Due to the recent influx of Paleo diet threads and general questions being asked on users logs, I thought it would be handy to have a thread dedicated to the paleo diet.

Use this thread to post questions, answers, give others tips and advice or maybe post up a few tasty recipes.

Have fun

Great idea.
I'll pop the cherry with this question.

What do you all like to eat for snacks? I'm finding myself hungry quite often.
Right now I'm mainly eating some light fruits for snacks, but that isn't quite doing the trick for me. Any suggestions?

fruits and nuts together

is it a problem to ingest too much fruit a day? Also, is it okay to eat fruits and vegetables that contain lectin? I.e. nightshades which as tomatos, peppers, adn etc.

Grain-free, sugar-free almond Christmas cookies
2 cups finely ground nuts (at least one cup should be almonds, the 2nd cup could be more almonds or a mix of other nuts like walnuts, pecans, etc. They should be unroasted, unsalted)
4 T cold butter or coconut oil
~ 9 pieces of some combo of dried apricots, prunes, and/or dates
1 lightly beaten egg
1/8 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
~1/8-1/4 tsp powdered stevia (might be less if you use dates, add stevia a little at a time and taste to make sure it's sweet enough.)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8-1/4 tsp ea. ground cloves, nutmeg and ginger

Preheat oven to 325 F
Grind your nuts finely in the food processor and empty them from the processor.
Chop both the butter and the dried fruit into smallish pieces and add to processor. Process until mixed.
Add egg and process again until mixed.
Add the chopped nuts and remaining ingredients and process until it begins to form one big ball.
-the dough will be sticky, but workable.
Form into small balls and place on a cookie sheet. Gently press each cookie with the back of a spoon to flatten slightly. If the dough is too sticky to do this, wait until they've baked for 5 minutes and then press them down.
Bake ~ 10-15 minutes, until the tops are just starting to brown, otherwise you can burn the bottom.
Let them cool on a wire rack.

If you want to get fancy, you could frost with a nut butter, like almond or cashew, or any other "safe" frosting.

Almond pie crust

2 cups almond flour
4 T cold butter cut into pieces (or coconut oil)
3 chopped dates
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Grind almonds in food processor. Set aside
Add chopped butter and dates to processor and process til mixed
Add almond flour and all other ingredients and blend until a big ball forms.
Roll the ball out between two sheets of wax paper. Chill
Invert into a pie pan and press into place
Bake at 300F for 10 minutes.
Cool and fill.

FRUIT-AND-NUT STUFFING (from paleofood.com ) We had this for Thanksgiving, and it was good.
Makes about 10 cups

18 whole pitted prunes
1/2 cup dried currants
1 cup dark raisins
24 dried apricot halves
1/4 cup orange juice or bourbon
3 tart cooking apples, unpeeled, cored, chopped
3 large onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
6 tablespoons olive oil
2/3 cup whole macadamia nuts, unsalted
2/3 cup whole brazil nuts - or cashews, almonds or pecans, or some combo
1 cup walnut pieces
2 cups whole raw cranberries
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried chervil leaves
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten

1. Put the prunes, currants, raisins, and apricot halves in a bowl, and
pour the orange juice/bourbon over the fruit. Cover bowl, and soak overnight.
2. Combine the apples, onions, and celery in a large skillet along with
four T olive oil. Cook the mixture over moderate heat, stirring
occasionally, until the onions are soft and the celery is tender, about 10
minutes.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a skillet and add the nuts. Toast them,
stirring constantly, until golden.
4. Transfer the sautéed onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the
macerated fruit, the toasted nuts, and all remaining ingredients. Gently
mix the stuffing with 2 large spoons or your hands until evenly blended.
Set the stuffing aside while you prepare the turkey for roasting.
5. After the turkey has been stuffed, any remaining stuffing can be cooked
separately. Place stuffing in an oiled baking dish, cover and bake at 350
degrees for about 45 minutes until heated through.

ok so what are the basic principles of the paleo diet. Can anyone link with a website or something that gives info?

paleo diet descriptions and further details
http://www.healingcrow.com/dietsmain/paleo/paleo.html

paleo dishes
www.paleofood.com

I was just about to post a thread asking questions about the Paleo diet, but this thread works perfectly:

1) I've noticed that most people take supplements (pills, vitamins?) of some sort when they're on the Paleo diet. What are they? Where can they be purchased? How much do they cost? Are they necessary?

2) Does the diet need to be followed religiously in order to yield any kinds of results? I ask this because there will be times when I won't be able to get out of eating some of the banned foods, and if slipping up once in a while would completely screw me up, it probably wouldn't be worth it for me to even try.

3) Can anyone just share their results with the diet so far, just so I can hear opinions about it.

Thanks to those who reply. Merry Christmas.

You need to take 1,000 IU of Vitamin D, 2-4 grams of EPA and DHA (fish oil) and 50mg Zinc, each daily for the first 30 days.



I think it depends on you. I know some people here say they cheat a little bit each day and is fine, while others if they even cheat a little bit they get new breakouts.


It's tough. It's the strongest form of self-discipline I have ever done in my life. Even though it's really hard, I am starting to see some improvements in my skin, despite my "diet-off-day Christmas", and cheating a tiny bit on Christmas Eve. But I am starting to run out of things to eat, I am so sick of salads with vinegar each day, and I have lost close to 10 lbs. For someone like me who was underweight when they started, it is not good. I have personally sat a limit on which I can go to. If I go below this limit, I will instantly stop the diet.



Not a problem, hope I helped.

hey people,
i have got a 100% maize flour pasta pack here.
is maize flour a no-no while being on the paleo diet?

erm, i dunno.
the ingredients list is: maize flour, water.
nothing else.

