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R. S. Refugee
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK
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 Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:12 am Post subject: |
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I think the way I eat is perhaps similar to the paleo diet except it includes dairy -- some cheese, lots of yogurt. Organic chicken and lamb. I prefer lamb to beef because all the beef you can buy around here (and most other places) is grain fed resulting in a less healthy product. Sheep on the other hand are never grain-fed and so are always eating their natural diet of grass.
The main principle I follow is to eat low-carbohydrate, and avoid pretty much all grains and starchy veggies like potatoes. I find kohlrobi makes a great substitute for potatoes in soups and stews. Sometimes eating out I'll eat the soup even if it has a little bit of noodles, but I skip the rice on general principles. The way I'm eating now is making a big improvement in my health.
But your belt can go in several inches without your losing any weight at all if you're doing resistance training and adding muscle mass since muscle for the same volume weights more than fat. So, if you're working out, taking fat off your waist, and adding muscle mass, you shouldn't focus on the scales for your sense of accomplishment. Measure your waist (at the bellybutton) and watch that pot belly gradually disappear. That's the real satisfaction. Mine has gone in over 14 cm without me losing any weight at all because I was adding muscle mass.
The manual on this body composition machine at my gym says that by the standard weight measuring techniques most athletes would be considered obese (long distance runners excepted, of course) because they are putting on a lot of muscle mass.
I've quit using all forms of sugar and only use stevia if I have a sweet craving. Nonetheless, I'm not an extremist about these things. If I'm out and find myself truly getting hungry for a snack, I don't have a problem with buying chocolate-covered almonds. A little chocolate is healthy, the almonds are healthy, the sugar isn't. 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
I'm single and eat most of my meals alone. This makes it sooo much easier, I think, because there aren't any emotional food issues with a partner who see things differently. It makes it much easier to change my eating behaviors when I have only myself to answer to. One piece of advice I follow is to eat 4 to 6 small meals a day. This works well for me.
Oh yeah. Here's one thing the hunter/gatherer forebears got plenty of because of their life style that almost all modern humans get insufficient amounts of -- Vitamin D. I started studying the mysteries of Vitamin D supplementation last fall and found that I was insufficient - 10 ng/ml. So, I started supplementing with the necessary dosages to bring it up into the sufficient range. Now it's 32 ng/ml. I didn't bother with a flu shot and have had no colds, flu, sore throat, sniffles or anything since then even though I've been teaching elementary children. Humans have around 30,000 genes. Vitamin D up-regulates around 3,000 of them and practically everyone has insufficiency if they're not supplementing. A topic well worth learning more about if you're immune system isn't performing well. My favorite source for info on Vitamin D issues and other diet, health, and fitness issues is Mercola. com
Last edited by R. S. Refugee on Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:28 pm; edited 5 times in total |
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chungbukdo
Joined: 22 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:15 am Post subject: |
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| The Paleo people should all get together for a tuna sashimi buffet at some point. |
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Auslegung
Joined: 14 Jan 2009
Location: MB, SC
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 12:38 pm Post subject: |
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| R. S. Refugee wrote: |
| I think the way I eat is perhaps similar to the paleo diet except it includes dairy -- some cheese, lots of yogurt. |
I don't have anything wrong with dairy in extreme moderation, but anything more than a scoop of ice cream or 1.5 pieces of cheese and I'm toast.
| R. S. Refugee wrote: |
| I've quit using all forms of sugar and only use stevia if I have a sweet craving. |
I'm much more concerned with eating natural foods, and sugar is natural, just avoid the processed kind, which is of course what they put in about 99% of foods, if they don't do corn syrup. I had never heard of stevia before, thanks for mentioning it.
| R. S. Refugee wrote: |
| One piece of advice I follow is to eat 4 to 6 small meals a day. This works well for me. |
I used to eat like that before I went paleo, but I'm thinking that homo erectus ate when food was available, and if they had plenty of food they'd eat 4-6 times a day, but if food was scarce they'd eat maybe once a day. I've been trying to mix it up with some fasting, and at the end of a good fast, upwards of 24 hours for me, I'll do a short run. Before getting on this diet, just the idea of running while fasting would have been enough to make me pass out from low blood sugar, but now I've got all kinds of energy, no longer hypoglycemic, etc.
