Archive for year: 2014
Why can’t I lose weight? My story…
Ask almost anyone how to lose weight and you’ll get the same answer. It’s easy. All you need to do is eat less and move more. In the Paleo world it's almost as bad – eat Paleo and your weight will naturally regulate. For a lot of people, this seems to be the case – but unfortunately this simplistic view just does not work for everyone. I’m now almost certain that for myself, weight loss is a far more complicated equation than eat Paleo,eat less, move more.
I’ve made a lot of huge discoveries in the last few weeks, and am starting to understand why my body is fighting all efforts to burn fat. It’s time to share my weight loss struggles with you…
As you may have read when I first found Paleo in 2010, I quickly and effortlessly lost 17 kilos. This was several dress sizes and changed me quite dramatically. I felt so much better, my asthma disappeared, my sleep improved – I felt like a brand new person. With another maybe 15 kilos to go, I assumed my weight loss would continue – perhaps not at the same speed – but I thought I would gradually get to the right size for me (that’s what the experts tell you, after all…)
But then nothing happened. Nothing. For the last four years I have stayed within a 3kg weight range. I have been completely unable to break through this barrier, no matter what I’ve tried. And believe me, I have tried almost every approach.
Excuses
With the distractions of day to day life – a busy corporate job with weekly inter-state travelling, running a business, blogging, multiple house moves etc etc– I’ve always been able to blame my inability to lose weight on a variety of things I’ve “been getting wrong”. My favourite thing to blame has always been sleep. When I’m stressed, I don’t sleep well. Poor sleep increases cortisol causing the body to hold onto its fat stores. Therefore even though I'm eating well and lifting weights, it must be the poor sleep preventing weight loss, right? Or perhaps the problem lies with one of these problems:
- Living alone and cooking for myself, perhaps I had been eating huge football team size portions, without realising?
- Perhaps I've been lying to myself all along and punctuating my amazing Paleo meals with McDonalds every few hours?
- Perhaps I've been sleepwalking to the fridge with no knowledge or recollection?
- Perhaps it's my adrenals?
- Perhaps I'm just big boned?
- Perhaps I'm just meant to be this weight?
Enough
Last year I went to PrimalCon for the third consecutive year and felt really embarrassed to have made no progress over the course of another year. I spoke at length to Sarah Fragoso (of Everyday Paleo – one of the sweetest most genuine people you could ever hope to meet) about my weight loss plateau. Sarah didn't take the “eat better/ move more” approach, but really encouraged me to focus on stresses in my life and get my sleep in check. Coming back I had a renewed belief that I could change this – and a determination not to give up.
Experimenting
Last year, I was fortunate enough to have several months off the corporate conveyer belt, for the first time in years. Escaping the daily early mornings/ commute/ work/ meetings/ pressure/ deadlines/ late nights gave me a golden opportunity to experiment with everything. I could to finally start losing some weight.
What I did every single day
The first change I incorporated was sleep. Just how much was that really impacting things? In all the time I wasn't working, I only set an alarm twice. I stuck thick cardboard* to my widows to make sure my room was darker than a remote cave in the middle of the night.
After sunset I turned off all main lights and used side lights with red bulbs. I forced myself to turn off all screens (tv, laptop, iPhone) at least two hours before bed.
I read. Real physical fiction books before bed.
I turned off the wifi in my house overnight and switched my iPhone/ iPad to flight mode (I still do this)
I did interval sprits to the local outdoor swimming pool most days. I swam. I lifted weights.
I got sunshine everyday.
On the nutrition side, I took the time to get excellent, quality food (pastured/ grassfed/ organic – you know the drill). As always, I cooked everything from scratch.
Changing things up
Once I had my baseline established, with the new habits I mentioned above, I tried pretty much every piece of paleo weight loss advice. Whenever I tried something new, I stuck at it for a few weeks, without introducing any other changes. Here are some of the things I tried:
- Intermittent fasting. Without the usual life stresses this was the perfect opportunity to give this a real go.
