Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I have been cooking for myself for a few years now (not every meal), and have somewhat recently decided to cook more Paleo for myself (so I'm kind of new to this). I have been noticing that whenever I eat a Paleo meal I made, I feel so gosh darn happy afterwards! Is this normal? I feel this way no matter what the food is as long as it is within the Paleo guidelines, so I don't feel it is a specific ingredient, like butter, that makes me feel happy. A couple of examples of my more frequent Paleo meals are bun-less burgers with veggies piled high, and another meal I make commonly for 'brunch' is eggs with a good variety of semi-cooked (in butter) veggies with some lettuce. My meals fill a plate and afterwards I feel very satiated and comforted. I just ate that brunch meal I described and I feel absolutely wonderful right now! Contrastingly, I don't feel so great when I do eat carbs. For instance on Thanksgiving recently, I ate mostly paleo but did break away and have some stuffing, and all the sides were made with margarine instead of butter, and I didn't feel satiated (just full) after finishing, and there was no mood improvement either. I'm wondering if this might be psychological, or physiological? Is this normal at the beginning of Paleo, or does anyone else feel happy when they eat Paleo too?

Thanks!!

-- Mike

flag	asked Nov 29 2011 at 16:15 MikeTheBlueCow 91●4

my husband has the same response! :-) – Sarah Nov 29 2011 at 18:00

April S. · Answer 1 · 2011-11-29 17:12:41Z UTC

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Huh, that's weird. I'm usually very depressed after I eat a Paleo meal... but that's only because it's over.

answered Nov 29 2011 at 17:12

April S.♦
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	Sounds like you're not eating enough. – raydawg Nov 29 2011 at 17:31
	Oh, on the contrary. I eat a lot of food. I eat well past the point of satiety. The food is just THAT good. – April S.♦ Nov 29 2011 at 17:42
	I'm always depressed after eating bacon. It's the not eating bacon part that always get me. – Adulescens Appetens Nov 30 2011 at 3:27

NicoleRM · Answer 2 · 2011-11-29 16:51:45Z UTC

Ive been eating Paleo for a couple of months and feel so much happier too - I think its down to fueling your body with the things it is supposed to be fuelled with, and the fact that that fuel tastes so damn good too! Enjoy - it only gets better!

raydawg · Answer 3 · 2011-11-29 17:41:08Z UTC

a) You cooked it yourself and it was good, so you're proud. b) Your body got what it needed and it's satisfied.

While I dislike the smell of lamb, I get that feeling you describe after eating some. Must be something in the kinds of fat.

Probably it's a reward mechanism as a form feedback to say, you hunted this kind of animal, it has all the right kinds of fats and amino acids, so here's a reward via satiation so you'll remember this specific species of animal again, and hunt the same again.

Nance · Answer 4 · 2011-11-29 21:30:14Z UTC

1) Well, as discussed on other threads you really can't get a paleo meal in the typical restaurant. Or a pre-made product at the grocery store.

Foods that would be perfectly fine if made at home have things added during preparation or during cooking and the result is a food that "should be" but isn't.

I'm a little down about it because I really wouldn't mind a minor cheat but my stomach is not on board. At home I can eat a pretty wide variety of foods but away from home I'm tempted to fast and sip black coffee if I don't feel like having a belly ache.

2) My home cooked meals are high-fat, high-protein, moderate carb. Part of feeling happy is feeling well and part of feeling well is that I'm eating fairly complete nutrition, I think.

Kewpie · Answer 5 · 2011-11-29 16:29:21Z UTC

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I would suspect it is psychological. Certainly mood is improved through healthy eating, but it is also very emotionally rewarding to know you are nourishing your body with the very highest quality meals.

Either way: Enjoy!

answered Nov 29 2011 at 16:29

Kewpie
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It may have a psychological component, but I actually started to notice it years before I knew what paleo was. Whenever I'd eat red meat, dark poultry, or seafood and a big pile of veggies I felt like doing cartwheels and I wasn't sure why. – Happy Now Nov 30 2011 at 8:39

JayJay · Answer 6 · 2011-11-29 22:13:12Z UTC

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I've felt like crud since Thanksgiving....guess I'd better get back on the waggon. I've basically done a week long blitz cheat. Bleh.

answered Nov 29 2011 at 22:13

JayJay
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At least you did it on purpose and (hopefully) enjoyed it. I hate that we can't find good food anywhere but at home. – Nance Nov 29 2011 at 22:23

Harlekini · Answer 7 · 2011-11-30 01:10:47Z UTC

I feel the same way but mostly because I've been veg and struggled with carrying around my overfilled stomach that couldn't get satiated no matter the amount of potatoes. now I get satiated and still feel light after a meal, so it feels like I ate nothing! It's absolutely wonderful :)

January · Answer 8 · 2011-11-30 07:29:38Z UTC

I think good, real, whole food SHOULD leave one feeling a bit high and happy! I get a buzz when I've eaten the right amount of the right foods.

Also, for me, there's a stark contrast between what Paleo food does for me and what SAD food did to me -- SAD would leave me feeling low and literally sick. Now that I'm eating clean, the difference is amazing, and it thrills me to know I'm not punishing my body anymore.

Why am I so happy after I eat Paleo meals?

8 Answers