| R. S. Refugee wrote: |
| Oh yeah. Here's one thing the hunter/gatherer forebears got plenty of because of their life style that almost all modern humans get insufficient amounts of -- Vitamin D, [...] and practically everyone has insufficiency if they're not supplementing. |
I agree that vitamin D is important, and many people are insufficient, but I'm not sure that we need to use supplements. Again, for me the overriding principle is, if man made it, don't eat it. We produce vitamin D when we get exposure to the sun, and the modern lifestyle pretty much keeps that from happening too often, but I try to sit outside and absorb sun whenever I get the chance. I'm actually sitting on my back porch in the sun right now.
And I second the motion, chungbukdo. I won't be in Korea until June-ish, but that would be cool if everyone could get together regularly. |
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chungbukdo
Joined: 22 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Auslegung wrote: |
| We produce vitamin D when we get exposure to the sun |
Actually we don't and therein lies the case for supplementation unless you get to go on vacation in the winter.
Depending on the degree of latitude in which you live, there isn't enough UVB radiation present in the light to cause vitamin D synthesis. If you're in a Northern area, vitamin D synthesis happens best at around noon in the summer, late spring, and early fall. It may be impossible to produce vitamin D at all other times of the year. That's probably why people get sick coming out of the winter--vitamin D is an important immune modulator and they are deficient in it.
The problem with Korea is that many people are chronically deficient. We are unable to produce D in the winter when it is clear here, because we are covered in clothes and it is doubtful there is enough of the proper type of radiation to cause synthesis of D. When spring comes, it is hazy because of the yellow dust which also blocks that specific radiation. The summer is constantly rainy and overcast which presents another problem, but there are periods of sunshine in which you can go out and produce enough D. Plus, people are inside a lot, and you cannot produce vitamin D from light through a window or a regular light bulb.
Paleolithic people didn't live this far North for very long. Most of hominid history takes place in Africa, and we only moved out about 75,000 years ago. The first places we migrated to were India, Indonesia, and Australia, all places very close to the equator. It wasn't til about 30,000 years ago that we really started to spread North. This caused some of the most recent genetic adaptations like white skin in Northern Europeans, because white skin is able to synthesize vitamin D much more quickly. If you look at sun exposure recommendations they vary by skin type and not just because lighter skin people can get burnt easier: they produce vitamin D faster. |
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Auslegung
Joined: 14 Jan 2009
Location: MB, SC
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 3:06 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, you're right about all that, but I guess I don't have to think about it much since I live in Myrtle Beach, SC, USA. Plenty south enough and hot enough, except probably in the dead of winter.
So what kind of D supplements are there? I think they put D in milk, but as I don't and can't eat that it's moot. Any other natural ways to get D besides taking a pill? I assume you're talking about a pill of some sort when you say supplements. |
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gillod
Joined: 02 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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| I forgot that Paleolithic man did most of his hunting/gathering at CostCo. |
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R. S. Refugee
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Auslegung wrote: |
Yeah, you're right about all that, but I guess I don't have to think about it much since I live in Myrtle Beach, SC, USA. Plenty south enough and hot enough, except probably in the dead of winter.
So what kind of D supplements are there? I think they put D in milk, but as I don't and can't eat that it's moot. Any other natural ways to get D besides taking a pill? I assume you're talking about a pill of some sort when you say supplements. |
Studies of children in Costa Rica and Columbia have found Vitamin D insufficiency to be prevalent even in those sub-tropical countries. So, getting enough from sunshine can be iffy even in S. C. The only way to know for sure if you're in the sufficiency range is testing -- a simple blood test that I've had performed here in Korea.
Vitamin D3 is the name of the supplement and it can be quickly and cheaply obtained by a great mail-order company called iHerb.com. They use a Korean company called CJ for Korean order that provides very fast and economical shipping.