- I tried very low carb (below 50g a day, then lower, about 20g a day)
- I tried high (relatively speaking) carb, which meant eating a lot of things like pumpkin and sweet potato.
- I tried counting calories strictly, sticking to a conventional wisdom approved daily limit (keeping it paleo, within that limit)
- I tried eating more fat
- I tracked my macros and micro nutrients and made sure I was hitting all of the recommended amounts of everything (except for calcium)
And guess what happened….
Nothing. That’s right. NOTHING. I could get to the bottom of my 3kg range, but I could not break through that barrier.
Perhaps I eat too much?
I was able to spend a couple of months in the UK with my family during my time out, which gave me some great insights into this weight loss puzzle.
Looking at me and hearing about my weight loss plateau, I'm frequently quizzed on my portion sizes. I know people think I must be eating an entire chicken, 2 packs of bacon, 6 eggs and a litre of coconut oil for a mid-afternoon snack. Well, actually no. And my time in the UK proved this to me.
My parents are both slim having lost a few pounds when they went Paleo three years ago. For the duration of my stay we ate exactly the same for all but two meals. Same food and similar portion sizes (my Dad having slightly larger portion sizes). They are at ideal body weights – and their weight remained constant. I didn't lose any weight, despite having significantly more kilos to support than my parents do.
So what's going on?
For the first time I felt I had conclusive proof that there was more going on in my body, than I could control with nutrition and movement…
I was explaining my puzzle to my friend Jodie – who happens to be a trainee naturopath (and eats a natural, real food diet too). “There has to be more to it than eat less, move more?“. Her empathetic agreement encouraged me to delve a lot further into this and for the last few months I’ve been on a journey to find out everything I can….
Over the last few months I’ve been on an incredible personal journey into this puzzle. Over the coming weeks and months, I’m going to share with you who I’ve met, what’s really going on – and what I’m doing to fix things. From emails and comments I get from you, I know I’m not alone in this struggle. For all of those who are doing everything the “paleo experts” tell you – and are still struggling to lose weight, I think I have some answers that will help you, which I’ll be writing about in detail in the coming weeks and months.
You can read the next post on my weight loss journey here
In the meantime, if you’re struggling to lose weight (or you overcame a struggle), please please leave a comment or email me. I’d love to hear about your journey and what you think the problem is for you.
* If you're renting, don't do this. It took hours and hours to scrape the glue off the windows when I moved out
Sweet Potato & Choc-Chip Muffins – Paleo Treats
I find myself wanting to eat baked goods like muffins, cookies and cakes very rarely now I’m Paleo. There’s always an abundance of ‘real food’ like meats, veggies, eggs, fruit and nuts sitting in my fridge, and nine times out of ten I will always go for something from this list rather than starting a batch of Paleo brownies or cupcakes. There are times, however, when the aspiring chef within you wants to make a sweet treat for the whole family; but it's often a battle finding a recipe that is full of goodness.
These sweet potato muffins are one of the exceptions to the rule. They pack in a ton of goodness from the nutrient dense eggs, coconut flour, flaxseed and the sweet potatoes themselves. The sweet potato and cinnamon combination is divine, and the chocolate chips add an extra bit of indulgence. Give them a try – you won’t be disappointed!
Sweet Potato and Chocolate Chip Muffins
These nutrient-dense muffins combine the sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes with the warmth of cinnamon and the indulgence of dark chocolate chips. Perfect for a paleo-friendly treat that the whole family will enjoy.
Servings: 8 Muffins
Calories: 250kcal
Cost: $15
Equipment
- Muffin tray
- Paper or silicon muffin cases
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups roasted sweet potato mashed and left to cool
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/3 cup raw organic honey
- 2 heaped tbsp ground flaxseed
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 100 g dark chocolate chips at least 70% or a 100g bar of dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
- 1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F. Line an 8-hole muffin tray with paper or silicon cases.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a bowl, combine the sweet potato mash with the coconut oil, eggs, almond milk, and honey. Whisk together until smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, combine the flaxseed, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Combine Ingredients: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to make a batter. Stir in the chocolate chips.
