Paleo and primal

[Daughteroughter]

I have been reading about paleo and primal diets has anyone tried them?

Stuffez, that's great! Agree with the others about fat though; make sure you're not skimping on it. It really does make all the difference to sustainability and therefore weightloss, I think.

Bit of overkill on the red wine front last night but have resisted the urge to fall face down into a pile of junk food this morning. Had a delicious asparagus and chorizo scramble (scrambled in butter, double cream in the eggs) which helped. Am now indulging in a bit of 85% green & blacks with a cup of strong tea but otherwise so far so good!

Dinner is an Indian takeaway, no rice or naan but may succumb to a samosa...

No booze for a long time

That's great Stuffez!

I go for the whole can of tuna as a portion size, goes pretty well with ripe avacado, chopped, on a bed of mixed leaves, if you want a change from mayo. Fat as well as protein is they key to success .

Tuna are big, and at the top of the food chain so that means more mercury, pcb etc in them, so really once or twice a week at most, is wise. And try to avoid the canned in veg oil kind (too much omega6, and chemically processed) it kind of wipes out the health benefits of eating fish.

Lately, tesco have an offer on finest albacore line caught tuna, £2 a can (usually about £4!!!), I have been stockpiling it while the offer is on. Firstly, it tastes much better, also its canned in virgin olive oil, and its line caught- the lines catch smaller younger fish so less toxins.
Yes, £2 for a can is not cheap, but it is a better, tastier product!

Thanks for the extra advice and the nice words. I think there's just a very deeply ingrained part of me that stops me going "too far" if you get me. Like, I couldn't be so bold as to have mayo or avocado with my tuna and spinach... I think it's the whole culture of denying yourself - which of course is not sustainable.

One thing - Greek yoghurt. Do you? I adore he stuff and have a big pot a work which lasts me three days. From reading online, people seem divided but I find it is a real luxury and definitely keeps me full.

I have Greek yogurt. It's a hang over from low carbing really but I love it with fruit or paleo muesli a couple of times a week as a 'treat' breakfast. It doesn't fill me up quite as much as a cooked breakfast but is still pretty good.

I love tinned tuna! But I have recently gone to eating half a can rather than a whole can, as I have gained a bit of weight. Mind you, it's probably not the tuna, it's the amount of home made mayonnaise I have with it ;)

Raw, try Sainsbury's own brand tuna in olive oil, it's my favourite, to my surprise better than Waitrose's, £4.50 for 4 cans. Sainsbury's also do canned sardines in olive oil, and sardines are, as I suspect you know, fine to eat more regularly as they are lower in the food chain.

Stuffez, if you are fine with dairy, then I see no problem in you having Greek yoghurt (get the organic, though), as it's fermented and high(ish) fat. I do recommend, as I have earlier in this thread, that you make your own coconut kefir, it's lovely and really good for you. I culture it untill it starts splitting, then I suck out the clear liquid from the bottom with a turkey baster (to get a firm texture) and then I strain the remaining coconut kefir through a sieve to catch the kefir grains. I usually just drink the clear liquid after chilling it.

I have had quite a food wise naughty Saturday, I have had gluten free birthday cake as it was my son's 6th birthday and I have also had Paleo pizza (grated potato base) and wine. But it's so much better than what a food wise naughty day used to be! I am going to go a bit cleaner next wee, though, as I have to major spots on my chin and cheek! Doesn't help that my period just started, only makes the sots and cravings worse.

I eat Greek yoghurt, probably once a week though when I first changed my diet it was more often. I see no problem with it, full of fat and high in protein, and most paleo/primal sources suggest yoghurt is better tolerated than other dairy. So go for it!

Had coffee with cream this morning, nothing to eat so far. So rarely feel hunger these days!

Oh, any advice for a first-time duck-roaster btw?! Bought one yesterday to have this evening but believe it or not have never cooked duck before. What spices/herbs would you recommend? Most of the duck I've ever eaten seems to be cooked in a sugary sauce which obviously I'd like to avoid. We have carrots, cabbage and asparagus in the fridge, also a butternut squash to use up...any ideas gratefully received!

I dont eat yoghurt, but i do have cheese a few times a week :) I think with paleo, they say eat that way 80% of the time, so, if you are having it every day, its not so great, but a few times a week and its not the end of the world.
Would second that half a tin of tuna isnt enough portion wise and you need to add some good fat in there too.

Ive lost 4lbs in 4 days which is something of a miracle. Ive eaten like a king, yesterday was paleo pancakes with berries. Chilli con carne ( sans beans) on a bed of brocoli and then for dinner i had mini scallops, with shredded sprouts, panchetta, chilli and garlic. Im still full so im just having some almonds for breakfast, and will eat a medium lunch and then im going out for a family dinner later.

I feel so much better and the bloating i had seems to be going already.

