Paleo diet?

[Owlie]

LOL
I have been known to eat sauteed veggies (sauteed in water) for breakfast- a mix of zucchini, squash, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and fresh baby spinach. My hubs just rolls his eyes at me. He's SO not vegan (or even vegetarian for that matter).

That would leave me really, really hungry. (I'm a carnivore. Bacon for breakfast!)

So, GLC, and other paleo people, I'm curious. What do you do for on-the-bike/run fuel, especially if you're one of those people who have a hard time with "real food" while riding/running?

[GLC1968]

Throw a little sausage (or bacon) into that veggie scramble and you've got a good breakfast for me!

Owlie, since I've been super strict paleo, I haven't done any endurance workouts of any type, so I'm not sure what I'd do. When I was paleo last fall and running a lot, I'd have sweet potatoes or even regular potatoes the meal before long runs or races and then I'd do close to the same, afterward. I actually really liked to splurge on OJ after workouts figuring the sugar spike would probably be ok for me and I love me some fresh OJ!

During long runs, I would stray from paleo and supplement with gels. Now, I'm not sure I'd continue to do that as I've found some really awesome, portable, real food baby foods that I may use. They are just pureed fruits and veggies and if I stick to the starchier ones (like the ones using winter squash) I bet they would make great, portable run/ride food. I haven't tried this though!

Oh, and real portable fruit (like grapes or melon) and even dried fruit make great ride food that is easy to digest. It wouldn't work for me on runs though where I cannot really digest real food.

[laura*]

It makes sense that dairy-derived calcium and plant-derived calcium would be absorbed differently.

John Robbins' "Diet for a New America" (or one of his other books) mentions calcium absorption vs fat: Calcium absorption is reduced in a high fat diet, enhanced in a low fat diet. Consuming dairy implies higher fat. What what I remember, adding dairy to one's diet may even be a net negative in calcium absorption.

[Irulan]

Throw a little sausage (or bacon) into that veggie scramble and you've got a good breakfast for me!

This is where I get confused about Paleo. Sausage and bacon are filled with nitrates, artificial flavorings and preservatives. So you give up certain food groups only to add this back in? I don't get it. Granted, I'm not the most well informed person- I eat mostly whole and unprocessed foods anyway without a weight or energy problem, so I have not paid attention to the nuances of Paleo.

[OakLeaf]

I don't even eat pork, but I see plenty of natural sausage and naturally cured meats at the local market.

[GLC1968]

Ditto Oakleaf. It's expensive, but it's really easy to find pastured, humane un-cured, nitrate free bacon and sausage. And more often than not, I make my own bulk sausage from grass-fed ground beef and seasonings. Soooo good!

I now make my own guacamole, mayo, salad dressings/marinades, sausage, and tomato sauce because the store bought options all contain things I want to avoid.

[Tri Girl]

That would leave me really, really hungry. (I'm a carnivore. Bacon for breakfast!)

I usually add some tofu if I have some, or some facon (vegan bacon).
Both are highly processed, but sometimes I want protein that's not in bean form.

[Dogmama]

Ditto Oakleaf. It's expensive, but it's really easy to find pastured, humane un-cured, nitrate free bacon and sausage.

Trader Joe's is a good source for this type of thing. They also have lunch meats that are uncured & nitrate free.

I've found that their bacon is meatier than most other types. And being nitrate free - it's almost guilt free. I save the bacon grease for my dog - he loves it.

[Catrin]

Trader Joe's is a good source for this type of thing. They also have lunch meats that are uncured & nitrate free.

I've found that their bacon is meatier than most other types. And being nitrate free - it's almost guilt free. I save the bacon grease for my dog - he loves it.

I didn't know this about their bacon! I love bacon but haven't had it in years due to the nitrates.... Thanks!

[westtexas]

So, GLC, and other paleo people, I'm curious. What do you do for on-the-bike/run fuel, especially if you're one of those people who have a hard time with "real food" while riding/running?

I honestly don't eat anything. Since going Paleo, I don't get that intense carb craving at hour 1. I always carry something, just in case, and I use Kind bars (the macademia nut and coconut or almond and apricot). You have to remember though that even a thin person has 10k calories of fat hanging around on their bodies that when you are adapted to living of it, you can access easily and steadily no matter your need.

Since last year, before I ride, I simply have a cup of coffee. And when I get home, I take a shower. And when I get hungry - be it right then or hours later - I eat something. I just eat when I'm hungry and I don't when I'm not. It's so easy.

[Owlie]

I honestly don't eat anything. Since going Paleo, I don't get that intense carb craving at hour 1. I always carry something, just in case, and I use Kind bars (the macademia nut and coconut or almond and apricot). You have to remember though that even a thin person has 10k calories of fat hanging around on their bodies that when you are adapted to living of it, you can access easily and steadily no matter your need.

Since last year, before I ride, I simply have a cup of coffee. And when I get home, I take a shower. And when I get hungry - be it right then or hours later - I eat something. I just eat when I'm hungry and I don't when I'm not. It's so easy.

Makes sense. You and my SO are sort of the same. While he's not paleo, he can just go ride for 20 miles without eating anything. Anything longer, he does have to eat. I can't fathom leaving the house without breakfast! I must not be terribly efficient at accessing fat stores. Hey, adrenal glands! Get with the program!

