I am about to embark on an interesting experiment and I was wondering if you’d like to come along for the ride?
I’ve been complaining about not having enough energy for somewhere in the region of 30 years, maybe even longer. In that time I’ve done very little to remedy the situation unless whining and complaining about it can be counted as taking action and I have my doubts.
A few months ago my doctor told me he thought it might be a dairy intolerance that was causing some stomach issues I was experiencing. He casually pointed out that it was thought by some scientists as many as 75% of all people may be either intolerant or full-on allergic to lactose and that often worsens as we age.
Now that’s a lot of people if its true. In fact it’s about 210 million people in a country that has a national obsession with all things creamy and probably has its own God of Cheese. Trying to buy a sandwich over here that hasn’t got cheese on it is like trying to find Mel Gibson a job in a call center.
A few weeks after I’d had the conversation with my doctor I was talking with a client who’d had similar issues to myself. He’d decided to try out the Paleo diet to see if it had any as he’d heard some interesting reports
He was stunned. Within a matter of days he started to have more energy and saw all sorts of other residual benefits such as weight loss and improved sleeping patterns.
Shortly after that and completely out of the blue, I received an e-mail from a ex-client from 3 or 4 years ago. He’s had all sorts of health concerns over the last decade, not least of which was mental fogginess, mild depression and yes you’ve guessed it, lack of energy.
He didn’t adopt the Paleo approach, but it was very similar and his new diet ruled out all dairy and gluten amongst other things. The improvements he’s seen not just with himself, but for his wife who is in remission from breast cancer, have been in his words, amazing.
Thus a pattern started to form and I started to wonder if there was more to this than I at first thought. I always presumed that I got tired because I am hyper for so much of the time and there wasn’t much I could do about it, it was purely genetic.
But what if I’ve been wrong all these years and it’s not my make-up, but the fuel I’m using to get me through the day?
What if I’m trying to use diesel to drive a gasoline engine?
I started to read more about the Paleo Diet as well as the Primal and Clean Diets. Again and again I kept hearing similar stories about improved energy levels, mental clarity and overall fitness.
Is this the Emperors new Clothes, or is there really something to it?
I know a lot of knowledgeable people are opposed to the Paleo diet for various reasons. I also know that scientifically speaking some of the claims are far from proven and a lot of the evidence is purely anecdotal.
But there is a shit-load of anecdotal evidence and it would be naive to simply ignore it.
I say this because I’m really not interested in anybody telling me I’m being a fool and what I really need is to up my cheese and bacon intake immediately and apologize to Aristaios the cheese god by sacrificing some living vegetables in his honor.
A couple of times in the past I have attempted, halfheartedly it has to be said, detoxes and diet changes. On each occasion I got bored and impatient and quite honestly lost motivation after a couple of weeks.
If I’d been coaching me I’ve have been incredulous with my lack of commitment and perseverance. In fact I think I’d have probably fired myself after giving myself a piece of my mind and telling me to get out of my office.
I think the reason for me not pushing through on prior occasions was because I was never really quite sure why I was doing what I was doing, other than because I could. In other words, my motivation was unclear.
I’m not a big fan of will power as I think exercising it without the required motivation can be exhausting and demotivating.
Consequently I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my values and what my motivation is because I didn’t want to set off and run out of steam again.
Once more an interesting coincidence cropped up. I’ve been reading the rather excellent ‘Authentic Happiness’ by Martin Seligman and was at the part of the book where he talks about the difference between pleasure and satisfaction in relation to happiness.
Pleasure tends to be momentary and fleeting such as eating a nice meal or drinking an ice cold beer. Satisfaction comes from saying no to the ice cold beer because you’ve decided to quit drinking or declining the fries on the meal because you want to eat more healthily.
Guess which one leads to increased levels of happiness?
Yep that’s right, satisfaction, the ability to look back on a job well done, on overcoming adversity in whatever form that may take.
I’m a fairly happy guy I think it’s fair to say and I really do believe I’m incredibly lucky with my life, but I’m not averse to having some more happiness in my life!
The Plan
We (Helen my wife is joining me) are kicking things off on August 1st which gives me almost a week to cram as many carbs and cow related products into my body as humanly possible, but from then on we are saying good-bye to the following for the month of August and who knows, maybe beyond.
All dairy products (excluding eggs)
Rice
Pasta
Potatoes
Gluten (wheat, barley, rye)
Corn
Soy
All fatty meats including shocking enough the only thing Americans love more than cheese, bacon!