As far as I now maize is spanish for corn.

Maybe somebody can fill me in on eating fruits. I know refined sugar is a nono on this diet due to the spike in blood sugar, which heightens the insulin levels, thus producing more sebum. I know the paleo diet lists fruits as acceptable food to eat, but many fruits contain lots of natural sugar. Do these fruits with high levels of natural sugar play any part in heightening insulin levels like refined sugars? Is there any limit on how much fruit one should eat in a day while on the paleo diet?

Its been 3 days since I've been on the diet and I am craving something sweet but wasn't sure about the fruit thing. I was looking over some topics on green smoothies and that sounded really good! Now I am pining for one. Please help! ahhhhhhhh I'm dying here.

The good thing is that I'm seeing some good results on the Paleo diet but I'm really hungry all the time!

Hmm, sounds like a lot. Can I just buy these at any pharmacy/supermarket? Also, how much do they usually cost?

I missed that, didn't I? Sorry. You sure can, I picked 'em all up at Walmart for ~$10 IIRC. That was a little over a week ago, and I have a terrible memory. :s

What is the rules on beer and cider? both a no-no?
Thanks.

1) I don't take any supplements. Fish oil is probably the most important one to take.

2/3) Depends. You'd just have to experiment. I follow a pretty liberalized version of the paleo diet. I can eat dairy, beans and potatoes. I eat dairy just about every day - see my sig for what I eat. Once I started eating this way, the acne simply stopped coming. I can have little cheats here and there and usually can get away it, or at least just some clogged pores and nothing major. I have kind of learned how much I can cheat without consequence. It takes experimenting, because each person will be different.


Mattman,
You can eat fruit. I eat dried fruit sometimes as a snack or a sweet treat.



Maize would not be allowed as it is a grain.
Beer isn't allowed either.

Cider might be - if there is no sugar added. Depends on what the rules are on alcohol in general. I drink red wine every night.

Can I ask what kind of acne you had to begin with? My acne is pretty dang moderate, and I'm still having a hard time imagining it going away with a change of diet. Probably because I've been used to acne for too long.

I don't think it matters what type of acne you have. You can hang around here and ask a million questions, but you'll never find out for sure unless you try it for yourself.

are tomatoes and other nightshades okay in the paleo diet? the lectin containing fruits and vegetables?

Just wondering if I got this right; grain-free, bean-free, potato-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free? Is that the whole point of the paleo diet? I´d like to try it mainly because I lack energy and can never get up before 11 in the "morning"----
Now I basically eat a breakfast containing a smoothie with soymilk, spinach and banana & hot water with lemon. For lunch I have vegetables (cooked, or with eggs as an omelette, or a veggiesoup) and for dinner I have what ever we happen to make (pasta, chicken,meat, fish). I drink a lot of water or mint tea, and if I´m feeling peckish I have a yoghurt or a fruit or some nuts, and some chocolate like 2 a week.... I drink alcohol (mostly red wine) about 3-4 times a week.
Could something in this diet be the cause of my lack of energy? I feel like I´m eating healthy....
I´d be thankful for an answer! Oh and by the way I smoke like 10 cigarettes a day, and yes I know that´s not healthy--

Haha, yep, pretty much. Maybe it's better to focus on what you CAN eat.

It's not so simple that one thing in your current diet is causing tiredness/acne. I think there are many reasons a person can have acne. Let us know if you try out the diet.

The first thing I wanted to say is that it seems your lack of energy is coming from the very low levels of protein in what you eat. Judging from what you're eating you are way low on your protein. The paleo diet is not a low-calorie diet although you can approach it from that direction. The main thing is to eat fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, high-quality animal protein, nuts, and maybe a little honey every now and then. If you haven't read it yet I suggest you pick up a copy of "The Paleo Diet" and/or "The Dietary Cure For Acne" by Loren Cordain, or you might try "Neanderthin" by Ray Audette. The guidelines are well laid out in Cordain's work.

I think the first thing I might try would be eating more lean chicken (breasts are good), salmon (canned will work for now), or shrimp to get your protein levels up into 19-35% of calories. I pick up raw nuts and dried cranberries for snack stuff. My mix is usually 2 ounces walnuts, 1 ounce filberts, 1 ounce almonds, and one ounce cranberries. You can play around with the portions and substitute brazil or macadamia nuts. I keep mine at 4 ounces for weight control.

Pick up some avocados (great source of potassium), salad materials with lots of vine spinach, and start eating. Fresh fruits are okay because the fiber content is higher and you don't get a huge sugar load. Avoid the bananas if weight is an issue.

Hope this was helpful.

Take L-carnitine Fumarate. Get the 1 from a company in Westbury New York. It holds the world patent for this. It will make you feel very energetic.

Are root vegetables allowed in the paleolithic diet? I know the site you linked to says it isn't. But this site: hxxP://www.nutritionaustralia.org/Food_Facts/FAQ/Paleolithic_diet.asp and other sources say that sweet potatoes and yams may have played a large part in the diets of early humans.

I have been following the Paleo diet for just over a year now (fairly strictly)...I eat heaps of fruit - the sugar in fruit is fine as long as you eat the whole piece of fruit and don't juice it. The sugar is in the juice, but the flesh of the fruit helps the juice to be absorbed slowly through the digestive tract, keeping the fruit low GI (which in turn means no insulin spike, and therefore no sebum boost, and therefore no pimples!)...I don't honestly think the Paleo diet can eradicate acne completely, but I think it definitely helps to improve the skin. Not to mention how amazing I feel in myself...I would never go back to sugar, dairy, or wheat again. This is a life change for me Oh and if you're hungry, snack on nuts/seeds...they really fill you up. Or boiled eggs.