Suffering from severe stomach cramps to the point where you very nearly go to the emergency room is no fun, no fun at all. Passing gas non stop while working out at the gym and suffering from IBS off and on only adds to the pain. I was dealing with that scenario whilealso doing my best to get over acne, a skin disease that I suffered with for almost 6 years. No one wants to live their entire life like this, right? Thankfully I went through this at the very young age of 21.
Why am I grateful for this? Because it changed my life.
I now live a primal lifestyle and have been doing so for four months. I was introduced to this lifestyle because of my pain and suffering. I wanted an answer to my problems and I feel incredibly blessed to be able to say that I have managed to do exactly that. While doing a lot of research online about gluten and the problems with it, I continued to land on Mark’s Daily Apple. I did not believe much of what he said in the beginning but because I was being led to one of the site’s pages continuously I decided to give it a try.
Why was it hard for me to believe what Mark Sisson, the writer of the blog, was saying?Well, he did not believe in grains. The primal lifestyle is more than just a diet, but when you talk about the diet part, grains is by far the biggest topic. I mean, who wants to cut out all grains from their diet? How could this possibly make sense? It’s at the bottom of our food pyramid for crying out loud!
As I read article after article and learned more about the harmful effects of gluten via other websites I started to believe everything this guy was saying. It all started to make sense. It took me four months before I decided to dive in head first, but finally I did.
I will never look back. I feel better better than ever, have lost fat and gained muscle, am more fit, more relaxed, have greater energy, sleep just as well as I used to (I have always slept like a baby) and even require less sleep.
What Is The Primal Theory?
The primal theory teaches that we have been evolving for two million years. We have only started to eat grains for the past 10,000 years which is when agriculture began. In evolutionary terms, 10,000 years is not enough time for our bodies to adapt to a new food group.
I understand it is difficult for people to believe we have been alive for that long. We may have, we may have not. But, what we do know for sure is there are countless diseases taking the lives of human beings every single day, diseases that did NOT exist just less than a century ago. All grains are part of the problem due to gluten as well as the antinutrients that prevents our bodies from fully absorbing all the nutrients we take in during the course of a day.
Ditching grains is a large part of living a primal lifestyle but there is more to it. Ditching all processed foods along with legumes (including peanuts!) is also a must. I used to eat grains on a daily basis. Most meals consisted of some sort of grain where the grain was part of the main dish in most cases. Cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch and often times pizza or pasta for dinner.
The gastrointestinal problems that I mentioned above weren’t always present in my life, but I’ve learned that we develop a sensitivity to a food over time. I just learned that my next door neighbor started having allergic reactions to peanuts at the age of 60!! I don’t know about you, but I do NOT want to have that happen to me. This is another reason why it makes sense to avoid all problem foods and instead just eat a healthy diet now and live an overall healthy lifestyle.
If grains and legumes are not allowed then what do you eat? Easy. Think animals and think vegetables and fruits. Nuts and seeds are great as snacks and as a topping to other foods but I avoid them as much as possible as well because of the omega 6 content. Add spices to your food and supplement as necessary.
I eat a lot of salads, stir fries, eggs, all kinds of different animals, healthy fats such as avocado, olive oil, coconuts, amongst many other foods. When you go primal and become enthusiastic about this new lifestyle then it all truly becomes a breeze. Losing weight truly becomes effortless and gaining muscle is also a breeze if one has the desire to put on muscle.
It’s More Than A Diet, Its A Lifestyle
Most people who live this lifestyle focus on food more than anything. But it is more than just a diet. It is a lifestyle that touches on all aspects of living. We all know how important sleep is. Or, do we? There are now countless sleep disorders in our lives that did not exist just a short time ago. We are also deficient in Vitamin D3. What is the best source of Vitamin D3? The sun! It is smart to not get burnt, but most of us are worrying too much about this and are thus Vitamin D3 deficient.
What about exercising? We all know how important it is to engage in physical activity in order to be lean and fit. This is where primal fitness comes in. I engage in full bodyweight exercises, walk and jog as much as possible while enjoying myself instead of running for 40 straight minutes and sprint once or twice a week.
Move A Lot, But Slowly
How often do you move? Moving frequently at a slow pace is essential and is how we evolved during our stay on this earth. Do you really think we ran for thirty minutes to an hour at a consistent pace? A few might have for the pleasure. But, it is safe to say that most of us who do that today would much rather be doing something else. Hiking is a fantastic activity and is something that everyone should engage in. Playing sports will do the trick as long as you never over do it. The key here is to have fun.
