Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

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I have been reading about this primal lifestyle for awhile and am seriously considering starting this program soon, however, I do have a question or two first.

I guess before I dive into my questions, I should give a little background first. About four years ago I weighed 240 pounds and had regular severe gall bladder attacks. Doctors didn't know what was wrong with me for a long time, and when they finally decided it was my gall bladder I had to be taken in for emergency surgery.

Since that point in my life, everything about my diet changed. I was told that I should get used to a bland diet of mostly crackers and over cooked vegetables because I would never be able to enjoy spicy, acidic or rich foods ever again. Not knowing what else to do, I based my recovery diet around saltine crackers and store bought chicken/beef stock and found myself only getting sicker. I realized that I wasn't getting anywhere and decided to make some real changes.

I did a TON of research on the web and started to play with my diet by cutting out certain foods and seeing how it affected me. Though this I discovered two miracles, The Weston A. Price Foundation and knowledge of this incredibly debilitating disease called Celiacs.

Dietary changes alone, I lost 90 pounds in a year. It was incredible.

Now though, several years later, I have made another change and this one is a bit of a double edged sword. Six months ago I quit taking birth control pills. I had been on them for the last ten years and they were starting to show some very negative affects on my body. Since coming off of them, I am seeing a lot of positive changes with one BIG negative... weight gain. Seriously, in the last six months I have gained 15 pounds... not changing a damn thing about my diet... not good.

So now on to my questions:

1) Being a celiac and a Price follower, can I still benefit from this lifestyle? A lot of the principles seem similar to what I'm already doing. Are there any other Weston Price Paleos out there who can input?

2) Can going paleo help me balance my hormones? I'm assuming that is where this crazy weight gain is coming from, and I'm looking for a healthy way to get myself back in balance. I have this terrible fear of waking up one morning to find myself 200+ pounds again... I'd like to avoid making that nightmare a reality as much as possible!

I'd really appreciate any inputs! Thanks!!

flag	asked Sep 27 2011 at 0:03 Melissa 51●2

Dragonfly · Answer 1 · 2011-09-27 00:39:31Z UTC

I was eating a WAP-inspired diet for 2 years pre-Paleo. I've been lacto-Paleo for 11 months.

1) ALL of my digestive issues disappeared without grains & legumes.

2) My hormones are definitely balancing out with a good D status, magnesium, krill oil & zinc supplementation.

Healing your gut can take some time and will help your nutrient absorption.

Good nutrient absorption, + appropriate supplementation = good hormone balance.

FED at LiveCaveman.com · Answer 2 · 2011-09-27 00:41:37Z UTC

1) Being a celiac and a Price follower, can I still benefit from this lifestyle? A lot of the principles seem similar to what I'm already doing. Are there any other Weston Price Paleos out there who can input?

Yes. Paleo/Primal is a lot easier than WAP because you don't have to soak, sour, culture grains, flour, and other such foods, you simply eliminate them and eliminate the possibility of exposing yourself to gluten. Reducing (sticking to only high-fat pastured/cultured) or eliminating dairy will also help with your weight loss goals. I also think that the WAP information regarding soaking/sprouting nuts absolutely applies to "Paleo", although many chose to reduce/eliminate nuts/seeds as well.

2) Can going paleo help me balance my hormones? I'm assuming that is where this crazy weight gain is coming from, and I'm looking for a healthy way to get myself back in balance. I have this terrible fear of waking up one morning to find myself 200+ pounds again... I'd like to avoid making that nightmare a reality as much as possible!

Can't say. "Paleo" isn't a set diet per se, but rather a loose and ever changing set of principles. Everybody has their own version of paleo (high fat low carb, high carb low fat, moderate everything, low protein, high protein, etc.) and how you tailor it depends on your specific tolerances, goals, willingness, and many other factors.

Nourished Girl · Answer 3 · 2011-09-27 01:47:46Z UTC

Hi Melissa! I wanted to suggest a great book that eventually lead me to WAPF. It's called The Insulin Resistance Diet (http://www.amazon.com/Insulin-Resistance-Diet-Bodys-Fat-Making-Machine/dp/0809224275). I feel like it provided me with a really good foundation to build on and gave me just the right structure that I can apply to any diet. Although the book supports low fat, I don't follow that part. I basically follow WAPF but with the structure of this book. I think the most important part of the book is it's emphasis of balancing the right amount of carb, with protein.

Caleb the Hobbit · Answer 4 · 2011-09-27 05:14:46Z UTC

Hey Melissa,

Welcome. The answer to both I say is yes. I have celiac disease, and even though I'm really still transitioning to Paleo (from gluten-free, but I ate other grains), I've noticed a huge difference in how I feel when I've eaten paleo or not. In fact, I would say paleo is the the best diet for managing celiac disease. One tip on that though is to also drink plenty of water. I find it helps a lot with splurge cravings.

As for your other question, part of why soy is problematic, according to WAP and other sources is because of how it affects hormones. Paleo as a lifestyle means eating within certain guidelines, but tweaking it to what you need. For example, I eat fish almost every day. I feel much better when I do. Those guidelines help your body to naturally find homeostasis, including improving healthy hormone levels.

For more on this, check out here, and the threads on hormones right here on PaleoHacks.

Best of luck!

Celiac Weight Loss

4 Answers