We will also be limiting alcohol and removing all candy, cakes, sodas, fruit juices and anything else that tastes nice.
I will keep a daily diary recording how I feel and who I want to murder and then I’m going to report back to you with the findings.
I’d also love to hear what you think and whether you have done anything similar in the past yourself and can offer and tips? Let me know your thoughts and doubts about my sanity in the comments.
Tim Brownson is a Certified Life Coach and has been unsticking people and helping them reach their true potential since 2005. If you would like to know how he can help you
I live in Wisconsin, so I hear you on it being tough to find a sandwich without cheese. I’m a vegetarian, but even then, when I ask for a veggie sub, the automatic reply is, “What kind of cheese would you like on that?”
I’m in the midst of leaning into veganism with an emphasis on more raw foods, so I know what goes into a shift like this. I can say that every step I’ve made towards eating lighter and reducing my dairy has made me feel more energetic, creative, and less cow-like :)
Good luck to you on your endeavors!
Jean Sarauer recently posted..9 Ways to Get Your Creative Groove Back
If you buy a sandwich in the UK with cheese in it, it’s called amazingly enough, a cheese sandwich. It seems to me cheese is seen as seasoning over here rather than an actual ingredient!
Feeling less cow-like is definitely good!
Hi Tim,
I’ve heard of the Paleo diet before and have heard of the awesome results people can get on it.
I’ve been trying to get back my energy level as well, but that’s probably due to staying up late and not getting any sleep. Not to mention the fact that I can’t remember the last time I exercised (the 20 minute walk to/from work doesn’t count, does it?).
I’ll be interested in seeing what kind of changes you will see as a result of this.
Karen
Karen recently posted..Why You Need To Write In Your Goals Book Daily
Me too, and hopefully they’ll be positive. Having said that, a life time without cheese and bacon is a bit scary ;-)
Go, Tim!!!
If you get a chance, you should check out Mark Sisson’s Primal Blueprint book. I recommend it often because it’s fun to read and not so extreme in approach.
Also, be careful about cutting the fatty meats. If you cut carbs, you need fat to sustain energy properly or else your body will use protein instead, which will then convert to glucose. That will still cause issues with your blood sugar levels.
Sissons does seem to be the go to guy on this so I think I’ll check that out, thanks Naomi!
Dust.
Dust!
I was reading the list of things you’re not going to eat. I wondered what else was left and came up with dust. Mostly because I had a Little Britain flashback and thought of you as Marjorie from ‘Fat Fighters’. LOL.
Fat Fighters – Dust
So anyway, no I’m not going to join you, but I will cheer you on from the sidelines.
Actually I want to get back to my ‘one meal a day’ routine. I felt so much better while I was doing that. so I might do that in parallel.
Not sure about that matey boy! The body can’t extract much nutritional value from food after more than about 4 or 5 hours. Most experts believe 5 or even 6 smaller meals is the best option.
Having said that, you’re as weird as they come and probably an alien too, so it may work for you.
Clarification: I don’t eat once a day, I eat one main meal a day, usually in the evening. During the day I’ll eat if I’m properly hungry but it’ll be no more than 200cals each time. So I suppose you could equate that to 5 or 6 smaller meals?
BTW I’m not an alien but the lifeform that inhabits my body is.
I’m snickering and I’m glad to see you taking on such an experiment.
Snickering because, love, eggs aren’t dairy, they are poultry, and the fact that you felt it necessary to call it out, says there is something seriously wrong with the Standard American Diet and how it categorizes food groups.
My suggestion, having cut out many things cold turkey, is not to overindulge before you cease eating any item. While it doesn’t make it harder to quit, it does make your body work harder to rid you of build-up and residual effects of from all the previous eating, before the overindulgence even. At least that’s been my experience. It took a much longer time to see results that others saw in days or weeks, when I crammed myself full before quitting.
Here’s to improved energy. May your results bring you great satisfaction and thus insure greater happiness.bout.
I know, I didn’t really think cows laid eggs, it’s just that many diets lump eggs and dairy together and I wanted to be clear I will not be cutting out eggs.
I agree and that’s why we are doing a transition this week by slowly reducing stuff. Last week admittedly I went totally nuts on the dairy, but this week should be a tad more sensible.
I know an entire family that did this about a year ago. The young adults didn’t stick with it but the mom and dad did. She didn’t get much of a difference but lost a few pounds. He lost a boatload of weight, lowered his BP enough to go off meds, and also got off his depression meds. He looks fifteen years younger and says he feels awesome.