Outside of moving frequently at a slow pace, sprinting once in a while is also necessary. When you think about how we possibly lived in the wild, we had to sprint at random times in order to survive. We never knew when a bear would approach us causing us to have to sprint in the spur of the moment. This is why I and thousands of others engage in sprinting sessions, aka high intensity interval training (HIIT). The idea here is to go all out for 20 seconds to a couple of minutes followed by a short rest. Do this a few times for a great, intense, short and effective workout.
Strength training rounds out the fitness laws of the primal lifestyle. Strong organs are one of the keys to living a long life. Building a fair amount of true muscle delays the aging process. You do this by lifting heavy things and by eating enough protein. I personally do push-ups, pull-ups and squats 3 days a week. After doing this for 3 months I have gained more muscle then I did in the previous 3 years engaging in single muscle movements.
Stress is also a big problem in today’s world. We work way too much and thus do not spend enough time playing. Yes, play. Think about how much fun you had as a kid. Wouldn’t it be cool to live like that again even if it was for a few minutes per day and more on the weekends?
All of this is part of the primal lifestyle. It is not a fad diet. It is a lifestyle that is here to stay forever. If you believe you are interested but are not sure you can handle the large differences from how you live your life today then there is no need to worry.
Mark Sisson, the creator of all this talks about the 80/20 rule right up front in his book, The Primal Blueprint. If you live primally for 80% of the time then you will still be able to improve your health dramatically with ease. As you live this way you will find yourself not wanting to use the 20% insurance since this way of eating and living is so much fun.
You now know the basics of the primal lifestyle. Since it is more than just a diet there is a lot to talk about when “primal” pops up. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns then please leave a comment below and I will personally answer as best as I possibly can. Remember, taking baby steps with anything in life turns what may seem like a challenge into easy, doable steps. As soon as you believe, you can achieve anything you want to in life!
About the Author
Todd Dosenberry, aka Primal Toad, is a primal enthusiast who made a leap of faith on April 5, 2010 by diving head first into a totally unique lifestyle. He blogs about the primal lifestyle over at PrimalToad.com and is doing his absolute best to spread the “primal” word around without pushing it on anyone but instead leading by example. You can also Follow Todd on Twitter or see his Facebook Fan Page.
Blacklord, Albany_Tim Flickr Photo (CC)
I’m pleased to enter this post in Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Works for Me Wednesday at We are THAT Family.
So I assume soaking grains is out.
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 4th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
If you are to live a primal lifestyle and eat the primal/paleo diet then yes. But, utilizing the 80/20 Rule is HUUUGE. It is something I do not talk about enough on my blog.
If you are to eat grains then do soak them. But, why not eat more quality meat, fruit and veggies and say coconut? These food are not only more healthy but better tasting.
When you go primal you truly never want to look back. You can go primal and then soak grains as your 20%.
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..8 Tips- How to Gather Pick Your Own Fresh Blueberries or Other Fruit =-.
[Reply to this comment]
I have five children 8 years of age and under. Would you recommend a diet like this for them as well? We do many of these things, but I end up relying a lot on whole grains…I grind my own wheat, kamut, oat, and rice flour. But we do eat a lot of it. Do you really eat NONE of that? No breads?
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
I truly eat no grains at all. They used to be a staple for my diet. I used to eat cereal for breakfast, sandwich for lunch (Turkey or PB & J), and would often have some form of grain for Dinner (rice, roll, more bread, pasta, pizza, etc.).
I ate whole grains as I thought they were healthy and I always wanted to be as healthy as possible.
I have been primal for 4 months as of yesterday and I will NEVER look back. My energy is through the roof and my digestion is a billion times better. The biggest change was going from eating a lot of grains to NO grains at all.
I also workout a little differently, get more sun and try to play as much as possible.
I do recommend this lifestyle for people of all ages. The primal community is growing exponentially for many reasons and I don’t see it ever stopping.
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..The Town That Food Saved Book Review =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Interesting article but I have two main counterpoints. One, your examples of eating primal are counter to eating local. Our ancestors had different primal diets depending on their locale. For instance people who lived in the Pacific Northwest (where I live) didn’t eat coconuts, olive oil, etc. They probably did eat a lot of hazelnuts, as well as salmon, elk and berries. I guess I just don’t follow the giving up nuts and seeds.
