I am considering going full-on Paleo page

[sbhikes]

I just read Loren Cordain's Paleo Answer. There is a lot of scientific information in there but he's kind enough to explain things simply and with few words but put all the references in the back if you want them.

I was fairly shocked by what milk does to you. I still put a little half-and-half in my coffee every day. I have a lot of post-nasal drip. Perhaps this is my problem. I was also shocked by what beans do to you. I don't eat them often, however.

My boyfriend appears to have all the signs of leaky gut and the resulting autoimmune issues described in the book. I am hoping he will read the book or at least if I cook purely paleo dinners that it will help him sleep and poop better and hurt less.

I personally would like to lose a little more weight. I had started to see signs of autoimmune issues in myself but they have vastly subsided since eating Primal. I am hoping that being a little more closer to pure paleo will help. I'm not going to count or restrict carbs, just try to read labels a little more closely and serve foods with fewer "borderline" ingredients.

Has anyone here gotten stricter toward paleo and noticed any benefits?

[Dirlot]

Not stricter but I have been limiting dairy as well after reading about some of the issues surrounding it AND how it is processed at the factory.

[Jer37208]

I generally consider myself "paleo light", but after feeling so much better off that alone, I'm thinking of going 100% paleo compliant this week

[Rosencrantz1]

Timely, then, this:

Got Milk? You Don't Need It - NYTimes.com

[Neckhammer]

Yeah, I've been thinking about how watered down the original message has gotten. We make allowances for N=1 with nearly every non-paleo food group. At some point its just not in line with the original theory. I'm all for testing things out, to an extent, but with the understanding that these things may not cause an immediate acute reaction.....its the chronic leaky gut and inflammation that develops over years that gets you.

[john_e_turner_ii]

I went more Paleo last October by eliminating dairy, except for butter and occasional heavy cream. I have noticed a dramatic difference in my nasal congestion. I eliminated grains a long time ago and rarely ever have them; the same goes for beans/legumes. I say give it a try.

[sbhikes]

I've made allowances for occasional beans (black beans or lentils usually) and for dairy (sometimes we have a dinner that consists mainly of lots of cheeses). I also eat fattier than he recommends and eat liberally of butter. I am wondering if even butter has the problems that he lists in dairy. It's not about the casein or lactose in case anyone is about to say anything about that. I really didn't realize the issues with beans and dairy. I'm really quite shocked by them.

[primalrob]

i've done dairy free months before (doing one right now) and i don't seem to notice any difference at all. i've actually done the strict paleo/whole30 thing a few times before (except keeping the conventional meat and veggies), including eliminating nightshades, and found that i basically don't have any food intolerance. win for me. but, i do notice when that i lose a little more fat during these months. probably because i'm so strict and don't go crazy with the cheese and nuts, thereby eating less calories than normal.

[TLoRu]

So I'm on day 39 of my whole30. Was strict paleo before w the occasional sweet indulgence and morning cream in my coffee. Since I started the whole30 in June, I haven't noticed huge differences but I have had a decrease in nasal clogs. I have horrendous allergies, so this is great. The other thing is that I'm sleeping SO well. I fall asleep super fast and usually only wake to my internal clock.

I'm struggling w if I even want to reintroduce dairy at all at this point. I say give it a go!

[CSilivestru]

Giving up dairy made a huge difference in how I felt day-to-day. If I eat dairy now (more than a tablespoon of full fat cream), I feel it almost immediately.

Butter and raw cheese seem to work with me fine.
I would say my "best" days of primal eat was when I was 100% paleo but, because I believe strongly in teamwork, I've made minor deviations for my SO (who is primal but not paleo). I would say, go 100% and see if you can keep it up. I'm big on finding the level you can maintain as a lifestyle forever rather than working towards a particular goal -- kinda turns into a "diet" at that point :-).

My biggest gains came from dairy elimination, legume elimination and mixing in 2 or 3 very intense workouts a week with one easy "recovery" 5k a week. Just my two cents!