Tom Woods Goes Primal!

[Acala]

And the carbs in fruits and vegetables give you energy.

The key is to eat the right types of carbs!

Burn fat for energy. It is healthier.

[evadmurd]

Yep. It's not a diet, though. It's a healthy way of eating. Diets don't work.

[ShaneEnochs]

I know we've established this diet is different from Atkins, but I do tell you guys my experience with the Atkins diet.

I've gone on it twice. The first time I weighed about 230 lbs. In the first two weeks I got down to about 215 lbs. Pretty awesome. But I do have an eating problem, and I began binging. I gained all that weight back.

The second time I tried it I was at 260 lbs. This time something went terribly wrong. My heart started palpitating every 40 seconds or so. It got to where my chest felt like I had been coughing for ten hours straight. I could feel my heart stop beating for a good second and a half, and then come back with one thunderous beat. I'm pretty sure THAT was a bad sign. So I went to the hospital, pretty convinced that I was about to have a heart attack. They gave me an IV, and all of a sudden the palpitations came about once an hour instead once or twice a minute. I figure whatever was in that IV gave me whatever my body needed to get back on track.

I figure it had to do with the low carbs. My body was NOT digging it at all. However, maybe since you eat more fruit on the primal diet, it wouldn't be much of a problem for me.

[ShaneEnochs]

I know we've established this diet is different from Atkins, but I do tell you guys my experience with the Atkins diet.

I've gone on it twice. The first time I weighed about 230 lbs. In the first two weeks I got down to about 215 lbs. Pretty awesome. But I do have an eating problem, and I began binging. I gained all that weight back.

The second time I tried it I was at 260 lbs. This time something went terribly wrong. My heart started palpitating every 40 seconds or so. It got to where my chest felt like I had been coughing for ten hours straight. I could feel my heart stop beating for a good second and a half, and then come back with one thunderous beat. I'm pretty sure THAT was a bad sign. So I went to the hospital, pretty convinced that I was about to have a heart attack. They gave me an IV, and all of a sudden the palpitations came about once an hour instead once or twice a minute. I figure whatever was in that IV gave me whatever my body needed to get back on track.

I figure it had to do with the low carbs. My body was NOT digging it at all. However, maybe since you eat more fruit on the primal diet, it wouldn't be much of a problem for me.

One thing I want to add is when I was in the hospital I was watching the little echo-cardiogram thing and when my heart fired back up, the little line went WAY down. I don't really know what that means, but I'm sure someone on here has some kind of medical training.

[KingNothing]

Burn fat for energy. It is healthier.

You've got to eat vegetables, and your body needs some fruit too. Really, one of the best ways to keep your metabolism up and weight down is to eat fruits like apples that have a low glycemic index and lots of vegetables. Burning fat is great, but you need to give your body the right food to make energy for it to work.

[KingNothing]

What's wrong with chicken, eggs, and red meat? These are all great protein sources. All the weight lifters I know eat them. They also eat lots of vegetables.

Are you a body builder? If not, you don't need nearly as much protein as they're getting.

I recommend that you look into paleo, raw, and mediterranean diets. All suggest that we're eating more meats, among other things, than we actually need. From personal experience, I can say the strategy those diets suggest works great for me.

[heavenlyboy34]

Yep. It's not a diet, though. It's a healthy way of eating. Diets don't work.

qft. I don't count calories or anything. I just make ~half of my plate protein and ~half vegetables at meals, and have things like fruits, vegetables, and nuts as snacks between meals. I usually have salad on the side, too.

[KingNothing]

I know we've established this diet is different from Atkins, but I do tell you guys my experience with the Atkins diet.

I've gone on it twice. The first time I weighed about 230 lbs. In the first two weeks I got down to about 215 lbs. Pretty awesome. But I do have an eating problem, and I began binging. I gained all that weight back.

The second time I tried it I was at 260 lbs. This time something went terribly wrong. My heart started palpitating every 40 seconds or so. It got to where my chest felt like I had been coughing for ten hours straight. I could feel my heart stop beating for a good second and a half, and then come back with one thunderous beat. I'm pretty sure THAT was a bad sign. So I went to the hospital, pretty convinced that I was about to have a heart attack. They gave me an IV, and all of a sudden the palpitations came about once an hour instead once or twice a minute. I figure whatever was in that IV gave me whatever my body needed to get back on track.

I figure it had to do with the low carbs. My body was NOT digging it at all. However, maybe since you eat more fruit on the primal diet, it wouldn't be much of a problem for me.

Interesting, and scary, story. You should run this all by your doctor before you try anything that we're suggesting.

[heavenlyboy34]

Are you a body builder? If not, you don't need nearly as much protein as they're getting.

I recommend that you look into paleo, raw, and mediterranean diets. All suggest that we're eating more meats, among other things, than we actually need. From personal experience, I can say the strategy those diets suggest works great for me.