Second have you read “Born to Run” by McDougall. He brings to light some research that says humans are meant to run for long periods of time. He says that some researches think that humans actually evolved to be long distance runners. That we used our distance running ability for persistence hunting (running a deer to death) and that was our evolutionary advantage. Granted he tries to twist this information into an argument vegan, which doesn’t make sense. But the thought that we are actually supposed to run long distances is interesting.
.-= Laura´s last blog ..Refashion – Mens Shirt to Girls Dress =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 2:09 am
Laura,
Katie
My husband saw the same info in a Sports Illustrated article that just fascinated the both of us. And it makes sense – there isn’t a predator on earth that we could simply outrun in a sprint, but we can outlast every other running thing. I can’t wait to see what Todd has to say about this question, because I was going to comment on my own blog to ask it anyway!
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:25 pm
One thing I need to say up front is that I don’t do everything based on how our ancestors lived. I use a computer, refrigerator, sleep in a bed, drive a car, etc.
But, the more I try to live like how we did without all these conveniences, the more I enjoy life… really.
I started going to our local farmers market (the one that is in the running for the countries favorite farmers market!!) this May. I go every week to get local produce as well as local meat. I purchased half of a grass fed cow a couple of months ago.
There are a few things that I eat year round as I do enjoy some of the conveniences. Avocados are one of the healthiest foods we can eat and thus I enjoy one daily. I also enjoy a lot of coconut because it is the healthiest source of saturated fat (great for energy). And, I LOVE coconut water.
And, I just went blueberry gathering and we froze some berries so I will be enjoying those year round.
But, for everything else I try my best to buy everything at the farmers market so I eat in season. Strawberries are done so I won’t be eating them for a while even though they are one of my favorite foods.
Next question………
Yes I am aware that we are able to run long distances if we go barefoot. One of the big changes I have made since going primal is being barefoot as much as possible. I wear my vibrams when necessary. I have not read Born to Run but plan on doing so asap. I compete in 5K runs myself.
But, one is not to run like this often. What you have to do to train for a marathon is extremely hard on our bodies and requires way too many carbs.
Phew… long comment! Anyone else?
I am really enjoying this discussion! Thanks Katie!!!!!
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..The Town That Food Saved Book Review =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Jeff Reply:
March 24th, 2011 at 11:22 am
The long distance argument is interesting. I can envision a long-ago people needing to cover a great distance to a necessary location and make it back home before night fall, and long distance running would be needed to accomplish that. But of course high energy sprinting would also be very important. I would say that both types of training would be beneficial to a healthy body!
[Reply to this comment]
While I find the subject interesting, I disagree with it for a few reasons, one of them being that as a Christian, when Christ called himself “The bread of life” meaning that he should be central to life, what supports us, and equate that with bread/grain…well, what more can I say to that?!
I do acknowledge that for some people, their human body has gone haywire, and does not function well with grain or gluten. But that is not supposed to be the norm of how our body was created.
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 4th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Hi Amy,
First, thank you for your comment. I did expect someone to ask about this and was there for simply waiting for it.
I know it can be hard for full-time Christians to venture away from grains but I have honestly not heard about one person going primal and NOT improving there health in some way, shape or form.
I went primal because I suffered from severe stomach pains as you read above. I would pass gass nonstop while at the gym after consuming a PB & J sandwich. And, I had been constantly hungry for years even though I ate more food then anyone else in my entire family with my little body.
Am I 100% positive that it was the grains giving me problems? No. But, after ditching grains and feeling like I do now, I am just as certain as one can be.
One does not have to ditch grains in order to live a long, healthy and happy life. I just believe that doing so will enable anyone to give them a chance to live a MORE happy, healthy, vibrant, energetic and healthy life. I believe this from personal experience and from dealing with people every single day.
If you are reading this comment then please let me know what you think. I am here to respond to anyone and everyone as best as I can. I am here to help – nothing else.
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..8 Tips- How to Gather Pick Your Own Fresh Blueberries or Other Fruit =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Amy Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Like I said, I believe that some or many people have trouble with grains or are allergic to them. I don’t believe that this is the way our body was originally designed to work, but alas, it happens. Sometimes just because that is the way our body is, but I also believe that our bodies are changing more recently as they deal with all the junk in our environment, chemicals, and modernization of our world. We are destroying it and ourselves. As such, things that man hundreds of years ago did just fine with, we can no longer tolerate.
