Just my two cents here... I have noticed that when I crave chocolate,  if I eat a raw red bell pepper the craving vanishes almost instantly. My non paleo daughter loved chocolate so when she tried a raw red bell pepper for one of her cravings, she was amazed. I haven't had chocolate in over 2 years. Well, I did try. Piece at Christmas, but as soon as it was in my mouth I had to spit it out. It was disgusting. I do not know how I could have eaten it every day before. 



-Trish

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry



-----Original Message-----

From:         Joan Howe <[log in to unmask]>



Date:         Tue, 6 Jan 2009 11:14:18 

To: <[log in to unmask]>

Subject: Being somewhat addicted





 When it comes to cravings, I've had wonderful results with a book called The Diet Cure by Julia Ross.? Her idea is that when you're deficient in some particular nutrient, you get a craving that, in paleo times, would have lead you straight to foods containing that nutrient.? Modern foods fool the instinct.? For instance, I used to have intense fat cravings.? Candy meant nothing to me but I couldn't pass a bowl of potato chips (what the Brits call crisps), even the Hawaiian flavor that I don't like, without my hand going out to snag one.? It was like my hand and my mouth had a will of their own.? This book helped me to understand that I had the craving because I was deficient in the essential fatty acids found in certain cold water fish that would have been the most available fat for my ancestors in the Western Isles of Scotland.? (She emphasizes knowing what you can about where your particular ancestors came from and eating what would have been available to them.)? The deficiency caused me to crave fat, but the most available fats, the awful modern ones, couldn't satisfy the craving, so I continued to crave until I'd made myself sick eating the whole disgusting bowlful. Now I meet my essential fatty acid needs with a high quality cod liver oil.? (See http://westonaprice.org/basicnutrition/cod-liver-oil-menu.html for quality recommendations.)? I like the stuff, especially the type "for pets" that isn't doctored up with fruit flavor but instead actually tastes like fish.? I make mayonnaise out of it, then use the mayo to make fish salad.? 



The book has a chart on which you can look up the thing you're addicted to and see what you are most likely to be deficient in.? The amounts may need some adjusting.? For instance, I need a tablespoon of L-glutamine to get any effect at all, but my housemate gets a migraine if he takes that much.? The right dose for him is to wet a fingertip, dip it in the powder and lick it off.? The book's dietary recommendations are sort of semi-paleo (heavy on the protein and non-starchy veggies, easy on the carbs) and you could probably be fully paleo while doing this program. The author also makes the point that it won't work for everyone; some people really need to be under professional care.? (She is exactly that sort of professional.? The book comes out of her 20 years' experience running a detox clinic in the San Francisco Bay area.)? This book didn't solve all my health problems, but it helped a lot and it's way cheaper than what the medical establishment would have had me doing.



Hope it helps.



~ Joan





 





 



-----Original Message-----

From: Jack Oughton <[log in to unmask]>

To: [log in to unmask]

Sent: Mon, 5 Jan 2009 7:46 am

Subject: Re: Reasoning [?] with non paleolithic eaters?





















Thank you ALL for your kind words and support. 



It's strange for me. Getting back to the SAD/SBD/bloody suicidal carbathon

diet has been the greatest proof of how bad it actually is. You don't notice

how healthy you are on paleo until you 'start eating normally', and 6 months

of it has now taken its toll on me. I feel like absolute crap, constantly,

emotionally and physically, and i am a little embarrassed to say, i am now

somewhat addicted to the what was at first ' a little indulgance'. Funny, it

wouldn't be a problem, i shop for myself and only buy nice tasty paleo

things, yet now i am finding it hard to resist these not nice tasty [and

awful] foods that are around. 



You people who co-exist, I salute your toughness and aspire to it.



I am somewhat worried, as this seems to be developing into an eating

disorder with the classic jekyll and hyde internal dialogue: ie. 'i know the

extent of the damage of this is doing to me, I WANT TO EAT IT MORE!' and

guilt. 



Bah. 



I want to detox myself and my environment. I need to master my urges as

well. 



Any of you guys got any wisdom? This is a very big problem for me



Hope i wasn't too negative :)



Jack