Primal Help

[jjjo1112]

Hello,
I have ordered the primal blueprint book and have spent a lot of time on Mark's Daily Apple- but am still confused on a few things.
Are only certain fruits allowed? I understand that berries are lower in carbs but if the main goal (I have a lot of weight to lose) is to stay between 50-100 carbs per day- can some of that include higher carb fruit- watermelom. cantelope, grapes, peaches, plums etc?
What about dairy? I read his segment on dairy and it seemed indecisive. I love cheese and think that would be a great snack during the day. Can yogurt be used.
Sugar? When he states his typical breakfast-he says coffee with cream and sugar-would it be okay to have a small coffee with cream and sugar, or is that something you would add in once your body has adjusted?
My main problem has been snacks- what are your typical grab and go snacks. I have string cheese, blue berries but would love some other ideas.

Salad Dressings- are there certain ones that are okay or can I pick anything that is low in carbs with an olive oil base?

Deli Meats- Are ham/turkey acceptable? I was thinking on top of salads or in an omlet?

The main jist of his website seems to be no grains, no processed foods, lower carb fruits/veggies and meat/chicken/seafood with healthy fats. I am waiting for the book but would love to get started while waiting.

Any other advice for someone switching from a completely crappy diet full over carbs/sugars and processed foods?
Thanks, Jackie

[jjjo1112]

Anyone?? Is there somewhere else I should post this question?
Thanks, Jackie

[Violet2]

There are a couple different ways to low carb so you don't have to do it exactly like the Primal plan to lose weight. However, if this is the plan you are following, then try to do it as best you can.

Also, there is a learning curve for a while in the beginning, just do the best you can until you sort it all out. Don't sweat the small stuff, just cut the carbs kwim? The following should help you cut carbs while you figure out the ins and outs of your plan.

For fruit, I do allow myself some high carb fruit but not daily. It causes too strong an insulin response to yield weight loss. I even watch berries.

Cheese is usually okay for low carb (maybe not for Primal though) however, some people find that they have to severely limit cheese because it stalls weight loss.

Salad dressings-the general rule of thumb is creamy dressings are fine i.e. ranch bleu cheese ceaser etc... Anything at 1 to 2 g carb per serving is fine--I use Italian sometimes. You can also make your own dressing.

Deli meat is not ideal and should not be a staple--too processed too many extras including sugar. But it is fine on a limited basis.

HTH & Good luck!

V

[Purple Sage]

I think you'd get a lot of differing opinions on this. I'll offer you mine....

If I had a lot of weight to lose, I would assume that my hormones are at least somewhat damaged, and I'd want to eat accordingly.

Fruit: I would only eat berries and then only a small amount maybe once or twice a week. Watermelon would have to wait until I was at or close to my goal weight - 1 cup is 10 grams of sugar, most of which are fructose. Fructose is known to cause insulin resistance and should be avoided by people who have any issues with insulin (and being significantly overweight would indicate this).

Dairy: I would not eat cheese as a snack or as a significant portion of a meal. Actually, I would cut out all of it (but I wouldn't sweat some crumbles of feta on a salad at a restaurant, for example) as much as I could. The only dairy I would consume is butter and heavy cream, but I'd cut this out if I thought it was slowing my weight loss.

Sugar: Absolutely cut this out completely. Use heavy cream in coffee - it tastes great! The quicker you lose the taste for sweet, the better.

Deli meat: I don't like it, so this wouldn't be an issue for me, but it really is a good idea to try to limit deli meats. They have additives that aren't good, too much sodium, and usually not enough fat.

Snacks: When I eat enough fat at regular meals, I do not need to snack. It does take some time to get insulin under control, but when you get off the carb/sugar/insulin rollercoaster, hunger doesn't strike at all hours of the day. My advice here would be to eat a meal if you're hungry. I do not think it's good to graze all day or to eat every few hours, but rather to eat a decent sized meal and then wait a good long while to eat again.

Other advice: Watch the omega 6 in your diet. Too much is a very bad thing. This means nuts, olive oil, poultry, and pork, and most salad dressings are omega 6 bombs. I would not eat nuts as more than a condiment, and then I'd still really watch portions. Eat more beef. Use coconut oil to cook. Get grass fed/pastured meat and eggs if possible. Saturated fat is good. Take fish oil to balance the omega 6. Eat less than 50g of carbs a day to lose weight.

Sorry this post is so choppy!

[organicmidwestmama]

here's a medical doctor, a radiologist, who adheres to a "primal" diet and has lots of advice for those interested in losin weight- www.paleonu.com

he specifically says to stay away from watermelon and grapes as they are mostly fructose (fruit sugar).

here's Dr. Harris's recs for losing weight in a nutshell
http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2...se-weight.html

[Purple Sage]

Originally Posted by organicmidwestmama

here's a medical doctor, a radiologist, who adheres to a "primal" diet and has lots of advice for those interested in losin weight- www.paleonu.com

he specifically says to stay away from watermelon and grapes as they are mostly fructose (fruit sugar).

here's Dr. Harris's recs for losing weight in a nutshell
http://www.paleonu.com/panu-weblog/2...se-weight.html

I this site. His 12 steps were incredibly helpful to me.

[jjjo1112]

Thanks for the pointers and the website. That should help me get started. Jackie

[JaneS]

There are also monthly primal threads in the Traditional Foods subforum.