- Fill the Muffin Cases: Pour the muffin batter into the cases, filling to about 2/3 of the way up.
- Bake: Bake on the top shelf of your oven for approximately 30 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
Notes
- Ensure the sweet potato is fully cooled before mixing to avoid cooking the eggs prematurely.
- Use dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa for a richer flavour.
- These muffins can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
Five Ways to Eat Your Sunscreen (Seriously)
Despite what conventional wisdom would have you believe, it is not in any way a bad thing to spend plenty of time in the sunshine – provided you don’t burn. On the contrary, it is essential to good health; it is the best (and only significant) source of Vitamin D, it ramps up serotonin (the ‘happy’ hormone), and boosts your energy and your immune system. With sunshine being so crucial to a happy and healthy life, it therefore makes no sense to stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm when you could be outside enjoying nature. It is important to protect yourself from harmful ultraviolet ways – but there are certainly alternatives to the chemically laden, commercial sunscreens found at your local pharmacy.
Eat your sunscreen
Food is a powerful healer, and it turns out that certain foods protect you from the sun from the inside out by boosting your skin’s natural protection against harmful UV rays. If you burn easily, try boosting your intake of the following foods:
Brightly coloured vegetables – Brightly coloured vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes and capsicum (bell peppers) should be a significant part of your diet already; but if they are not, consider increasing your consumption. These vegetables in particular are a rich source of beta carotene, which has been proven to reduce sun sensitivity and sunburn intensity.
Leafy Greens – dark, leafy green vegetables like spinach, chard and broccoli all contain high levels of the antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin, which protect the skin against free radical damage from UV rays.
Oily Fish – foods rich in omega 3, like mackerel, salmon and trout, are proven to guard against sunburn. If you’re not the biggest lover of fish, I’d strongly encourage you to take a high quality Omega 3 supplement. A healthy Omega 3: Omega 6 ratio has also proven to significantly reduce the risk of cancer.
Green tea – packed with antioxidants called EGCG’s which dramatically reduce the genetic mutations causes to skin cells by UV radiation. Try drinking Macha for an even more potent dose of these antioxidants.
Natural Sunscreen
If I'm expecting to be out in the sun for an extended period of time, to further reduce my risk of burning I will often make my own sunscreen from entirely natural ingredients. It’s easy to make, is nourishing for the skin, and you’ll smell way better than anyone else at the beach! Try the following recipe to naturally protect yourself from the sun.
1 ounce raspberry seed oil – this oil, which can be found in health food and even cook shops, has a natural SPF of approximately 30
1 ounce coconut oil – not only is it nourishing and intensely moisturising, virgin coconut oil contains an SPF of approximately 10.
2 ounces shea butter – nourishes and moisturises, and protects the skin against free radicals.
2 ounces of beeswax – emulsifies, and is naturally waterproof!
15 grams Zinc Oxide – helps to reflect the harmful UVA and UVB rays
20 drops of your favourite essential oil, such as lemon grass or ginger
In order to maintain a healthy level of tolerance to the sun, it is important that you expose yourself to it frequently (and ideally, for short periods of time.) Take your lunch outside, go on long weekend walks, or take up an outdoor sport if you have the time.
Supporting Your Skin With Hydration and Healthy Fats
Staying well hydrated plays a critical role in your skin’s ability to cope with sun exposure. Dehydrated skin is more prone to dryness, cracking, and inflammation, all of which can increase your sensitivity to UV damage. Aim to drink plenty of filtered water each day and include hydrating foods like cucumbers, celery, and watermelon. Coconut water is another excellent option, especially in the warmer months when you’re sweating more and losing minerals through your skin.
In addition to hydration, healthy fats are essential to maintain the elasticity and resilience of your skin. Avocados, olives, nuts (especially walnuts), and seeds like flax and chia provide the essential fatty acids your skin craves. These fats help keep your skin supple, act as a barrier to lock in moisture, and support the regeneration of skin cells after sun exposure.
