I have been committed to the paleodiet for slightly more than six months
now. My strategy was simple and immediate; I cut out all the dairy, grain
and artificially manufactured products from what I was eating. Aided by the
collection of recipes and guidance for kitchen accessories on
www.paleodiet.com I gradually included greater nutritional and qualitative
detail in the diet. For instance, in the beginning my menu was
characterized by loads of 1) turkey, 2) cheap intestines and 3) game.
Another thing that characterized the beginning period of my dieting was a
lot of different vegetables. Not to mention fruits, whilst these three
categories of food constitute my basic conception of Paleolithic food,
which I probably overate of during the first few months. Retrospectively I
seem to have made a few mistakes, which however seem rather interesting.
The first mistake was the turkey and intestines, which I resorted to for
financial reasons. Turkey is extremely lean but cram-full of dope, and as
regarding the intestines any seafood would have transcended it by far in
all possible respects. Am I correct when I state that game and seafood are
the focal point of the diet, being the best lean meats available, and
considering that lean meat with its high protein/general low fat/minimal
saturated fat/high omega-3 contents is the main principle of the diet? Is
it perhaps best to avoid all other sources of protein than game and seafood?
The second mistake I made was obviously the vegetables, which devoutly
sicken me in retrospect. I would lay broccoli, cauliflower, paprika, onion
and similar greens on the grill alongside the meat. This was solely due to
a perverse hankering for tastes and a generally depressed view of eating.
Today I find that the only vegetables sustainable to include in the diet
should be minimal carb and revolve around spinach in its nature, thus
tender sprouts and maybe certain salads. The low carb vegetables should
moreover be stylistically suitable for the diet, and thus be attainable
through the surroundings and climate one lives in, such as, when it comes
to me here in Sweden, a few species of mushrooms are. I would really
appreciate more information and directions toward information regarding
vegetables from a paleodiet perspective. It is a subject which I for one
find tremendously interesting.
The third mistake was all the fruit, which at first seemed ultra-compatible
with the rest of the diet. Not to mention how satisfactory it was to be
munchying on all those sweets all hours. It took me a while to realize I
was developing some kind of psychological dependency of eating fruit, I
think mainly due to a substantial increase of energy and drive, and the
daily expense for all those kilos. I don't eat fresh fruit anymore, haven't
eaten it for months. Once in a while I eat dried fruit of various kinds and
I have actually developed a taste for raisins which I mix with nuts for
snacking. After having stopped eating fresh fruits I immediately felt a
relief, and it is beyond doubt for me today that my fruit munchies were in
fact a behavior based on some kind of nervosity. When apples were in season
over here I could eat an entire bag full per night. Do any of you find it
wrong to exclude all fruit from the diet at this point for me? My plan is
to only eat berries instead and even cut out the dried fruit with
eventually excepting the ORAC-rich plums, as some sort of modern scientific
modification of the diet.
It is so fascinating when I think about the point of departure I had while
beginning the diet, since it was 100% cultural and thus mentally absurd. I
mean, there is still selection going on regarding our food, just as one
finally develops a preference among the cultural junkfoods. We are thus
making a selection towards ultimate health and longevity which mainly
implies restriction. And after experience of the diet has increased reached
an adequate growth, where does one find oneself in relation to a
presumptive ideal essence of the diet.
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