I’d love to do the diet but it’s expensive for low incomes. What’ll you substitute for the protein besides eggs? Will you share your dietary substitutes with us. I can’t be the only one who doesn’t know diddly about actual healthy nutritional values of foodstuffs.
This is going to be cool, Tim.
Not sure it really is that expensive if you do it properly although time will tell.
Protein will come as it always has done from chicken, fish meat etc, they are all acceptable.
I’ll try and take the time to track it properly and report back with my less than scientific findings.
DO IT TIM!
I’m not hardcore paleo – for example, I enjoy peanut butter. But, if I need to snack, instead of having a packet of M&Ms, I eat almonds or dates.
Also, slightly off topic (though not really), if you’re going to eat meat, the problem arises that the meat is not fed properly, and thus doesn’t have a natural balance of fats. So something I add to my meals is Chia seeds.
I’ll bear that in mind, thanks.
I would love to be able to buy all grass fed organic beef and wild fish, but looking at the prices over the weekend that may not happen on a regular basis.
I’m pretty sure I’m the client Tim refers to. Tim knows I have a goal of losing 80 pounds. My wife and I have been eating the Paleo way for 15 days. I’ve lost 17 pounds and she has lost 6. I’m also keeping up a walking program of 15 miles a week that I’ve had for several months. Even more importantly, I feel great. My energy level is better and for the first time in years I fall asleep right away and sleep soundly. I used to have acid reflux and heart burn. I haven’t had it in two weeks. A chronic sinus problem is much better. I also started growing hair on my bald head which is the real reason Tim is jumping on the bandwagon.
That all happened at about a week or ten days. (Everything except the hair thing, of course.)
As Tim is doing, we gave up dairy, all grains, legumes, sugar, and using salt in cooking. You get enough salt in many other ways. Everything you buy anymore has fructose in it so I make dressings of my own. I’ve been cooking for all my life and I enjoy it. This is a little more work. And, it might be more expensive but I’m not sure about that. We no longer are spending money on junk and processed foods which are very expensive, empty calories.
We eat lean meat – mostly turkey, chicken and some grass fed beef I get from a farmer down the road from here. We also eat a lot of Alaskan salmon, halibut, rockfish, etc. We eat all the veggies and fruit we want with an emphasis on veggies.
I’ll keep Tim posted on our progress here in Eastern PA. It doesn’t feel like a diet to me. It’s just a healthy way of eating.
Bob Poole recently posted..Self-Employed and Afraid of Selling
Actually Mr Poole you’re not! Although your experiences since then have been very instrumental in me getting off my arse and doing it rather than just talking about it.
And have you been speaking to my wife by any chance?
I kid you not, every time I mention the word diet she rolls her eyes, sighs heavily and says “It’s not a diet it’s a healthy way of living”
She’d make a great life coach.
[...] Original post by Tim Brownson [...]
The Paleo Experiment…
I found your entry interesting do I’ve added a Trackback to it on my weblog :)…
Tim,
I will do the Paleo thing in August as well. The 15 lbs. that has inhabited my body since March and my shoulder injury needs to go away!
My CrossFit buddies swear by Paleo, so if you feel like you’re suffering during the month of August, just know somebody up at the other end of I-4 is suffering with you!
Good luck!
Excellent to have my favorite martial art ninja type person on board!
You do realize that the Cheesecake Factory will be out for a month, right? I’m guessing the owners and bar staff will be in mourning for me as I seem to spend half my time there.
I cannot think of a single thing that I ever eat on their insanely large menu that fits the Paleo/Primal bill.
Tim,
I just had dinner with my combatives coach. He requested a few modifications to the dishes he ordered so they would be Paleo-esque and they happily complied. I know they value your business, as they would be boarding up the place without you, so I think they would help you out.
Im going to try a 5 finger death touch on the leanest turkey I can find to see if I can train and eat in the same session.
Enjoy!!
I think you’re going to see very good results, Tim. Getting rid of soda and milk alone can make a person feel much better. I used to eat a big bowl of yummy cereal a day, but as I’ve aged I notice my stomach doesn’t like the milk anymore. I’ll still have an occasional bowl but my digestion system sure works better with no milk!
When giving up soda you might have a headache for the first few days. Just will yourself through it, drink lots of water and you’ll feel good soon enough.
