Polly and Karen-
Was just wondering how you are creatively applying the Paleo diet. After the first years of major changes I am still tweaking my diet. I wonder if it might very well be a life long entertainment. My recent project has been experimenting with vegetable carbohydrates in proportion to proteins , of course excluding grains, beans and potatoes that all send me into a tail spin. I wish I could say that I had some conclusive results. It seems to be a daily process of paying attention at this point. As we have realized it is balancing the protein and carbohydrates. I feel so good and get so much done when I get it right and then suddenly have a day when I lose all my direction and energy.
Maybe that is a good thing and it is not just always about food. It is just not all about doing.
I always enjoy your input.
Matthew
Paleo Polly & Karen
Moderators: Rosie, Jean, CAMary, moremuscle, JFR, Dee, xet, Peggy, Matthew, Gabes-Apg, grannyh, Gloria, Mars, starfire, Polly, Joefnh
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harvest_table
- Rockhopper Penguin
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Matthew,
I'm still a babe in the woods here but it seems that we could be in for life long entertainment, ha, in figuring our diets out. It's a challenge.
I have no creative suggestions at all for you. I eat really basic and safe. Recently have been feeling well enough to try some new things with no conclusive results either.
Speaking of vegie carbs- this evening we had fresh sweet corn (my parents are here from MN and brought it) and sugar peas from our garden with dinner along with pork ribs. I ate tons of peas and 2 ears of corn. Will let you know how I'm feeling tommorow. Energy seems to be the main issure for me too.
Love,
Joanna
I'm still a babe in the woods here but it seems that we could be in for life long entertainment, ha, in figuring our diets out. It's a challenge.
I have no creative suggestions at all for you. I eat really basic and safe. Recently have been feeling well enough to try some new things with no conclusive results either.
Speaking of vegie carbs- this evening we had fresh sweet corn (my parents are here from MN and brought it) and sugar peas from our garden with dinner along with pork ribs. I ate tons of peas and 2 ears of corn. Will let you know how I'm feeling tommorow. Energy seems to be the main issure for me too.
Love,
Joanna
THE GLUTEN FILES
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/
http://jccglutenfree.googlepages.com/
Hiya Matthew!
LOL! Lifelong entertainment hits the nail on the head! I've been pretty much paleo for a little over 10 days now. The first week I was very good. Eliminated all concentrated sources of sugar - none in my iced tea, no more fruit juices, no maple sugar candy (sob) and no potatoes or beans. I noticed that I felt a little shaky a few times - I guess it takes the body a while to adjust to no longer having those sugar highs. I did have all the energy I needed for working out, etc. I also have lost 4 lbs.
The last few days I have not been quite as compulsive - had 1/2 potato twice and some bean soup. But otherwise paleo. I seem to be doing a different ratio of protein to carbs each day - I'm trying to decide how much of each to eat by listening to my body. It seems to vary day to day. I'm definitely eating far more carbs (veggies and fruits) than meat. I have also noticed that my stools have bulked up (and are much longer in size)) with all of the additional plant fiber. But luckily no D - oh, except for one occasion when I think I used too much walnut oil on a salad - those
OILS! What IS it with them anyway?
Thanks so much for asking and for sharing your experience and support. It helps immensely to be able to touch base with kindred souls.
Love,
Polly
LOL! Lifelong entertainment hits the nail on the head! I've been pretty much paleo for a little over 10 days now. The first week I was very good. Eliminated all concentrated sources of sugar - none in my iced tea, no more fruit juices, no maple sugar candy (sob) and no potatoes or beans. I noticed that I felt a little shaky a few times - I guess it takes the body a while to adjust to no longer having those sugar highs. I did have all the energy I needed for working out, etc. I also have lost 4 lbs.
The last few days I have not been quite as compulsive - had 1/2 potato twice and some bean soup. But otherwise paleo. I seem to be doing a different ratio of protein to carbs each day - I'm trying to decide how much of each to eat by listening to my body. It seems to vary day to day. I'm definitely eating far more carbs (veggies and fruits) than meat. I have also noticed that my stools have bulked up (and are much longer in size)) with all of the additional plant fiber. But luckily no D - oh, except for one occasion when I think I used too much walnut oil on a salad - those
OILS! What IS it with them anyway?Thanks so much for asking and for sharing your experience and support. It helps immensely to be able to touch base with kindred souls.
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Polly,
Do all the oils have that effect or just the nut oils? My sis complains about oils sometimes.