[Catrin]

Makes sense. You and my SO are sort of the same. While he's not paleo, he can just go ride for 20 miles without eating anything. Anything longer, he does have to eat. I can't fathom leaving the house without breakfast! I must not be terribly efficient at accessing fat stores. Hey, adrenal glands! Get with the program!

From what I am coming to understand, and I could be wrong, our body will use the carbs for energy if they exist before it will start tapping into the fat stores. That is probably a very simplistic understanding, and I am just starting to read on this. Obviously carbs come from many sources, not just the usual prospects, but if your body is accustomed to a certain level of carbs then it becomes very efficient at using them for energy and will complain if those accustomed levels aren't there.

I am becoming more and more curious about this - especially some research that appears to indicate that a primal diet is very good for those of us prone to insulin resistance. At some point I think I will need to give this a shot, but I need to have a better understanding first so I can make educated choices during that trial period.

I don't know that I would ever go 100% Paelo/primal - I like beer even though I may not drink more than 1-2 a week, and my occasional small dose of Blue Bell ice cream.

Rest day today if I like it or not - so will have time to do some good reading this evening...

[westtexas]

I don't know that I would ever go 100% Paelo/primal - I like beer even though I may not drink more than 1-2 a week, and my occasional small dose of Blue Bell ice cream.

To me, this is the beauty of this "diet". It's more of a lifestyle and less of just what you are putting in your mouth. Even Mark Sisson (the Primal Blueprint/Mark's Daily Apple) talks about the 80/20 rule - 80% of the time you follow the plan with an allowance for 20% cheating - and he even gives suggestions for cheats that are "not-so-bad" for you, like red wine, dark chocolate, that bowl of full fat icecream. And I totally cheat, because I love popcorn and soda at the movies and I seriously cannot resist the chocolate bread pudding at my favorite restaurant.

I think it's about doing the best you can, for yourself and for your body, by feeding it right and enjoying yourself every now and then - even monkeys in jungles know how to eat fermented fruit that's spoiled so they can get buzzed.

I read an article once about Are You Paleo Enough? and it discussed how there are a lot of folk out there in the paleo community who think if you don't do it 100% all the time, how dare you even call yourself paleo, get thee back on your Standard American Diet. When really, every small change in the nutrition you put in your body has a positive effect. Life just really can't be that black and white.

[Becky]

To me, this is the beauty of this "diet". It's more of a lifestyle and less of just what you are putting in your mouth. Even Mark Sisson (the Primal Blueprint/Mark's Daily Apple) talks about the 80/20 rule - 80% of the time you follow the plan with an allowance for 20% cheating - and he even gives suggestions for cheats that are "not-so-bad" for you, like red wine, dark chocolate, that bowl of full fat icecream. And I totally cheat, because I love popcorn and soda at the movies and I seriously cannot resist the chocolate bread pudding at my favorite restaurant.

I think it's about doing the best you can, for yourself and for your body, by feeding it right and enjoying yourself every now and then - even monkeys in jungles know how to eat fermented fruit that's spoiled so they can get buzzed.

I read an article once about Are You Paleo Enough? and it discussed how there are a lot of folk out there in the paleo community who think if you don't do it 100% all the time, how dare you even call yourself paleo, get thee back on your Standard American Diet. When really, every small change in the nutrition you put in your body has a positive effect. Life just really can't be that black and white.

Thank you for this, particularly the last paragraph. I've found myself reluctant to mention "paleo", since neither DH nor I are inclined to fully give up grains and booze. I made baigan bharta last night and felt a little guilty for serving it over brown rice, despite the fact that I had to stretch it somehow in order to feed both of us.

Sounds like I need to start reading Mark's Daily Apple for some motivation!

[GLC1968]

I totally agree that you don't have to be 100% to get huge benefits (unless you have other health problems, of course). The first 9 or so months that I was paleo, we were eating pizza every couple of weeks, for pete's sake!!

Until I did this Whole30, I honestly didn't think I could be 100% paleo either. I regularly used raw honey, dark chocolate, wine, etc. I thought that giving it ALL up would be pure hell and I didn't want to live my life that way (and for me, paleo was about permanent lifestyle changes...not a 'diet').

What I HAVE found is that if I want to lose fat and really be 'fat-adapted' (which is a really awesome way to be partially for the reasons westtexas mentioned and partially because I no longer have to carry food with me wherever I go...including no longer packing a massive lunch bag for work), I cannot let all the little things sneak in. Generally, 80/20 doesn't work for me. I've seen a lot of evidence towards this and if you've ever been in a weight loss challenge with a man, you'll be able to relate. Mark Sisson and many other men in the paleo world can be fit, lean and cut on 80/20. Most women cannot. In fact, the only three women I know in the paleo world who are as lean as the men (from a feminine perspective) are Sarah Fragoso, Nell Stephenson and Melissa Hartwig. All three eat a cleaner than 80/20 diet. I think that's the reality of it, women are not as good at being 'fat-adapted' and we have to work a little harder to live that way. I'm sure it stems from the natural state of things where as child-bearing beings, women are naturally supposed to carry more fat than men.

If you want the health benefits of paleo, 80/20 is fines. If you want the fat loss, you probably have to be cleaner. My hope is that I can get to where I want to be and then live 80/20...but we'll see. 90/10 is fine with me too.

Anyway, I had sushi on Friday (with rice) and it was delicious and I had no ill effects. So now I know that I can eat sushi every once in awhile and I fully intend to!