Actually Jonathan I drink very little soda, maybe 2 cans per week, but I do drink quite a lot of orange juice so that may pose a greater problem. Also alcohol is definitely something I enjoy, so that may pose a few problems if I don’t plan correctly.
Thanks for your support.
Tim and Mike P,
I’m from the OTHER end of I-4, so between us we’ve got central Florida covered! :)
I went (mostly) primal/paleo at the beginning of the year. Lost about 12lbs the first couple of weeks which looks to be pretty normal once someone goes low-carb. I haven’t had the huge dramatic success that so many people report – after the beginning, my weight loss has stagnated and my heartburn/GERD has subsided but NOT disappeared. BUT, I used to LIVE on antihistamines every pollen season and according to most allergy sufferers this spring was particularly bad. Couldn’t tell it by me – woo hoo!!!
Anyway, I have felt enough better that I am finding it relatively easy to stick to the diet – and I was a die-hard bread-lover and I do NOT particularly like to cook. Sugar is my downfall and I am still working on that part, but have cut down about 80% without too much drama.
For different perspectives on the lean/fatty meats debate, dairy/no dairy (academic for you as you said) and various other opinions, Check out: http://www.paleonu.com (written by a doctor), and http://www.freetheanimal.com (GREAT food porn).
I’ll be watching to see how it goes for you and thinking positively for all of us.
Thanks a lot for the links mate.
Weight loss isn’t an issue for me and I like to think I’m relatively fit, and certainly fitter than most 48 year olds.
Having said that, I definitely want more energy and this is worth doing of that happens.
Funnily enough I get GERD too and was scoped only a couple of months ago. I hadn’t really considered this might help that so that would be an added bonus if it clears up.
Chris,
Im throwing my hat back into the CrossFit ring with my Paleo effort. I just turned 40 and I recently found out about a genetic heart issue that I have. The doc says do your best, and fit and trim are it. I’m going to document it and release the results on my site after it’s over, maybe even call out Brownson for a guest blog to share what I learn about perseverance, fear management, and commitment. This end of I-4 is going to be loud with screaming from the gym, and the kitchen (crying)!
mike panebianco recently posted..Know Your Bottom Line- Keep the Peace
I’d definitely be up for that mate!
As someone who once went from 215 to 165 lbs in four months, I still don’t have much authority on this topic – but I’m going to say a bit anyway.
I think the Paleo diet is a good one and will work wonders – provided it’s combined with steady exercise.
When I lost my weight I started looking at food as two main sources of energy: carbs and protein. Carbs broke down to complex carbs (whole grains, green veggies, etc) and non-complex carbs (processed foods, potatoes, white rice, etc). Protein was simply lean or fatty.
So I ate lots of green vegetables, chicken, fish, egg whites, etc. And I ran almost every day.
Of course, I knew nothing about the “good fats” – but a multi-vitamin goes a long way.
Call it whatever you want, any regimen that keeps you eating complex carbs and lean proteins, combined with steady and somewhat intense cardiovascular exercise, will burn fat and give you longer lasting energy.
I’m glad to see Paleo taking off, but I think soy and eggs are getting an undeserved bad wrap.
Godspeed, Tim. Let us know how it goes. I have no doubt it’ll stick – it’s been demonstrated that the British possess under-developed taste buds, so you should have no trouble giving up the tasties.
MikeTek recently posted..It’s Not Supposed to Be Easy
I’m going to send Gordon Ramsey round to kick your ass!
Tim,
Hey man. I know what it’s like to have lack of energy. I myself have had the similar experience of having fatigue most of my life. About 2 years ago I decided to make a change and go to the doctors to pursue to find out what the heck was going on. Come to find out, after four months of all kinds of random testing, I found out what was going on. Celiac Disease the culprit behind all the lack of energy. The thing about Celiac or even gluten intolerance, is there are so many different symptoms and there is no usual cases or way of showing signs in your body. I would advise going to your doctor and asking him to do blood work, sounds scary but its quick and easy then if they see signs of Celiac disease they will do an upper endoscopy and that will give almost a 100% accurate diagnosis if you have the disease. This should lower the amount of food you will have to test and hopefully allowing you to find out what the problem is.
-The best of wishes-
I’ve had the celiac test already and it was clear. In fact I’ve had almost every test so I am convinced it’s some food intolerance. When I recently did 3 weeks dairy free as a trial run I did see some improvements and I’m hopeful this will push me over the edge!
