Todd,

Given what you have said about your problem, and what you have posted in the
past about being overweight, having unusually high cholesterole levels, and
what I know from experience, it sounds like you are experiencing is
cholestasis (supression of biliary flow, or bile).

When bile is not flowing, after eating a meal of meat or meat and fat,
the stamach and liver area become very bloated.  Digestion comes to a
screeching halt. Food sits like a rock.  You may feel sluggish, lethargic,
experience pain or tenderness if you rub or press the liver area (below and
under the right side of rib cage), and in the region in the center between
the bottom of both ribs. The pain can be excrutiating. You might experience
gas build up in your abdomene, look pale, feel incapacited.  It is common to
have loose stools with undigested food the next day. Food is not digested
because of insufficient bile flow.  Stools may also be clay colored, due to
lack of bile.

You are not alone.  We know of several people who have experienced this
problem, even on paleo diets.  There are dietary changes that can help.  It
can take a while for the problem to show up, although some peole experience
it very soon after adopting a low-carb, high meat or high meat and fat diet.

Here are several suggestions that have helped other people with the
cholestasis:

1.  Buy artichoke extract (comes in capsules). Jarrow makes a good product,
with standardized extract.  Follow the label diretions, taking 1 to 3
capsules per day with food.  Taking 1 per meal would be good idea, if the
meal contains meat and/or fat.

Clinical research has documented the following benefical properties of
artichoke extract:
*  Liver Function:  Protects glutathione levles.  Supports liver and
cholesterol metabolism, stimulates liver activity by promoting circulation
within the liver.

*  Digestion:  Stimulates synthesis of bile, supports detoxification and
absorption of fat soluble nutrients.

Cardiovascular: Inhibits oxidation of LDL cholesterol and increases
healthful levels of HDL cholesterol.

Don't be alarmed if you stools are very black when you first take the
product; this is from bile flowing.  You may be able to reduce the dosage to
1 or 2 capsules a day over time, if you reduce the amount of meat and fat in
your diet.

2.  Reduce meat portions.  You might try limiting meat portions to the size
of the palm of your hand, proably 5 or 6 ounces max. (My guess is that you
have big hands.)  More meat and more fat can tax your liver/gall bladder; if
these organs are already challenged, and it sounds like yours are.
Gluconeogenisis is hard on the liver, for many people.  (Btw: I'm not
talking about Zone macronutrient ratios....nor the Zone calorie
restriction.)

Don and I have found a fair number of other people who have experienced
cholestasis on high meat and fat diets, no matter how many times they try
such diets, and experienced relief upon eating a higher proportion of
vegetables and fruits relative to eggs, meat, and fat.

3. Add a salad or cooked, dark green leafy vegetable to each meal.  Bitter
greens are best (kale, collards, mustard, turnip, dandelion greens, nettles,
etc.; broccoli and spinach count, though they are less bitter); endive,
escarole, arugula, spring mixes and mesclun mixes, are also slightly bitter,
and good raw.

In Chinese and Herbal medicine, it is taught that the bitter flavor helps
stimulate the flow of bile.  Swedish bitters are sometimes recommended in
Western herbal traditions, also to aid digestion.  You don't need to buy the
bitter tincture if you take artichoke extract, which is more effective in my
experience.  Eating more leafy greens will also add a lot of nutrients you
would not get from meals consisting largely of meat or meat and fruit.

4.  Replace more of the meat calories with fibrous veggies (roots, tubers,
squashes, bulb, stem, and fruit vegetables, etc), as well as berries and
other fruits.  That is increase total carbs and reduce fat/protein calories.

5.  Go light on the fat, including nuts, seeds, oils; remove the skin from
poultry; choose leaner cuts of meat; trim the fat; avoid bacon, sausage, and
use lamb infrequently if at all.  You may find that in the process of doing
all of this, you are able to lose body fat and your blood lipids may change
for the better.

Give it a try!  I think you'll be surprised at how much better you feel,

Rachel Matesz,
The Healthy Cooking Coach
(with some input from my husband, who is an herbalist)