Don't nuts, including walnuts, have some kind/s of yeast or mold on them? Kinda doubt that's the problem, and my guess would be it's just the fat itself, so why would fats do that if they're not in excess?
Yours, Luce
Do all the oils have that effect or just the nut oils? My sis complains about oils sometimes.
Don't nuts, including walnuts, have some kind/s of yeast or mold on them? Kinda doubt that's the problem, and my guess would be it's just the fat itself, so why would fats do that if they're not in excess?
Yours, Luce
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moremuscle
- Rockhopper Penguin
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- Location: South Carolina
Hi Matthew,
Great to find your post in a different room -
You asked how we are creatively applying the paleo diet; may I say I think you are the creative one in our little paleo group - creative to use this room too!
I don't feel creative at all. In fact I have become extremely sort of laid back in my cooking and kitchen activities. Shopping for food that is appetizing and healthy and, of course, SAFE takes up a lot of time - probably more time than the actual preparation in the kitchen. I feel good about my diet and the healing of my gut - recently I noticed a change in the stool that was extra ordinary; I had otherwise experienced a status quo in the stools since I went into remission in early March 2005.
Polly you mentioned you've noticed a change in your stool since going Paleo 10 days ago - BTW, congrats on doing so well on "the program". More bulk, and did you say longer stools as well? I have some incredibly long stools, not every time but very often. They wrap around in the toilet bowl like a coiled up snake. Recently - perhaps no longer ago than last week - I noticed that my stool sank to the bottom of the bowl; that was new. Furthermore it was very firm, very hard; I felt almost constipated when trying to push it out. Also a completely new feeling.
Two days ago it went back to being almost diarrhea in the morning - I wondered what I had eaten the night before and concluded it had to have been some pistachios I had eaten in excess.
My diet consists of plenty of meat and it is mostly, almost exclusively, beef and pork.
I get up in the morning and put a chop in the skillet with a little olive oil so it doesn't stick. I brown it on both sides and add some frozen veggies to it; put a lid on and let is simmer at very low heat just to get the veggies defrosted and cooked. I add balck pepper and a little salt and eat it with Muir Glen Ketchup and/or mustard. Usually, I have a cup of decaf coffee or some black tea with it.
Sometimes I eat some fruit for breakfast in addition to the above.
Sometimes I heat an organic sunshine burger in the toaster oven and eat it with the meat/veggies - but lately I have not had the sunshine burger. Perhaps this explains the change in stool???!!!!
My breakfast is rather substantial. Most people would consider it dinner. LOL!
I also often use ground pork (Smithfield brand is my favorite) for breakfast and/or lunch. I brown it in a skillet, add veggies, slt/pepper and eat it with Ketchup/mustard.
Lunch is often kind of late in the afternoon when I go home to be there for the kids when the school bus drops them off. Lunch is often the same as breakfast - there are some variations but it is usually meat/veggies prepared the same way and then some fruit and lately I have eaten roasted peanuts in the shell (Borden brand).
If I feel hungry between breakfast and lunch I eat fruit either dried or fresh or both and some more peanuts/walnuts/almonds.
One of my favorite dried fruits is dates - they are very sweet so it is probably not a coincidence that I like them so well. I limit myself to 2-3 of the big Medjol dates at the time.
I don't eat potatoes or rice or any other grains anymore - it's been a long time. They don't send me into a tailspin, Matthew, as far as I know - do I need to test it? But perhaps they do more harm than I have been aware of - I have just eliminated them based on your personal advise, Matthew, plus the fact that the paleo people don't consider our digestive system to be geared toward those foods.
The reason I say that perhaps they do more harm than I have been aware of is that I have experienced the most recent change in stool consistency after having stopped eating the only source of grain in my diet which was/is the sunshine burger (rice).
I think I want to experiment a little more with the sunshine burger to see if I can indeed detect a clear causal relationship.
Matthew, I am curious about how you actually eat - do you measure anything? Do you try to balance carbs/proteins by actually measuring? Do you balance them by eating some of both in the same meal always?
I am very concious of making sure I eat meat several times per day - preferably with every meal. The meat seems to be the key to consistantly feeling good.
Tonight I had boiled shrimp and a salad for dinner. That's an unusual dinner for me. I try to have salmon once or twice per week. Sometimes lamb, sometimes some fowl.
Eating paleo while you have the MC problems to consider is not something that just works w/o paying attention; we need to be well prepared - have the right ingredients in the kitchen at all times. That's why shopping for food takes up a considerable amount of time and focus for me.
