[log in to unmask] writes:
> Time to eat some bacon and eggs and get back to the program.

I'm curious, do other Paleo-people "un-cure" their bacon first, like I think Ray Audette suggests somewhere in Neanderthin? (I tried to find the page number, but the quote eludes me right now, sorry.)  Basically, if I recall it right, Neanderthin suggests you soak cured bacon in water overnight to remove the water-soluble stuff (like sugars) that it's been processed with.

When I first started Neanderthin I was eating regular, store-bought sugar-cured bacon, and I'd get really intense cravings for more of it -- not related to being hungry at all, just that I'd eat some of it and then I'd get a powerful urge to eat more and more of it.  Same with other meats that have sugar on the list of ingredients.  It feels terrible to be so in the grip of a craving like that -- I hate feeling powerless like that, and I resent being manipulated by the people who make and sell food that appears to have been designed to make me want to eat it uncontrollably.  So now I soak my bacon in water overnight before I cook it, and I've got to admit that it's not nearly as tasty, but I love the fact that I can eat it and not suffer cravings.

Now I find that eating anything with sugar added (like bacon that hasn't been un-cured, or sausage from the grocery store, or some *really* tasty sesame chicken I had at a Chinese food buffet on the weekend) makes me feel feel bloated and burpy for the next several hours or day or so.  That, and knowing that if I eat any of it, I'll get intense cravings for more, is pretty much enough to make me stay away from foods like that.

I hope you can find ways to deal with your cravings, too, but I especially wanted to tell you about my experience with bacon, in case anyone else is eating bacon thinking it's a "good" food when maybe the sugar in it is just fueling more cravings.

When I go to work or anywhere out of the house I usually carry a snack with me, like a zipper bag of nuts or "Paleo cookies" or a piece of fruit.  I have little boxes of raisins in my car's glove box, and a jar of pistacio nuts on my desk at work.  That way when other people are eating or snacking, I can snack, too, but on something that tastes great and won't make me feel sick or get cravings.  (Actually, I find most people are kind of envious, and they look like they'd gladly trade their can of Pringles for my apple or baggie of raw almonds.)

Oh, and one last thing (I hope you guys don't hate my long posts too much, forgive me, but I'm just so excited about having found this new lifestyle, so I want to share my observations and learn from yours, too) -- I learned pretty quickly to avoid those small packages of nuts they sell in convenience stores -- they're awful, for me at least.  Someone told me it's likely the cottonseed oil they're cooked in.  Anyone know anything much about cottonseed oil?

Kathy