Topical After-Sun Skin Support
Even when you’ve taken precautions, your skin may need a little extra love after a long day outdoors. Instead of reaching for chemical-laden after-sun products, try natural alternatives that support healing and reduce inflammation.
- Aloe Vera Gel: Pure aloe vera (ideally straight from the plant) is cooling, soothing, and helps to repair sun-damaged skin. Store it in the fridge for added relief.
- Jojoba Oil: Similar to your skin’s natural sebum, this oil penetrates deeply and helps reduce peeling or flaking after sun exposure.
- Vitamin E Oil: A powerful antioxidant, vitamin E oil can be applied to the skin to speed up healing and support cellular repair.
- Lavender Essential Oil: Just a few drops mixed into a carrier oil can reduce redness and inflammation, and is especially helpful for mild sunburns.
What to Avoid When Caring for Sun-Exposed Skin
Not all skincare ingredients are beneficial post-sun. Avoid exfoliants (like AHAs, BHAs, and scrubs), retinoids, and strong essential oils on freshly sun-kissed skin, as these can exacerbate sensitivity and cause further irritation. Avoid commercial after-sun lotions that list alcohol as one of the main ingredients — it dries out the skin and slows healing. If you can’t pronounce most of the ingredients on the label, it’s probably not something you want to apply to already vulnerable skin.
The Role of Antioxidants in Sun Protection
Antioxidants are not only essential for overall health, but they also play a direct role in neutralising the free radicals generated by UV radiation. When your body has enough antioxidants circulating, it is far better equipped to deal with short bursts of sun exposure without resulting in inflammation or skin damage. Besides beta carotene and the antioxidants found in green tea, make sure your diet includes:
- Vitamin C-rich foods: Citrus fruits, berries, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli all support skin repair and collagen production.
- Selenium: Found in Brazil nuts, tuna, and eggs, selenium plays a protective role against sun damage and supports immune health.
- Lycopene: Found in tomatoes and watermelon, lycopene has been linked to a natural boost in the skin’s SPF after several weeks of regular intake.
Creating a Balanced Sun Exposure Routine
While prolonged and unprotected exposure can be harmful, strategic sun time is essential for health — particularly for maintaining optimal vitamin D levels. In Australia, even with our sunny climate, vitamin D deficiency is surprisingly common due to overuse of high-SPF sunscreens and a culture of sun avoidance.
To strike the right balance, try spending time in the sun during the gentler morning or late afternoon hours when UV levels are lower. Monitor your local UV index to time your exposure intelligently. Start with short sessions (10–15 minutes), gradually building tolerance based on your skin type and geographic location. Keep your face protected with a wide-brimmed hat or natural zinc-based sunscreen, as facial skin is more prone to long-term damage.
Sun Safety for Children the Natural Way
For parents following a Paleo or holistic lifestyle, sun safety for children often feels like a minefield. Chemical sunscreens are a concern, but you also want to avoid sunburn at all costs. A few practical tips include:
- Dress kids in lightweight, breathable long-sleeved clothing and a wide-brimmed hat for extended outdoor time.
- Apply homemade or mineral-based sunscreen on high-exposure areas like the face, ears, and shoulders.
- Encourage play in dappled sunlight or partial shade between 11am and 3pm if sun strength is extreme.
- Include omega 3s and colourful fruits and veggies in their diet daily for internal skin protection.
Reassessing the “Slip, Slop, Slap” Mentality
Australia’s well-known sun safety campaign may have raised awareness, but it has also fostered a fear of the sun. Instead of avoiding sunlight altogether, the conversation needs to shift toward intelligent sun exposure. By building up your tolerance, supporting your skin nutritionally, and using natural products both before and after exposure, you can develop a balanced relationship with the sun — one that prioritises health, not just damage avoidance.
Like many aspects of a Paleo lifestyle, the solution lies in returning to nature and working with it, not against it. The sun is not the enemy. With mindfulness, moderation, and support from the inside out, it can be one of the best allies for your physical and emotional wellbeing.
What steps do you take to enjoy the sun without burning? Have you found any effective sunscreens, without all of the chemicals?
