"Your dad is so fat".... Primal Papa's Journal. page 4

[Primal Papa]

Oy, yet another bad day! I had to go to the dentist today. I had a root canal done a few weeks ago, and over the weekend I was pretty sure the tooth, which was not yet capped, cracked.... and that turned out to be true. Now it is looking like I will have the tooth yanked and an implant put in.

My stomach is rumbling in a bad way, and I have been in the bathroom about 15x today. But at least no headaches.

So, have you ever heard of a grocery store called Wegman's? We have one near us and the place is HUGE - like the size of a Super Walmart. If you can't find what you need there, it is likely that you can only find it online. The first time I went there I spent about 3 hours just looking around. I stocked up today with some nice primal friendly foods..... I don't know if my food budget will allow for all the "organic this" or "grass fed" that.... I spent $125 and only filled one of those small shopping carts. I did buy that stuff today, to see how it goes, but that stuff is like double the cost..... I passed on the organic eggs - $4.79 a dozen!!!! I did buy Eggland's Best, though, with omega 3. Still, even they were $2.79 a dozen, which is more than $1 a dozen than I usually pay. I know Costco sells those, so I will need to check there next trip.

Honestly, I don't know how people can afford all that stuff. Between my wife and I, we make over 6 figures, and I still shudder at the cost of that stuff. And we don't live in an expensive area, so our salaries are quite good for the area.

Anyway, dinner we "easy"... still didn't want to use my hand much, so I food processed this, mostly"

8 tomatoes
4 red peppers
1 red onion
1 pound grass fed ground beef
salt
pepper
3 cloves of minced garlic
fresh rosemary and basil from my garden

It all went in a pan and cooked until most of the juice was cooked down. I ate about 1/3rd of the mixture.

Right now my stomach is a rumblin' like a freight train..... and I'm about to head back to the bathroom! happy happy, joy joy!

[PrimalMama]

Hey Primal Papa!
Your kids sound awesome - and is it wrong, I can't help but wonder what that neighbor girl DOES eat!?

For me, the quality of the food is a priority - I'd rather have 3lbs of grass-fed beef than a CAFO half cow. I find that it's not much more expensive (especially since you eat LESS when you're properly satisfied by food with good nutrients), and the way I feel justifies the cost.

Btw, for breakfast, I'll eat just about anything (if I'm hungry - if I'm not hungry, I don't eat, and I'm not hungry most weekdays when I wake up).
This morning, I had a beef shank and cabbage stew going in the slow cooker while I slept, so I chowed down a nice hot bowl of tomatoey cabbagey beefy brothy goodness.
I almost ALWAYS eat breakfast on the weekends, and it's usually some sort of bacon + eggs (sometimes an omelet) + veggies (garam masala roasted brussels sprouts are my current favorite) + sometimes a chunk of sweet potato w/grass fed butter, and coffee or tea.
Oh, and the bulletproof coffee doesn't taste that different than coffee with cream, FYI

keep at it - the first bit's the hardest!

ETA: Also, I notice peppers in almost everything you've posted (or maybe they're just sticking out and they're not really in everything...) - a lot of people are sensitive to pepper specifically (I know I don't digest red bell pepper skins very well), and perhaps even the whole nightshade family... something to think about if you're having to run to the bathroom all the time.

[Primal Papa]

haha! Primal MAMA.

OK, I wanted t say that while walking through Wegman's, I took mental note of the things I will miss on Primal.....

1. Coffee..... because the only way I like coffee is with flavored creamers, but I love coffee that way...

2. Diet Pepsi..... I was a 2 can a day guy

3. Indian food..... at least the ones I like most. We live in an area where the Indian population is kind of high due to all the pharmaceutical companies nearby ( my wife works for one too ) And there are many great Indian restaurants.

4. Beans..... I love beans! I made meatless chili about 2x a month, and each batch probably had LITERALLY 125 ounces of beans......

5. Peanut Butter....... Nothing like a peanut butter sandwich with milk when you need a fast meal..... at least for the pre - primal me.

So, I can give that up. The thought is disheartening, but the thought of becoming healthier outweighs the need for those items.

[PrimalMama]

haha! Primal MAMA.
1. Coffee..... because the only way I like coffee is with flavored creamers, but I love coffee that way...
3. Indian food..... at least the ones I like most. We live in an area where the Indian population is kind of high due to all the pharmaceutical companies nearby ( my wife works for one too ) And there are many great Indian restaurants.
5. Peanut Butter....... Nothing like a peanut butter sandwich with milk when you need a fast meal..... at least for the pre - primal me.

