I just found this community and thought I'd do a brief introduction. I first came into contact with paleolithic eating when I worked as a language consultant on the Swedish translation of Loren Cordain's book The Paleo Diet (my job was basically to help translate all the scientific terms and proofread it since I'm both a part-time translator and have a Master's in Biotech engineering). Because of my science background, I've always been highly skeptical of fad diets and most of the current ones are no exception. To me, paleolithic eating is not a just another diet however, but just good plain common sense. It just comes down to eating what's good for you.

Anyway, about three years ago, I decided to really give this way of eating and living a try and followed the rules to the letter for four and a half months. I lost 25 lbs, my skin cleared up and I just felt great. Oh, and my teeth felt 100% clean all the time too. While I'd never dream of giving up brushing my teeth, I probably could have done so with no ill effects at that point. I have since fallen off the wagon to a degree (although I eat far less of your typical neolithic food items compared to the average person), and am now looking to get back on it. I love experimenting with new recipes so if I stumble across something that tastes good, I promise to post it.

Have a good day everyone!

I picked up some beef liver at the farmers' market today. This will be my first go at eating organ meats because they're so good for us. I eat what some might consider weird things, but I was fine with introducing seaweed, coconut kefir, and cultured vegetables into my diet. Liver ... well, it's got a reputation for being disliked by many people. Would it work in a stew? Can you just cook it and eat it like you would a steak? Any suggestions for a recipe using liver, please?

Also, how can you tell when it's cooked through? I actually have been trying to cook my meat "restaurant raw" lately, keeping it pink in the middle, but I know nothing about cooking liver.

Thanks in advance.

found this recipe thought people might like it

NEANDERTHIN MAYONNAISE
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika, optional
1/2 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Table Blend, optional
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 cups oil

Put the chopping blade in your food processor and add everything except the oil. Process about 5 seconds. With the processor running, very slowly let the oil drizzle in a steady stream through the feed tube. Blend just until the mayonnaise is thick for a creamier mayonnaise. Blend an additional 2-3 minutes for a much thicker mayo.

Makes about 1 3/4 cups
Do not freeze

Per Tablespoon: 108 Calories; 12g Fat; trace Protein; trace Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; trace Carbs
Per 1/4 cup: 434 Calories; 48g Fat; 1g Protein; .5g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; .5g Net Carbs

I was reading this article this morning and was reminded of a few thoughts I've have about hunter-gatherers and water. This is a subject that madisonmassage and I definitely don't agree on. I think the '8 glasses of water a day' ideal is a myth. He thinks it's excellent advice. I don't think dehydration is good for us either, I know I feel crappy and kind of hung-over when I'm dehydrated- but the office workers in meetings with bottled water is totally unnecessary in my opinion. (not to mention the wasted bottles!)

Benefits of Drinking 8 Glasses of Water a Day Questioned
http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_Benefits_of_Drinking_8_Glasses_of_Water_a_Day_Questioned_15888.html

"Their review, published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, concluded that people in hot, dry climates, athletes or people with certain diseases might do better with increased fluid intake, but for average healthy people, more water did not seem to mean better health."

Applying this to primitive man, I think about his opportunities to drink throughout the day. Assuming that the most primitive didn't have a way to carry water with them, they probably would have drunk at the source. That brings me to my next thought, and that's that they probably rarely ate and drank at the same time. In fact, I believe that drinking while eating probably does a great deal to impair digestion, especially considering that the acid our stomachs produce would have to be diluted by any supplemental fluid. I notice too that my pets don't eat and drink at the same time either, even though their food and water are side by side.

I'd love to hear any thoughts anyone has on this. :D

I apologize if this has already been posted before:

www.paleofoods.com

Edit: Oops. It's www.paleofood.com (no S)

I've been doing a lot of thinking about my lifestyle. I have been going back and re-reading posts and articles in this community all weekend. I've been really mulling this over. I want to try to move towards a paleo style of living. The issues I'd like to correct by this change are:

-Obesity (I am 5'5 and 200 pounds)
-Narcolepsy (I don't know what kind of an impact can be made, but I'm willing to find out. I think eating the way we were meant to eat might mean more energy. And if not, then at least the rest of me is healthier and so this will be easier to deal with.)
-Acne (It's gotten WORSE since highschool, and the heavier I am the worse it gets.)
-Irregular periods and painful cramps

From what paleo_huntress has written here from her experiences, many of these things can be affected positively by following a paleo lifestyle.

In other words, it's not just about weight. I have tried Weight Watchers before, and it did work for me. I lost all 30 pounds I wanted to (I was much less overweight at the time). I stopped following it and gained the weight back, however. But some of what I've learned about what's in  foods these days--corn for example, the trans fats, after reading the article on Oiling America...I think it's important to make changes that don't just affect appearance. That affect being and feeling.

I've got some pretty bad eating habits, but I've been told if you stop doing a bad habit for two weeks, half your struggle is over. I'd like to be a little extreme to kind of detox myself--I want to cut out all (refined) sugars for two weeks, at least, since that's where I will struggle the most. I'd also like to give up bread, and pasta. I can't help but keep small amounts of granola (1/4 of a cup maybe every other day) in my diet for now. That I may need to be weened off of to be perfectly honest!!!