5 Ways to Add More Coconut Oil to Your Diet
You know the health benefits of coconut oil by now. It’s loaded with MCT’s (Medium Chain Triglycerides) and is a wonderful source of healthy saturated fat. It’s antiseptic, antimicrobial and anti-fungal, is excellent at improving gut health and even boosts your metabolism. There’s also a lot of research indicating it’s great for dementia/ Alzheimer's patients.
If you’re not the greatest fan of eating it by the spoonful (personally, I love nothing better, but we’re all different!), then it can be tricky getting copious amounts of the stuff into your diet. I get a lot of emails from people really keen to consume it – but who hate the flavour. Whilst you can get refined coconut oil, with none of the taste, it is a refined product – far better to go for the purest oil you can find.
If you’re looking to up your intake of coconut oil in a delicious way, then check out some of the great ideas below.
- Bulletproof coffee – I've covered Bulletproof Coffee before as it is a fabulous way to enjoy the saturated goodness of coconut oil in liquid form. To make a DIY Bulletproof coffee, put a generous spoonful of coconut oil into a black coffee, and enjoy the creamier, mellower beverage it creates. Bulletproof coffee is also a proven energy boost and is a great start to the day if you are practising intermittent fasting.
- Coconut oil chocolate – who doesn't love chocolate!? Home made chocolate bites are a fantastic way to get a little more coconut oil in your life. Simply melt down 1 tbsp coconut oil, and mix in 1 tsp cacao powder and half a teaspoon of raw honey. Leave this to set in the freezer for 20 minutes, and you’ll have a delicious block of coconut oil chocolate to enjoy! It’s extra tasty with a couple of chopped macadamias or goji berries thrown into the mix too.
- Smoothies – if you’re making smoothies, why not add an extra dose of healthy fats by adding a tablespoon of coconut oil to the blender? You won’t notice the taste, but it will add a subtle creaminess to the mix.
- Roasted Veggies – As one of the healthiest oils to roast with, coconut oil is a fantastic choice for tossing your favourite veggies in before roasting. It’s flavourless when used in this way, so works brilliantly if you’re adding herbs and spices to the mix. My favourite mix is sweet potato and delicata squash, tossed in a generous amount of melted coconut oil then sprinkled with cinnamon, rosemary, thyme and black pepper. Delicious!
- Paleo baked goods – I'm not the biggest fan of Paleo baking, but when the occasion arrives, you could do a far lot worse than using generous amounts of coconut oil to make super moist muffins or melt in the mouth cookies.
These are just a few tasty ways to ramp up your coconut oil intake. Have I missed any?
60 Stupid Reactions To Your Paleo Diet
Luckily, most people in my life either eat a broadly Paleo diet now – or at least understand it. But over the years I’ve been eating this way, I’ve had so many negative (or just plain confused) reactions from people, questioning why I've been eating this way.
Which of these reactions have you had? And what other reactions have you had? Share yours in the comments below.
- Aren't you supposed to hunt all of your meat?
- You need to eat a proper balanced diet, with all of the food groups
- It's so boring eating like that! I couldn't do it.
- I could never give up bread
- What you eat is disgusting
- Your body is going to go into starvation mode if you don't have snacks
- Where do you get your B vitamins?
- Oh, you mean Atkins
- You won't be able to keep that up
- I don't think it's right to deprive yourself of anything
- It's dangerous to leave out an entire food group
- Oh, another one of those fad diets
- You're going to have a heart attack!
- But what about rice?
- But you don't need to go on a diet!
- Your body can't digest all that meat
- All that fat is going to clog up your arteries
- I've been eating grains all my life and I'm ok
- What about nuts?
- Those gluten free foods are so expensive in the supermarket
- Just because your skin, energy, hair, digestion, mood and body composition got better, doesn't mean you're healthy
- Well I've read the China Study
- Cavemen didn't live in houses and drive cars
- What do you have for breakfast?
- My great grandma lived to 104 and she ate bread everyday
- I've studied nutrition and it's not healthy to eat like that. I know.