If it is the first time that you've ever ordered from them, you can get a $5 discount off of your order by using this code: COC920.
Here's an example of Vitamin D 3 from their website that costs $4.96, so it wouldn't cost you anything with the $5 discount except the shipping charge. http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Vitamin-D-3-High-Potency-1000-IU-180-Softgels/543?at=0
One more thing about Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (2 different classifications). If you're a dark-skinned person living in these northern climates, it's a pretty sure bet that you at least are in the insufficiency range and can improve your health greatly by getting into the sufficiency range. Had any colds, flu, sniffles, sore throats this winter? I haven't and I've taught elementary students all winter.
Last edited by R. S. Refugee on Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:12 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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carpetdope
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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| gillod wrote: |
| I forgot that Paleolithic man did most of his hunting/gathering at CostCo. |
 Quote of the day! |
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R. S. Refugee
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Auslegung wrote: |
I agree that vitamin D is important, and many people are insufficient, but I'm not sure that we need to use supplements. Again, for me the overriding principle is, if man made it, don't eat it. We produce vitamin D when we get exposure to the sun, and the modern lifestyle pretty much keeps that from happening too often, but I try to sit outside and absorb sun whenever I get the chance. I'm actually sitting on my back porch in the sun right now.
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I'm not sure that it's possible for many people living a modern life-style to get sufficient Vitamin D from sunshine. I know I certainly can't. If it is possible, then no doubt, sunshine is the best and most natural way to get it and the way that we evolved to get it. However, the only way to be certain you're in the healthy range is by testing. So, quite sincerely, I would recommend testing for everyone, and if you find that you are able to get enough from sunshine, then congratulations. |
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R. S. Refugee
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 5:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Auslegung wrote: |
I had never heard of stevia before, thanks for mentioning it.
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To the best of my knowledge, stevia is not available in Korea. Here is my favorite form of it in powder packets. Goes well in coffee, tea, yogurt, sprinkling on strawberries, etc. I've never tried baking with it since I don't eat grains that much.
http://www.iherb.com/NuNaturals-NuStevia-White-Stevia-Powder-100-Packets/4703?at=0
This one costs $5.99. If you've never ordered from iHerb.com, you can get a $5 discount using this code: COC920. Then it would cost $0.99 plus shipping.
My favorite item I always order from them is Arrowhead Mills Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter. |
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R. S. Refugee
Joined: 29 Sep 2004
Location: Shangra La, ROK
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Auslegung wrote: |
I agree that vitamin D is important, and many people are insufficient, but I'm not sure that we need to use supplements. Again, for me the overriding principle is, if man made it, don't eat it. |
You know, I didn't know the answer to that so I looked it up. The Vitamin D3 supplements are definitely not man-made laboratory products which I also am quite skeptical of. Vitamin D3 is derived from lanolin.
lanolin |ˈlanl-in|
noun
a fatty substance found naturally on sheep's wool. It is extracted as a yellowish viscous mixture of esters and used as a base for ointments. |
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Slowmotion
Joined: 15 Aug 2009
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| Posted: Sun Apr 03, 2011 7:52 pm Post subject: Re: Anyone doing Paleo/Caveman/Hunter-Gatherer Diet? |
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| chungbukdo wrote: |
| Auslegung wrote: |
| I plan on starting in Gangnam in June. I've been to Korea before but wasn't on any particular diet, but now I'm doing the Paleo diet (aka Caveman diet or Hunter-Gatherer diet). I was wondering if anyone else is doing it, and what is your success? I've found that grains HURT my stomach terribly, which would include rice, and I know how hard it is going to be to avoid that. |
I'm on the Paleo diet and have been for the past 7 years. It is the only thing that cured my acne completely (acne that was not cured by any dermatologist or even dangerous medications like Accutane) along with a few other digestive issues for me.
I eat polished white rice like Koreans eat though. It doesn't have any of the big no-nos in it like lectins which cross the endothelial lining of the gut and enter into the bloodstream to cause an immune reaction. Nor does it have phytates which inhibit nutrient absorbtion (but it also barely has any nutrients). My opinion is that rice shouldn't actually hurt your stomach, the only reason not to include it is if you have blood sugar issues like diabetes, are overweight, or are struggling to get more micronutrients (vitamins and minerals in your diet).
