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Fellow Crohnies who are also Paleo?

Just got finished up with my ileostomy take down surgery and it got me thinking.

I am going to focus on my relationship to food and way of eating. Being 27 too long have I been a slave to filling my emotional cravings and neglecting my bodies whimpering for help. Because of this I have begun to eat more paleo , primarily cutting or eliminating grains, sugars, and gluten.

I just wanted to know if anyone else on the forum has or is currently pursuing this "lifestyle" (because I hate the word DIET ) :mad: How has it improved (or not) you're quality of life.
 
Paleo saved my life :)
From 55kg shitting blood and mucus to 66kg and pretty good poops once a day (TMI?)
Eliminate not cut down is the key, particularly Sugar, Grain and Vegetable oils,
There's lots of links out there, but it's pretty simple - if it's not food don't eat it. Out loud everybody - "grains and soy are not food"
 
The good thing about Paleo is the avoidance of soy, gluten and grains, which I have found play merry havoc with my health. Unfortunately I have discovered that even a little bit of meat causes excruciating pain for me. Ten years ago I ate meat like it was going out of fashion but now days I am borderline vegan. Pretty much every time I eat meat I get an inflammation response: I experience excruciating pain in my intestines and my whole gut area swells up from the inflammation responses to eating meat. I would only ever eat organic free-range grass fed meats too. Last time I ate steak I literally thought I was going to die from the pain.

I have read that people with C & UC sometimes have problems with digesting protein from animal sources and it looks like I fall in this category because I never have problems with easier to digest plant based protein.

Has anyone here read the book Primal Body Primal Mind by Nora Gedgaudas? Apparently she is classed as one of the worlds leading experts on Palaeolithic nutrition. Although I am not planning to re-introduce meat again to my diet any time soon, I have heard that this book is worth a read.
 
The good thing about Paleo is the avoidance of soy, gluten and grains, which I have found play merry havoc with my health. Unfortunately I have discovered that even a little bit of meat causes excruciating pain for me. Ten years ago I ate meat like it was going out of fashion but now days I am borderline vegan. Pretty much every time I eat meat I get an inflammation response: I experience excruciating pain in my intestines and my whole gut area swells up from the inflammation responses to eating meat. I would only ever eat organic free-range grass fed meats too. Last time I ate steak I literally thought I was going to die from the pain.
Is it all meat? fish , fowl, organ meat?
Just curious
 
I follow the Paleo lifestyle. It is unbelievable what a difference it has made in my health. I initially followed the SCD/GAPS until my GI symptoms were under control and that I transitioned to more of a Paleo focus, with an emphasis on the GAPS traditional bone broths and fermented foods. You should definitely try it!
 
Any tips on how to survive the holidays? I'm starting to think I picked a bad time to begin eating Paleo. Cutting gluten has been not too difficult as I wasn't addicted to breads and such in the first place. I think it's the sugar and grains that will be a toughie for me. I live with my parents and have a small fridge where I can store my food stuff but there is junk food everywhere. It's hard to avoid! Soy and grains were always a big part of my diet as we usually have Korean style meals a lot. Rice is just really comforting to me too. Blah blah, excuses I know. Maybe I'll have better success cutting one of those per month than all at once?

Katy-I will have to check out that blog of yours! Thanks for sharing!
Hugh- I don't think there is ever too much TMI. Also, I'm glad you found success with changing your diet.
 
Any tips on how to survive the holidays? I'm starting to think I picked a bad time to begin eating Paleo. Cutting gluten has been not too difficult as I wasn't addicted to breads and such in the first place. I think it's the sugar and grains that will be a toughie for me. I live with my parents and have a small fridge where I can store my food stuff but there is junk food everywhere. It's hard to avoid! Soy and grains were always a big part of my diet as we usually have Korean style meals a lot. Rice is just really comforting to me too. Blah blah, excuses I know. Maybe I'll have better success cutting one of those per month than all at once?

Katy-I will have to check out that blog of yours! Thanks for sharing!
Hugh- I don't think there is ever too much TMI. Also, I'm glad you found success with changing your diet.
What I experienced was intense cravings for bread especially (my vice prior to going Paleo) for about a week or two. Once I "detoxed", I've found that I really don't crave it. Of course, experiencing the elimination of GI symptoms, after I was told I would always have diarrhea to some degree, was a powerful motivator. The problem with cutting out ingredients slowly is that it is going to take much longer before you experience results. In fact, I would recommend that you do intro GAPS before transitioning to straight Paleo. GAPS is really good for getting symptoms under control and allowing the gut to heal.
 
As far as surviving the holidays, there are a lot of Paleo holiday dishes and dessert recipes that are quite satisfying. If you are having acute symptoms, I wouldn't recommend eating a lot of Paleo dessert dishes, as they still have natural sugar and honey in them. Still, I want to reassure that you will not feel deprived in this lifestyle!!! I find my meals much more satisfying and filling now than when I was eating low-fat, vegetarian food.
 
How is the situation in your countries/cities? Currently I'm living in Vietnam and if I want to follow my Paleo diet, I HAVE to cook at home. Do you already heave restaurants that are specialized on Paleo or offer Paleo meals on their menu?
 
How is the situation in your countries/cities? Currently I'm living in Vietnam and if I want to follow my Paleo diet, I HAVE to cook at home. Do you already heave restaurants that are specialized on Paleo or offer Paleo meals on their menu?
Some of the larger, more health-conscious cities in the USA have Paleo-friendly restaurants that are starting to cater to this lifestyle. One example I can think of is a Paleo-focused restaurant in Atlanta, GA. This is definitely not the norm yet in the US though. But you can always try to special order a dish to suit the Paleo lifestyle (asking the chef not to marinate the meat, no sauce on the veggies, no dressing on the salad, etc.). In my experience, it is not easy to eat out, although it can be done as long as it is a high quality restaurant that is somewhat knowledgable about food intolerances and special diets. I can count on one hand the number of times that I have eaten out since becoming Paleo. I've done it cautiously and with the idea that I'm taking a risk of sorts (risk of being glutened or becoming ill from illegal ingredients). So, all of my meals are also cooked at home, with the exception of the few special occasions I've gone out with family and friends.
 
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