Has anyone tried & stuck with the Paleo diet?

[FionaGFG]

i.e. given up on processed GF foods like bread & pasta and instead gone back to a simple natural diet of fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, meat with no dairy, alcohol, caffeine? If so how do you feel & has it worked better for you?

[Penel]

I am working my way slowly into the paleo diet, having been advised to give the body time to adjust.

I found that I reacted badly to yeast so giving up bread was easy, and went on to give up pasta and rice. I am now cutting down on dairy (lactose free anyway) and caffeine, but am not sure if I can eliminate them completely as I love the occassional cup of coffee. The hardest thing to give up was sugar - a definite addiction! Cutting the carbs helped me lose some weight.

I am still using buckwheat flour for pancakes and pastry, so guess this may not be a full paleo diet, but I do feel a lot better for giving up the usual processed gf food. I have more energy, less brain fog and general good health (which of course could just be good luck).

I reverted to full fat some time ago - my weight remains ok, blood pressure is healthy low. I am going for a general health check-up soon, so will be interesed in finding out my cholesterol level! Some research I have read suggests that eating processed carbohydrates, not fats, raises cholesterol levels (?).

We are lucky enough to have access to good veg and meat where we live, and have time to produce meals from scratch. I'd recommend giving up processed food if you can.

[Maryelle]

would love to try it, I would need to check out what foods will have all that I need in the way of vitamins and nutrients etc. I cannot eat pulses anymore as I have developed an intolerance to them, seeds I love.

Recently I have started weening the family off meat, and they have not noticed, they still get the roast chicken on sunday but during the next month that will dissapear too.Sugar and coffee are definite addiction for me.

[judithr]

If you are going to live on the paleo diet you have to eat a lot of meat protein which is incredibly expensive, not good for the environment & not good for the poorer nations. I consider it to be a very unhealthy, selfish, self-centred diet & yes, I do have a certificate in nutrition from the Royal College of Health. We do all need some form of carbohydrate whether it be in the form of potatoes, rice, buckwheat or some other form suitable for coeliacs. You cannot live on the paleo diet unless you eat meat. members of my family follow it so we do not discuss it as i love all my family & I cannot bear to fall out with them over what they eat.

[Penel in reply to judithr]

I agree with you that eating a lot of meat products is not a good idea. There do seem to be different versions of this diet and some are more extreme than others.

I also have a family member who is following an extreme diet. It's very worrying.

What we try to eat now is close to what our parents/grandparents used to eat, I think (apart from things like buckwheat etc.) so perhaps I shouldn't be thinking of it as a paleo diet!