Also, fermented, salted, spiced vegetables like kimchi are not technically Paleo but I eat them anyway. All the salting and spice may be the reason for Korea's abysmal rate of stomach cancer (the highest in the world) but I would rather just enjoy kimchi like everyone else. You'll need to balance these salted fermented vegetables with fresh fruits and vegetables in order to keep your potential renal acid load in check.
My Korean girlfriend also eats this way and has done so for the past year and a half. It also cleared her skin and she's improved a lot in the gym. My uncle also has the neurological condition multiple sclerosis which renders people's limbs unusable and ultimately results in death. With a stricter implementation of the diet we were able to get him to wear his MS has halted its progression with no medication whatsoever. That's because multiple schlerosis is an autoimmune disease and this diet (with a few modifiers) does wonders for autoimmune diseases. I'm toying with putting up a website on how to cure MS in the future to help the thousands of people suffering from this disease.
If you have any questions about the diet just post them up in this thread. The Freetheanimal guy is a douche; doesn't know anything about the diet yet people take him as an expert because he takes pictures of his food and has kept a blog complaining and swearing about stuff for the past few years. His greatest accomplishment is going from fat to slightly less fat (which people can do on any sort of diet). |
So grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils are the cause of acne and make MS worse??
And isn't the life expectacy of paleolithic man only 18 years?? |
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chungbukdo
Joined: 22 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 2:59 am Post subject: Re: Anyone doing Paleo/Caveman/Hunter-Gatherer Diet? |
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| Slowmotion wrote: |
So grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils are the cause of acne and make MS worse?? |
Salt probably doesn't affect acne nor MS. Refined sugar could theoretically be okay for someone with MS--it doesn't contain any lectins that enter the blood stream through the back door of endothelial cells in the gut and cause (in genetically susceptible individuals) an autoimmune reaction.
We have a lot of evidence rolling in now (both anecdotal and controlled trials) for a wide range of autoimmune diseases being treated with the Paleo diet, include rheumatoid arthritis and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
| Quote: |
| And isn't the life expectacy of paleolithic man only 18 years?? |
The life expectancy of people in modern day hunter gatherer societies is actually higher than that. It was estimated that people lived on average to about 40 when we were hunter gatherers 10,000 years ago and our lifespan dramatically decreased to about 18-20 at the advent of agriculture. Our stature, muscle mass, bone density, and amount of teeth also drastically reduced at the advent of agriculture (based on fossil studies).
The causes of death in hunter gatherer societies are typically child birth, parasitic and bacterial infections, accidents, fighting and war, and other things that our modern society has taken care of with sanitation, engineering, refrigeration, and child birth practices. When we study their elderly populations there is a complete absence of any of the diseases which we call the 'diseases of civilization' or 'metabolic syndrome X.' There are not even signs in the people that they will eventually get these diseases if they live from 70 to 90, for example. Those diseases include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, strokes, obesity, autoimmune diseases, even tooth decay and acne.
The scientists and doctors at the forefront of research in this community have the belief that we can take the advances of modern civilization with regard to treatment of communicable disease and combine it with understanding of our evolutionary biology to reduce the incidence of the diseases of civilization. |
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NYC_Gal 2.0
Joined: 10 Dec 2010
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| Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 4:24 am Post subject: |
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| I order cod liver oil for vitamin D. I'm not paleo, but I'm interested. Damn my new hobby of baking bread! |
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brento1138
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2011 4:13 pm Post subject: |
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Remember too that the caveman / hunter gatherer also burned like 1500 more calories per day than your average office working modern human.
Diets should simply be "eating normally" according to the US food pyramid (yeah, remember, the one we learned in elementary school?!).
What they forgot to teach us in elementary school is that our health depends on calories-in vs. calories-out. Balance is the key, not eliminating perfectly good food from your diet. |
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