy for years.

However, some of the Paleo stuff does seen a bit weird (and, to be honest, a bit stupid) so we ignore those bits. We kind of blend Paleo with low carbing and we both feel healthier.

 

[ghost_whistler]

Can i ask how many carbs he eats?

 

[Brunneria]

I think people should eat as many carbs, in whatever form, as they like - so long as they feel well on it.
(And hope they aren't storing up long term health issues as they do so. Things like type 2 diabetes, heart issues and so on)

So i think if Paleo works for someone, then they should go for it and enjoy every bite.

But standard Paleo is too high carb for me. It causes reactive hypoglycaemic episodes.
Although I could probably work out a LCHF/Paleo combo, like @Chook.

 

[azure]

Paleo covers a broad range of carb intakes, so it's good in that way. Some people also have dairy, which isn't strictly paleo too.

Again, take a diet and make it your own. There's no magic diet out there that suits everyone. Believe me, I've looked.

 

[Chook]

Can i ask how many carbs he eats?

He doesn't count precisely but he has similar meals to me with a few extra carbs at lunchtime - so probably about 30 -50g per day and maybe another 10 or 15 at the weekend.. He always knows if he's overdone it because he feels really tired shortly after eating and he'll falls asleep very easily shortly after eating.. He has had days when it's been under 20g and he feels great but sticking to under 20g is quite hard.

 

[AndBreathe]

What do people think? Is it just a basic moderate carb diet with a weird caveman gimmick? Or is there more to it? Obviously not a ketogenic diet, if that matters.

Ghost_whistler, there's no perfect diet or way of eating for everyone. I find reduced carb easy to follow, and easy to get my head around.

Your mantra needs to by "try and test". Find foods you like to eat and that are kind to your body (as shown by how you feel and what the testing numbers say) and don't be blind-sided and too hung up on a dietary label.

Life's for living, not being wedded to a name or a labelled way of eating.

For example; I can eat tropical fruit, in the tropics, where its food miles can be counted on the fingers of one hand, if not less than one finger. It seems to make a difference. Does that therefore mean I'm not low carbing, or anything else?

No it does. It means I largely follow a low cab diet, but mainly eat to my meter, based on foods I enjoy. It works for me.

 

[azure]

@ghost_whistler Sometimes picking a particular diet can actually be counter-productive if you allow the guidance to become ironclad rules because you then have the pressure of sticking to them.

There are hundreds (thousands maybe) of diets out there. Each one will claim to be 'the' diet, but none of them are.

Do you have an appointment date yet to see if any cause can be found for your symptoms? Is your GP following you up prior to any specialist appointment?

 

[fionaclare]

To be honest I think paleo, LCHF, keto etc are all about reducing or eliminating processed food from your diet.

When you think about it the over-manufacturered or refined foods are where the high carbs and unhealthy fats are hiding. Eliminate those and you are most the way there to improved health.

 

[Hotpepper20000]

I think it's the same as gluten free diet.
When it was first becoming popular people would lose weight because there wasn't any prepackaged foods that where gluten free. So it automatically eliminated manufactured and refined foods. Now that it is more main stream people can find pasta, and bread and other premade foods gluten free and now just being gluten free no longer means weight loss.


Of course gluten free is still vital for celiacs and those who have a gluten intolerance.

 

[Chook]

I agree with all of the above - I think the main message Paleo gives us is that we are putting foods in to our body that our bodies can't process properly. I think the best we can do for ourselves is to eat a varied diet with plenty of natural fats, above ground veg, small portions of fruit and plenty of good fats. Avoid all ready bought processed foods, unnecessary sugar and drink plenty of fruit teas, coffee or tea with unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
but plain tap water is perfect. Snack on lots of nuts. It really doesn't have to be expensive stuff.

My husband has berries and full fat Greek style yoghurt or eggs and bacon (we often cure our own) for breakfast, a HUGE salad with cold meats and eggs with home made mayo at lunchtime and a large (but low carb) meal with me at dinner (because I am the one who is diabetic and he prefers to eat the dinner as me, if possible). I also make low carb cakes for him to take to work with his packed lunch.

We are all different. If you haven't been diagnosed yet then take it easy and slowly with the dietary changes and take the time to see how each change affects you.

 

[ghost_whistler]

I think people should eat as many carbs, in whatever form, as they like - so long as they feel well on it.
(And hope they aren't storing up long term health issues as they do so. Things like type 2 diabetes, heart issues and so on)

So i think if Paleo works for someone, then they should go for it and enjoy every bite.

