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Saving Money Living a Primal Lifestyle

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savemoney_growOne of the complaints I hear most from people thinking about adopting a Primal or Paleo lifestyle is that it’s too expensive. Meat costs money. Coconut flour is expensive and hard to find. Organic fruits and vegetables cost more than their conventional counterparts. How do you make this type of lifestyle work on a restricted budget?

I believe that if anyone can answer this question, I can. We are a single income family with two kids. Technically, we’re below the poverty line, since my husband is enlisted in the Air Force. However, we own our own 4000 sq ft home and have two beautiful (working) cars in the driveway. I have enough handbags and shoes to wear different ones every day for six months and we eat grass fed beef, pastured eggs, organic produce, coconut oil, pastured butter and bacon on a daily basis. I shop at Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Sprouts. We have savings accounts with money in them and while the balance on our credit card is a little higher than I’d like it to be, we don’t have any debt that isn’t manageable.

How am I making it work? It seems like an impossible task, doesn’t it? I’ll tell you my secret: I’m damn good with money. And I don’t waste anything.

I received a request for a guest post from someone who wanted to share some money saving tips with you for a Paleo lifestyle (which I’ve included below) but I thought it would be fair if I shared my tips with you as well, as they’re completely different.

Saving-Money1. I’m realistic. Although I know the benefits of grass fed pastured meat, it’s not always available to me at a price I can afford. When my local grocery store has a “buy one get TWO free” special on meat, I buy it and put it in our deep freezer. I buy my pastured (grass fed) meat in bulk from a local farmer, and also store it in the freezer. I figure that if we eat grass fed meat some of the time and regular meat some of the time, we’re not going to up and die. Having a selection of both in the freezer means that I can rotate the good stuff with the regular stuff and still feel good about what we’re eating.

2. I get all my fat for free from my local farmer, in exchange for writing reviews on how awesome their farm and products are. (You can check out their website here, shameless promotion, cough, cough.) I get A LOT of it at one time. I render the fat down myself, strain it and put it in mason jars, which I store in the freezer. I use this fat for everything from cooking to homemade sausages to hand lotion in a pinch. You’d be amazed how many people are willing to give the fat away for free, as no one else seems to want it. (And you’d be amazed at how well it moisturizes, although it’s a bit smelly lol.)

3. I save my bacon fat. I just leave it in the pan, even overnight. It doesn’t spoil. It’s just there, deliciously waiting for me to fry my eggs in it the next morning. Organic, pastured eggs, which I’ve gotten from my farmer for about the same price as the crap conventional ones in the grocery store. If this grosses you out, think back to how your Grandma used to cook. She had a can next to the stove for her drippings and fat, didn’t she? It never went in the fridge. My dad’s family used to use these drippings to spread on bread when butter was scarce. I am too lazy to wash my cast iron pan every day, so I don’t bother with the can.

4. Any produce that has a thick skin that we’re not going to eat, I don’t bother buying organic. This includes bananas, avocados, oranges and sweet potatoes. (We don’t eat the peels of anything anymore, by the way, but that is another post for another day.)

save_money5. I make everything myself from whole real ingredients. We don’t buy any packaged food, except for the occasional package of gluten-free rice pasta and gluten-free tamari. I make chicken broth and even make my own coconut and almond milk. Why in the hell would I pay $2.99 for a can of coconut milk that has stabilizers, artificial vitamins and preservatives in it, when I can make the same amount of coconut milk for about 35 cents? It tastes better, it’s organic, I use filtered water and I know exactly what’s in it: coconut and water. It’s not rocket science. Neither is making your own coconut butter. If you buy a jar, it’ll set you back 10 bucks. Making it yourself costs…about $2. I make my own beef jerky, because I just can’t find any gluten-free, preservative-free jerky in the store that isn’t $45. I also make my own mayonnaise. It takes less than 1 minute, thanks to an awesome tip from Orleatha Smith, which we will be sharing with you via video sometime in the next month. I can use that mayonnaise for salad dressings and sauces and I even use it to cook with (it’s just oil, vinegar and eggs after all — if your recipe calls for those ingredients, why not use mayonnaise?) It’s amazing how expensive packaged food is. Don’t pay for flashy packaging and marketing campaigns. Stop spending money to have someone else (a machine, let’s face it) make your food for you. Take back your power and save yourself some cash.

6. I don’t waste anything. When I only have a little bit of mayonnaise left in the jar, instead of washing it out I add a bit of vinegar to it and voila! Instant salad dressing. I squeeze out every. last. bit. of toothpaste from the tube before I toss it. I add water to the dish soap bottle to get the remnants out. You know those neat soap dispensers that give you foam? The ones that are ridiculously expensive? Did you know that the first ingredient in that soap is water? I buy the original bottle so I can have the aerator-thingy and when the soap is gone, I refill it with about 5 cents worth of dish soap and fill the rest up with water. I learned these tips from my mom, who really needed to stretch the budget. She learned them from her mom. We’re so wasteful as a society it makes me sick sometimes. We only need to put our garbage cans out about once a month, while our neighbor’s cans are overflowing each and every week.