My main concerns are being able to afford organic foods--especially meats. There are several places around me to buy them but they are much more expensive than average. Organic vegetables and fruits are a little more manageable. I would also like to support cruelty free meat--I've been aware of it for quite awhile now. (When did these things become a luxury instead of a necessity?! That's another post.) For myself and my partner, we have a grocery budget of around $300.00 a month, which includes toiletries, cat food and litter, and cleaning products for the kitchen and house. You can imagine the kind of cheap carbs we've been buying in bulk!

I guess I'm wondering how you all started, what you found useful, what you found harmful. Any tips or tricks? I'm heading off to the bookstore right now for some books, and I've been rereading the past posts all weekend. It'll probably take some more research and prep before I actually start this, but I'd like to this month.

This is what I've been doing and thinking about since Friday..
*Hoping my paper is arlight* :)

how many grams of fiber do you eat?
Suggested is 10-13g of fiber per 1000Calories you eat.

Thought I would share some stuff.

Colonic diverticulosis refers to small outpouchings from the colonic lumen due to mucosal herniation through the
colonic wall at sites of vascular perforation. Abnormal colonic motility and inadequate intake of dietary fibre have been
implicated in its pathogenesis. This acquired abnormality is typically found in developed countries, and its prevalence
rises with age. Most patients affected will remain entirely asymptomatic; however, 10–20% of those affected can
manifest clinical syndromes, mainly diverticulitis and diverticular haemorrhage. As our elderly population grows, we
can anticipate a concomitant rise in the number of patients with diverticular disease. Here, we review the incidence,
pathophysiology, clinical presentation, and management of diverticular disease of the colon and its complications.
Diverticular disease of the colon
by: Neil Stollman, Jeffrey B Raskin

Fat intake appears to be related to DD, particularly when dietary fibre intake is low. Positive associations were found between DD and saturated, monounsaturated,
transsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. A weak inverse association was observed for ω-3 fatty acids and DD. When adjusted for physical activity
and dietary fibre, however, the association of DD with total fat and various types of fat was no longer significant (level II evidence).22
The influence of red meat on DD and whether there is biologic interaction between dietary fibre and red meat need to be explored. One study showed that patients with DD had higher average daily fecal bile acid output than controls. The acid output was reduced to nearly the level of controls’ output after administration of bran (level II evidence).26 These findings led some to suggest that DD is a motility disorder
that can be reversed by higher intake of dietary fibre (level III evidence).27
Preventing diverticular disease: Review of recent evidence on high-fibre diets
by:Walid Aldoori, MBBCH, MPA, SCD Milly Ryan-Harshman, PHD, RD

Anybody read The Great Cholesterol Con by Anthony Colpo? I'm looking for a book that disproves the lipid hypothesis in an in-depth and scientific way. I'm also considering The Myth of Cholesterol: Dispelling the Fear and Creating Real Heart Health. If you can recommendation either book or another, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Hi there,

I've just rejoined this community....I was a lurker before and decided  that I will try posting for once on a community :).
I am just beginning a low carb diet.  Doing the Atkins thing and am on my thrid day.  I'm feeling a bit low on energy and headachy at the moment.  I tried Atkins two years ago but was put off by the way I felt and I gave in to carbs very early.  This time I did research and prepared myself for feeling icky and am just using self talk to get through it.   I'm very intrigued by the paleo diet and I love reading about it.
I plan to  take small steps over the next couple of years to achieve a complete paleo diet. 

Beginning in June my family's veggies will come from a local organic farm here in northern Colorado (Fort Collins/Wellington area).  Three neighbors and I are going to split two shares.  I also garden a lot and plan to supplement from my garden.  A goal I have is to find local meats and get into a habit of buying exclusively local meat whenever possible.  In Colorado there is an abundance of lamb, cattle, buffalo and chicken ranches and farms.  I would like to find the ones that are ethically and naturally raising animals.

For many years I have had a hard time digesting beef and use buffalo as a substitute.  Buffalo is great but I am slowly working beef back into my diet to try to build up the digestive enzymes.  I only buy organic beef and bad tummy reactions are hit and miss.

I have to kids.  A four year old boy who makes picky eating a sport and an 11 year old girl who will rarely try anything new.  I'm beginning the weaning off of carbs myself.  I aim to eventually help my husband and children wean off of carbs as well....or as much as possible.

A January post I read from this community had a mention of plant swaps.  I would love to participate in something like that :).  If you tell me how to do it I'm in!

My husband and I are avid gardeners.  We have hundreds of different plant species on our property.  We may have some plants you might be interested in.  Tons of echinacea and many native colorado plants.

If anyone has any suggestions for where to buy a variety of heirloom vegetables with good growing reputations (meaning the plants grow well....I had troubles with some heirloom varieties last year from the local nursery we bought them from) I would love to hear the recommendations.

Lalie