Amateur body-builder, but yes. I am suggesting the paleo diet. (See my reccomendation of "Paleo Diet for Athletes" earlier in this thread). I agree that most eat more meat than necessary. I didn't mean to give the impression otherwise. Fruits and vegetables are the very alkalizing foods, and are critical. Meat protein is somewhat acidic but also very important for me (and any athlete).

ETA: My trainer suggested the diet I'm on, which is why I eat it. I have gained lean mass significantly on this diet. I've made major progress and can lift more and for longer periods before muscle exhaustion.

[heavenlyboy34]

btw-if you want a starchy food that is actually good for you, I suggest yams (unsweetened).

[Acala]

I know we've established this diet is different from Atkins, but I do tell you guys my experience with the Atkins diet.

I've gone on it twice. The first time I weighed about 230 lbs. In the first two weeks I got down to about 215 lbs. Pretty awesome. But I do have an eating problem, and I began binging. I gained all that weight back.

The second time I tried it I was at 260 lbs. This time something went terribly wrong. My heart started palpitating every 40 seconds or so. It got to where my chest felt like I had been coughing for ten hours straight. I could feel my heart stop beating for a good second and a half, and then come back with one thunderous beat. I'm pretty sure THAT was a bad sign. So I went to the hospital, pretty convinced that I was about to have a heart attack. They gave me an IV, and all of a sudden the palpitations came about once an hour instead once or twice a minute. I figure whatever was in that IV gave me whatever my body needed to get back on track.

I figure it had to do with the low carbs. My body was NOT digging it at all. However, maybe since you eat more fruit on the primal diet, it wouldn't be much of a problem for me.

Sounds like you were dehydrated.

You can live very well on NO CARBS AT ALL. Dietary carbs are unnecessary because your body can make carbs. I'm not advocating that, just saying that if you are getting everything else you need, you will be fine with even an extremely low carb intake.

[Acala]

You've got to eat vegetables, and your body needs some fruit too. Really, one of the best ways to keep your metabolism up and weight down is to eat fruits like apples that have a low glycemic index and lots of vegetables. Burning fat is great, but you need to give your body the right food to make energy for it to work.

I advocate eating LOTS of vegetables. Fruit in moderation. But trying to burn carbs for energy all the time is not good for your health. It results in chronic insulin spikes, energy fluctuations, and systemic inflammation. Your body runs better by burning fat for energy.

[heavenlyboy34]

Sounds like you were dehydrated.

You can live very well on NO CARBS AT ALL. Dietary carbs are unnecessary because your body can make carbs. I'm not advocating that, just saying that if you are getting everything else you need, you will be fine with even an extremely low carb intake.

Excellent point. I myself drink a LOT of water because I exert a lot of energy. But most people would also benefit from drinking more water as well. It's necessary to be hydrated properly for the muscles to be maintained and the body functioning well in general.

[heavenlyboy34]

I advocate eating LOTS of vegetables. Fruit in moderation. But trying to burn carbs for energy all the time is not good for your health. It results in chronic insulin spikes, energy fluctuations, and systemic inflammation. Your body runs better by burning fat for energy.

+1

[ShaneEnochs]

Sounds like you were dehydrated.

You can live very well on NO CARBS AT ALL. Dietary carbs are unnecessary because your body can make carbs. I'm not advocating that, just saying that if you are getting everything else you need, you will be fine with even an extremely low carb intake.

I drink roughly one to two gallons of water a day. I'm always thirsty.

And because I know someone will suggest this, I've been tested numerous times. I'm not diabetic.

[Luciconsort]

Too bad I like beer.

cool thing is you can have a few carbs provided they are balanced out with the fats and greens. We've been drinking beer for thousands of years.... no need to quit now

[Acala]

I drink roughly one to two gallons of water a day. I'm always thirsty.

And because I know someone will suggest this, I've been tested numerous times. I'm not diabetic.

Okay. I shouldn't be trying to diagnose you via email. But all other things being as they should be, even extremely restrictive carb diets will not cause what you described.

However, I do not suggest trying to "diet" to lose weight. I suggest changing your lifestyle forever. Eat healthy. Exercise healthy. Live healthy. Trying to drop weight by temporarily changing your diet rarely works. Change the way you eat in a way that you can sustain permanently.

[pcgame]

I know we've established this diet is different from Atkins, but I do tell you guys my experience with the Atkins diet.

I've gone on it twice. The first time I weighed about 230 lbs. In the first two weeks I got down to about 215 lbs. Pretty awesome. But I do have an eating problem, and I began binging. I gained all that weight back.

The second time I tried it I was at 260 lbs. This time something went terribly wrong. My heart started palpitating every 40 seconds or so. It got to where my chest felt like I had been coughing for ten hours straight. I could feel my heart stop beating for a good second and a half, and then come back with one thunderous beat. I'm pretty sure THAT was a bad sign. So I went to the hospital, pretty convinced that I was about to have a heart attack. They gave me an IV, and all of a sudden the palpitations came about once an hour instead once or twice a minute. I figure whatever was in that IV gave me whatever my body needed to get back on track.