7. We don’t eat out. A meal for a family of four at McDonald’s costs over $20. For $20, I can make a meal that includes things like bacon wrapped scallops, grass fed steak, organic vegetables AND fruit. We mostly drink water. I don’t spend money on juice or soda or milk or coconut water or whatever you trendy kids are drinking these days. I make my coffee myself, with pastured cream, and take it in a reusable to-go cup. I refuse to spend $5 on a cup of coffee.

8. We do things that are free. Guess how much it costs to go hiking in the mountains? Or camping? Or to the park? When they grow up, our children won’t remember the ridiculously expensive vacations we went on, or the expensive flashy toys we bought them. They will remember the time they spent with us, not the money we spent on them.

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I have more tips, but I’ll save them for another day. In the meantime, Zara Blake, a financial blogger from the UK has some money-saving tips for you:

fruit picBuy from a farmer’s market: Buy fruits and vegetables from the farmer’s market where you will get them for cheap.  Visit the market at closing time when you will get the items for a cheaper price.

Dressings and salads: Make your own dressings and salads at home. Don’t spend $15 to have someone else make it for you.

Buy local foods: Always go for locally grown and seasonal foods. Exotic ones are more expensive and your body is not built to digest them regularly.

meatBulk meat: Buy a whole lamb or goat with a friend. Try meat-shares for larger animals. It will come already cut up and packaged so you can store it in the freezer. Try to buy grass-fed meats rather than the grain fed ones.

Plenty of eggs: These are the best source of protein after meat and are also pretty cheap. Include plenty of eggs in your diet.

Sales: Watch out for clearance sales in different grocery and online stores. Grab them while you can and stock up.

Do some gardening: Grow all the vegetables you need and save money. Use your kitchen waste as manure and practice rain-water harvesting. If you are running tight on living space, try roof-top gardens or potted plants.

Soups: If you find your veggies becoming dry, prepare soup with them. Using homemade bone broth is a great addition to this.

Fishing: Go fishing on weekends and catch as many fish you can. Clean and fillet them and store them in the freezer.

Nuts: Buy nuts in bulk quantities as they are cheaper than prepackaged nuts in small bags. Package them yourself and store them in the freezer.

Home-food: Eat at home and don’t eat out at restaurants too much.

No wastage: When you buy meat, don’t waste what can be eaten. If you dislike a certain part, learn to cook it in a new way. Don’t buy unnecessary prepackaged items as it will make your grocery bill go up very fast.

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These money saving tips were contributed by Zara Blake, a financial blogger from UK. She has written many articles on health, nutrition and finance. Catch her on Twitter: @financeport

Slim Is Simple and Grass-Fed Beef

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Primal Transformation Seminars

I’ll be doing Primal Transformation Seminars in Austin, Houston, Minneapolis and Portland this spring together with Tracy and Matthew from True Nature Training, so if you’re close to one of those areas, sign up! You can find all the information you need right here. If you’d like us to hold a seminar in your area, leave a comment with the city that you live in and we’ll see what we can do.

These full-day seminars include a 2.5 hour lecture/discussion with me on the Primal way of eating and lifestyle, followed by a 3-hour training session with Tracy and Matthew. True Nature Training is based on Primal fitness and includes elements of natural movement, parkour and gymnastics. It’s perfect for beginners! Participants will receive copies of The Primal Blueprint 21-day Transformation, the 90-day Journal, a gift bag with goodies and samples from Primal Blueprint, a t-shirt from True Nature Training and the chance to win a copy of the Primal Connection, Mark Sisson’s latest book. It’s going to be an amazing day so make sure you grab your ticket soon.

Slim IS simple

I have a couple of interesting links to share with you this week. The first one comes from Jonathan Bailor from SlimIsSimple.org, a non-profit nutrition education effort. He created an amazing video that explains how this whole diet thing works and has made it incredibly easy to understand. This is a great introductory video to play for friends and family to show them how to get started. Please share it on Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else you think it could help someone.

I just found a farmer close to my new house a couple weeks ago, so this next post on the benefits of grass-fed beef is pretty timely for me. If you’re in the Phoenix area, www.farmergoose.com is a great family farm that provides beef, chicken, turkey and eggs and has plans to branch out further. They are planning on holding events like farm tours and dinners in conjunction with the Phoenix Primal Living Meetup group to help people learn how to cook and eat locally.

The following article is written by Rich Coffman from Teton Waters Ranch in Colorado. If you’ve ever had any questions about the benefits of grass-fed beef, this is a great reference.

Is grass-fed beef worth the premium price?

Angus_Ranch2I have made many improvements in my nutrition over the last year. Like most health oriented people, my goal is simple: to eat the best quality food possible. This article dives into the reasons why grass-fed beef is a healthier choice that is worth the premium price.

