How has eating traditional style foods changed your health or weight?

[daisymommy]

I want to try eating more traditional foods, I really do. But I must admit that I am a bit scared and skeptical I'm afraid I'm going to gain a ton of weight, develop high cholesterol, clogged arteries, etc.

So, can anyone tell me how eating traditional foods has changed their health? And have you gained or lost weight doing it?

Thanks for sharing your stories

[frontierpsych]

I am an on-and-off TF'er (mostly because of DS's allergies, financial reasons, and because my DH is always switching to some diet he thinks is healthier) when I am eating a TF diet I think the biggest change is in the ENERGY I have! I have so much more energy eating TF than when I eat processed food, even healthier processed food, I just feel sluggish.

[Magelet]

I'm so so much healthier. I've dropped down to a normal weight from being a good bit above it, I have more energy, I'm doing so much better with my depression, my cholesterol dropped to healthy levels from way above healthy levels, and in general, I'm much healthier.

[StrongBeliever]

Making the switch to a traditional diet has made an enormous beneficial change in the health of myself and my family. In my own case... Better skin, stable moods, and the ability to maintain my weight. By maintain I mean stay at a place and not yo-yo up and down, and a huge up, then a little down, then a HUGE up and up again. For a very long time I struggled with weight... Too much of it. TF allows me to eat until I am satisfied... I am NEVER hungry. And when I want something, I have it. I have never kept track, but I think I eat well over 3000 calories a day and stay very near to 160 (5'7"+). That is a healthy, active, happy maintainable weight for me. I feel really good. And in the summer when I tend to eat less due to the heat, I drop around ten pounds. And I stay there eating as much as I want. Before TF I was near 20 pounds over what I feel is healthy for me. And it was always climbing higher, and I was always trying(unsuccessfully) to lose weight. Now I just simply don't have that stress. TF has given me the reins. I can lose if I choose. And if I want to eat, I eat and don't worry about getting to my personal walrus-point.

As far as clogged arteries and and high cholesterol... That is plain bad science. Those are all modern illnesses. Butter, eggs, lard, raw milk, red meat, coconut oil... All of these thing predate all of our modern diet related illnesses by THOUSANDS of years. If they were so bad for us, we'd not be here today.

So go for it. Eat good food and be merry. Stop watching the scale and listen instead to how your body feels. Chances are you won't have to buy new jeans. and in the event you do, it will probably be smaller jeans. And then you'll probably never have to worry about another size again because your body will have the nutrients it needs to know what it takes to stay healthy.

[tngirl11]

The biggest things I've noticed for myself since I started following a TF diet (and I'm definitely not "perfect" on it--just try to stick to it the majority of the time!):
Finally lost the last little bit of baby weight from my last pregnancy.
Never, ever get sick anymore (and I used to get colds all the time). My kids almost never get sick either, which is amazing since they're always around other sick kids!
Have great skin for the first time in my life.
Have a lot more energy--just feel good overall.
Finally have regular menstrual cycles for the first time ever and was able to conceive pretty easily. It took two years and Clomid the first time, so that's a big change for me!

[organicmidwestmama]

Originally Posted by daisymommy

I want to try eating more traditional foods, I really do. But I must admit that I am a bit scared and skeptical I'm afraid I'm going to gain a ton of weight, develop high cholesterol, clogged arteries, etc.

So, can anyone tell me how eating traditional foods has changed their health? And have you gained or lost weight doing it?

Thanks for sharing your stories

i would suggest reading some real science based info, books, articles on fat metabolism to ease your worries. i somehow have never believed the low-fat dogma that is sponsored by the usda and the food manufacturers but i know most of our country does believe it.

ive always eaten, more or less, whole foods, have been omnivorous since ag 5, and have always loved butter, cream, steak, egg yolks etc. i have never been overweight, i am right in the middle of a healthy weight, my bmi is about 21-22, i have gained nice amounts of weights in my pregnancies and lost it all both times within 3-12 months prospectively, eating real whole foods and plenty of real fat from whole dairy, meat, seafood, coconut etc.

its really hard for folks to stop listening to what i think are outright lies we've been told about weight, fat and general nutrition. id suggest checking out these books and websites, educating yourself and then deciding if you still believe the low fat is good theory or not. im betting your already doubting it if your looking into tf eating.

