Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I felt GREAT for the first 3-4 months and since feel tired, sluggish, my nails are ridged, brittle and thin, I have occasional stomach issues.... What the heck??

flag	asked Feb 26 2012 at 15:15 HLH 111●4

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How much carbs are you eating? This is probably the answer to your question. I felt tired until I upped my carbs to >150g daily. – Korion Feb 26 2012 at 15:20

No grains, no sugars. Beef, chicken, turkey, pork (organic/grass fed when I can afford it), veggies, some fruits, coconut oil, butter, avocado, olives.... No seafood as I'm allergic. Haven't changed eating habits since I went Paleo. I'm so confused...and frustrated. – HLH Feb 26 2012 at 15:32

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you might want to do a few days where you fully monitor nutrient intake w/ fitday or cronometer to see if you are coming up short – Bread-Eating Beelzebub Feb 26 2012 at 15:41

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What Melissa said -- track your nutrients; the brittle nails sounds like deficiency somewhere. – January Feb 26 2012 at 19:53

The symptoms you list sound like hypothyroid which can be brought on by a low carb diet. Go to the Perfect Health Diet web site and read about adding in some safe carbs. – Terry Feb 26 2012 at 20:04

show 1 more comment

Nance · Answer 1 · 2012-02-26 21:27:43Z UTC

You already have many good suggestions in the other responses.

I'd add, think back to when you felt so good. Are you really eating the same mix of foods now? I tend to change or rotate my foods over time and try new ones.

If you identify foods you've since added or left out, consider whether you've accidentally created any imbalances or deficiencies.

I like Melissa's suggestion to type your menus into a tracking database to assess your recent nutrition. I think the most frequent mistake made is to eat too few foods--while that can work great in the short term, it can create areas of malnutrition over time. That's why others pointed out you need offal and bones in addition to muscle meat, leafy greens and tubers and modest amounts of whole fruit.

Hope this turns around for you.

Lianda · Answer 2 · 2012-02-26 19:16:56Z UTC

Stress is one of the most important issues that is rarely addressed. YES, you can nurture your body with the right food for humans, which you are doing, but if you are stressed, and your cortisol levels are elevated, it's going to throw off everything else! And if you have "body image" issues, it too, can have a very negative effect - I believe, (IMO everyone), that these issues contribute to the creation of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (an auto-immune disease, where your body is attacking your thyroid gland, and you can exhibit symptoms of Hyper AND Hypo thyroid)and adrenal exhaustion.

My suggestion would be - make sure you are being kind to YOURSELF! Have compassion, and understanding that it takes your body a while to turn around and change. Deal with frustration by working on patience. Do Heartfelt Stress Relief (you can see how I help people with HeartMath), get in the sun; get grounded, laugh, and relax. I KNOW that will help- even if you do have thyroid or adrenal problems. Best of luck- we're here to support you!

Richard N · Answer 3 · 2012-02-26 16:59:00Z UTC

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Try Weston Price instead of "paleo"

answered Feb 26 2012 at 16:59

Richard N
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	Thank you, I will have to look that up... Is it a diet? – HLH Feb 27 2012 at 0:37
	The Weston A Price Foundation is a whole foods diet, with the addition of things like sprouted grains, raw milk, and fermented foods. It overlaps significantly with Paleo, though Paleo is non-grain of course. There are some valuable ideas there; you'll find none broth recipes for example. You can pick and choose bits of WAPF to add to Paleo. Many do. – January Feb 27 2012 at 9:20
	You don't have to do WAPF "instead" of Paleo. – January Feb 27 2012 at 9:21
	None = bone; sorry. – January Feb 27 2012 at 9:22

eimearreclaimedhealth · Answer 4 · 2012-02-26 16:55:21Z UTC

Natural fruit isn't going to be causing as big of an issue as this. Most paleo types who complain about fruit say it's because it makes them fat. That doesn't sound to be your problem. I got very ill from low carb plus lots of aerobic exercise. If you are having stomach problems you shouldn't be drinking lots of water. It's not natural and can actually be dehydrating. My constipation got better when I (among other things) stopped drinking 2-3 quarts of water. Don't be afraid of trying things other than standard issue paleo, it's better to feel good and eat a little unorthodox than try to stick to the rules and be frustrated with your health.

Crystal · Answer 5 · 2012-02-26 16:45:04Z UTC

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How's your sleep? How much Vitamin D are you taking?