I had heard many times that grass-fed beef is better than conventional grain-fed beef. Initially, despite being told that it was more nutritious, I was not willing to fork up and pay more. I thought to myself, “meat is meat, it all tastes delicious to me.”

When I began fine tuning which foods I put in my body to optimize my diet, I decided to take another look at grass-fed and did a little research.

Why is Grass-fed More Expensive?
Price is a big factor when considering grass-fed beef. I think it’s important to understand why grass-fed is more expensive to get a better understanding of its true quality. Is grass-fed more pricey because it is more nutrient rich?

I’ve found that grass-fed meat’s added value is derived from the extra time and space. The life of modern day, conventional grain-fed cattle is different on all fronts from grass-fed cattle. The only similarity is that they both end up on the dinner plate.

Big Beef
Conventional feedlot operations are designed to put weight on cattle as fast as possible. The cattle are fed a dense mix of grains and… other things, which packs the pounds on faster than normal pasture grazing. Grass-fed ranchers choose to let the cattle grow and put on weight naturally. After all, good things come to those who wait.

The rapid weight gain that is standard operating procedure for feedlot cattle is good for revenue, but not good for the animals’ health or quality of life. The lifespan of a feedlot cow is much shorter, with operations regularly slaughtering animals just after their first year. Factory cattle operations generate revenue based on quantity, not quality. Large volumes of cattle are the only way to make a profit. In general, the principle of quality gets shelved.

Grass-fed cattle, on the other hand, have more time and space to fatten up naturally, commonly up to an extra year. This time and care plays into the price of grass-fed beef, as the ranchers of grass-fed cattle have higher expenses in maintaining the land, paying the mortgage and taxes on their vast grasslands which are required for a healthy and vibrant herd to graze.

Better Nutrients
If you’ve ever done any research for yourself you’ve likely discovered that grass-fed is more nutritious. While there are many benefits, I’ve highlighted those that I feel are most important.

Vitamins and Minerals
Grass-fed beef is rich in vitamins and minerals, more so than feedlot beef. This has been proven by a number of studies including one by the USDA and Clemson University and published in the Journal of Animal Science in 2009. Briefly, this is what they found:

  • Grass-fed beef usually has up to 7 or 8 mcg/gram of Vitamin E compared to 1 to 2 mcg/gram in grain-fed beef
  • Grass-fed beef is higher in beta-carotene. It is also higher in riboflavin and thiamine, common B Vitamins
  • Grass-fed beef shows a higher content of potassium, magnesium and calcium

CLA
Grass-fed beef is an excellent protein source for Conjugated Lineolic Acid (CLA). CLA has been proven to improve the body’s immune system. The presence of CLA has also been correlated with the reduction in risk of obesity, cancer and diabetes.

Omega-3 Fats
Beef from pasture raised cattle is also rich in unbroken long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are vital for proper cholesterol levels and maintaining good blood pressure. Omega-3s are also essential for proper brain function and optimal mental and physical health.

Studies show that depending on conditions, grass-fed beef can contain between 2 and 7 times the amount of omega-3s compared to commodity beef. Grass-fed offers a better ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids as well.

Throughout history, man’s intake of omega-6 and omega-3 was naturally at a ratio of 2:1. Since the Industrial Revolution, the ratio has been skewed upwards to approximately 15:1. The consumption of grass-fed beef offers a rebalance with a better ratio of these bioactive fats.

Bacteria
When cattle eat grass and other plants (as they were meant to), their immune systems stay strong. With a stronger immune system, grass-fed cattle have less E. coli in their system compared to their grain-fed counterparts, meaning people eating grass-fed beef are less likely to cause bacterial infection from E. coli

A study at Cornell University by Francisco Diez-Gonzalez and James Russell noted that our digestive systems’ naturally occurring acids can kill E. coli from grass-fed beef far easier than beef from grain-fed cattle. Due an unnatural diet of grain, cattle for commodity beef  have an abnormally high level of acidity, which E. coli become accustomed to. On occasions when that resistant E coli is passed into our body, the acid present in our system is not strong enough to kill it, increasing the likelihood for infection.

Antibiotics
There is no need for antibiotics among herds of cattle naturally grazing in open pastures. In large feedlots common with many factory farming corporations, the cattle are confined to small spaces with cattle given enough room to eat and possibly turn around. In some operations, hundreds and even thousands of cattle can be condensed to just a few acres.

Disease spreads easily in tight spaces such as this, and when conditions are unsanitary, disease can devastate a herd. To protect against the problems caused by these poor conditions, antibiotics are overused on the cattle. This overuse helps generate antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that can cause severe illness upon consumption by humans.

