I just recently started to eat meat again, after 26 years of being pseudo-vegatarian (I ate eggs, cheese, anchovies, chicken and beef broth). I was encouraged to eat meat over the years, even knowing for my blood type, O+ required a carnivore diet. I took issue with animal cruelty and for spritual reasons, decided not to eat meat. After so many years doing without, my constitution needed a major overhaul. So, I bit the bullet (literally with bacon…extra crispy). So far, besides bacon, I’ve eaten shrimp, chicken, and a hesitant bite of a kosher hot dog. I’m still a little freaked out but I feel that my body needs the animal protein and I’ve basically gotten over it (for the most part).
Image courtesy of Marla Meridith of Family Fresh Cooking
I’m convinced that the ideal diet for me is the Paleo diet, but I still love potatoes, rice, grains and refined sugar (which are a big no nos). I have learned that the Paleo diet aids and sustains the mental, emotional and physical body. I figure, I can do a pseudo Paleo diet, it’s better than nothing. Wish me luck.
Here is a well known recipe for an excellant grain-free cauliflower pizza crust — I couldn’t believe that this would be as good as the real thing. I would like to experiment with it and try to add almond flour and cream cheese. However, it is absolutely delicious in its own right. Suprisingly, I actually prefer it to the regular gluten pizza crust.)
Image courtesy of Marla Meridith of Family Fresh Cooking
I would highly encourage the Paleo diet I’ve seen huge health gains. However, web more impressive is the results my wife has seen. Reduction in mood stabilizer medication, improved mood swing situation, plus the normal benefits (weight loss, fat loss, lean muscle gains, etc.). I would even go so far as to say it’s completely stabilized her hormonally! Highly recommended!!
Great stuff, it sounds like the change is very psychologically healthy for you. Eating meat doesn’t have to be cruel for animals, I’m sure you’ll look for a source that isn’t cruel, that’s just a myth that -some- people like to perpetrate for some not so attractive reasons.
You’ll find that a lot of people, probably you, simply can’t do well without eating the muscles of ruminant animals. There are many nutrients like carnosine, carnitine and so forth that are only found in large amounts in beef, lamb, bison, and pork that can’t be synthesized well enough by the body, so they need to eat the meat.
One last thing is that potatoes are actually quite paleo, there is no reason to exclude them entirely. The issue seems to be toxins in the skin, but if you peel them they aren’t particularly toxic as long as your glucose tolerance is good. Same goes for cooking the heck out of white rice. These are foods that can be enjoyed in moderation because we have dismantled the bad aspects that we aren’t adapted to. Paleo deals with what we are genetically adapted to, but as Richard Dawkins the famous evolution author points out, we humans are the most adapt species on the planet at adapting the world around us to our genetics.
Cheers.
Hi Nanette! Congrats on finding what will work best for you. I eat some whole grains but I do best on a volume diet based with lots of animal based protein, healthy fats and veggies. Bacon makes me very, very happy :)
In the words of Diane Sanfilippo, “Bacon is Rad, Gluten is bad” — words to live by.