Primal diet, helps or hurts milk supply? Raising your own meats?

[MDeLury]

I've been reading up and interested in the primal diet.  Paleo won't really work for us since we keep dairy goats but the other elements do.  Anyhow, I'm just wondering since I'm nursing what the switch from higher to low carb with the primal diet is going to do to my milk supply and the fat content of my milk?  

Also is anyone on here raising their own meats as part of a paleo/primal diet?  We keep chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese as well as the goats and we are adding rabbits this year.  I'd be interested to know how that affects your dietary decisions and where do you find recipes that fit the farming/seasonal availablity lifestyle.

[rebbecky]

[MDeLury]

did I ask something  I shouldn't have?

[AshleeS]

The icon eating popcorn just means "watching for replies too" I think.  I haven't been 100 paleo, but have switched over more that way with this 3rd baby (while pregnant and now nursing - he's 13 months now).  As long as you're getting enough calories it won't be harmful at all in my experience. I've felt the best this go around and that's saying a lot considering I have 3 children 4 and under with two 6 month periods of tandem nursing.  I haven't gone a day without nursing at least one child ;)  

[MDeLury]

good to hear.  I'm holding out on starting until my DD is on solids and our garden gets going.  I think the availability of all that fresh produce will be encouraging for me

I've been on a different board where the popcorn eating icon means waiting for the drama to ensue or watching the drama unfold.  

[Ravi Wells]

Hi MD -

careful what you assume about "THE PALEO DIET" - first of all, dogmas abound in every train of thought - for some - maybe many populations of humans, dairy - and very probably goat dairy - was almost certainly a staple regardless of what paleo purists and domestication theory wants to postulate - please see my discussion here:

"Dairy is Paleo"  http://daiasolgaia.com/?p=1302

why else would many human groups be so easily adapted to lactose tolerance into adulthood and a big percentage of children that have problems with cow dairy tolerate goat very well?   

Please realize that "the paleo diet" is not definitively outlined either in practical terms or theoretical terms - we can only make our best guesses as to what specific varieties of foodstuffs our ancestors evolved eating -

what is beyond a doubt is that we ate animal products when we could, and probably whatever else didn't kill us or make us sick! (like anything from MacDonalds.... ;-) )

[rebbecky]

I used it because when I saw it used on here in older threads, it seemed that it was to say, they were interested in all of the information being shared. Maybe I misunderstood it, but that is why I posted it. I was interested in learning about the topic since I did not have any info to share. Sorry for any confusion! 

[rebbecky]

I used it because when I saw it used on here in older threads, it seemed that it was to say, they were interested in all of the information being shared. Maybe I misunderstood it, but that is why I posted it. I was interested in learning about the topic since I did not have any info to share. Sorry for any confusion! 

[rebbecky]

I used it because when I saw it used on here in older threads, it seemed that it was to say, they were interested in all of the information being shared. Maybe I misunderstood it, but that is why I posted it. I was interested in learning about the topic since I did not have any info to share. Sorry for any confusion! 

[MDeLury]

no worries.  

[violetflapjack]

I did a grain free traditional foods diet with my first starting when he was about 3 months old and I continued to have an over supply of milk well into his first year (I think around 10 months my milk started to be less abundant, but he had already started solids at 6 months).  I'm nursing DS2, who is currently 3 months and I've been doing low grain since he was about 1 month.  My milk seems quite sufficient, although I wouldn't say its an over supply this time.  He is growing well and is bigger than most of his friends his age though.  I had been under the impression for some reasons (I think mostly kind of sub-conscious not well thought out ones) that most galactogogues were grains like oatmeal so I would need a lot of carbs and grains during the early months of nursing, but it doesn't seem like that's actually true from my experience.  The biggest thing that I've noticed about cutting grains during lactation is that my moods are much more stable, my blood sugar is more stable and I just feel less crazy.  I think that greens are really good galactogogues if you want to be sure to have enough milk.  A lot of the traditional galactogogue herbs are things like nettle, alfalfa, and raspberry that are nutrient dense greens, and paleo diets can have a ton of that.

We also raise chickens that we eat kind of regularly, but our flock is not really big enough to keep us in steady supply.  I notice a HUGE difference in the quality of the fat and connective tissue from our home raised birds (who are completely free range and only nest in their house at night).  I think it is really worth it to raise your own meat if you have the means.

[GreenVariety]

Interesting question. I noticed (been Paleo inspired as well as nightshade free a while now due to nursling and my food intolerances) after my milk dried up with pregnancy number two I was eating a lot (I mean a ton) less. No more two or three servings of soups. No more snacking on nuts. Now that I am pregnant with #2 I am looking for all sorts of support for paleo/primal. I wish I had access to soy free, gmo free goat dairy as one of the things we have the biggest problems with is GMO's and soy.

From a pregnancy perspective (I was raw vegan my previous pregnancy, it didn't work for myself or my new baby), I do not have the colostrum that I had way early in my pregnancy. I am 100% dry. I also don't have cravings for the most part but do have cycles. I want fish, liver and a few other things pretty much daily.

There are a couple decent free resource and then a few that are supposed to be over the top great (which I can't currently afford)...Not necessarily milk specific.

http://theprimalparent.com/

The Paleo Parents (they have a podcast also)

The really great resources are supposed to be Food Renegades pregnancy e-course and Chris Kresser's "The Health Baby Code."

Good Luck
 

[MDeLury]

I'll look up those resources,thanks!

I've noticed our chickens have a really nice bright yellow fat and much deeper color in all the muscle tissues (I tend to get the eviceration duty since my hands are smaller).  I feel pretty confident that they must be more nutrient dense than a store bought bird.  

We've fed our goats just regular dairy goat feed but I finally found an organic feed mill that has non gm feed so if I switch nothing else to non-GM, the goats will be switched for sure.  Right now everyone gets clean mixed hay :)

[GreenVariety]

I have read (and been told) the yellow fat is indicative of high Vitamin content including D3. Our Delawares are very yellow. A lot of people won't purchase these birds because they don't look like "chicken." We are going to be raising freedom rangers (to conserve feed and for a quicker grow out) and our Delawares which are a hearty dual purpose this year. Have yet to get a turkey to live to slaughter and our goats were processed before our move because I'm pretty sure they had CAE and I didn't want to mess with that. CAE free next round! Craigs list is not always the best place to get goats...live and learn.
 

[MDeLury]

We keep turkeys and ducks and they have that same bright yellow fat.  I haven't butchered a goose  yet but I'm hoping they do as well this year since we have a breeding group.  I've heard great things about cooking with goose fat.

I was lucky enough to get scared out of CAE before we brought home goats in the first place.