I'm going to agree with many other posts here and recommend that you try upping your fat and carbs. And maybe ditch the fruit for a while. Try some starchy carbs like yams/sweet potatoes, root vegetables, etc. Take a week off from your exercise routine, focus on getting some good sleep (8+ hours a night in a pitch-black room), add in some more fats and starches, and see how you do.

answered Feb 26 2012 at 16:45

Crystal
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Why the down-vote? If you disagree, please tell me why. – Crystal Feb 26 2012 at 16:59

I think those were good suggestions, so I'm a bit confused too about the downvote. Some people do better with starchy carbs instead of fruits... – Suzanna Feb 26 2012 at 17:21

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Especially in winter months. I usually feel better if I eat somewhat seasonally. – Crystal Feb 26 2012 at 17:38

I also notice that my food preferences shift with the seasons. – Nance Feb 26 2012 at 21:29

Thank you! I appreciate your responses. – HLH Feb 27 2012 at 0:22

Kristy · Answer 6 · 2012-02-26 16:40:37Z UTC

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I would take 1 betaine/hydrochloric acid tablet after each meal. Sounds to me like you don't have enough stomach acid, therefore you are not absorbing your nutrients.

answered Feb 26 2012 at 16:40

Kristy
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aseafish · Answer 7 · 2012-02-26 16:37:08Z UTC

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I agree with the previous posters. You simply may not be eating enough to keep up with your activity levels. Do you cook your meats and vegetables in coconut oil? That could help, so could pouring a little olive oil over them after cooking. Are you sure you can handle even the small amount of dairy in your coffee? Some of us can and some cannot.

I often have to remind myself to eat more. I often tend to eat fewer vegetables than are optimal if I don't pay close attention.

Good luck, pamela

answered Feb 26 2012 at 16:37

aseafish
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	Its just me, so it's a challenge to cook, but I do ok I think. I don't care for the sweet taste of coconut oil on my meats/veggies except when I do a chicken stir fry. I do use olive oil. Veggies are usually steamed w/ some butter drizzled on them if I haven't made a crockpot creation. No problem w/ dairy. Thank you! – HLH Feb 27 2012 at 0:33
	You have the opportunity to create one of my favorite things, leftovers. They make life so much easier. I, too, am not a fan of sweetness on my meats and vegetables, so I get that completely. I have noticed that when I used coconut oil for cooking intermittently, it started to grow on me a bit. Have you tried a spoonful of coconut butter or oil for a snack? Or maybe celery with sun butter or almond butter? It still seems like you may need more calories, possibly. – aseafish Mar 2 2012 at 14:40

PrimalDanny · Answer 8 · 2012-02-26 15:56:20Z UTC

It's possible you just need to rest. It is winter after all. Are you finding it harder to keep up all your exercise? Clearly if things haven't really changed and you felt great for several months then there's not likely to be anything fundamentally wrong with your diet. It can often be helpful just to change things though. More fat or carbs, some kind of feast isn't going to kill you once every few months and can make all the difference if you've been slightly undereating for your activity levels for 6 months.

Paleo-wise, are you making use of bones and organs and extra fat and skin? There's meat and then there's meat.

j3wcy · Answer 9 · 2012-02-26 15:32:54Z UTC

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I agree with Korion that you might need to up your carbs. Also you listed some symptoms of hypothyroid, might want to have a panel done and see if you need to add some selenium and iodine. Some vit K might help with the nails as well.

Some other helpful info would be: what a typical day of food looks like; exercise routine; and supplement regimen.

answered Feb 26 2012 at 15:32

j3wcy
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	My day: breakfast is decaf w/ a touch of HWC, eggs & some meat or leftover meat & veggies & a fruit-apple, banana, tangerine, etc... Supplements: coconut oil, zinc, mag, vit d, krill oil capsule (doesn't affect my allergy), vit c & echinacea if needed. Exercise is treadmill, rebounder, yoga, small weights- alternate days and outside walking/jogging in good weather. (some limitations on exercise due to car accident/surgery). Usually not real hungry for lunch, so salad or nothing. Supper is meat & veggies again. Lots of water. – HLH Feb 26 2012 at 15:42
	Depending on what you're cooking the meat in and what kind of cuts you're using, you don't seem to be getting a lot of fat, which could affect your energy. I would also trade the decaf in for regular (check out some of the threads about coffee for more info) and trade in the cardio for lifting as heavy as your injury will allow. Still think you might want to try adding some sweet potatoes or white rice and seeing how you feel. – j3wcy Feb 26 2012 at 16:12
	I do some sweet potatoes on occasion, have to do decaf (heart issue), will try some rice. Thank you! – HLH Feb 27 2012 at 0:24
	AFAIK decaf is highly processed. Maybe do some tea instead? – j3wcy Feb 27 2012 at 15:18

Been Paleo for almost 6 months and feel like crud. WHY?!?!

9 Answers