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co...idemic_19.html

http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2...-you-fear.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/07/ma...l?pagewanted=1

books- good calories, bad calories by gary taubes
eat fat, lose fat by mary enig and sally fallon

[Rasa]

My take on TF at this point is to try and optimize the nutrition of every bite (so I don't need to consume as much)...and how I do that has changed/evolved since starting 'TF' (from an organic standard american diet) about a year ago. The first big change for me was to switch to non-homogenized milk products. I didn't drink milk straight, just used it in cooking so didn't expect to see any difference but I lost 5 lbs right away. Several months later, I got tested for some food allergies and first cut out gluten--lost another 7 lbs, then a couple months later cut out dairy--lost another 8 lbs (assuming that was all inflammation-based water weight). At first, those weren't to be in line with 'TF' but since then I've come to realize that I feel they're VERY much in line with my thinking about 'TF' nutrition.

My most recent changes have been to try to up my meat/fat consumption even more (I don't count calories or anything--basically I'm trying to lay off the 'gluten-free' replacement products), increased FCLO and BO consumption, and eat dark leafy greens and nutritious smoothies either packed with greens and superfoods or great fats, etc. everyday. I'm eating mostly (pasture, organic) eggs, meats, fats, veggies (esp. the leafy green variety), a little fruit (mostly berries with a little bit of everything else), some beans/nuts, a little bit of grains/starches. I seem to be gradually dropping more weight (based on how my clothes are fitting). (I could stand to lose quite a bit more weight so this is great!)

I have a lot more patience (I think) now, more energy (in fact, I need to watch this sometimes because I find it too easy to stay up WAY too late!), didn't quite realize how bad my reflux was before TF but it's GONE now (actually was since I switched to non-homogenized dairy) and my dishydrotic eczema hasn't flared since going gluten-free. I'm thinking about getting my cholesterol checked soon--had it checked several months before 'going TF' and it was not too bad but not great. If I do that, I'll be sure to post results!

My husband eats what I would call a mostly TF diet except lunch (when he's away from home) where he still (by his own account) eats too much refined stuff. But he's STILL lost some weight. His profession has previously 'schooled' him in a very westernized view of nutrition but he's TOTALLY on board with our TF journey--he doesn't 'buy into' the standard westernized (food pyramid-type) view of nutrition. It's still hard for us to be too open about TF (offline) because how we look doesn't necessarily translate into how we feel--and we still look 'too big'--so without wearing a name tag that says 'hello, I've lost 25 lbs eating this way' it LOOKS irresponsible to many people, I think.

[LauraLoo]

As a family, we are much healthier. We made it through this winter without getting sick for the very first time! We started going TF a little over a year ago, and made the biggest changes to our diet last summer.

For me, my weight has stabilized to a healthy weight. I was underweight (and not very healthy) so I have boobs for the first time in my life! lol! I look like a woman is supposed to. I've gained the right amount of weight for my body frame. And because I'm not starving my body with incomplete foods and filling it up with not so great food, I don't get mood swings and don't get overwhelmed with the daily stuff. I don't wake up exhausted and groggy, but ready to live the day. I never feel the need or desire to sleep in any more or to take a nap in the afternoon.

My ds, in particular, has also stabilized his weight. He was always on the scrawny side, and he looks so much healthier to me now. His energy levels have evened out, too. The paleness of my dc's faces have gone away, and they sleep much better now.

[NJ*Doula]

I dropped from a size 6 to a size 2 after switching to TF. I have more energy than I've had in a long time, and I just feel stringer in general.

[applecider]

I lost leftover baby weight and we have not been sick AT ALL this fall-winter despite being in preschool where kids are CONSTANTLY sick. That's the biggest thing really.

[athenalove46]

Way more energy. We are just much healthier overall! I started eating TF during my pregnancy and was on my way to gaining 40 lbs like with my daughters, but ended up only gaining 25. I'm 3 months PP and I have lost ALL of my baby weight and an extra ten pounds on top of that (while nursing). But, I have done NOTHING to try and lose the weight. Nothing at all, after my last pregnancy, eating a SAD diet, I had to go on Weight Watcher to lose any of my weight. And it took a long year to do so.