It works like this: an introduced antibiotic will kill 99% of bacteria, but the strongest 1% of bacteria that remains has newly open real estate to multiply and spread to with no competition. The process is repeated–new antibiotics are introduced, killing most of the bacteria–and each time only the strongest of the strong survive. Drug resistant “super bugs” evolve out of this process.

Hormones
Many people might not know what exactly is in their beef, but if given the choice, most people would likely prefer meat free of synthetic growth hormones. Ranchers of grass-fed cattle typically do not use growth hormones because of their commitment to quality beef; many choose an all natural approach instead. While it’s not essential, you would be hard pressed to find grass-fed beef that is not proudly hormone free.

GMOs
The majority of grain feed for commercial cattle is now grown from GMO (genetically modified organism) crops. GMO food can be eaten directly or it can be consumed indirectly through eating GMO grain-fed beef. Despite their current popularity and overwhelming use, there have been no studies done on the long-term side effects of GMOs on the human body. There are many people against GMO use for many reasons, but that is another story altogether.

Research from France’s Caen University which was published in 2012 demonstrates that rats which were fed a lifetime of genetically modified corn had a dramatically higher rate of cancer and tumors, and their lives were much shorter. Because of the unknowns and research like this, it is best to avoid ingesting anything that is genetically modified.

Safe to Say
I’m thinking grass-fed beef is worthy of its price tag. Money can be saved if it’s purchased in bulk or if purchased on-site to avoid shipping expenses. In the last handful of years people have begun to wake up and understand food on a deeper level. Connections are again being drawn between the earth and the plate.

The choice was easy for me when I discovered the pitfalls of our modern day factory farms and feedlots that dominate the food industry. I support my local grass-fed beef rancher with my stomach and encourage others to do the same with theirs. From the pasture to the plate, grass-fed beef is better on all levels –- it’s a full spectrum of goodness.

Rich Coffman eats and writes from the front range of Colorado. If you would like to learn more about grass fed beef please visit Teton Waters Ranch.

Primalgirl Reads: The Primal Connection by Mark Sisson

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I was thrilled to recieve my advance copy of Mark Sisson’s latest book in The Primal Blueprint series, The Primal Connection: Follow Your Genetic Blueprint to Health and Happiness, last week for several reasons. First (and foremost), I was interested in seeing how Mark interpreted a topic that should resonate with us all at our core. Second, I was curious to see how the book was laid out, seeing as I’m writing a very similar book myself. (Thankfully, Mark has covered the bigger topics I haven’t, and my book may end up being a great companion to this one.) Third, I was excited for people to actually read this book and start making changes in their lives — changes that would make it easier for me to interact with them, to connect on a deeper level and to form tribes based on shared human experiences instead of the latest model of a designer purse or the shared love of Nikon cameras.

Why I Need This Book

I’ve been feeling majorly disconnected from modern society for about four years now — about the same length of time that I’ve been Primal. I’ve lost touch with many friends, as I no longer have much in common with them. When I started eating and exercising the way my genes expected me to, something deep in the recesses of my brain woke up. I started questioning why I did everything that I did: Why did I feel the need for a bigger house? What role was television playing in my life? Why did I want to be surrounded by people at certain times and completely alone at other times? Why did I suddenly hate video games and everyone who played them for hours on end — the only ‘social’ interaction they had all day? Why was I depressed after looking at Facebook? Didn’t I have over 500 friends on there? Shouldn’t I be happy to see what was going on in everyone’s lives, including people I haven’t seen since third grade and honestly haven’t thought about since then?

Never before have we been this connected and yet this lonely and isolated. Admit it: we ALL feel it. Something is wrong. Something is off. Something is missing. We were meant for something more. We’ve missed our calling. Something isn’t right.

Our Missing Primal Connection

Mark Sisson addresses this modern societal phenomena in his latest book in the Primal Blueprint series, The Primal Connection. The Primal Connections are organized into six categories in the book:

  • Inner Dialogue: Ten Habits of Highly Successful Hunter-Gatherers and how to implement them in your life.
  • Body: The body and mind influence each other in ways we’re only now beginning to understand. Relearn how to sit, stand, walk and move.
  • Nature: We are hardwired to encounter the sights, sounds, scents and sensations found in nature. Find ways to reconnect with it.
  • Daily Rhythm: Honor your circadian rhythm and use technology without it consuming you.
  • Social: We are wired for meaningful personal relationships. Learn how to create them.
  • Play: Playing is how we learn. Learn how to play without any attachment to the outcome and free yourself.

This book is beautifully laid out and easy to read. There are concrete steps and ideas on how to reconnect with ourselves and how to live simple, happy lives while still embracing modern conveniences and technology. What I like most about Mark Sisson is that he has always been about combining modern society with what our caveman brains expect and need to thrive. This book isn’t about breaking off from society and culture, living in a mountainside cave, wearing bear skins and shunning everyone you’ve ever met (which, I have to admit, does sound good to me on days like Black Friday. Just sayin’.). Instead, it’s about “honoring our ancient genetic recipe for health while still enjoying the comfort and convenience of modern life.”