I haven't experienced oils or fats to be a particular problem - but again, perhaps I have not paid close enough attention to detect a causal relationship between intake of certain oils/fats or certain quantities of those and how I feel/my gut reacts.
Do you still take supplements, Matthew? Probiotics? Fish Oils? Flax seed oil?
How many of you are strictly free range and organic eaters? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Love,
Karen
Great to find your post in a different room -
You asked how we are creatively applying the paleo diet; may I say I think you are the creative one in our little paleo group - creative to use this room too!
I don't feel creative at all. In fact I have become extremely sort of laid back in my cooking and kitchen activities. Shopping for food that is appetizing and healthy and, of course, SAFE takes up a lot of time - probably more time than the actual preparation in the kitchen. I feel good about my diet and the healing of my gut - recently I noticed a change in the stool that was extra ordinary; I had otherwise experienced a status quo in the stools since I went into remission in early March 2005.
Polly you mentioned you've noticed a change in your stool since going Paleo 10 days ago - BTW, congrats on doing so well on "the program". More bulk, and did you say longer stools as well? I have some incredibly long stools, not every time but very often. They wrap around in the toilet bowl like a coiled up snake. Recently - perhaps no longer ago than last week - I noticed that my stool sank to the bottom of the bowl; that was new. Furthermore it was very firm, very hard; I felt almost constipated when trying to push it out. Also a completely new feeling.
Two days ago it went back to being almost diarrhea in the morning - I wondered what I had eaten the night before and concluded it had to have been some pistachios I had eaten in excess.
My diet consists of plenty of meat and it is mostly, almost exclusively, beef and pork.
I get up in the morning and put a chop in the skillet with a little olive oil so it doesn't stick. I brown it on both sides and add some frozen veggies to it; put a lid on and let is simmer at very low heat just to get the veggies defrosted and cooked. I add balck pepper and a little salt and eat it with Muir Glen Ketchup and/or mustard. Usually, I have a cup of decaf coffee or some black tea with it.
Sometimes I eat some fruit for breakfast in addition to the above.
Sometimes I heat an organic sunshine burger in the toaster oven and eat it with the meat/veggies - but lately I have not had the sunshine burger. Perhaps this explains the change in stool???!!!!
My breakfast is rather substantial. Most people would consider it dinner. LOL!
I also often use ground pork (Smithfield brand is my favorite) for breakfast and/or lunch. I brown it in a skillet, add veggies, slt/pepper and eat it with Ketchup/mustard.
Lunch is often kind of late in the afternoon when I go home to be there for the kids when the school bus drops them off. Lunch is often the same as breakfast - there are some variations but it is usually meat/veggies prepared the same way and then some fruit and lately I have eaten roasted peanuts in the shell (Borden brand).
If I feel hungry between breakfast and lunch I eat fruit either dried or fresh or both and some more peanuts/walnuts/almonds.
One of my favorite dried fruits is dates - they are very sweet so it is probably not a coincidence that I like them so well. I limit myself to 2-3 of the big Medjol dates at the time.
I don't eat potatoes or rice or any other grains anymore - it's been a long time. They don't send me into a tailspin, Matthew, as far as I know - do I need to test it? But perhaps they do more harm than I have been aware of - I have just eliminated them based on your personal advise, Matthew, plus the fact that the paleo people don't consider our digestive system to be geared toward those foods.
The reason I say that perhaps they do more harm than I have been aware of is that I have experienced the most recent change in stool consistency after having stopped eating the only source of grain in my diet which was/is the sunshine burger (rice).
I think I want to experiment a little more with the sunshine burger to see if I can indeed detect a clear causal relationship.
Matthew, I am curious about how you actually eat - do you measure anything? Do you try to balance carbs/proteins by actually measuring? Do you balance them by eating some of both in the same meal always?
I am very concious of making sure I eat meat several times per day - preferably with every meal. The meat seems to be the key to consistantly feeling good.
Tonight I had boiled shrimp and a salad for dinner. That's an unusual dinner for me. I try to have salmon once or twice per week. Sometimes lamb, sometimes some fowl.
Eating paleo while you have the MC problems to consider is not something that just works w/o paying attention; we need to be well prepared - have the right ingredients in the kitchen at all times. That's why shopping for food takes up a considerable amount of time and focus for me.
