The new Paleo/Primal thread - please reintroduce yourself, newcomers welcome!

[misscph1973]

Wow, we got to 1000 messages!

Welcome back from the previous thread and welcome to all new!

I have been Paleo since September last year, I started as an ex-vegetarian/vegan, I wanted to give up gluten and I had been doing 5:2/IF, which lead me to Paleo/primal. I am 40, I have 2 kids age 8 and 6. I have no major health issues, but I would like it to stay that way. I have bad skin, which has improved since starting Paleo and my dandruff has disappeared. I have gained some weight since starting Paleo, but I was not overweight before, although I would like to get back on my pre Paleo weight - I just love Paleo mayonnaise too much ;) I still practice IF and I lift weights 2-3 times per week. My family is also Paleo.

I have just come back from a camping weekend where I was not strict Paleo as I was camping with other families and I just didn't want to spend my entire weekend telling my kids "no, you cant have it". I do think that Paleo camping is entirely possible, think tinned fish, nuts, sausages, eggs etc.

building a lot of what I am learning through reading into paleo is that there are two sides to the tale with nutrition so there may be nutients in grains but I guess that may be balanced out by other negatives. A bit like flaxseed being high in omega 3s but our bodies not being able to access it efficiently . This chriskresser article is kind of on the same lines but plays down importance of fruit and veg which kind of baffles me. I have accepted grains aren't great but fruit and veg

Giraffes, tell me about your rash!

That's an excellent Chris Kresser link, btw.

raw it is flat, red, non itchy mainly covers the sides of my shins and ankles but a bit on my body. Gp described it as widespread, didn't really diagnose but thought fungal as mainly round. applying dakacort for over two Weeks but keep forgetting to apply as in fridge. Has faded on my body not so much on legs. I was very strict with diet for about a month but didn't improve.

I just survived a massive biscuit session. There were heaps of them! I had a nice sniff, and they were just as enjoyable that way. .

I still have quite dry skin, hoping as I go on that will disappear. I had mild IBS before this and that has gone.

It does sound a bit fungal- spreading round areas with clear bits in the middle? As a child, caught ringworm (fungus, not a worm) several times from our cattle, this needed regular application of the cream or it won't work ( usually a couple of different creams as Dr would use one for "human" fungal infection first, before admitting that ok maybe we caught it off the cows!).

But... Could it be the dreaded scabies mite? I think that is often mistaken for. Allergy, fungal attack, and of course then the treatments don't work (Just going by another MN thread that I read on the subject).

Although... For all those things, shouldn't it be itchy???

hmmm, I didn't think it was ring worm as mostly not clear in the middle but a few are now. It's not on my wrists or arms and nobody else has it as yet so possibly not scabies (hopes fervently)? I think it migt be something I picked up from some new jeans i bought but I had them for quite a while before I wore them (they didn't fit!). Oh well back to GP!

Could it be discoid eczema or psoriasis? I have a round patch on my knee - it's not often itchy but it's scaly and red.

snow interesting, I just googled and read up on discoid excema (never heard of it before); 'Sometimes the skin patches can clear in the centre, just leaving a ring of eczema' so that sounds right as I have a mix of patches and the odd circle. The legs are the most common place for it too. Again it should be itchy but it seems the most likely of things I have looked up so far (excluding the fact it is most common in 60 year old men!) unless it is just a random fungal infection/ ring worm.

The diagnosis is so often the hard bit - mind you, healing is a nightmare too

Giraffes, maybe you are just not an itchy person?!

Raw that could be true!

I did some paleo baking with my 2 year old this afternoon and she dribbled a bit of honey into the pretty full coconut oil jar - decided to still use it but bummer.

Well done Itstartshere , in a little while you won't even like the smell of 'normal' biscuits, instead you'll start smelling the rancidity in them!

Thank you, snow . It explain why I couldn't get rid of what I thought was ringworm 2-3 years ago. Eczema makes more sense since I've regularly suffered with it since childhood.

Girafffe I hope that rash goes soon. I like Chris kresser's articles but I'm baffled too by the vegetables and I tend to agree with Dr Terry Whals on the subject.

I'm back from a short stay at the hospital, courtesy of ds (appendicitis)! A few things have taken me by surprise not really... Ds's surgery had been late afternoon and before he was allowed to eat, it was past midnight; the nurse insisted that it had to be something simple to digest like toast or a biscuit BUT the hospital does not have gluten free bread or biscuits outside kitchen hours (kitchen opens at 9 am!). Come 5am the following day ds couldn't wait any longer -it had been 3 days since he ate anything other than via IV bags! So he ate some plain chicken and and few salad leaves whilst he waited for his dad to bring him some nice broth and food.
The consultant who came to assess ds (for possible discharge) asked if he had had anything to eat; and when told what ds had eaten the Dr asked: ''What's wrong with cereals?'' Ds replied:'' They are processed and taste like cardboard!''