This is a great book to take with you on a retreat, or to read on the train while you commute to work. It will make you think. It will make you aware. And, if Mark has done his job right, it should make you happier, more connected to the world around you and to your inner caveman. Grok on.

SPECIAL DEAL!

For the next two days only (until Thursday, January 10th, 2013), Mark is giving away special bonus packages and giveaways when you order the book. You can click on the links above, order from his site, from a book store — it doesn’t matter. Click here for more information on the exclusive goodies you will receive if you buy The Primal Connection within the next two days.

Dear Primalgirl: Paleo’s Gonna Kill Ya

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Okay, maybe I’m being a little mellow dramatic with the title of this post but when Ancel Keys is brought up, I get a little pissed off. I received this comment the other day on a post I did a while back called Can Going Paleo Give You Celiac Disease? The comment was just too long and complicated for me to write a simple rebuttal underneath. Instead, I decided to turn it into a post. I will address each point in black text so it is easier to distinguish who is “talking.” In case you don’t feel like reading the original post, I concluded that going Paleo hadn’t given me any new diseases or syndromes; instead the removal of particular foods from my diet caused me to be highly-aware of the immediate problems they created when reintroduced.

Written by Scotty from www.mycollegenutrition.com: 

I Highly Disagree, it’s totally possible to get an Autoimmune disease from any dietary restriction, Low carb paleo included. (by the way clay color poop is associated with problems in the pancreas). http://theskinnywhitebuddha.blogspot.com/2011/11/celiac-disease-diabetes-of-intesines.html

Clay colored poop can be associated with pancreatic or liver problems. This is why I immediately had the doctor run a panel for me, to make sure I was okay in those areas. I was. When I stopped eating wheat, my poop returned to normal after three days. Clay colored poop is also associated with Celiac Disease.

“It is interesting that the obese man or woman can be placed on a diet as low as 600, or even 400, calories without loss of body nitrogen or other ill effects and without depression of the basal metabolic rate. In these respects obese persons and persons of normal weight differ strikingly in their response to a low intake of calories.”

~ Ancel Keys the Study of Human Starvation

Whoaaaaaa Nelly. Wait. You’re quoting Ancel Keys?!?!? Really? OMG. Okay, let’s deal with this one:
Ancel Keys is the genius behind the low-fat hypothesis that has ravaged the Western world and several generations. He cherry picked his data to support what he believed and intentionally left out data that would prove him wrong. Fortunately, he has since been proved wrong and his data has been shown to be manipulated. If you don’t believe that, I would ask you to take a good look around and ask yourself how the Key’s low-fat and cholesterol hypothesis is working for the general public. I can’t take any of his arguments seriously, I’m sorry. By quoting him several times, you have unfortunately invalidated your argument with me and (I’m sure) most of my readers. Please find some data from a reputable, current source and we’ll debate. Leangains has a great write up on Ancel Keys, as does Denise Minger at www.rawfoodsos.com.

Seriously, why have you quoted this particular paragraph? Low carb doesn’t mean low calorie. Paleo does not mean low carb. We still get plenty of carbs, but from healthy sources such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds and tubers. We don’t starve ourselves. We eat when we’re hungry.

Put an already lean person on a calorie restricted diet and problems will ensue, but not in the obese because it takes longer for those problems to show up (I suspect because they have more fat to burn and lean tissue before they start running on fumes). A low carb diet can decrease secretory IGA and elevate Proteins to inflammatory markers like soy, gluten, eggs.

I am not on a calorie restricted diet, nor a low carb one. The Paleo lifestyle is as varied as the people who follow it. Some people eat very low carb (VLC) because they need to for specific reasons (epilepsy for one), other people eat very high carb depending on their needs. Suffice it to say, none of us are running on fumes. I’m sorry you have gotten the wrong idea about the Paleo lifestyle. Again, where have you gotten this data from? Can you show me the study that definitively proves low carb diets elevate proteins to inflammatory markers? (…NOT a study by Keys, please.)

“There is reason to believe that the epithelial lining of the gastrointestinal tract becomes more permeable to microorganisms in severe under-nutrition. The morphological changes in the intestinal tract would strongly suggest this.”

~Ancel Keys; The Biology of Human Starvation

I am not severely under-nourished. I was before I went Paleo. The phytates and lectins in the grains and legumes I was eating were binding to essential minerals in the foods I was consuming and causing a cascade of problems. I think a problem (besides the fact that you’re quoting Ancel Keys again) is that his book is called “The Biology of Human Starvation.” I don’t starve myself. I eat A LOT.

“The marked decreases in pulse rate and basal metabolism may be regarded as critical indicators of a lowering of speed in the automatic functions of the body…”

A lowered pulse rate can also be an indication of improved cardiovascular health. It makes sense that if a person is starving that the body would slow down non-essential functions. But again, I’m not starving. Far from it. And if I were, my body would be able to call on its fat reserves to burn for fuel. This is a complex evolutionary system designed to keep us alive during famine.