Wegmans is CRAZY man.
okay, I have suggestions for the odd ones ('cause I'm odd?) - The Pepsi and Beans, I have no good solutions, other than (if you can have a wee bit without falling off the wagon) having them as part of your 20% (the 80/20 thing)

Coffee - try some heavy cream + organic vanilla/almond/??? extract, or try coconut oil... you can sweeten with stevia if needed (but don't go hog wild on that stuff).

Indian food - you can still have a lot of the dishes (chicken tandori - YUM!), just avoid the rice, naan, chickpeas (this eliminates a bunch, sorry), and peanuts... and depending on the place, watch out for vegetable oil/flour in the sauces (and/or count that as your 20%)

Peanut Butter - try out different natural nut butters. They'll never taste EXACTLY like PB, but I do enjoy some raw almond butter on an apple every now and then!

[Comma]

Hi there,

yes yes, this is hard in the beginning. It's hard to give up the stuff you are used to, and scary to eat the new stuff that you will still think somewhere deep down is not allowed ....but I think most that stick to their guns find that 1. this gets comparatively easy-peasy, 2. you at some point will just not want the old foods anymore, 3. you will find that you can very well buy organic and grassfed because you don't have to shell out for orange sugar water anymore. So I say just mosey your way into this. Took me a year of trying and what felt like cloak and dagger daring, but now it is GREAT. The best. You can go back and read my early posts (I don't recommend) and its all, oh, I hate the carb flu, this is hard, I don't have the money...so there. I think many of us know what you're saying. You know? Stick to it. You'll feel so much better.

And UP your fat, man, and add some sweet potatoes and rice. I say you have to transition first, don't go low carb at the same time. Go to the farmer's market and get yourself some YUMMY stuff that you feel good about. Embrace it. You can always scale back once your health is in order and you have figured things out. I think you'll end up dropping the carbs sooner or later naturally, without a big deal. And now go and get yourself a steak, and a salad with avocado dressing, and a big old sweet potato with butter, and maybe some mushrooms sauteed in butter. Then make yourself a delicious quiche for breakfast and start some bone broth in the crock pot. Yes. That is my advice.

Good luck!

[Primal Papa]

Well, I am upping my fat tonight... will eat 1/4 of this:

In a mixing bowl, combine:

5 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
2 TB honey
cinnamon

Whip it in the mixer, and bake about 30 minutes at 325. Mine is in the oven right now.

[Primal Papa]

Hey Comma,

I'm not really complaining... I know it sounds like it..... it's just rough the past 2 days with the slicing open my palm, and the dental issues.... I think I am doing great! I expected the bathroom issues. That always happens when I cut way back on carbs.

Chuck

[Comma]

No you weren't complaining, I was. Haha.

That sounds yummy with the eggs.

[Goldie]

Papa, I like cashew butter way better than peanut butter. And if you have a halfway decent blender, you can make your own, just pulse and scrape a lot! I love almonds, but I don't like almond butter--go figure!

As talented as you are in the kitchen, I bet you could invent primal equivalents for a lot of Indian food. Organic curry powder is easy to find... I have quite a few primal Indian/curry recipes, plus there was a great one on Mark's blog today for Panag Curry with Tilapia.

I'm a free spirit sort of cook; when I eat something really tasty in a restaurant (or get a taste of hubby's), I figure out the main ingredients and invent something similar at home. It's never quite the same, but it's still really good! Especially as I know the quality of the foods I use to cook with!

As far as stuffed peppers, cauliflower rice/mash is great. So is bacon, cheese, ground beef+kale, chopped mushrooms, some or all of the above... the possibilities are endless!

[Primal Papa]

Goldie... I sure do have a nice blender... about a 10 year old Vitamix.... My wife dang near shot me when I paid $250 for a mixer.... it still runs great, and I use it a ton.... and now they are like 400 bucks..... I bet I could sell it for $200, LOL.

I plan to try cashew butter. I don't like almond butter a lot, but it is edible....

I actually am talented in the kitchen, and when I can take the bandage off my hand, I will get back to real cooking. That's one thing about primal.... you cook more. Fortunately I work from home, so it isn't too much of an issue.

I'm still, and probably always will be for a few years, afraid of fat. Having had bypass surgery will do that to you. I had my blood work done in March..... I will have it done again in January. If the numbers are better, maybe I can feel good about eating more fat. ( you didn't mention fat.... I just threw that out there ).