The Craziest Thing that Paleo Eating Has Done to Me

I am very rarely hungry anymore. I get hungry and I can either let it pass within the next few minutes, or eat something small like a hardboiled egg. If I eat something small, something that is more like a snack, I feel full and am good for at least another 4 hours before I begin to feel hungry again. Because of this lack of hunger and my desire to only eat when I feel hungry, I have been eating only once a day for the most part. The only times that I eat more than once or snack is when I eat fruits... if I eat just a few pieces of fruit I get ravenous. Especially if I eat them as more of a desert. Consuming fruits before a meal works out rather well. Something similar occurs when I eat almonds, I eat 4-5 of them, then I eat another 4-5, and so on until I realize that i have been snacking on them and have eating a good 30+ almonds in one sitting.

So I am trying to cut out almonds and fruits from my diet, unless I eat them right before a large meal to increase my appetite.

Any other Paleo/Primal eaters out there experience anything similar, even with other foods?

Sensitivity to Non-Paleo Foods

Last weekend was Easter and we went to my parent's home for egg hunting, Easter dinner, and just general visiting. Dinner was grilled hot dogs for the kids and grilled pork tenderloins, raw veggies (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower), and a coleslaw made with bacon, red wine vinegar, and some mayo (store brand). Though the mayo in the coleslaw was not what I would have preferred, having been only eating home-made Paleo-friendly mayo for the past 3 months, I figured that I could cheat on the store-brand mayo since I was not partaking in any of the various forms of candy throughout the house.

I was wrong, and so was my wife (who is 80% Primal and eats small amounts of grains occasionally).

We were both sick after eating to the point that we left much earlier than we would have normally. I got a raging headache, my stomach felt bloated and extended, and I worried about bathroom issues. My wife felt overly full and just generally crappy.

It just goes to show how the so-called "regular" foods interact with the body and how most people discount what they are feeling or blame it on something else, like stress.

No Soap/Shampoo and Recent Developments

I decided a month or so ago to take the plunge and stop using soap and shampoo to wash myself with. I still use soap on my hands throughout the day to keep them clean, but soap no longer touches my body, nor does shampoo. I went this route after reading about other Primals going the no soap/shampp route and thought why not. I have had some remarkable changes that can not be attributed to my move into Primal eating alone.

Before and during my Primal lifestyle change my scalp had this strange sort of cradle cap thing going on, which was disgusting to say the least. Luckily it was not noticeable unless your hands were actually running through my hair, but I love the feeling of hands through my hair and scalp massages, meaning that while I loved it I refused it because I was afraid of what my wife would think. Regardless of if she felt grossed out or not, I felt grossed out for her. Since I have put down the shampoo bottle, by scalp does not have this problem anymore. I feel a whole less self-conscious, amazing what something as small as scalp issues can do to one's emotional health.

The other skin problem I had was this strange rash across my chest, back, and arms. Almost like a precurser to acne, but it never got as bad as real acne does. Anyways, much like my scalp problems, I did not want my wife to have to come in contact with this so I tried not to ask for back rubs and back scratches as much as possible. I changed detergents, changed soaps purchased all natural soaps from health food stores that were even safe to drink. Nothing helped. Except for not using soap at all.

I know it sounds crazy, but it worked.

"But you smell, don't you?"

Sugar, What Is It Good For?

First off, what is sugar anyways? Sugars are carbohydrates no matter if you are speaking of a jelly bean or a bagel. The difference in terminology is because sugar is considered to be either one or two sugar molecules. Single sugar molecules are glucose, i.e. blood sugar, and fructose, which is commonly found in fruits. Sugars that have two sugar molecules are called disaccharides, an example of which is table sugar (1 molecule of glucose paired with 1 molecule of fructose). Trisaccharides and polysaccharides are three or more simple sugar molecules that have linked together. These are what we call carbohydrates or starches, you can take your pick, and are found in grains, legumes, and potatoes.

Trisaccharides and polysaccharides are indigestible, so the body breaks those links between the simple sugar molecules, liberating the glucose and fructose so that the body can actually do something with them. So, regardless of what you call them, carbs or starches, the body sees them as only one simple thing: Sugar. Holding off from eating candy to indulge in bread, pasta, bbq baked beans, or french fries actually doesn't seem so smart now, does it?