It can also be noted that a high Fat diet can destroy your glucose tolerance leading to thyroid imbalance which then may lead to digestive problems:
“Because of the high fat diet of the Eskimos, Heinbecker studied their glucose tolerance curves both before and after 82 hours of fasting. The basal blood sugar during the starvation decreased from 110-120 mg. per 100 cc. to about 80 mg. The glucose tolerances after the ingestion of about 2 gm. of glucose per kg. of body weight were normal in the control period. After 3.5 days of starvation the glucose tolerance showed blood sugar levels close to 300 mg. per 100cc. These returned only very slowly to normal.”

~ Ancel Keys; the Biology of Human Starvation

Sorry, but this quote doesn’t even reference your point, let alone prove it. Again, Keys selectively picked his information to tell the story that he wanted to tell. By adopting a high-fat diet, I personally overcame insulin resistance, pre-diabetes and hypoglycemia. However, once again Keys is talking about STARVATION. I don’t fast for 82 hours. I don’t know anyone who does if they don’t have to. It makes sense that when someone fasts for that long that their bodies would make glucose via gluconeogenesis or other pathways in order to fuel their brains. Again, we are complex systems based on millions of years of evolution. We are designed to be able to withstand short periods of famine. Who cares if your blood glucose is elevated during fasting? It’s not going to give you diabetes, in fact it would be beneficial. It would give you enough energy to go out and hunt/gather some food, eat it and continue to live. Of course blood glucose returned to normal afterwards. Of course it was “slowly.” Their bodies were smarter than they were, making sure the famine was truly over before announcing ‘Mission Accomplished.’ So tell me again, how does a high-fat diet destroy glucose tolerance, leading to thyroid imbalance and digestive problems?

Reduced Metabolic rate from Industrialized food (Overly processed, lack of vitamins) > Famine response is triggered > Low Thyroid> Lowered Secretory IGA > increased immune response to proteins > “leaky gut”.

So don’t eat industrialized food? Ok. I won’t. And I don’t. Are we saying the same thing here, or what? I’m not sure what your point is. Are you against Paleo, low carb or industrialized foods? 

Celiac disease is really just a blanket term for all digestive problems, seeing as removing gluten doesn’t always solve the problem. IBS, IBD, Ulcerate Cholietis, Chrones, etc

Tell this to someone who is suffering from Crohn’s Disease. (Reid, can you hop on this?!) Celiac Disease is caused by gluten. If the complete removal of gluten from the diet does not result in a lessening of symptoms or complete remission, then perhaps the person didn’t have Celiac to begin with or is still getting “dosed” without knowing it. It can take half a year to see remission of symptoms after gluten has been removed. [Editors Note: According to Dr. Tim Gerstmar of Aspire Natural Health, sometimes complete removal of gluten from the diet doesn't solve the problem. In this matter, I will concede that you are right. Are these cases that are extremely far-gone? Thankfully this was not my case, but I was in the beginning stages.] Testing processes for Celiac are far from perfect. My doctor told me I have an 80% chance of having inaccurate test results come back. Celiac Disease is not a blanket term for all digestive problems, IBS is.

Dieting in general is a stress on the body, Paleo included. You could have had a gluten “sensitivity” (such a garbage term) before that is now exacerbated by a diet that is deficient and sub optimal for the current environmental conditions and Epigentic changes that said individual was conditioned for.

Again, I am not on a diet. I have been following a Primal/Paleo lifestyle for almost three years and during that time have seen the complete remission of all the problems I was suffering from during my pre-Paleo days. I agree that dieting puts a stress on our bodies, which is why I have NEVER ONCE DIETED IN MY ENTIRE LIFE – with the exception of in 1999, when I was placed on a calorie-restricted diet of 1600 calories a day under a doctor’s supervision. There was no importance placed on food quality or groups, it was simply a matter of calories in/calories out. Along with exercising vigorously for 5-6 days per week, I managed to lose ONE EFFING POUND over a 2-3 month period. Yes, it caused stress on my body and also on my mind. Keeping track of every single thing I put in my mouth caused me to think about food constantly. I had to starve myself if I overindulged earlier in the day, I had to weigh and measure everything and it was a horrible, horrible experience. I love the freedom that the Paleo lifestyle gives me. As long as I don’t eat grains, legumes and sugar, I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want, to satiety. I am healthy, vibrant and strong. I no longer have ANY medical or mental health issues. I don’t take any medication. I don’t have to buy products marketed towards “improving health.” That is my own personal experience. I will never, ever go back. I believe that my body is conditioned to eat Paleo foods, since it does so freakin’ well on a Paleo lifestyle. It was not conditioned to eat Neolithic foods. The proof is obvious if you look at my before and after pictures and listen to the diseases/syndromes/conditions that I was living with before but no longer have. Please tell me what nutrients and minerals my Paleo diet is deficient in. I can’t think of any, nor do I have the markers of any deficiencies.