I haven't experienced oils or fats to be a particular problem - but again, perhaps I have not paid close enough attention to detect a causal relationship between intake of certain oils/fats or certain quantities of those and how I feel/my gut reacts.
Do you still take supplements, Matthew? Probiotics? Fish Oils? Flax seed oil?
How many of you are strictly free range and organic eaters? I would love to hear your thoughts.
Love,
Karen
Hi,
I'm getting closer all the time to going totally free range.
One thing I've noticed is that I don't seem to want more than one meal a day lately. Seems as though I did better when I ate half as much meat at lunch, and ate that much again at the evening meal. That way, I'd eat more veggies with each of those meals which would result in bigger, bulkier stools. Still don't sink, but you've given me hope! Hahaha!
Yours, Luce
I'm getting closer all the time to going totally free range.
One thing I've noticed is that I don't seem to want more than one meal a day lately. Seems as though I did better when I ate half as much meat at lunch, and ate that much again at the evening meal. That way, I'd eat more veggies with each of those meals which would result in bigger, bulkier stools. Still don't sink, but you've given me hope! Hahaha!
Yours, Luce
Hi Fellow "Paleos"!
Karen, it sounds as if you have found a quick way to make a nutritious meal. Thanks for the tips. But I am wondering about the rest of your family. Do you make something completely different for them? Do they eat the free-range meats too? It is tricky juggling everything, isn't it? BTW, I have also had the coiled snake B.M. It is quite amazing at times!
Congrats on your very firm sinker! 
In answer to your question, I try to buy as much organic and free-range foods as possible, but I am probably only at about 50% right now. It should improve, now that I have discovered the free-range farm nearby. Also, in Oct. I will have a Wegman's grocery store near me, and they have oodles of organic stuff. Do you use the organic frozen veggies? BTW, which veggie combos do you like? Some of them don't seem to have much taste, IMHO.
Also, I'm sure y'all know this, but wild salmon is preferable to the farm raised salmon (which has far more mercury and other pollutants).
Luce, I'm not sure if some oils (like nut) are worse than others. I need to experiment more. It may just be the "laxative" effect of too much oil, but I'm not sure yet.
I know what you mean about fewer meals. On this paleo diet I am almost never hungry. And isn't it amazing how much bulkier the stools become when eating veggie/fruit fiber as opposed to grain fiber?
Congrats on your move to free-range. I did a lot of research on this before I decided to go free-range. Aside from the obvious benefits of no hormones, no antibiotics, no pestcides, less fat, no risk of mad cow disease, happier animals, etc., did you know that the TYPE of fat changes in free-range animals? It has a far greater percentage of those wonderful omega 3 fats! How about that?!
Joanna, it is wonderful to hear how well you are doing! Please share your meal suggestions with us.....you have gained quite a lot of experience by now. What exactly are your identified intolerances now? What new things are you trying?
I really enjoy reading ALL of your comments. It seems that Matthew, Karen, Joanna, Luce, and I have established a little paleo club here. LOL!
I am picturing all of us in a little group out roaming the plains with our spears. Cavepeople, that's us!
Love,
Polly
Karen, it sounds as if you have found a quick way to make a nutritious meal. Thanks for the tips. But I am wondering about the rest of your family. Do you make something completely different for them? Do they eat the free-range meats too? It is tricky juggling everything, isn't it? BTW, I have also had the coiled snake B.M. It is quite amazing at times!
Congrats on your very firm sinker! In answer to your question, I try to buy as much organic and free-range foods as possible, but I am probably only at about 50% right now. It should improve, now that I have discovered the free-range farm nearby. Also, in Oct. I will have a Wegman's grocery store near me, and they have oodles of organic stuff. Do you use the organic frozen veggies? BTW, which veggie combos do you like? Some of them don't seem to have much taste, IMHO.
Also, I'm sure y'all know this, but wild salmon is preferable to the farm raised salmon (which has far more mercury and other pollutants).
Luce, I'm not sure if some oils (like nut) are worse than others. I need to experiment more. It may just be the "laxative" effect of too much oil, but I'm not sure yet.
I know what you mean about fewer meals. On this paleo diet I am almost never hungry. And isn't it amazing how much bulkier the stools become when eating veggie/fruit fiber as opposed to grain fiber?
Congrats on your move to free-range. I did a lot of research on this before I decided to go free-range. Aside from the obvious benefits of no hormones, no antibiotics, no pestcides, less fat, no risk of mad cow disease, happier animals, etc., did you know that the TYPE of fat changes in free-range animals? It has a far greater percentage of those wonderful omega 3 fats! How about that?!