I have a pretty darn good immune system to begin with, but eating this way I notice a way that my body responds to a cold. I'll start to get one and then it'll just like go away.

[nerdymom]

Well, I'm not completely TF yet, but let me tell you!! When I eat my food, I have more energy, my mood is up, I don't have gas, and my face clears up. I can't say how much weight I've lost b/c I don't have a scale (I used to be really obsessed with my weight) but I can tell by the way my clothes fit (or don't fit) that I've lost some and am continuing to loose.

I stayed at my grandmas for a night and for days afterwards I felt wretched. The sugars, the processed food, the unsoaked white flours...ugh. When I left I was a farty mess! And two days later I had pimples!

[sarah_bella1050]

Seriously Traditional Foods is the shiznit! I have fibromyalgia, PCOS and blood sugar issues. I was always tired and felt achy. Since traditional foods I have SO much more energy and I have lost 8lbs in the past 5 weeks (combo of TF and going grain free). I could barely work out before and now I will go to a 45 minute spin class, make dinner and be able to "spend time" with my dh in the evening as well. My aches and pains are WAY down to just a little stiffness in the morning. I am finely absorbing all those minerals and don't even need vitamins anymore. I eat superfoods daily and they are actually DOING something now that I am eating the good fat us humans we MEANT to eat!

You don't have to go crazy and do everything TF all at once, making everything in NT. Start off with sprouted grain bread (or cut it out, whatever works), buy local grass fed meats and eggs, switch to raw milk and buy a jar of virgin coconut oil. Then you can add some fermented stuff as well when you get the hang of it (Kombucha is crazy good). Soaked oatmeal with whey is really yummy, my kids and dh really like it too.

[daisymommy]

Thanks for sharing everyone! Definitely sounds positive.

I should have mentioned that we already eat "whole foods": organic milk & dairy (including real butter) as well as beef from grass fed cows, eggs and chicken from free-range chickens, whole grains (just not soaked), nothing artificial, very low sugar.

I think the whole lard, chicken livers, coconut oil, whole milk etc. fattier items are what have me concerned.

My family has genetically high cholesterol, and struggles with our weight (on my mom's side). I have family members who have blocked arteries, heart attacks & stroke. They don't a lot of "junk" either.
I know that it's genetic, and not diet that causes it, but I believe that diet can contribute to making it worse. Hasn't that been proven?

Edited to add: I forgot to read the links posted above; maybe they will answer my own questions

I'm wondering if I could do a modified TF and not go full-speed ahead on the fat? Talking out loud here

I want to learn more about soaking and fermenting for sure.

Okay, talk to me!

[sarah_bella1050]

You could always start with just switching any vegetable oils you use to butter and coconut oil. Throw out the Canola oil

[MyLittleWarrior]

From what I have read (and I don't have any links right now but there's lots about it here on MDC and elsewhere) carbs have a much higher impact on heart health and cholesterol levels than fats do. Stay away from most vegetable fats (canola oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, etc) as they're chemically extracted from the plants and not at all natural. Stick to cold pressed/extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil for plant oils, and butter, lard, tallow, etc are all very healthy fats if they come from healthy animals and should not contribute to cholesterol levels. Cut out sugar and limit the amount of bread (even soaked whole grain breads) would have a better impact on cholesterol.

[ema-adama]

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co...el/cholesterol

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co...ular%20disease

daisymommy, if you want to read some of the science on cholesterol and cardiovascular health, this blog is a fantastic resource.

[laohaire]

I'm a TF-er who fell off the wagon (long story, but I'm working on getting back on it).

Health - definitely saw an improvement in my energy, stamina, mood, general well-being.

Weight - I guess I'm one of the few who have not enjoyed needed weight loss from it. It's still worth it for the health alone though. I gained 4 pounds during my year of TF and exercise program (running/weight lifting) (no, I didn't gain 4 pounds of muscle, I gained 4 pounds of fat on top of the 30 extra pounds of fat I started with, plus gained a dress size), but for all I know I would have gained 20 without it.