The Mark Sisson way of eating can come with consequences: http://180degreehealth.com/2011/06/paleo-fail

Just my take on the subject…

Thank you, Scott. And this is just *my* take on the subject. Everyone is different. Everyone will have a slightly different path and results. Saying that “eating this way can come with consequences” is a loaded statement. The “consequences” for me have been vibrant physical health and strength, coupled with stable mental health and the body I have always dreamed of.

By the way, the Paleo-Fail post you linked to above is hilarious. The guy is trying to sell an e-book. Not everyone will have luck following a VLC Paleo diet longterm and will need to tweak their diet to suit their own individual needs. I have been following a Paleo lifestyle for three years and have found that I need to increase my carb intake from time to time, depending on the season, my activity level and my goals. I don’t need an ebook to tell me when it’s time to eat, I listen to my body.

I look forward to your reply as well as any medical studies or literature you are basing your opinion on, with the exception of anything by Ancel Keys.

The Paleo Movement Sweeps Australia

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As a person who was raised in Canada and then spent almost a decade in Europe, I have seen how the rest of the world pays attention to what’s going on. The United States doesn’t. Watch the news here and you’re lucky to even hear about that 7.0 earthquake in Asia. If you’re American, it’s more likely you know all the Republican candidates by heart and where they stand in the polls.

The rest of the world isn’t like this. They pay attention to themselves, their neighboring countries and the rest of the world. They pay attention to us.

The Paleo movement is starting to gain major momentum around the world. I don’t care where it started, who invented it and who does it best. I care that the message is spreading. People are adapting the Paleo/Primal diet and lifestyle to suit themselves, their families and their nations. Butter is flying off the shelves in Scandinavian countries, the French are talking to Robb Wolf and I’m getting comments from people in the UK, Israel, Greece and New Zealand. Rock. On.

We often hear from Americans and Canadians about what it’s like to live a Paleo lifestyle but what about people from the rest of the world? Ever wondered what it’s like to eat Paleo in Japan or Singapore? Planning on taking a trip to Mexico or Africa? It might be nice to know what you’re facing before you go.

Suz is a British national who moved to Australia in search of a different life. She now runs the Paleo Network for Australia and New Zealand. Here is her story:

“Having lived in the UK for the first 28 years of my life, on a whim, I took the opportunity to see what it would be like to live in Australia when I was made redundant [Editors Note: redundant=laid off].  Four years later, I’m still here – and blogging about living a Paleo life in Australia.  From my life in the UK and Australia – and my travels to the USA, I’ve been surprised at how different it is living Primally in these countries.

SAD Grocery Shopping

I left the UK as a SAD eater (replace American for Anglo and the acronym is just as valid), used to being able to fulfil any culinary whim in my local supermarket.  I was used to a pizza aisle with every type of pizza you could imagine – and plenty that you couldn’t.  Another aisle for fresh pasta; fusilli, penne, rigatoni – you name it, it was available – and probably on a buy one get one free offer.  The ready-made meals spilled out into several aisles.  Fruit and vegetables from all around the world were available on any given day of the year.  Alcohol took up the last few aisles in every supermarket – making the decision of whether to have a bottle of red with tonight’s microwave dinner a very easy one.

I landed in Australia aghast at the complete lack of availability in the supermarkets – I felt like I’d travelled back in time, all that progress in the UK food industry seemed to have completely bypassed Australia.  Instead of aisles of ready-meals, fresh pasta and pizza – there were just a handful.  In fact, everything seemed limited to just a few choices, instead of the endless choices I was used to in the UK.  It isn’t quite as much fun to be a SAD eater (replace American for Australian; it still works) in Australia as it was in the UK.  I was also surprised alcohol wasn’t sold in the grocery store, but in a separate bottle shop; the unplanned alcohol purchases stopped overnight.

Eating Out

Everywhere I worked in the UK, lunch consisted of a pre-packed sandwich, a bag of crisps (chips), a bottle of soda and maybe a chocolate bar.  The only exception to this would be on a special occasion where I’d go somewhere for lunch with colleagues.  I was shocked at the difference when I started working in Sydney.  I don’t know where I could find a prepacked sandwich.  If you want a sandwich for lunch, someone makes it for you, in front of you.  Same story with a salad, roast dinner – or whatever you choose for lunch.  Everything is made freshly for you, to your requirements.  This was one difference I immediately embraced.

After living in Australia for a while, I realised I had to do something about my health.  I was overweight, asthmatic – and I felt generally not healthy.  After considerable research, I changed my eating, initially to a Primal/ Lacto-Paleo approach.  I started to feel healthier almost straight away and dropped three dress sizes effortlessly.  A few months later I experimented by excluding dairy – and soon after my asthma completely disappeared without trace.  No matter what I did to try to provoke it! 