Joanna, it is wonderful to hear how well you are doing! Please share your meal suggestions with us.....you have gained quite a lot of experience by now. What exactly are your identified intolerances now? What new things are you trying?
I really enjoy reading ALL of your comments. It seems that Matthew, Karen, Joanna, Luce, and I have established a little paleo club here. LOL!
I am picturing all of us in a little group out roaming the plains with our spears. Cavepeople, that's us!
Love,
Polly
Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused.
Polly, et al,
Visiting the free range farm near you was definitely a step in the right direction. I'm not saying that the practice exists, but technically, the "free-range" requirements can be met in a very deceptive manner.
"Quite literally, the requirement to slap a free range/roaming label on poultry product can be fulfilled by opening a door to the hen house (or cow stall) once a day for a few minutes. Whether an animal actually sets foot outside of its cage/stall/barn/room/shelf/etc is completely irrelevant."
This quote comes from:
http://www.pycs.net/bbum/2004/5/14/
Actually, the USDA considers five minutes to be sufficient, (whether or not the animal actually chooses to venture outside its confined quarters). Here is another reference/opinion:
http://www.eco-labels.org/label.cfm?LabelID=111
Also, note that free range does not mean that the animal cannot be grain fed. As far as I am aware, there is nothing to prevent the free choice offering of grain rations in self feeders, along with the free range program. Trust me, if the grain is available, the livestock will eat it--they look at grain, the same way that we look at candy. As the grazing becomes shorter, their diet may at times be almost 100% grain-based ration. IOW, the way this concept is administered, pretty much leaves most of the vital practices up to the operators of each project.
Also, free-range, in and of itself, does not imply that the animals are necessarily raised in an environment that is free of antibiotics, and/or pesticides. That would need to be specified in addition to the free-range claim. As far as mad-cow disease is concerned, I'm not sure that any practice could absolutely guarantee that it could not occur, but certainly, the total absence of supplemental feeding would greatly diminish the risk, (which, of course, is very, very, small, to begin with).
I'm not trying to rain on anybody's parade here, I'm just pointing out a few of the possible pitfalls in the program. In reality, I suspect that most operators are above board, and trying hard to administer the program to the best of their abilities, especially the ones that allow/encourage visitors. Even the ones that take advantage of the "USDA loopholes", are not actually being dishonest, (from a legal standpoint), though I would have serious reservations about their motives. I would venture a guess that, in general, the smaller operators are more likely to be the most strict with their rules, but this is strictly a WAEG.
Love,
Wayne
P S Also, if I recall correctly, a product that is labeled "organic", only has to be 95% organic. It must be labeled "100% orgainc", (or wording to that effect), in order to actually be 100% organic. "Mostly orgainc" products are required to be, (I believe), 70% organic content. I consider this to be deceptive labeling, but that is the way it is. Sigh
Visiting the free range farm near you was definitely a step in the right direction. I'm not saying that the practice exists, but technically, the "free-range" requirements can be met in a very deceptive manner.
"Quite literally, the requirement to slap a free range/roaming label on poultry product can be fulfilled by opening a door to the hen house (or cow stall) once a day for a few minutes. Whether an animal actually sets foot outside of its cage/stall/barn/room/shelf/etc is completely irrelevant."
This quote comes from:
http://www.pycs.net/bbum/2004/5/14/
Actually, the USDA considers five minutes to be sufficient, (whether or not the animal actually chooses to venture outside its confined quarters). Here is another reference/opinion:
http://www.eco-labels.org/label.cfm?LabelID=111
Also, note that free range does not mean that the animal cannot be grain fed. As far as I am aware, there is nothing to prevent the free choice offering of grain rations in self feeders, along with the free range program. Trust me, if the grain is available, the livestock will eat it--they look at grain, the same way that we look at candy. As the grazing becomes shorter, their diet may at times be almost 100% grain-based ration. IOW, the way this concept is administered, pretty much leaves most of the vital practices up to the operators of each project.
Also, free-range, in and of itself, does not imply that the animals are necessarily raised in an environment that is free of antibiotics, and/or pesticides. That would need to be specified in addition to the free-range claim. As far as mad-cow disease is concerned, I'm not sure that any practice could absolutely guarantee that it could not occur, but certainly, the total absence of supplemental feeding would greatly diminish the risk, (which, of course, is very, very, small, to begin with).