[Reply to this comment]
I do question the basis of the Primal Theory — evolution. God created the world and we have record of people farming in Genesis, so grains were at least a part of the human diet since practically the beginning. I do agree that most of us are probably too dependant on grains in our diets and that choosing other foods would be appropriate and healthy for many of us, but not because our bodies have not “evolved enough” to process grains.
.-= Beth´s last blog ..GratiTuesday – God gave us a Suburban! =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 4th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
Hi Beth,
Thank you for your comment. I understand where you are coming from. But, I do deal with people every single day who experience having more energy and are all around more healthy when they ditch grains. I have personal experience.
Gluten and wheat is an allergen. It is just like peanuts – some people are able to deal with peanuts just fine while others have a bad allergic reaction to them.
My sister is allergic to peanuts and I just learned that my next door neighbor became allergic to peanuts at age 60.
Some people are able to digest grains better than others. And, if you are going to do so then sprouting and soaking them are great practices.
The fact that I do not eat grains at all is a personal choice and one that thousands of others make and experience great satisfaction from the difficult choice. One will only know the benefits once he or she gives it a try.
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..8 Tips- How to Gather Pick Your Own Fresh Blueberries or Other Fruit =-.
[Reply to this comment]
nat. Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 3:35 am
Is the farming that occurs in Genesis before or after the Fall?
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 10:52 pm
Nat,
That’s a good question and a good point. Not much happens before the Fall, so I can’t imagine they were farming. That’s one of the curses for Man of the fall – the toil of labor and sweat, something about the ground, right? So really, we weren’t created for clothing, killing animals, maybe grains too, if you look at it that way. It’s all a consequence of that Fall.
Katie
[Reply to this comment]
Nice summary.
Petty I know, but it seems that running from bears (or other predators) is the standard example of why sprinting is beneficial.
Just in case anyone is actually planning a visit to a place with bears (like my home state of Alaska), you should know that running from bears is a bad idea. Back away slowly.
That aside I think the Primal theory is useful b/c it forces us non-primal people to remember that we are not bound to what we have known.
I also have a problem with its basing on evolution, but that’s why I’m interested in looking at the non-evolutionarily based reasons for considering it.
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 4th, 2010 at 5:40 pm
Hi Amy,
Thanks! Yes, running from bears is not the best way to escape from them, lol.
Thank you for your generous thoughts as well. You are right, we do not know anything for sure. There are countless theories on how the world got started and countless religions. Some believe in many gods while other believe in 1 or 2 gods. But, how can us, the ones that are alive, possibly know for sure? Ultimately, who is right and who is wrong? We all are.
As time goes on, we will learn more and more. But, our generation will probably never know with 100% certainty. What matters is that we are all alive and all have a chance to live a happy and healthy life because of what Earth gives us. I enjoy living life in the present as much as possible and am grateful everyday for everything that I have.
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..8 Tips- How to Gather Pick Your Own Fresh Blueberries or Other Fruit =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Whether you believe in evolution or creation shouldn’t be the main concern here. Species change. There is a tribe of American Indians who lived in the desert somewhere out west ~ all decendants of this tribe are obese. Scients have studied them and their diet is not very different from the average American diet, yet they are very fat (saw it on Discovery Channel some years ago). The only explination is that they ‘changed’ (adapted, evolved, whatever you want to call it) to the enviornment in which they lived.
People are also taller than they were a few generations ago. Yeah, there are the exceptions ~ my grandmother was 5’11″. But on the whole, we are taller. Probably nutrition, but who knows for sure?
I believe we were created by God, not that we evolved from primordial sludge. I also believe things change. Dog breeds. Did God create the Lab, the Aussie, and the tea cup Chiuaua? I don’t think so. I believe these are changes in the species.
Some people can handle the changes, some can’t. (Did you know that there is a condition among horses now where some of them cannot metabolize carbohydrates AKA CORN?) And now there are people who cannot digest wheat!
The idea makes sense to me. Think of all the kids with allergies now as opposed to when you were a kid. I have heard rumors of some schools not allowing any peanut products because of allergies! A kid down the street gets to go to the hospital for a few days if she has any smidgen of a cherry!! We are clearly doing something wrong and the whole primal thing almost sounds like a ‘reset’ button if you will. Very interesting ~ thank you for your post.
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 4th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Hi Angie,
Thank you for your comment. One of the reasons why I went primal is because it made common sense to me. And, as far as to eat grains or not eat grains, that is ONE part of it that many of you may not agree with.
But, if you look at all the other things that are involved with the primal lifestyle I can bet you will all agree with them. It simply makes sense.