I figure it had to do with the low carbs. My body was NOT digging it at all. However, maybe since you eat more fruit on the primal diet, it wouldn't be much of a problem for me.

Its actually best to slowly phase yourself into low carb diets. Don't just jump into it. For instance each week incrementally decrease the amount of carbs you take in.

This Paleo diet is very similar to a Ketogenic diet btw

[trey4sports]

Paleo and Raw have a lot in common.

Both are essentially predicated on veggies and avoiding refined carbs. The biggest difference is on meat, and then of course raw foodies don't cook food above a certain temp. because it kills enzymes.

[ShaneEnochs]

Paleo and Raw have a lot in common.

Both are essentially predicated on veggies and avoiding refined carbs. The biggest difference is on meat, and then of course raw foodies don't cook food above a certain temp. because it kills enzymes.

Don't you have to cook meat at a certain temp to kill the stuff that will kill you?

[trey4sports]

Don't you have to cook meat at a certain temp to kill the stuff that will kill you?

Raw foodies don't eat meat.

[Snowball]

The diet is basically Paleo style, eliminating grains

there is no evidence of "pre-bread" human society.

It is based in evolutionary biology

which quite possibly never happened.

[ShaneEnochs]

Raw foodies don't eat meat.

Ahh

[Acala]

Don't you have to cook meat at a certain temp to kill the stuff that will kill you?

Nope.

For almost the entire history of humans, red meat was either eaten raw from the kill or after being dried in the sun. I eat beef dried at room temperature all the time. Tastes great!

Raw fish = sushi. Enough said.

Raw pork has the potential to transmit a parasite, but even that risk has been over-stated. Still, I don't eat raw pork.

Not sure about raw poultry. It is probably okay if not from a CAFO, but it is unappealing to me.

[Freebie]

It all comes back to insulin.

Hormones control EVERYTHING about what the body does, how it stores energy (as fat), how it uses energy sources, what shape the body takes how it changes. All the hormones you need to be on the healthy side of that equation (HGH, leptin, testosterone/estrogen, etc.) are prevented from working right when you have excess insulin.

Excess Insulin comes from carbs and ONLY carbs (with the 1 exception being dairy protein)

That excess insulin starts the process of countless diseases - obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.

[Freebie]

well....kinda sorta.

Eating refined carbs like sugar and white flour are not good for you, not in any way.

vegetables, whole grains and other carbs that don't spike your insulin levels are great for your body. Particularly vegetables which are antioxidant rich.

as far as primal goes, my biggest concern is that very high protein diets have been connected to high rates of cancer and disease whereas you see the exact opposite in raw food diets.

If you have a few minutes, read this piece about the China Study that is the main backing used to make the argument that high protein diets and animal products cause cancer. It's pretty eye opening.

[BuddyRey]

What do you guys think of the Blood Type hypothesis as an indicator of what an individual's diet should be? I've actually read that some people have evolved the gene for maintaining their health with an agrarian diet, but that this is only among a small segment of people.

[heavenlyboy34]

It all comes back to insulin.

Hormones control EVERYTHING about what the body does, how it stores energy (as fat), how it uses energy sources, what shape the body takes how it changes. All the hormones you need to be on the healthy side of that equation (HGH, leptin, testosterone/estrogen, etc.) are prevented from working right when you have excess insulin.

Excess Insulin comes from carbs and ONLY carbs (with the 1 exception being dairy protein)

That excess insulin starts the process of countless diseases - obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.

qft!

[heavenlyboy34]

What do you guys think of the Blood Type hypothesis as an indicator of what an individual's diet should be? I've actually read that some people have evolved the gene for maintaining their health with an agrarian diet, but that this is only among a small segment of people.

I've got a copy of "The Blood Type Diet". It's interesting. However, if you read that book, you don't come away with a very good understanding of how various foods really affect the body. According to that diet, folks with my blood type shouldn't eat beef. However, I do fine with it. It doesn't really affect me any more than other meats do. It's more practical than diets that require calorie counting and all that. It's still a bit too simple, though. The author doesn't offer gender-specific advice, so men of certain blood types will end up eating quite a bit of soy (IIRC), which, in its commoner forms in the West, is deleterious to men's health.

The Paleo Diet and Paleo Diet For Athletes are better, IMO.

[Acala]

It all comes back to insulin.

Hormones control EVERYTHING about what the body does, how it stores energy (as fat), how it uses energy sources, what shape the body takes how it changes. All the hormones you need to be on the healthy side of that equation (HGH, leptin, testosterone/estrogen, etc.) are prevented from working right when you have excess insulin.

Excess Insulin comes from carbs and ONLY carbs (with the 1 exception being dairy protein)

That excess insulin starts the process of countless diseases - obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.

This ^ is pretty much it when it comes to weight loss. Leptin, another hormone, is also an issue of concern but the remedy for leptin insensitivity is the same as for avoiding insulin spikes - control your carb intake (particularly fructose).