I'm not trying to rain on anybody's parade here, I'm just pointing out a few of the possible pitfalls in the program. In reality, I suspect that most operators are above board, and trying hard to administer the program to the best of their abilities, especially the ones that allow/encourage visitors. Even the ones that take advantage of the "USDA loopholes", are not actually being dishonest, (from a legal standpoint), though I would have serious reservations about their motives. I would venture a guess that, in general, the smaller operators are more likely to be the most strict with their rules, but this is strictly a WAEG.
Love,
Wayne
P S Also, if I recall correctly, a product that is labeled "organic", only has to be 95% organic. It must be labeled "100% orgainc", (or wording to that effect), in order to actually be 100% organic. "Mostly orgainc" products are required to be, (I believe), 70% organic content. I consider this to be deceptive labeling, but that is the way it is. Sigh
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Shirley,
There's another loophole on organic products. For agricultural operations where the gross agricultural income from organic sales totals $5,000 or less, (per year), the farm does not have to be certified by USDA certifying agents.
The products must be produced by approved organic production methods, and there is a potential $10,000 fine for violations, but official certification is not required, for sales levels under $5,000.
Love,
Wayne
There's another loophole on organic products. For agricultural operations where the gross agricultural income from organic sales totals $5,000 or less, (per year), the farm does not have to be certified by USDA certifying agents.
The products must be produced by approved organic production methods, and there is a potential $10,000 fine for violations, but official certification is not required, for sales levels under $5,000.
Love,
Wayne
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
-
moremuscle
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 706
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 6:16 am
- Location: South Carolina
Hi Family,
It isn't practical for me to eat much organic or free range food; mainly due to the prices but also because I can't find what I want near my house; I don't want to drive across town too often in order to do my grocery shopping so I try to limit the HF store trip to once per week, perhaps less.
Wayne, you are likely right about the terms "organic" and "free range" being used loosely, I wouldn't doubt it. That's why sometimes we need to take a deep breath and think about some priorities. But in this respect it varies from person to person what are his/her priorities - how much emphasiz to put on the organic/free range aspect of their diet. I agree that being able to visit the farm and ask questions is an asset in terms of determining whether or not the higher price is worth it - is the product really superior and the raising of the animals in accordance with one's ethical standards and requirements?
For those of us who are not able to go to the farm and buy directly from the farmer the questions are much more difficult to answer. We either do or don't trust the HF store and their choice of products, we either do or don't trust the labeling laws - either way we make our decisions based on criteria that are not always well defined. Some of us are more gullable than others - take me for example; I tend not to worry about it too much - sometimes I buy something that's organic if I like the way it looks and the price seems right to me. IOW I am not a very dedicated organic/free range shopper. I especially find organic meat to be expensive - I can't go there very often; I eat too much meat LOL!!
If any of you would like to try an excellent organic coffee I recommend Newman's Own Organic Decaf; it is roasted by Green Mountain coffee roasters in Vermont - wonderful flavor. The coffee is furthermore Fair Trade; I consider Fair Trade coffee a very good idea since when you buy it you support the farmers that are getting a fair price for their coffee and able to to support their family as coffee growers. To me it means more to know that I help a person have a good life than it means to me to know that an animal I eat has lived a good life - those are just my priorities. Fortunately we usually don't have to choose to either support a human or an animal - often we can do both at the same time.
I guess I am being a little political - hopefully not too much for you guys.
Polly, I think most of the vegetable blends are bland - I don't expect anything else since I deliberately buy the bags that don't have any sauces or spices in them. I often choose bags that have just ONE vegetable in them such as Collard Greens, Brocoli, Green Beans, Asparagus, Artichokes, Cauliflower. Those are my favorites. I also buy a mixed bag of bell peppers and onions (Bird's Eye). I have found a bag of frozen Shiitake Mushrooms at the HF store - very reasonable price - but somehow I don't like the flavor of those mushrooms; instead I often use fresh mushrooms that I slice and add to the meat/veggies.
I have come to like my food bland - but then I slather it all in ketchup/mustard while eating it. LOL!!
Bon Apetit!
Love,
Karen
P.S. I meant to add a thank you to Matthew for suggesting the Olive Oil mister - I have a tendency to pour the oil on w/o thinking; using a lot of it! What kind of mister is it?
It isn't practical for me to eat much organic or free range food; mainly due to the prices but also because I can't find what I want near my house; I don't want to drive across town too often in order to do my grocery shopping so I try to limit the HF store trip to once per week, perhaps less.