There are 10 laws the make up the primal blueprint. Eating no grains is part of one law. The rest I am sure you will all agree with…
1. Eat Lots of Plants and Animals
2. Avoid Poisonous Things (yes this means grains but also sugar, hydrogenated fats, excessive omega 6 intake, white grains, etc.)
3. Move Frequently At A Slow Pace
4. Lift Heavy Things
5. Sprint Once In A While
6. Get Adequate Sleep
7. Play
8. Get Adequate Sunlight
9. Avoid Stupid Mistakes
10. Use Your Brain
And, there is the 80/20 Rule too. For those that want to continue to eat grains, one can simply diminish the amount and replace it with more quality plant and animal foods (think grass fed beef, fish, pastured chicken, greens, veggies, etc.).
I know you all agree that more PLAY is essential to ones life. We are overwhelmed with too much work in todays world. Our ancestors played waaaaaaaay more then we do today! They also slept more and better, did NOT text and drive, drink and drive, etc. They were not afraid of the Sun yet were smart enough to not burn, etc.
Again, grains are ONE of MANY parts.
I just wanted to clarify that for everyone!
Oh, and going BAREFOOT is one of my favorite parts!!
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..8 Tips- How to Gather Pick Your Own Fresh Blueberries or Other Fruit =-.
[Reply to this comment]
I have to agree with some of the previous posters as I am a Christian as well and just disagree with the premise. Grains are mentioned all the back in the book of Genesis.
Thinking of Angie’s example above, yes, children today do have more allergies but I’m not sure it’s because species change. I would bet it has more to do with what we put into our bodies or what is in our environment that is changing.
I am all about eating traditionally which is why I do not eat processed food, HFCS, etc, as a general rule. But, in my Book, traditionally or “primaly” includes grains. I have been just starting some research and it does seem they were prepared much differently than we do today, however.
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 5th, 2010 at 8:05 am
Hi Shannon,
Thank you for your comment. As a whole we all believe in many different things. There are millions who believe in God but who can also understand evolution. Studies show we have been evolving for thousands of years and just recently started to eat grains. Is this true? I don’t know for certain because I did not live back then.
I live in todays world. Today, millions have problems with grains so I believe it is best that people avoid them. If thousands are going to improve there health by doing so then it makes sense that they were not meant to be eaten by us or any animal for that matter.
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..8 Tips- How to Gather Pick Your Own Fresh Blueberries or Other Fruit =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Interesting discussion!
I’d like to know what you mean by a “full-time Christian?” Never heard of that before!!! I guess that means “part-time Christians” don’t have a problem embracing a diet based on evolution???
I think it is wonderful that you found a diet that has helped you! Yes, we as a nation probably eat too many grains and grain fed meats, but I would not think it wise to adopt a diet based on flawed reasoning at its very core.
God created this earth. He created grains. As previously mentioned, Jesus said, I am the BREAD of life. That tells me right there that bread is not the root evil.
Perhaps grain preparation methods or Genetically modified seeds? I don’t claim to have the answer. But, I know that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
Thanks for sharing your ideas.
.-= Elizabeth Ours´s last blog ..A New Way to Use Over-Ripe Bananas =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 6th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Hi Elizabeth,
When I say “full-time” Christian I am referring to someone who believes everything that the bible says. Someone who believes all of the principles that go along with being a Christian. Someone who prays at least once a day and someone who goes to Church at least once a week.
There are millions of people out there who call themselves Christian but have no idea what it truly means. They might know a little, but not much at all.
There is a big difference between calling yourself Christian just because your family is and thus you were raised that way and actually understanding it all.
How do you know God created grains for us to eat? Does it specifically say in the bible that we shall eat grains? And, why would it hurt to not eat them if our bodies were not designed to eat grains?
Just a few thoughts. This discussion is difficult for me but I am doing my best.
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..The Town That Food Saved Book Review =-.
[Reply to this comment]
I just printed out the blueprint fitness workout details for my son. He is working on his Physical Fitness Merit Badge and putting together a program for strength training is part of it. He really had no idea where to start. I think this makes great sense. It’s easy and affordable and doable. Plus he can already do 10 pull ups. A couple of years ago, he could barely do one. We put up a pull up bar in the basement and he’d do a few when he walked by and I’d make him do as many as he could before he played video games. So I’ve seen how part of it has worked for him already. Hmm. Maybe I’ll try it! I also really like the link to Esther Gokhale’s video on posture. I was in a car accident last year, and have been doing posture exercises. I’m going to have my kids watch it with me so we can have good posture together.