( i do have a diagnosed wheat allergy though, so i suspect most of the loss is due to having stopped eating wheat like its going out of fashion)

oh, and i looked for the duck in my lidl and couldnt find it. Came home with a massive pepper crusted salami instead.

Stuffez, I'm so pleased for you.

About eating dairy. Chris Kresser has written a very interesting article here

Tea, I like my duck with chinese spices (fennel seed, star anise, cloves, ginger).
You can still have the plum sauce plum sauce. :)

< Ok, so wine gums are not at all primal, are they?!>
Slopes off dragging growing arse behind her

That sauce looks fab Fava but unfortunately am without most of the ingredients! Am keeping it simple I think, with plenty of seasoning. As long as that skin's crispy, I'll be a happy bunny. Have a butternut squash roasting with coconut oil and garlic, some cabbage and spinach too...looking forward to it!

That sound lovely, tea.
I've copied you and defrosted a duck crown. I'll be pan searing it before roasting, to have the crispiest of skin. The boys have requested some sweet potato, carrots and parsnips baked in olive oil and rosemary.

I've been a bit naughty today and dug some garlic mustards by the edge of a paths at the local park. I hope it has transplanted well, because I love it in salads along with some chives and/or fennel (the herb).

Hello,

Can I join? I was doing paleo for about 6 weeks but fell off the wagon, and now after feeling amazing I now feel bloated, congested and zitty again :(

Currently munching on liquorice :(

I'm starting a Whole30 tomorrow - quite excited! I think it will take a bit of practice getting portion sizes right though.
How long does home made mayonnaise keep? I'm keen to make some (when I'm not pregnant anymore - raw egg) but not sure if it's worth it if you have to use it straight away.
Does anyone know of a shop bought mayo that doesn't contain sugar which I could buy until I've had the baby?

Welcome to the thread Karbea and marzipan homemade mayo lasts for about a week. Hellmans is low carb, but not Paleo as it's made with seed oils.

I'm quite taken with avocado, bacon and spinach salads atm, too much bacon....not good - as it's the nitrate stuff. but the avocados were from lidl and they were excellent.

I bought 4 aubergines last week in lidl - I got carried away and they looked so beautiful, need to recipe - anyone have a favourite? Currently thinking of Ottolenghi's Burnt Aubergine with pomegranate but it's a bit lengthy.

I had steak, sweet corn, tomatoes, onion, asparagus for dinner. But all in all I've had a pretty bad day, starting fresh tomorrow.

What's everyone's favourite breakfasts?

snow, try Madhur Jaffreys aubergine curry:

www.holycowvegan.net/2009/01/sri-lankan-eggplant-curry.html

It's a great side for any meat, we love it!

Karbea, my favourite breakfast is Paleo pancakes (made with coconut milk and almond flour) with blueberries! I also like a green smoothie with coconut milk, spinach and avocado, perhaps a few berries.

misscph where do you get your flour from, I'm after some coconut flour too, but it's so expensive everywhere...

Hello!
I'm off to bed now. Tomorrow is sats week and the most important week of my life ever... I might need a paleo hug tomorrow evening. Or, not hug, cos I really hate hugs... But a slap on the back.

Had a terrible weekend, awful period cramps and eaten rubbish, partly due to cravings (crisps and popcorn), partly due to not cooking so takeaway for tea.

Does anyone suffer with constipation? I always have since having dd3 12 years ago, it's a bit better since cutting out most carbs but still struggle sometimes. I don't have dairy (much, occasionally a drop of milk in tea), no wheat. Does anyone have linseed/flaxseed and if so does it help and how do you eat it? Might try prune juice too.

I try to drink lots but have just worked a full week and don't drink as much at work.

Karbea, I buy almond flour in my local Asian grocery shop, much cheaper than any health food store. You can also grind your almonds yourself, be careful, it quickly turns into almond spread )

I don't buy coconut flour, it's too expensive. Sometimes I put dessicated coconut in the coffee grinder (I only use mine for spices etc) and it gets very fine (again, be careful, it quickly turns into a paste), but I think it's probably very different to actual coconut flour.

the best, I was very worried that I would get constipated, but I am fine, a little bit in the beginning perhaps. Try a green smoothie.

I do use linseed/flax seed, but not for constipation problems. You should grind it (use a coffee grinder or a blender) and use it in cooking, it soaks up very well. You can also boil flax seed, the water turns into a gel that has very good binding abilities, vegans use it as egg replacer. The boiled seeds can be used in cooking.

Morning All,

I had absolutely terrible stomach pains last night, I have a choice of coffee (been caffeine free for 8 weeks), current bun (hadn't had bread or dried fruit for 8 weeks), chocolate (been binging on it for the last 2 weeks), Chinese (chow mein), Urghh...

I'm paying for it big time!

I've had a frozen berry, and hemp smoothy this morning. Onwards and upwards!

Karbea, I also get a stomach ache when I eat grains now. God know how my system dealt with grains before I went Paleo!