I have not heard about the fancy name “paleo” but I have certainly read and taken action to reduce my intake of wheat, milk products, cheese and bacon. I would be interested to know how your diet went. All the best!
Well I’ll definitely reporting back so watch this space!
Hi Tim:
I have been eating wheat-free for three weeks now and have found my cravings for other things on the list you provided have simply disappeared. I rarely drink milk, eat meat or want sugar. I have written about my experience on one of my blogs. If you can get through the first few days, you should be good. No more afternoon naps needed. The fact that you’ve publicly committed to it will make you do it, I’m sure.
Your right, I’d never have stuck to it without throwing it ‘out there’ Interesting to hear what you say about losing other cravings and I hope it works that way for me. Let me have the link to the post you wrote if you can please Alison?
Here you go…
bit.ly/cIlyXk
Alison Golden recently posted..Wheat-Loss Update
Thanks Alison. BTW, the links broken from post 2 back to post 1.
Thanks for letting me know. It worked for me but I’ll have some others check it out. Good luck!
I take lactose intolerance pills when I eat dairy. My energy level is great.
Terry recently posted..How To Leave The Rat Race
I don’t think it’s just diary with me as I recently went dairy free and so some but not many improvements.
Tim,
Give up Bacon? I eat a paleo about 80-90% of the time (with a few slip-ups now and then) and bacon is a must. Splurge for the grass-fed beef and wild caught fish for the month. Remember too that when you eat meat that you are essentially eating what they ate. So you may be cutting out the grains but the cows are fed all kinds of things (grains, other animals, etc.)
Good luck with the trial!
David
David Grim recently posted..Body Weight Training Vs Weight Training
There seems to be a split opinion on bacon. Some sources say no way as it has too much salt and fat and others say it’s ok. I may be creative and have it occasionally but try and find uncured bacon without the added salt. Does that even exist? I have no idea.
As far as I am concerned, the fat is not a problem. Bacon w/o salt is tough to find and I am not sure it would be worth it , but you can definitely find bacon w/o added sugar and that is the more important thing to eliminate anyway.
Ok gotcha, thanks for the heads up Chris!
Ha!
I say, life’s too short to eliminate all the good stuff. Eat healthy, balanced (not too much of the not so healthy stuff) and exercise.
Rosa recently posted..Fluffy McCloud
And if that works for you Rosa, then good for you!
Tim
I wish you well! Coming from the country that discovered the deep fried Mars bar I salute you! I will look out for your updates with excitement.
Meanwhile I will just stick to my mantra “a little of what you fancy does you good!”
Marion
Marion Anderson recently posted..How to Start Over Again
I bet no sober person EVER bought a DFMB. They’re like kebabs in that respect, walking back from the pub food ;-)
I think you might be right!
Marion Anderson recently posted..Worry – 5 top tactics to help you stop worrying
Hey Tim,
I don’t know the specifics of the Paleo diet, but I know when I eat a ‘clean diet’ (pretty similar to what you mentioned above – fruit, veg, nuts, seeds, occasional piece of organic meat or fish) I feel fantastic. I was vegan for a while but my need for cheese (and leather shoes) put paid to that. Unfortunately I usually last a couple of weeks then either eat half the cadbury factory or drink enough red wine to floor an elephant.
So I have given up cutting out everything all the time, and have a 90/10 (ish) rule…..I eat like this nearly all the time, but will have a glass of wine and a pudding on a Saturday.
To be fair, my energy is pretty good – the only time it slips is when I don’t exercise……so hope you have some of that planned in too!!
Good luck.
Kate recently posted..Seven Ways to Improve Self Confidence
According to one diet we’ve been looking at Kate we can have 4 ounces of alcohol per day, so that’s about 1/3rd of a can of beer! I think I may start hoarding.
I love the Paleo Diet! I’m sure you’ll do great on it. And if you need support, just check out the 50 bajillion blog sites and recipes in my latest blog post.
Yael Grauer recently posted..Eat This- The Ultimate Food Resource Guide
Checking it out, thanks for that!
You’re welcome! Let me know if you have any to add. :)
Yael Grauer recently posted..Eat This- The Ultimate Food Resource Guide
I have a theory that I need to eat rice because I’m half Korean. It seems to work for me as I am pretty awesome.
It will be interesting to see how this works out for you. Lean protein, veggies and fruit are a great base for a diet but I’m skeptical that people can actually live without rice. ;-p
I’m a bit like that with potatoes and bread and I suspect the earth may cease rotating.