Thanks, Katie. As I was watching the video, I was wondering how I ever got to this web site. But of course, I always learn so much from KS!
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 7th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
One of my favorite parts about the primal lifestyle is the fitness. It is quite different then what we are all led to believe we have to do for exercise in order to reduce our risk of heart disease, etc.
Good luck with your sun on doing primal fitness. Quick and intense workout sessions do a lot for ones body!
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..The Town That Food Saved Book Review =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Why are legumes excluded from the primal diet?
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
August 9th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
The present the same problems as grains. They contain antinutrients that prevents your body from absorbing vitamins and minerals. They are also very difficult to digest for most people.
Think about how everyone always links excessive gas with eating beans… there is a reason for this. Our bodies are simply not designed to digest them.
They do provide a lot of nutrition but primal foods are far superior and come with zero side effects.
Believe me, I LOVE the taste of beans. But, it was easy for me to stop eating them along with grains because I had personal problems with them and I have felt better ever since the change.
.-= Primal Toad´s last blog ..Contest Giveaway- Win A Free Surf N Turf Online Cooking Class Enrollment =-.
[Reply to this comment]
Thanks for the info. I have been wondering if I should try to limit or cut grains and beans out of my diet. I eat soaked oatmeal almost everyday with 2 Tbsp coconut oil, but otherwise I don’t eat many grains. I prepared rice and black beans per Nourishing Traditions last night for a change. I did notice feeling uncomfortable for about the past 24 hours. Not terrible, just uncomfortable, and I has a slight headache, as well. I’m unsure on this topic, but open to experimenting to see what works for me.
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
April 11th, 2011 at 11:22 am
Hi Sally,
Late reply but I just found this post again as I totally forgot about it!
If you don’t mind not eating grains then I would recommend cutting out all grains from your diet for a full 30 days. Note how you feel and then “judge” after the 30 days. I think you will be surprised.
[Reply to this comment]
Todd,
I just wanted to start this by saying that I appreciate how hard you have tried to answer all of these questions graciously. As a Christian, I understand the points of views of the responders, but I understand that for someone who might not believe the way we do, it might be hard to answer everyone as kindly as you have. Thank you.
As far as the grain/no grain debate goes, I don’t at all think that we ‘didn’t evolve to eat grains’, however, I do believe that the bread that Jesus was referring to is NOT the Wonderbread we pick up from the store. I read a study once that stated that the wheat grown commercially today has NINE TIMES the amount of gluten in it that most people were eating only 100 years ago, because it has been bred purposefully for this so that our bread will rise higher and be nice and fluffy.
The grains that came from the middle east (where we Christians believe we came from) were grains like Kamut that had much less gluten in them than what we are eating now.
Just some “food” for thought.
[Reply to this comment]
Primal Toad Reply:
April 11th, 2011 at 11:29 am
Hi Chelsea,
Thank you for your kind words! I try my best and it has been somewhat of a challenge responding to commenters concerns.
Thank you for the gluten point. Gluten is very problematic and it is shocking to me that there is 9 times as much gluten in todays bread compared to just a century ago.
Its amazing how much we can change food!
[Reply to this comment]
Katie, just linked me back to this article, and I found the post and discussion very interesting!
My husband and I work out at a CrossFit gym, and we hear a lot about eating Paleo, but figuring out how to get started is HARD for grain mongers like us! Any suggestions?
[Reply to this comment]
Katie Reply:
October 10th, 2010 at 3:26 am
Erika,
Katie
We just did the grain-free thing starting a few weeks ago – it’s been interesting and definitely a challenge. My thoughts:
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/09/28/a-grain-free-life-menu-ideas-to-keep-it-simple/
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/10/05/faqs-on-the-grain-free-lifestyle/
http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/10/06/wordless-wednesday-on-lessons-learned-from-a-sudden-wet-sock/
Good luck!!!
[Reply to this comment]
Granted this post is almost a year old now…. but I find it very interesting how the primal theory translate into a diet somewhat similar to GAPs – which is meant to be a temporary healing diet (though one could live on it for their lifetime if desired.) I don’t buy the basic Primal theories for a whole host of reasons, and the very expense makes it difficult for someone with very limited means to continue for a great length of time, but the ultimate diet seems very good. Cutting out the processed food and getting back to good ol’ meat and veggies and fats is a wonderful, healing thing.
[Reply to this comment]