New to Paleo/Primal Lifestyle page

[Priscillad]

Hello all I am very new to this Paleo diet. I haven't even fully dived in yet, I thought it would be better for me to slowly progress to become 80/20 paleo. I started about a month and a half ago by elimating gluten from my diet, as I friend of mind recently found out she has a gluten intolerance and told me I should try it out for weight loss. I have been fairly successful, but haven't since much change of anything in regards too weight or health issues. For the last 2 weeks I have been trying to cut out everything dairy, this has been quite hard as I love love love milk and cheese, but I have gotten by with a couple of pieces of cheese every couple days and milk only in cooking. I'm hoping by the end of the month that I elimated all dairy, wheat and grains from my diet.

I do have one concern or question I guess. I have been quite healthy all my life, usually never get sick, now since I have started cutting these food out of my diet I seem to have a running nose all the time. And medication doesn't seem to help. Could this be related to the way I eating. Could this be the "flu" that other newbies are talking about.

Please let me know what your thoughts are.

[Hedonist2]

Welcome. Find what works for you.

People will jump in and insist that you have to cut out all the non-primal stuff cold turkey. Some people need to do that. I took it slowly like you and after 3 years, I am doing great (at 70 y.o.)

You don't have to cut out dairy unless it is causing you problems. I eat/drink lots of it.

I don't remember people describing a runny nose being part of "carb flu" but it may be. Are you, in fact, going low carb?

You should eliminate most grains completely. I do have some (organic) white rice, white potatoes and corn tortillas. Those are not terrible (and I wouldn't give them up anyway.)

[Sandra in BC]

Welcome.

Unless dairy is a known irritant for you, there's no harm in leaving it in. Just make high quality choices...aged cheeses, full fat dairy, raw dairy if you can get it.

I think the easiest and most beneficial change you can make is eliminating seed oils, and switching to healthy animal and plant fats...butter, lard, tallow, olive oil, coconut oil.

Next would be sourcing eggs from pastured, free run, organic, happy chickens.

Then eliminate or avoid corn and soy.