Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

2

I did go on a paleo diet for around a week and started feeling a lot better. Unfortunately I had a lot of stress at the time and went back to my old eating habits.

I think being strict on this is hard because if I go out with friends to a restaurant I just have to do the best with what they have on the menu (usually salad with some sort of meat).

The problems I want to get better are:

Having more energy
Preventing acne
Making my eczema better

I feel a lot of these conditions are due to my diet. But I do enjoy treating myself every once in a while. Would this work if I was strict 90% of the time but 10% I treated myself would I still see the benefits?

flag	asked Aug 21 2011 at 22:25 adamjmarkham 35●3

What are the 10% ? With some health issues you need to go strict. – Ikco Aug 22 2011 at 9:45

Caveman formally known as Dan · Accepted Answer · 2011-08-21 23:41:47Z UTC

Go strict until your ailments are minimized or eliminated, then add foods back until you start seeing changes in ailments. Acne is a sign of inflammation. Get healthy and then experiment. You may find 90% compliance better than 100% health wise because at times the stress of being 100% compliant is worse than the ill effect of the food. Dr. Kresser had a good article on this. I find that I react really poorly to certain thing and not at all to other things. So the other things I don't worry if I consume them, but I also don't make them a staple in my diet. You may also look at influencing some friends that you do go out with to join you on your quest for health so that your not the odd one in the group. Best way to do so is by showing them a great example. Also I'd address the behavior, mentality and psycology too. Paleo should not be a chore for you and neolithic food should not be a treat. Learn to embrace your healthiness.

Travis Isaacs · Answer 2 · 2011-08-21 22:30:37Z UTC

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Going strict for 30-60 days is the only way to know for sure.

answered Aug 21 2011 at 22:30

Travis Isaacs
934●1●3●7

Ed · Answer 3 · 2011-08-21 22:44:24Z UTC

adam,

The answer depends on (1) your individual metabolism and (2) whether or not you are allergic to any neolithic foods.

Personally, I've had great improvements in my energy level while being on a "paleo-ish" diet, probably about 80% strict. I don't have any particular skin problems, and no food allergies that I know of.

If you have any food allergies, for example to wheat, soy or dairy, then you must eliminate the offending food 100%, or it will cause problems either with your skin, energy level, or both.

Also, even if you're not actually allergic to a food, such as wheat, your metabolism may make you sensitive to it such that you cannot cheat at a ~10% level.

Tyler · Answer 4 · 2011-08-22 01:45:25Z UTC

I say if a choice makes you feel better then do it! Stop making excuses to feel bad. You have your solution in your grasp, but you need to decide to follow your own instincts. It took me over a month to ween myself onto a full paleo diet, but man it is worth it. Start by really focusing on cutting out all wheat, other grains can come later as you refine your own personal version of what paleo is. Don't demand perfection, just demand continuation.

Dragonfly · Answer 5 · 2011-08-22 00:27:18Z UTC

Making sure your Vitamin D is sufficient as well as taking an Omega 3 supplement will help with the inflammation contributing to your eczema and acne. Reducing stress will help, too!

If you do nothing else diet-wise, at least eliminate gluten for 6 weeks.

Carrisa · Answer 6 · 2011-08-21 22:55:54Z UTC

IMO: yes. Admittedly, I'm not as strict as I'd like to be. If I do cheat, I make sure I do it earlier than later. Initially, my cut-off was "paleo after 3:00"... lost 20 lbs. Felt pretty good. Of course the days that I am 100% paleo, I feel fabulous!! So it really depends on your body. Of course, SOMETHING is better than nothing... but EVERYTHING feels even better. Namaste'

Danielle · Answer 7 · 2011-08-21 23:31:37Z UTC

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I maintain/gain weight and have negative symptoms on an 80-90% strict paleo diet. I need to stay 100% strict even after eating this way for 3 years.

answered Aug 21 2011 at 23:31

Danielle
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Not so strict still see results?

7 Answers