Wayne, you are likely right about the terms "organic" and "free range" being used loosely, I wouldn't doubt it. That's why sometimes we need to take a deep breath and think about some priorities. But in this respect it varies from person to person what are his/her priorities - how much emphasiz to put on the organic/free range aspect of their diet. I agree that being able to visit the farm and ask questions is an asset in terms of determining whether or not the higher price is worth it - is the product really superior and the raising of the animals in accordance with one's ethical standards and requirements?
For those of us who are not able to go to the farm and buy directly from the farmer the questions are much more difficult to answer. We either do or don't trust the HF store and their choice of products, we either do or don't trust the labeling laws - either way we make our decisions based on criteria that are not always well defined. Some of us are more gullable than others - take me for example; I tend not to worry about it too much - sometimes I buy something that's organic if I like the way it looks and the price seems right to me. IOW I am not a very dedicated organic/free range shopper. I especially find organic meat to be expensive - I can't go there very often; I eat too much meat LOL!!
If any of you would like to try an excellent organic coffee I recommend Newman's Own Organic Decaf; it is roasted by Green Mountain coffee roasters in Vermont - wonderful flavor. The coffee is furthermore Fair Trade; I consider Fair Trade coffee a very good idea since when you buy it you support the farmers that are getting a fair price for their coffee and able to to support their family as coffee growers. To me it means more to know that I help a person have a good life than it means to me to know that an animal I eat has lived a good life - those are just my priorities. Fortunately we usually don't have to choose to either support a human or an animal - often we can do both at the same time.
I guess I am being a little political - hopefully not too much for you guys.
Polly, I think most of the vegetable blends are bland - I don't expect anything else since I deliberately buy the bags that don't have any sauces or spices in them. I often choose bags that have just ONE vegetable in them such as Collard Greens, Brocoli, Green Beans, Asparagus, Artichokes, Cauliflower. Those are my favorites. I also buy a mixed bag of bell peppers and onions (Bird's Eye). I have found a bag of frozen Shiitake Mushrooms at the HF store - very reasonable price - but somehow I don't like the flavor of those mushrooms; instead I often use fresh mushrooms that I slice and add to the meat/veggies.
I have come to like my food bland - but then I slather it all in ketchup/mustard while eating it. LOL!!
Bon Apetit!
Love,
Karen
P.S. I meant to add a thank you to Matthew for suggesting the Olive Oil mister - I have a tendency to pour the oil on w/o thinking; using a lot of it! What kind of mister is it?
Paleao Pals Karen, Joanna, Luce, Polly and friends new and old.
I posted in this room hoping that we could have some kind of on going discussion about how to eat . As a group we all have found that we have had to find our own way beyond just a GF diet. I for one find it very isolating at times. Needless to say I am so pleased that you have found my post and give many thanks for you input.
It seems that we all are having similar experiences with intolerances and similar experiences with the Paleo diet. You have all presented so many good thoughts on diet that rather than try to address the question individually I have made some notes and will attempt to try to string it all together
I, like Polly, still experiment with different ratios of carbs and protein. A lot of that is because I try to buy the fruits vegetables and meat that I know I can tolerate and look the best to me and wing it for any given meal . Sometimes that is organic and sometimes not. I am guessing about 50/50 at this point. Many times my decision is based on if I like the way it looks and the price seems right to me.
Karen asked if I measured things. No I don’t. I try my best to make use of all the seasonal vegetables along with meat to make as interesting meals as I can. I probably mentioned before that any given meal is about one third meat and two thirds vegetables but even that is not a rule. I figure Paleo people did not run to the grocery to find the last ingredient of some recipe but ate what they had. HaHaHa. All the vegetables result in the same large stools that you have mentioned. I was a bit shocked when it first happened and wondered what was wrong and then had to laugh that something so right was such a shock.
Shopping does take a lot of time. Comparing prices and qualities of organic and non organic vegetables, opting out for the few frozen organic vegetables that I can get if nothing is available, going to a different store for meat, comparing meat and at the same time trying to visualize how I might put everything together for any given meal is so different than the way I used to buy. Even if I tried to make something over again it would be different anyway. The only free range meats I could find were over fifteen dollars a pound and could not afford it. Having read similar information to what Wayne has posted I used it as an excuse to buy only what is labeled natural meat. No question that natural meat labels may mean a lot of different things but I just try to do the best I can .
