Trying Out Paleo page

[moonserpent]

Hello all.

I was introduced to this site as well as the paleo lifestyle by my friend and forum member Byakko. She suggested I try out paleo after hearing about my complaints of fatigue as well as my ongoing battle with acne. In all honesty, I am fairly stubborn, and when I heard about paleo, I was skeptical and unwilling to give up my comforting starches.

However, I am at my wit's end. Although it will be tough, I am willing to give paleo a try and see if I notice any changes.

My problem areas are as such:

- Acne (been suffering from this since I was 15. I am now 23. I don't break out much anymore but whenever I eat a bunch of sugar/dairy or become stressed, I break out, and thus, end up with dark marks on my face thanks to hyper pigmentation.)

- Dry scalp (this one is a recent thing and I'm not sure what the cause is)

- Dry Skin (primarily in the winter...don't notice much during the other seasons)

- Bloating (after I eat, my stomach will start to bloat.)

- Fatigue (particularly after consuming sugar. I end up crashing and wanting to sleep. This is also a fairly recent thing.)

My main battle is the acne/scarring thing. The more I can prevent breaking out, the better. I realized years back that tropical medications are not a fix and I've always had a suspicion that it had to do with something that was going on inside. I figured it might have to do with the type of food I consume, so I took my hypothesis to my dermatologist as well as my doctor and they both shot it down, stating that food had nothing to do with my acne.

And...after hearing that, I never went back to them, hoping I could find a solution on my own.

I'm coming from a "grab whatever's convenient and still relatively healthy" lifestyle here so realizing that I'm going to have to actually cook isn't particularly thrilling, yet I know it's something I need to learn. (Not to mention, the cost of grass-fed, organic meat is a bit unnerving for a college student with a minimum wage part time job!)

With that said, I hope to try and stay on track and find as many simple paleo recipes as I can.

[Sandra in BC]

Have you read the book yet?

You have enough issues that its worth making some changes. Its your choice to make. And after you read the book you'll probably be horrified at how UNhealthy most of those "still relatively healthy" grab & go foods are.

When I was your age I had a chronic acne issue that I tried treating with diet but it had progressed beyond that and was a bacterial infection. After years of diet changes and topical treatments, it took a 4-month course of antibiotics to clear it up. It hasn't come back in 20 years. That being said, my skin, hair and nails are are much improved by eating a clean diet.

Bloating and fatigue were my thing. The first change I noticed was NO bloating or gas, and NO edema. Its been nothing but positive ever since.

Forget worrying about the grass-fed stuff. Cut out the seed oils, grains, soy and excess sugar. That will take care of 90% of your diet.

[moonserpent]

Sandra - I'm assuming you mean Mark's book, in which case, no, I haven't read it. I'm new to paleo. Everything I know is either from my friend or the bits and pieces of information I've looked up.

I actually did the same thing years ago (go on antibiotics) and it did clear up the acne, but not permanently. I mean, I'm not breaking out like I was before, as I mentioned, but I still get them here and there.

Thanks for the advice, I'll keep it in mind.

[Annieh]

Forget worrying about the grass-fed stuff. Cut out the seed oils, grains, soy and excess sugar. That will take care of 90% of your diet.

Agree with this.

Also, rather than just trying to pick up things here and there, read the articles on this site, you will get most of the info you need.

Then just buy real food - eggs, veges, meat, butter, some fruit and dairy. It's not that hard to cook primal, just take some of these all natural ingredients and combine them in various ways. You will soon get the hang of it.

Some ideas: Breakfast - greek yoghurt, strawberries, flaked almonds. Or - mushroom omelette and bacon.
Lunch - salad greens, grated carrot, cooked chicken with olive oil and lemon juice. Or - chunks of ham, apple and cheese with a few nuts or olives and ground pepper. Dinner - roasted lamb chops and pumpkin with sour cream. Or - stirfried mince (ground beef) with onion, garlic, herbs. Add in a packet of frozen mixed veges or serve on a bed of steamed buttered cabbage. Dessert - baked apple with cream, or chocolate mug cake (blend 1/2 banana, 1egg, 1T cocoa, 1t vanilla essence in your mug, microwave in 30s increments 2-3x till cooked), or just a few squares of dark chocolate.

You get the idea? Just mix and match and you can create heaps of variety without needing to resort to fake products or unhealthy substances.

[Annieh]

Can you see how your meals are basically your shopping list? Or your shopping list is basically your meals??

You buy all those things, you'll be able to eat all those meals and create many more besides. I would almost bet that it will even come out cheaper than grabbing "whatever's convenient and relatively healthy".

[Byakko]

Welcome to the forum dear. (Yes, a welcome is how you greet people, folks. Believe it or not.)

I hope somehow this place can give you some helpful information and inspiration. Paleo/Primal can be overwhelming and there are a lot of different view points but ultimately just experiment and do what's best and healthiest for you. You know I will be around if you need help.

[Annieh]

Hi Byakko. Greetings from Down Under. Well done on inspiring your friend moonserpent to look into eating for the good of her health.

she has a lot of questions and I was eager to help her out, but you're right, I could have said Hello.

So, Hi Moonserpent, great to have you along. I hope you will find here both inspiration and practical help as you embark on your primal journey.

[Lilith]

Welcome Moonserpent

I'm not far into my Paleo journey and just taking it one stage at a time rather than jumping all-in and feeling overwhelmed.

I have noticed good things from following this lifestyle - far less bloating, not so hungry between meals (if at all!). I still have the odd sugar craving but, from what people have said here, that goes after time.

I find it psychologically beneficial as well - just knowing that you're putting more natural foods into your body

[MissJecka]

I hear you on the acne! I've had mild-to-moderate acne since I was 13 and I'm now 27. I was put on an assortment of topical stuff before I was put on on Accutane/Sotret/Amnesteem for two years (ages 16 to 18), which was the only time I had clear skin. The side-effects were awful though!

After I stopped the hard drugs of the Accutane family, I was told by my dermatologist that dairy could be a cause of acne, and although I'm not perfect at it, I've avoided dairy for the past five years (except for the occasional ice cream, raw cheese, etc.) and my skin is much better. I don't get the cystic acne anymore - just normal tiny blemishes once in a while, which is a HUGE feat for me.

I hope Primal living helps you!