If it does it’s not my fault though, really it isn’t.
I wouldn’t be opposed to giving it a go if it works for you. But it also occurred to me that our ancestors probably ate a lot of grubs and crap and I’m not going for that!
Tracy recently posted..Sunday Night Link Up
I too have heard good things about the paleo diet even though that particular time in mankind men lived to be about 25. The thing is no diet will work without throwing in exercise. Diet alone will not get you what you want for any length of time. As strange as it sounds if you want more energy, exercise! I don’t eat meat and I exercise it’s made a huge difference in many aspects including dropping my blood pressure in a HUGE way-who know! Good luck to you, and get out there and do some walking, running, biking etc..too.
Erin recently posted..Frankie Says Relax
Not sure mankind ever had a life expectancy as low as 25 Erin although I could be wrong. The point is well taken though.
I already exercise regularly and I’m fitter than the vast majority of people at my age and that’s kind of why I think it’s diet rather than anything else.
I’m on a French “eating plan” that sounds similar, altho he recommends adding oat bran, and allows yogurt, eggs, skim milk, lean red meat, etc…so maybe it’s not like what you are doing at all! Oh well, I’ve lost 10 lbs in three weeks, which is a nice, slow, healthy weight loss. I agree with whoever said exercise is a key component to energy levels…wish I got more exercise…but I’d have to actually get up and do it, so I like to just talk about how good it would be for me! (Does thinking burn calories?)
Good luck with it all! I will look for your progress reports.
Char
Thinking sure does burn calories although probably not at the rate you’d like!
This is a great discusssion. For me the motivation to eat better means comes from how much better I feel when I do. ;-) I keep it simple and just avoid processed foods when at all possible. Sometimes I’ll use my juicer to make fresh fruit and veggie juices and that really helps. When I do get cravings for animal protein, there are few different local sources I purchase meats from. Easiest thing for anyone to do is just start with a really strict diet and add various things back in to see what agrees or dosen’t agree. Also, I really don’t like exercize, but discovered a morning ashtanga yoga class that helps me on all levels, physical and spiritual. ;)
I agree and I think that’s what we’re going to do. That way you get to see what food really make the difference. I hope to god it’s not all of them! ;-)
Tim,
I have a question for you. Will you be using NLP techniques to help you through the rough spots?
The reason I ask is that I do well when I’m at home but out in a restaurant the temptation to go off my list is extremely challenging to resist, or worse, someone has cooked me something I shouldn’t eat and my British sense of politeness kicks in.
Just wondering if you have any thoughts…
I wont need to Alison, that’s why I have you guys to kick my ass if I backslide ;-) I can’t be sure I’ll do it, but I can be sure I’ll be honest and report back for an ass-kicking if I crumble.
For just the month I’ll avoid putting myself in situations where temptation may arise, such as going out to eat etc. Then I can reassess what I want to do long-term.
If a client came to me with help I’d probably look at using the Swish Pattern and even submodalities.
Paleo is an amazing way of life – Mark Sisson’s site, Mark’s Daily Apple is (marksdailyapple.com) a great source of info and both his books are amazing. Definitely check out Robb Wolf (robbwolf.com) as well.
I’m a Type I diabetic crossfitter and went paleo more than a year ago. My blood sugars are amazingly consistent, I’m very lean and in the best shape of my life.
One of the biggest changes that I noticed when I went paleo and cut out all sugar subsitutes (Diet Soda’s, Splenda, Truvia, etc.); my sweet tooth went away.
Cool stuff Bob, thanks for that. You mention Paleo and then talk about Mark Sissons and he leads the Primal movement.
It seems to me there are some fundamental differences in terms of Primal saying bacon and fatty meats are ok if they are from a good source whereas artificial sweeteners aren’t ok. I also can’t seem to find a common consensus on soy, some say it’s ok, some it’s a no-no.
Just curious to know if you are Primal, Paleo or a mixture?
I lean towards primal, eating bacon, meat, eggs and cheese. My exercise level is high and since I don’t eat any grains/potatoes/rice I need the energy the fat provides.
Bob Holman recently posted..My Startup Success Manifesto
Hi Tim – This is weird – I was just saying on another blog that I need to improve my diet. My eating habits have got bad and I feel absolutely knackered.
I tried to do the 7 day fruit detox a couple of weeks ago and I packed in after one day. I was spending the whole day juicing and I didn’t have time to do any work – it was ridiculous.