But standard Paleo is too high carb for me. It causes reactive hypoglycaemic episodes.
Although I could probably work out a LCHF/Paleo combo, like @Chook.

May I ask how many carbs you eat? Are you eating ketogenically?

 

[ghost_whistler]

I agree with all of the above - I think the main message Paleo gives us is that we are putting foods in to our body that our bodies can't process properly. I think the best we can do for ourselves is to eat a varied diet with plenty of natural fats, above ground veg, small portions of fruit and plenty of good fats. Avoid all ready bought processed foods, unnecessary sugar and drink plenty of fruit teas, coffee or tea with unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
but plain tap water is perfect. Snack on lots of nuts. It really doesn't have to be expensive stuff.

My husband has berries and full fat Greek style yoghurt or eggs and bacon (we often cure our own) for breakfast, a HUGE salad with cold meats and eggs with home made mayo at lunchtime and a large (but low carb) meal with me at dinner (because I am the one who is diabetic and he prefers to eat the dinner as me, if possible). I also make low carb cakes for him to take to work with his packed lunch.

We are all different. If you haven't been diagnosed yet then take it easy and slowly with the dietary changes and take the time to see how each change affects you.

I love greek yoghurt, it's quite filling, but it's got a fair few carbs in it

 

[azure]

I love greek yoghurt, it's quite filling, but it's got a fair few carbs in it

The plain ones don't. Brands vary but it's generally low in carbs.

 

[Brunneria]

May I ask how many carbs you eat? Are you eating ketogenically?

Sure

I feel better the lower carb i go. Which means i trundle along happily on 20-40g a day, spread out through the day.
If i keep to under 20g i feel great.
Tolerances vary hugely. I'm at the lower end (o joy), but lots of people around here have much better tolerances, especially if the carbs are spread out or eaten with protein, fat and fibre.

If i eat more than 40 ish carbs in one go, i risk a reactive hypoglycemic episode, especially if those carbs are wheat or grain based. I tolerate potato and sugar a bit better. Weird but true.

But everyone (and that is everyone, on the forum or in the wider world) has a personal carb tolerance. The trick is to work out how your body copes/reacts and then work inside your boundaries.

Edited for typos.

 

[Doriand]

What do people think? Is it just a basic moderate carb diet with a weird caveman gimmick? Or is there more to it? Obviously not a ketogenic diet, if that matters.

Did you hear about the vegan dietician who strongly opposed Paleo because:"it's dangerous to omit whole food groups in any diet"

 

[ghost_whistler]

Did you hear about the vegan dietician who strongly opposed Paleo because:"it's dangerous to omit whole food groups in any diet"

I admire vegans, but i couldn't do it.

 

[ghost_whistler]

The plain ones don't. Brands vary but it's generally low in carbs.

i'll have to look further afield. All i could find was Onken, everything else was so low fat as to be pointless (more carbs than fats, so why bother at all). It was 9g fat vs 5g carbs per 100g. Obviously you won't eat 100g in one go. Or at least I wouldn't, since i'd finish it off too quickly!

 

[Kristin251]

I eat a low carb paleo diet. 20 carbs or less per day, usually less if I subtract the fiber from the whole avocado or I feel like rubbish. Mostly above ground green veggies, avocado and a few nuts.
To me paleo is whole, unprocessed foods. No grains, dairy , legumes. It suits my bs if I keep carbs low and stay in ketosis and my tummy loves it too. I've eaten this way for over 25 years, long before I was diabetic

 

[azure]

i'll have to look further afield. All i could find was Onken, everything else was so low fat as to be pointless (more carbs than fats, so why bother at all). It was 9g fat vs 5g carbs per 100g. Obviously you won't eat 100g in one go. Or at least I wouldn't, since i'd finish it off too quickly!

Most supermarkets have their own Greek or Greek Style yoghurt and that's usually full fat. That's a cheap option. Sometimes they do smaller tubs too.

5g carbs isn't a lot of carbs. If you want to go true Paleo, you'd be avoiding dairy anyway, but if you're basing your Paleo on ancient diets, then they carb figures for them are between 19-43%. Paleo is, as @Kristin251 says, more about avoiding modern/processed foods.

I don't see what you can't eat 100g in one go. It's only a tiny amount so not greedy at all.