I survived on bags of salad and avocado/plain chicken but I watched other parents microwaving ready meals. Both ds and I are looking forward to a full fat meal!

Hello all. Would you mind if I join you?

Strictly speaking I'm not paleo or primal. I eat a moderate amount of non grain carbs (potato, white rice) as that is what works best for me (fast metabolism).

Really interesting link to chris Kesser - his stuff seems really sound and backed up by evidence. Not sure he is paleo/primal in the strictest sense either?

I was pretty healthy until I had kids and since them have developed a few issues I'm trying to sort. Allergies, sinus congestion, fatigue being up there. I don't miss grains at all and feel significantly better in the last few months.

Would love to chat more about this stuff if you will have me?!

Welcome aboard, oohdaddypig

The work best for you is the most sensible approach and Kresser talks about it in his Paleo Template article

I'm pleased you're starting to feel better. A lot of us on here have resolved or improved a number of conditions and complaints.

Thanks favadi. Hope your DS is ok? I can imagine trying to find much to eat in a hospital which is healthy would be hard which is ironic...

Another great link. I am really enjoying Paul jaminet's blog right now.

What do you all think about legumes? At the moment I lean towards Sally fallon's views about them being good if properly prepared. But I know a lot of folk reckon they are a toxin.

I have fussy DCs but they will happily eat my bone broth soup if it has lentils in it!

favadi I hope your son is doing well

oohdaddypig welcome! the kresser link from beofre also mentions that legumes properly soaked and pos sprouted may not be toxic - it was the fact that people may not properly prepare them that was the issue. I have been eating kidney beans this weekend funnily enough. We have loads of tins in the cupboard and I decided to make some space, I made gluten free wraps for everyone else and we had them with salsa and guac - yummy Money going to be an issue the month ahead so makes sense to use stuff up.

Thanks giraffe!

Your wraps sound lovely - do you use rice flour?

Money a bit tight here too.... Tonight it's lambs liver which is surprisingly cheap and the kids love it. I haven't explained exactly what it is..

Thank you, oohdaddypig and Giraffe. Ds is doing really well. He is taking the Dr's advice to heart and he is walking about but not bending or lifting (other than a few remotes and controls ).

Healthy food in a hospital?! Didn't even try. I asked the wonderful staff about supermarkets nearby and they gave us the directions to two. :) The only reason it was harder than it needed to be was due to having pets and a 50 mile round trip Thank you, Dh.

Legumes are a tough one. As a whole, we only eat peas and green/runner beans when in season (and mostly from our garden/pots) with the exception of 24hr soaked and sprouted lentils at midnight on New year as an Italian tradition to bring health, wealth and prosperity for the New year ahead.

oohdaddypig, welcome!

Good to bring up legumes etc again. I know they are not strictly speaking Paleo, but as former vegetarian I find it hard to give them up, especially as my cupboard is still full of dried lentils etc ;) Tim Ferriss (the 4 hour body is Paleoish in that it is gluten free) reckons that they are fine as long as they are soaked and cooked properly. My DH refuses to eat legumes, and I respect that, but we got a Riverford veg box this week with broad beans, and they were delicious! I am not going to make anyone in the family eat them, though. But I will allow my kids (and myself) to have them when we go to Denmark to visit family next week, as my sister is vegan, so it's going to be hard to avoid legumes. She know her stuff and prepares them well, so I am not too worried. The main reason I went Paleo was to go gluten free, so legumes don't bother me too much.

Giraffes, kidney beans are probably one legume I will not eat again, as they are toxic if not prepared properly, but I completely agree with you about emptying out cupboards - I do not bin food (well, maybe pasta), and I still have a few things to use up, among these oats which are begging me to bake them, into flapjacks ;)

Ooh what do you do with your runner beans? I get them in my box too and would love to make them more palatable to DCs.

It's great to discuss such issues - everyone looks at me blankly when I talk about soaking lentils

Did any of the docs comment adversely on your food choices favadi? If I hear another "whole grain" comment...

Is Denmark a bit more forward on this stuff? Must be great to head home!

favadi glad he is doing ok My ds has given me lots of back chat on wheat based on the healthy eating posters at his school so really impressed that your ds would defend the choice not to eat it to Doctor.

oohlady I have added some lambs liver to my next order - how do you present it to your children - might adopt your method for mine!

misscph I agree on the kidney beans tbh, prob wont buy them again and they used to be a staple. I have lots of lentils to use too. I don't think occasional consumption can be all that bad it is partly about a change of attitude and seeing them as a treat rather than a health food for me. Maybe some lind of sprouted lentil bread would be a good use? Oh and if you have any condensed milk to use up too search on here for soup dragons flapjacks - seriously yum.

Btw misscph I found the 4 hour body really interesting but I didn't lose any weight eating the way he describes. Have you adopted any of his other ideas?

sorry oohdaddy not oohlady!