- Why are you wearing gloves on your feet?
- Don't you get constipated?
- Cavemen didn't eat bacon. You had bacon for breakfast. I saw.
- But what about oatmeal?
- But it's my birthday, you've got to have a piece of cake!
- What do you mean you don't eat Soy? Soy is healthy!
- Eeeeeew you only eat raw meat! That's disgusting!
- What can you have for lunch?
- But my personal trainer says…
- But where do you get all your energy?
- That's so restrictive!
- What about brown bread?
- You must get so hungry!
- But what about quinoa?
- Are you still on your diet?
- Isn't all that fat going to make you fat?
- It's ok, I've cooked you a lentil bake instead
- WHAT ABOUT YOUR CHOLESTEROL?
- Are you going to go and live in a cave too?
- Bread with spelt is ok though, right?
- How do you get your vitamins and minerals without eating grains?
- But the food pyramid…
- You need wholegrains for fibre
- You have to have grains because your brain runs on carbs, not fat
- We've switched to brown rice now
- Everything in moderation is what I say
- But cavemen died at 20
- My doctor said saturated fat will give you a heart attack
- You poor thing, I could never give up pasta
- I don't need to change my diet, I'm not overweight.
- But what about wholemeal pasta?
- That's a really stupid way of eating
- You're just going through a phase
- What do you mean you don't count calories?
Over to you! What's been the best reaction you've had?
Can Eating a Paleo Diet Help With Arthritis?
A couple of weeks ago I was asked by a reader whether adopting a paleo diet would help with their mother’s Arthritis – not having any experience of Arthritis myself, what better way to find out more than to post the question on the Paleo Network’s Facebook page? With almost 60,000 fans, there were a lot of responses, some of which you can read below…
From those who know…
A lot of people responding seem to suffer from Arthritis (or similar conditions) themselves, or had experience to share from family members:
- I suffer with Osteoarthritis and seem to be really good eating Paleo.. When I get off track I know about it.
- Bread and rice would have put me in a wheelchair eventually if I'd allowed it … Go paleo but strictly speaking only three months strict paleo cured me and eternal bone broth thereafter
- I know someone who quit gluten for unrelated reasons and it helped arthritis a lot.
- Take gluten out of diet. I had crippling fibromyalgia until realised it was coeliac disease
- I have fibromyalgia, which is another inflammation-induced disease, and I definitely notice a huge difference in my pain levels & joint stiffness when I am following Paleo more strictly. Gluten is horrible for autoimmune diseases.
- I have osteoarthritis and the Paleo Lifestyle has truly helped a lot. My nutritionist told me it would!
- You have nothing to lose by trying it….my sister has seen her inflammation dramatically reduced the last two weeks on Paleo. She couldn't close her hand in the morning….now she can and no pain….go for it.
- I too have fibromyalgia and have had amazing improvement after 20+ years of suffering.
- Definitely try gluten free and work your way to paleo. I was diagnosed with arthritis and fibromyalgia. Was on methotrexate and enbrel…I went gluten free and was feeling better within a week! Now I am paleo! No more doctors and no more drugs!!
- Absolutely it would help! I had inflammation in my hip so bad that I could barely walk in the mornings. After 3 months paleo – no pain, inflammation gone and no migraines either (which I had been getting on a regular basis for 10years) arthritis is caused by inflammation so it is soooo worth a try for her!
- I have arthritis in my knees, I need knee replacement surgery. I also have degenerative disc disease. The x ray of my back looks like a train with the cars off the track. At the urging of my chiropractor I began my journey into Paleo. My pain levels on the scale of 1-10, 1 being less 10 being most, are down from 10+ to 0 to 2 on the average day. I would say it works for arthritis…
- I found paleo whilst looking to help my arthritis. I've got inflammatory arthritis and since going paleo it's 90% better. No more NSAID's since week two. Been over a year now.
- Get rid of gluten! My joint pains stopped when I went wheat free.
- I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I started eating Paleo during the Lurong Challenge…and I've noticed a huge difference in how I feel and in my mobility…get off the refined carbs!