I’m going to check out the diet you’re planning to follow and have a go. It’s a lot like Carole Vorderman’s detox – except, you’re not really supposed to have any alcohol at all.
I did Vorderman’s detox a few years ago. I only followed it for a week but it really did retrain my eating habits, I had a lot more energy and I stayed healthy for quite a while.
Cath Lawson recently posted..Why You Are Letting Your Blog Readers Down
I think the key is in the set up Cath. We’re off today to stock up on grass fed beef and it didn’t harm that my good friend Bob Poole sent me 10lbs of Alaskan salmon! It shouldn’t be too much of a hardship eating that ;-)
I forgot to say, I think I also have a lactose intolerance. I’ve been doing a bit of research and it seems that it is very common.
Cath Lawson recently posted..Why You Are Letting Your Blog Readers Down
Good luck Tim! I have been on a version of ‘primal’ for years now. I have issues that prevent me from eating very much fruit or sugars, so I chose primal over paleo just because I need to consume fat calories over carbs.
If you get to feeling down, low energy, or foggy the first week or two, make sure you are getting enough calories. A lot of folks experience this in the beginning as the body ‘switches’ over. Sometimes the lack of hunger or less easily available quick food causes folks to eat less unintentionally.
My father (63) finally decided to try it 4 weeks ago, a man who probably hasn’t cooked more then one meal a month in years….he lost 13 lbs in that month, is sleeping better for the first time in 20 years, and he is actually cooking! He found a lady selling eggs across the street from a farm, he found out another guy he has known for 15 yrs sells grassfed beef…..he is having fun not only feeling better but finding better ways to obtain his food. Its nice to watch him transition.
Again, good luck!!
Erin recently posted..The Journey
That’s so cool about your dad, good for him and thanks for sharing!
Sorry late to the party again, Tim. Better late than never though aye?
Dear god man! What will you eat?! That’s like my whole diet gone right there.
Seriously though, good luck. It takes balls to make a decision like that and start taking action on it. Hopefully in a few days you’ll be bristling with energy.
Ben recently posted..Productivity Corner- Friday’s Homework
Organic fresh mountain snow with wild water is tomorrows menu. Yummy eh?
I’m going to look at this as a test run for me, like you’re my volunteer in a sinister lab experiment. If it works, awesome, if your hair falls out and your lips turn blue then at least it’s not me.
Seriously though, as my chronic fatigue syndrome continues to impact what I do and how I do it I really need to look at diet as a way of managing it and giving myself more energy. This is one I’ll be watching closely.
Steve Errey – The Confidence Guy recently posted..How to be Luckier Than Everyone Else
Do I have to wear nipple clamps in this experiment? I can if you insist.
Stay tuned mate as we’re about to kick it all off.
Steve,
As a CFS sufferer myself for several years, I did many things to recover. However, changing my diet was easily the single most important factor and now I run along amazingly well doing nothing but managing what I eat. I wish I’d been less resistant to the whole ‘you are what you eat’ thing a lot earlier.
Would love to find out more about what worked for you Alison – feeling the brunt of it particularly hard the last few days. If you’re happy to, drop me a mail on steve at theconfidenceguyonline dot com.
Problem with diets is that they are faddy and not sustainable. Also people make money by promoting branded diets as ‘special’ – which they are not.
Looking at your choice of diet it doesn’t look a sensible one for me.
However depends on your objectives – for long term results I would choose a diet which can become your a lifestyle, also (most importantly) build in more exercise and time for self reflection and important people. If you want to look good quick – get a wierd diet, get fast results and expect to be back to where you started from in a few weeks.
For me a lifestyle diet means, cut down on processed foods, fats, less meats, more fish, fresh vegetables, fruit, fresh herbs, less alcohol and enjoy cooking nice healthy stuff.
These branded diets are just snakeoil imho.
Good luck
Not sure how much reading you have done mate as to whether it’s sensible or not, but I’ve done shit loads and so has my wife.
I have found almost zero scientific evidence to suggest this is snake oil. And to be fair even though I refer to it as a diet, it’s more a way of life really.
Having said that, I’ll be completely honest about it and report back what I find and not what I want to find.
81 comments so far! Guess this diet stuff strikes a chord. ;-) Chiming in to wish you and Helen all the best and the results you are looking for. I imagine you would tell me that the appeal and longevity of this is like anything else… when we feel, or can anticipate feeling more benefit from doing it than from not doing it, is easier to see our way clear.