Finding Paleo Food

When I changed my diet, I realised that in fact, Australian food supplies aren’t so bad after all.  There are so many different vegetables I just didn’t see in the UK.  Thanks to the large Asian community, a great range of coconut milk is available in all of the main supermarkets.  Meat has also proved to be good here.  I learnt that Australia didn’t embrace intensive farming methods to the same degree as other countries, so most meat is naturally “grass-fed” (though sometimes grain-finished).  Cheap, lean, un-farmed kangaroo meat is also widely available – I’ve certainly never seen kangaroo in the UK!

On post-Paleo trips back to the UK I’ve been surprised at how hard it’s been to find Paleo food supplies.  The supermarkets I used to think were so well stocked, just aren’t when I shop Paleo.  I also found eating out harder, and had to resort to ordering “the club sandwich without the bread, or mayonnaise” for lunch a couple of times (which incidentally is far better value for money, as without the bread to hide under, they’re forced to provide a more respectable serving of meat!)

The Home of Paleo?

Last year I travelled to the US for PrimalCon and the Ancestral Health Symposium.  These were my first trips to America since I’d changed my diet to a Paleo one.  After doing most of my Paleo research through American blogs and books I had high expectations about these trips!  I was expecting eating Paleo in America to be so much easier than in Australia.  I was quite surprised by what I found and realised my view of American nutrition is completely through Paleo-tinted glasses.

I was really looking forward to eating-out in the States – I found it frustratingly hard!  It felt like everywhere I tried served food that had been “tampered with”.  I couldn’t find pure, real, untouched food!  Where I did find simple meat and vegetables, they seemed to take every opportunity to marinate the food, or coat in it sauce from an ominous looking plastic bottle.  Where I asked for the sauce on the side, it generally seemed to be not possible as it came that way.  I’ve been used to eating in Australian restaurants where food is generally freshly prepared and modifications are no problem.  I ended up eating a lot of omelettes in America!

Another big shock in America was the portion sizes.  It’s no exaggeration to say that American portion sizes are double that of both the UK and Australia.  Not only the portion sizes but the “added extras” that seemed to come with every meal.  Bread, tortillas, corn, more and more food!  One waitress just couldn’t understand why I didn’t want Nachos on my dinner plate, “they’re complementary” – my English reserve found it easier to graciously accept and leave them uneaten!

When I met up with some American Paleo friends however, I saw a completely different side.  The first time I walked into Wholefoods I wondered around in amazement!  Not only at the vast range of everything the Paleo chef could ever want – but at the prices!  If I could do my weekly shop in Wholefoods I would save about a third off my grocery bill, compared to average grocery prices in Australia.  I later found out (whilst telling everyone at PrimalCon how lucky there were to have such a cheap grocery store!) that relative to other grocery stores in the US, Wholefoods is expensive and known as “WholePayCheck”! One of the downsides to living in a Country as remote as Australia is definitely the higher prices that result from the complex shipping and transporting arrangements that the geography requires.

The Outdoors Lifestyle

I think another big aspect to this lifestyle is about being active.  In the UK, it is a lot colder and winter is often long and dark.  This makes it hard to get a sufficient Vitamin D level through sunshine alone.  On dark, cold rainy days it is very hard to leave the couch and warmth and venture outside.  When I arrived in Australia, I was immediately struck by how much happened outdoors.  Better weather makes being outside a joy – the physical activity is almost a second thought.  Winter is over quickly and often comparable to a spring day in the UK with blue skies but cool air – even in the Winter here I enjoy walking to work.  I’ve not spent time in America in the winter yet, but I’d imagine it’s a similar story to the UK, particularly in Northern states.

So, I think the best possible Paleo life could be achieved by moving the beautiful British countryside and the American Paleo-friendly food suppliers, into warm and sunny Australia.  Can that be arranged?

Have you noticed living Primally differs enormously, depending on which country you are in?  Which country do you think lends itself to Paleo more than others?”

Suz with Mark Sisson at PrimalCon 2011

Suz will be attending PrimalCon again this year and I am very excited to meet her in person. In the meantime, she is organizing a Paleo weekend in Australia on May 12 & 13, 2012. That’s right people, it’s not just here in the States that Paleo people are gathering together to form tribes. Jamie Scott (www.thatpaleoguy.com) will be there, as will other leading members of the Australian and New Zealand Paleo network. Early bird pricing ends on March 31st, so if you’re in that part of the world, I encourage you to get yourself tickets and join the movement. It’s easy for us to feel isolated and alone with our bone broth and bare feet, but there are thousands of people out there who feel just like you. Get out and meet them. Form tribes. Get connected.

And Suz poses a great question we’d love to hear an answer to: what is it like living a Primal/Paleo life in your country? How is it different from what you hear about in the States? How is it the same?