Diet mussings

[kate_ce1995]

Well, I haven't posted about my last chiro/nutritionist visit because I haven't quite known what to make of it. But here goes a synopsis:

He finally agreed that the tightness/muscle aches could be a mineral deficiency which he had suggested the first time I saw him. He said it is very individual and that in some people it's low potassium, others it's low calcium and others its low magnesium and that each of us has different needs for level of these. He said next time we could try to figure out which I might need...sounded kind of voodoo.

I mentioned that I'm drifting in a paleo direction. Again, he says, its all individual...works great for some people, other people need things like dairy in their diets.

So, as we all know, here goes trial and error! He did give me a neat sheet for tracking foods which lists different symptoms a few hours after eating to try and refine meals that cause that mid-afternoon crash.

As for my recent eatings, I was suprised that after two meals of beef roast with potatos and carrots that I was hungry very quickly after eating. Any idea why this might not have been a long term satisfying meal?

Katy

[artteacher]

How big was the serving of meat, Katy?

[Matthew]

Katy

It does take a period of time eating the Paleo diet for the body to adjust. Grains are very quickly converted to sugars, one of the reasons that the food pyramid is actually contributing to obesity. I hope you will find as I did that eating meat, fruit and vegetables stabilizes blood sugar , energy levels and hunger in that they deliver a more consistent level of calories with out spiking all kinds of chemical reactions in the body. I am sure that many of our Paleo Pals would attest to the fact that after a short break in period that their energy has increased and if they are anything like me rarely feel overly hungry or crave high carb snacks and sugar.

Well, I may have gone overboard in what others results may have been but that is the way it has worked for me and it has been a couple of years now.

You are on the right track. Stick with it, you will be so amazed at how eating this way over a few short weeks stabilizes energy and those constant hunger cravings .

Be proud that you are doing something so great for your health.

Love

Matthew

[Polly]

Katy,

I agree with Matthew - it takes a liitle time. I think Cordain's book says that too - that it takes several weeks for the body to adjust and that you may actually be tired, etc., until then.

Good for you!!!! We are all cheeringfor you!

Love,

Polly

[artteacher]

Hi Katy,

Another reason for the crash might be that you're not getting enough fat. Fat will slow down the digestion of foods, keeping that energy more sustainable. My guide is 20 grams of protein at each meal. It's slightly different for everyone, depending on weight, body composition, and activity level, though.

Love, Marsha

PS I found a protein chart from UC Davis that was really good, but it wouldn't let me cut and paste the address. If you google "protein content of foods chart" you will see a good page from this site:

teaching.ucdavis.edu/nut10/handouts/Misc/content.pdf

[kate_ce1995]

Thanks for the support guys. Does stress cause increased speed of digestion? I read a not so good email about a project at work last night just before bed and I got hungry, and was peeing all night. Not to mention burbing. Of course I felt off just before reading the email too...had put down the crossword and gone to check email.

Most of the time, I do feel like the food I eat is sustaining me better, but I'm the type that when I get hungry, I get hungry and go to feeling ill very quickly.

Katy

[Polly]

Hi Katy,

I'm not sure if stress actually increases the speed of digestion, but it sure does increase the gut motility. I can attest to this! My gut has always been my target organ. Whenever I am srtressed, I have to poop much more than usual. The food just comes out sooner (either undigested or also as D) when the gut motility increases.

Love,

Polly