Looking forward to the reports back from the field!
Karen
Thanks Karen. I’m really interested to see what happens too and whether the hype is deserved. Will know soon enough.
Hope you’re enjoying the first few days, Tim! ;)
I’ve been on a restricted-calorie diet a few times, where I’d experience a huge burst of energy for about 3 weeks, but couldn’t keep up with the diet for much longer, because I’d start feeling starved. The backlash used to bring back the weight I lost, and then some!
By “burst of energy” I mean shaking my legs while sitting at my desk because I had too much energy that I didn’t know what to do with. Having said that, my concentration wasn’t at its peak, but that’s probably because I didn’t used to get much sleep, either.
I’m now on the primal diet, have cheated a few days because there wasn’t much else to eat (apart from rice-based meals, and unholy chocolaty snacks), but find it much easier to maintain, and don’t have the strong cravings I used to have with the restricted-calorie diet.
I don’t feel a burst of energy, but I feel my energy levels being quite stable throughout the day, which is a very good thing. My concentration levels and optimism are also higher than when I used to eat rice (no offense to Tracy’s Korean half :P) and sweets.
Best of luck with your experiment!
Haider recently posted..The 3 R’s Of Personal Growth Manifesto Needs Your Vote!
That pretty much backs up everything I’ve heard from people that have done this. Thanks!
Paleo can be excellent. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it does not take into account nutrient timing (very important if you hit the gym), or genetic predispositions.
For instance, people of Asian decent have more amylase in their saliva, so they can process simple carbohydrate better than those of European decent. Stemming of course from Asian cultures having a diet heavy in rice, and having agriculture for much longer.
Cheers on your experiment.
Joshua Noerr recently posted..RAOKA- Trust
Sorry mate I missed this!
Interesting to hear from somebody that does the kind of stuff you do.
BTW, Mark Sisson has agreed to do an interview with me and I’m going to be asking for questions that people would like answered on the whole Primal as opposed to Paleo thing.
I will most definitely send you a couple of questions. Having read both books plus Sisson’s cook book, I think if you want weight loss Paleo is better. I also think you’d better be working out as much as Sisson details in his book in order to eat some of the fat he suggests is okay. When is the interview?
Bob Poole recently posted..eBooks Will Never Be the Same
I’m going to ask for question next week Bob, and when I’ve compiled them I’ll send them to Mark and then it’s down to how long he needs to answer.
To be fair I’m using a hybrid of the two because I’m either way about red meat, but love fish and vegetables. I’m continuing to exercise as I did before pretty much which is probably a tad more than Primal recommends, but not too OTT.
Oddly, it doesn’t surprise me that you’re reading Seligman and decided to go on this diet. You know, right that Seligman tortured dogs for 25 years (Google Learned Helplessness) until he was kicked out of his university for cruelty. He returned with this tripe about Happiness. I guess you learn a lot when you torture a loving being that is in your care.
It will be interesting to see what you learn from the diet.
On a limb with Claudia recently posted..Denver Cereal – Chapter 113 – My life now
Oddly, it doesn’t surprise me that you’re reading Seligman and decided to go on this diet.
You’re right that is a really odd thing to say when there is no connection whatsoever.
I am actually against scientific experiments on dogs, however it would be obscene to throw away data that helps people after the fact.
You think his work is tripe because you are presumably against experiments too and you don’t want to (or can’t) see past that.
I think Learned Optimism is one of the greatest books ever written on self-development and has positively impacted the lives of literally millions of people. Authentic Happiness is also an excellent book.
I know the story you are referring too, but confess I thought it was somebody else, B F Skinner maybe?? Not sure, and I can’t find it using Google, or anything about Seligman being banned for that matter.
The story I’m referring to was when a research assistant from a animal rights group infiltrated experiments on monkeys in a University (again I think) in Maine.
The professor leading the research was indeed kicked out and humiliated. Until that is it was discovered that not only were the photos staged, but the AR’s group then illegally and under appalling conditions shipped the monkeys (aka the evidence) to Florida.
All charges were dropped from my recollection and the monkeys were returned more stressed than when they were taken.
Maybe that was a completely different case, I’m honestly not sure.
Ok I found what I was referring to and it was Edward Taub’s work on learned helplessness and the University was Maryland.
He spent 6 years working on his defense after being ejected and ultimately won. The animal rights group was PETA.
I cannot find anything about Seligman being kicked out of any University and for a man that is so high profile that’s kinda weird if it’s true.