- I have Ankylosing Spondylitis and was in terrible pain. I am drug and pain free and in remission 2.5 yrs Paleo now.
- The reason I'm Paleo is because of arthritis.. Pain-free now!!
- I suffer from Psoriatic Arthritis. Paleo has decreased my pain immensely. Avoid glutens & refined sugars. It has blown my mind how different I feel, and the weight loss makes it even better!! Not a “diet”…it's a lifestyle change.
- Yes! I had limited movement in my left arm. Been to physio, rheumatologist, had cortisone injections and anti-inflammatory pills. I have gone Paleo. Lost over 2 stone in weight and my left arm is now back to normal movement, I can even hook my bra at the back. I put this down to Paleo way of eating. I gave up sugar, gluten, wheat, all processed foods. I only use Coconut Oil and natural fats for cooking. Go on, give it at least 3 months and you ‘will' see/feel different inside and out. Good luck. I only want to share this to help! I also purchased a juicer and I juice lots of veg & fruits.
- YES, YES, YES. I'm 64 and have NO aches and pains now.
- Huge difference wouldn't have believed it till I tried it
- My mum had the same issues with her hands and feet, gave paleo a go and her aches and pains reduced significantly!
- Yes, yes, yes!!! I had years of inflammatory arthritis and no grains and sugars helped tremendously!
- Had tendentious for 10 years,was gone after 1 month of paleo
- Definitely. Arthritis in hands and legs markedly less in just a week. Cured my morning hobble which made me feel way older than my years and was not a very encouraging way to start each day.
Nightshades
Another common theme among those who replied was Nightshades and an autoimmune paleo diet. In many cases it seems following a broad paleo diet is not enough and an autoimmune protocol is needed:
- Depends on the type of arthritis. Mine is autoimmune, and after being Paleo for just three weeks, my joints feel much better than they have in years! I also have more energy than I have in a long time.
- Look at the autoimmune version of paleo which nightshades also contribute to inflammation.
- I did once read that some arthritis sufferers had had a positive effect from excluding nightshades from their diet.
- The autoimmune paleo protocol excludes eggs and nightshades too. When I first went paleo my arthritis wasn't at its worst but stopped with the new diet.
- No nightshades
- I have an autoimmune disease too & eating Paleo has made a massive massive difference!! Started on an autoimmune protocol now so hoping for more benefits
- Go paleo and then beyond with AIP (Auto Immune Paleo), I control my joint pains and whenever I have gluten or nightshades, I flare up really bad so I know the foods I eat is impacting my health directly. Have her keep a small food journal to help her figure out which foods trigger certain responses.
Inflammation
Another popular topic in the arthritis discussion – inflammation:
- Paleo would definitely help! Paleo is an anti-inflammatory diet which really has benefits for arthritic pain. By increasing good fats like avocado, nuts, seeds and cutting out refined oils and carbohydrates we can effectively reduce arthritic pain. Give it a go!
- Paleo works well, eliminating gluten is a big part of it. Reducing the inflammation
- Foods high in flavonoids contribute to inflammation
- Wheat causes inflammations and arthritis is one of them!
Try this…
There were also a lot of suggestions about other things that could help – Turmeric got several mentions:
- Turmeric capsules are pretty good for joints
- Cinnamon and honey in hot water is good for arthritis pain
- Daily bone broth heals achy bones … Home made easy peasy …. Elimination of caffeine too helps dramatically
- Tell her to try ginger more in her diet anti inflammatory
- And fish oils! Lots of them I take 10 x 1000mg every day and if I don't for a couple of days I have hip and knee pain, constantly! I swear by them.
- Lots of salmon! Grass fed beef is high in omega three too!
Does Paleo help with Arthritis?
Judging by all of the responses, it definitely seems like eating paleo could help… My favourite comment sums it up nicely: “Get your mum on board. Tell her to give it a try for a couple of months ‘just to see’. She'll be amazed”
I’d love to continue the discussion – do you have arthritis? Has changing your diet had an impact? Please share your comments below!