At  31/8/01 09:56 PM -0400, Sheryl Canter wrote:

>I am not a perfect cavegirl[/boy],

I think that's true of many of us on this list. Some people have their
reasons for wanting to eat strictly according to paleo principles all the
time, and that's certainly commendable. But I don't think that anyone
should feel (or be made to feel) guilty about not being quite so strict.

(On the other hand, the _discussion_ of non-paleo eating is not appropriate
for this list and should be kept to a minimum - but that's another matter
entirely.)

>and I know that if I have to be--if it has to be
>all or nothing--I will not be able to do it at all. [...] It's too
>hard--it separates me too much from the rest of the world.

This is a very important point that has been made before. I think it's
important to acknowledge this much at least on this list periodically, so
that newcomers aren't scared off by the mistaken impression that we're all
perfect.

_Any_ reduction that you can make in the foods which may be problematic to
your body will be beneficial to your health. Every small step counts. For
anyone starting to experiment with this way of eating, I would not
recommend trying to be 100% paleo from the beginning, but rather to do it
to whatever level feels comfortable and reasonable at any stage. You will
find that over time, your body will learn what its true needs are and will
give you the appropriate signals. You may reach a stage where you wonder
why you ever found certain foods appealing.

I have found that my own deviations from paleo are becoming fewer over
time, and involve smaller quantities as time goes on. Sometimes, I decide
just to have a small taste of something that looks tempting, and often I
find that when I'm actually eating it, I don't enjoy it all that much.
Sometimes, just smelling something (which can be very pleasant) can be a
good way of satisfying my desire to 'try' it, without the need to eat it at
all.

My body seems to feel most comfortable, and most satisfied with what it is
getting, when I am eating paleo foods. When I deviate from paleo to any
significant extent, I tend to notice the unpleasant effects resulting from
this. So over time, my own experience is teaching me what I should eat and
what I should avoid.

Nevertheless (partly because there are three other people in my family who
are not interested in paleo), I do make quite frequent exceptions, but I do
this deliberately and without any feelings of guilt. That's simply where I
am at the moment. The quantities involved are usually quite small, and if I
do experience undesirable symptoms as a result, this just reinforces the
idea that there's not much point in eating these things in the future.

>I'd like to hear how others handle the paleo diet day-to-day, and especially
>how they deal with social eating (dinner out, dinner at friend's houses,
>inviting people over--what do you feed them???, etc.).

At restaurants, I order from the most paleo-friendly dishes available.
Sometimes I will ask for adjustments to be made, other times I just take it
as it comes and leave the bits that I don't want to eat.

When eating at friends' houses, I don't expect any special provision to be
made for me. If the food contains unavoidable non-paleo ingredients (or I
suspect that it does), then I will try to eat smallish portions.

When others in my own household cook meals for the family, they often try
to accommodate me to some extent, e.g., by saving some of the pasta sauce
for me before mixing it into the pasta, or whatever.

As for inviting people over - it varies. This is no different from cooking
for my own family. Sometimes I give them what I think _they_ want to eat,
and sometimes I serve what _I_ want to eat. Often, it's possible for me
just to leave the non-paleo part (potatoes, rice, etc.) off my plate and
have the rest. That kind of meal can be a good compromise that suits everyone.


On the subject of the paleonutrition list - I have also received a couple
of invitations to join it. After the first one, I wrote to the listowner
and asked for a bit more information, such as why there is a need for
another paleo list when we already have this one. I've never had a
response, so I haven't bothered to join. I spend enough time reading this
and other lists I'm on - I don't think I need another one if it looks as if
it's essentially duplicating what we've got already.

Regards,
Barbara