My most stressful times are the weeks when I am trying to put bids together and come up with work. A situation that never occurred until the last few years. I tend to drink way to much fruit juice at those times and it sends my energy up and down like a yo-yo. If I don’t buy it I don’t drink it.
The question of oils still baffles me but in that I prepare everything myself and olive oil does not seem to be a problem I don’t have to challenge it at the moment. The carbs that the SCD warns against are all the same ones that the paleo diet excludes and after challenging them and having problems if you are doing well without them why give yourself a reason to be unwell.
Every supplement I have ever tried has resulted in D. I take Culturelle despite the fact that it has some dairy. I find that if i miss out on it for a week my digestion is not as good as I would like . I would like something better but have never found it.
I take fish oil on a daily basis that has made some remarkable changes but I will leave that for another post since this is so long.
I hope I have covered some of your responses . Lets try to keep an on going dialog in this room.
Love to you all
matthew
Karen- Just saw your question on the olive oil mister. Dont know the brand. I saw some at Wild Oats and will be walking over their tomarrow. Will see if I can find a name for you.
I posted in this room hoping that we could have some kind of on going discussion about how to eat . As a group we all have found that we have had to find our own way beyond just a GF diet. I for one find it very isolating at times. Needless to say I am so pleased that you have found my post and give many thanks for you input.
It seems that we all are having similar experiences with intolerances and similar experiences with the Paleo diet. You have all presented so many good thoughts on diet that rather than try to address the question individually I have made some notes and will attempt to try to string it all together
I, like Polly, still experiment with different ratios of carbs and protein. A lot of that is because I try to buy the fruits vegetables and meat that I know I can tolerate and look the best to me and wing it for any given meal . Sometimes that is organic and sometimes not. I am guessing about 50/50 at this point. Many times my decision is based on if I like the way it looks and the price seems right to me.
Karen asked if I measured things. No I don’t. I try my best to make use of all the seasonal vegetables along with meat to make as interesting meals as I can. I probably mentioned before that any given meal is about one third meat and two thirds vegetables but even that is not a rule. I figure Paleo people did not run to the grocery to find the last ingredient of some recipe but ate what they had. HaHaHa. All the vegetables result in the same large stools that you have mentioned. I was a bit shocked when it first happened and wondered what was wrong and then had to laugh that something so right was such a shock.
Shopping does take a lot of time. Comparing prices and qualities of organic and non organic vegetables, opting out for the few frozen organic vegetables that I can get if nothing is available, going to a different store for meat, comparing meat and at the same time trying to visualize how I might put everything together for any given meal is so different than the way I used to buy. Even if I tried to make something over again it would be different anyway. The only free range meats I could find were over fifteen dollars a pound and could not afford it. Having read similar information to what Wayne has posted I used it as an excuse to buy only what is labeled natural meat. No question that natural meat labels may mean a lot of different things but I just try to do the best I can .
My most stressful times are the weeks when I am trying to put bids together and come up with work. A situation that never occurred until the last few years. I tend to drink way to much fruit juice at those times and it sends my energy up and down like a yo-yo. If I don’t buy it I don’t drink it.
The question of oils still baffles me but in that I prepare everything myself and olive oil does not seem to be a problem I don’t have to challenge it at the moment. The carbs that the SCD warns against are all the same ones that the paleo diet excludes and after challenging them and having problems if you are doing well without them why give yourself a reason to be unwell.
Every supplement I have ever tried has resulted in D. I take Culturelle despite the fact that it has some dairy. I find that if i miss out on it for a week my digestion is not as good as I would like . I would like something better but have never found it.
I take fish oil on a daily basis that has made some remarkable changes but I will leave that for another post since this is so long.
I hope I have covered some of your responses . Lets try to keep an on going dialog in this room.
Love to you all
matthew
Karen- Just saw your question on the olive oil mister. Dont know the brand. I saw some at Wild Oats and will be walking over their tomarrow. Will see if I can find a name for you.
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moremuscle
- Rockhopper Penguin
- Posts: 706
- Joined: Wed May 25, 2005 6:16 am
- Location: South Carolina
I love the idea of keeping the dialogue on-going and open -
Looking forward to hearing more about the fish oil experience and the changes it has brought. I have been playing with Carlsons Fish Oil but I have not been consistant and didn't notice any benefits but my mind is still open toward this.
Love,
Karen
Looking forward to hearing more about the fish oil experience and the changes it has brought. I have been playing with Carlsons Fish Oil but I have not been consistant and didn't notice any benefits but my mind is still open toward this.
Love,
Karen