Coconuts and almonds page

[Screamer]

Hi guys,

So I'm hoping to go primal and trying to see what I need to buy. I found coconut oil that I bought (the solid kind in a tub) not sure if it's raw or not, so I guess I need to find raw coconut oil?

Also, people are talking about coconut flour and almond flour? Is that just ground up almonds and ground up (dessicated) coconut? Or actual flour?

What other products do i need to get? Coconut milk (will only be able to get tins) and coconut water ( can only buy that vitacoco apart from buying actual coconuts from wholefoods.

Thanks for all your help

[Damiana]

You do not need coconut or almond flour IMO. Unless you plan on doing a lot of baking, neither items are necessary. Raw coconut oil should be labeled clearly, if you cannot get raw, refined is ok, and still healthier than corn, vegetable, canola, etc. you're just starting out...don't complicate things. Stick to vegetables, meats, and dairy if you can tolerate it. Keep things minimally processed, after a few weeks in, you will have a better idea of what works. Almond and coconut "flours"...no. They're barely primal.

[Screamer]

Thanks Damiana, I guess I am complicating things and trying to be over prepared. Would be nice to have some treats as well that I could bake.

I think i'm worried about being hungry as i have a big appetite and not havnig enough variety or not having snacks around me and also about portioning. Could I ask what a typical day would look like for you doing paleo? Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks? Thanks so much.

[Daydreamer]

Some people use shredded coconut for coconut flour, but some brands do sell a real "flour", defatted and all, which has a much more carbs dominant nutritional profile.
It's up to you.
Just know that shredded coconut acts like a sponge and is FULL of fiber.

I agree with Damiana still.

I use shredded coconut on my meals, like vegetables.
It's my take on pasta+shredded cheese
No seriously, it tastes damn good with olive oil and helps me to up my fat intake easily with lots of flavor

[Screamer]

Great. so forgetting the flours for now, dessicated coconut is great to have to add to foods, coconut milk (full fat) the tinned kind as well is good to use for cooking and coconute oil and butter really good options to have as well?

[Damonner]

Yeah finally you are in the right direction and no doubt your decision is good. So, enjoy the coconut oil and have better nutrition for your healthy life with its delicious taste.

[Damiana]

I think my diet is rather different from most people on this forum. I'm not a big person, tiny-boned, and seasonally I change my diet to whatever I crave. I also don't get hungry much and quite the opposite of you, a few mouthful of food gets me full. In a typical day I eat a pound of leeks, 3-4 oz of spinach, cooked, and flavored with miso, 1.5 pounds or so of a starchy squash or carby vegetables like sweet potatoes, and anywhere from 3-5 eggs a day if I'm not hungry to around 12 oz of a fatty cut of beef or pork flavored with gochujang (fermented red pepper paste) when I crave it. It's a fairly traditional Asian diet minus the rice. I probably eat a lot less fat and protein than most on this forum would recommend, but I'm only 5'4 and 106 pounds.

I work out daily, I snack on a 30 medium olives a day, and whenever the craving calls, I can eat an entire bag of milk chocolate. I also have a drink a day 2 oz of gin with lime. When I go out, I have sashimi or a roll wrapped with cucumbers instead of rice.

[Screamer]

Wow you are little

I used to be just a tiny bit more than you my entire life, but am now up to 154lb and i'm only 5'2.5. Partially or mainly because of me havnig polycystic ovaries and putting on weight due to that. Also years of working in an office and not doing much exercise after doing loads as a youngster.

I'm not fat as such just tubby and need to loose the excess chub and tone up. I'm heavy because i've always been quite muscly and worked out a lot. it's annoying!

[Bosnic]

It's strange that you define "going primal" as buying special things like coconut oil, etc. The main part is the actual meat, vegetables, etc. THAT'S what you need. The use of a particular cooking oil is trivial (not corn, soy, canola, etc). First make sure you've got the basics down. You can use olive, coconut, butter, lard, tallow, ghee... so many choices.

And regarding flours, just because it's gluten free doesn't mean it's healthy. So many people cut out gluten, but continue to eat large amounts of carb-filled gluten free stuff... they just don't get it.

[Damiana]

Yes, definitely avoid the packaged "gluten free" products at the store. They're often just as bad and far more processed than their normal counterpart. Have you read the starter guide to primal?