lexa_c <[log in to unmask]> (Lisa, I think) said:

>>>I am very interested in finding out how people are faring under the
Nourishing Traditions guidelines.  Is there a list or bulletin board where
these people chat?

>>Have any of you tried both and have reasons for choosing
paleo?  I know that keeping the carb counts reasonably low helps a lot of my
problems and I would continue to do that no matter what.  I am interested in
feeling good now and preventing chronic disease later.

You could contact the author, Sally Fallon herself.  Of course, you may get
a biased opinion.  (We're all biased to some extent, I guess!)  I think her
book is intersting and has a lot of great information.  However, people who
don't fare well with a lot of dairy foods or a high fat and high-carb diet
may have some troubles with the recipes outlined.

Several people I know (all women) gained about 10 pounds of fat following
Fallon's approach.  They were very free with the butter (as Sally suggests
and urges), which, when combined with high starch foods (grains, starchy
veggies, etc), leads to caloric excess and weight gain for many people.
I myself gained weight when I tried that approach and I was not doing the
desserts--I was eating brown rice, wild rice, sweet potatoes, yams, winter
squash, roots, leafy greens plus fish, fowl, eggs, butter or ghee, olive
oil, nuts, etc.

I cannot be free with the fats and the starchy things at the same time, even
if they are whole foods, even if the grains and beans are soaked and the
breads are fermented, and even if the rich desserts are omitted.  I find it
works better for me and is easier for me to maintain a relatively trim
physique (relative to the typical American) when I  am free with the fibrous
vegetables, eat healthy animal foods at each meal and most snacks and am
moderate with fats and oils.  With such a program I can eat some fruits but
must be very sparing with dried fruits, nuts, nut butters, etc.

Of course, if someone goes from a SAD (standard American diet), meaning a
diet comprised largely of processed foods, he or she will be making many
improvements by adopting Fallon's recommendations.  However, on the whole,
Fallon's approach tends to be both high in carbs and fat, and especially
rich in dairy foods.  She recommends that you use RAW dairy foods, yet the
sale of raw milk and raw milk products other than cheese is ILLEGAL in all
but 1 or 2 states in the US.  Few people I know own their own cows or have
the wherewithal to do so.

CAUTION: Fallon's book also contains a lot (70 or more) recipes, mostly
fancy desserts, calling for Sucanat.  Many people who are new to Fallon's
book have told me they went straight for the desserts.  Sucanat is presented
as a healthy sweetener.  However, this goes against all of DR. Weston
Price's findings and teachings.  Sucanat does not provide any signficicant
amount of vitamins or minerals in a reasonable serving----it is a highly
concentrated, displacing food that crowds out vegetables and fresh fruits
which are MORE NUTRITIOUS.

Sucanat is SUGAR!  To present this SUGAR as a healthy food is likely to
confuse a lot of people, particularly the large segment of the population
which is accustomed to eating baked goods and other such desserts every day
or several times per day.  In my opinion, it is likely to keep people
addicted and trigger binges in susceptible individuals, particularly those
who most need to lick (I mean kick!) the sugar habit.  (That was a book
title: LICK THE SUGAR HABIT by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., which I read after I
got out of college.  It's since been updated. )

That's it in a very BIG nutshell!

Rachel Matesz