I recently realized that my diet is very low in magnesium. Some organs, like heart and spleen, supply approximately 25mg of magnesium in a 4 oz. serving. I do not eat "high magnesium" meats every day, so my daily intake must have been low for awhile. The mineral water I started drinking contains about 13.7mg of magnesium per bottle, which means I am getting about 40mg a day from mineral water. Does anyone else worry about magnesium intake? Is there a good animal source for magnesium? Is there an explanation for why RZC requires less magnesium than other dieters?

This scare site is quite funny:

http://www.realamishcheese.com/raw.htm

For instance:

"Eating raw unpasteurized milk
    is like eating raw meat."

Lots of laughs here.

I thought I should add this so I can put down my various thoughts, experiences and so on, now that I have been eating a RPD for over a month so it seems like it is working quite well for me.

The first month I ate raw lamb, mostly muscle meats but also some organs from a grass fed lamb that I bought.  I also included raw eggs from pastured free range chickens, and a little grass fed beef from the local farmers' market.  My fruit intake was typically a meal of fruit in the morning until I was satisfied, then meat the rest of the day.  Some days I also had fruit for lunch and a large dinner of raw meat.  I wasn't hungry at all but I made myself eat because the calorie intake was so low and I was losing weight.  I cut out olive oil, coconut oil, vegetables and dairy after the first few weeks.  A week ago I treated myself to seafood and fish: tuna, cod and scallops.  I also had some honey a few weeks ago, but I didn't like the sugar rush it gave me.  In the last week I found myself eating only one or two pieces of fruit a day and significantly more meat.  But today I suddenly felt sick of meat this evening and so I ate a large meal of all fruit.  I also stopped taking vitamins and omega-3 supplements as I think they are no longer necessary.  I also eliminated tea from my diet.

I began exercising.  I stretch when I first wake up in the morning and I do some weight training when I feel the desire.  I also stopped using furniture (I now crouch or sit on the floor and it is becoming more and more comfortable) and sleep on a thin mat on the floor without a pillow.

Improvements to my health include improved attention, more sexual control and satisfaction, elevated mood, more energy (most of the time), more restful sleep, decreased craving for alcohol, improved digestion, improved elimination, and loss of fat and improved muscle tone.  I had a twitch on my face that went away, I can now stand up quickly without feeling dizzy, my skin is tougher (I get less cuts when shaving), my gums have become pinker and hardly bleed when brushing my teeth (it used to look like I was punched in the mouth), I had soreness on my anal area that went away, and fatigue with leg soreness and cramps that has disappeared. 

Every morning I wake up completely alert and excited about facing the day, knowing I can accomplish anything.  I see my diet as a beginning rather than an end, I see a spiritual path before me that has been opened up by eating a raw paleo diet.

I had these headaches recently for many days.  I also noticed soreness in my legs (but not from exercise, I wasn't exercising).  After some thought I cut back on my water consumption drastically, only drinking when thirsty.  I was afraid to do so because in the past, dehydration would trigger migraine headaches (when I was eating a SAD).  But cutting back on water got rid of the headaches and the soreness is much diminished, I also have a bit more energy at the end of the day!  I think I may have been suffering from Hyponatremia.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_deficiency#Causes

Diet. A low-sodium, high-water diet can disturb the proper balance between sodium and fluids in the blood. Excessive intake of diuretics, including beer, can have the same effect.

And: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_deficiency#Symptoms

Symptoms of hyponatremia include nausea and vomiting, headache, confusion, lethargy, fatigue, appetite loss, restlessness and irritability, muscle weakness, spasms, or cramps, seizures, and decreased consciousness or coma.

So the lesson here is to not worry about water, just drink it when you are thirsty!

I have read about various cleanses using fats such as coconut oil, which you consume for several days.  I was wondering if other fats might be suitable, especially animal fats like raw lamb fat or beef rat.  Any ideas pro or con?  I have never done a cleanse so I am curious.

In my quest to reduce the number of items I purchase, I have been thinking about dental floss.  Surely there are bones that could be used over and over for this?  Fish bones are probably too flimsy, but there must be larger animal bones that are strong, but not too big either.  I found one such bone in my lamb ribs, but I didn't think about using it as a toothpick until I had already thrown it out.   

For the past few weeks my oral cavity has been extremely dry when waking up in the morning.  The tongue, roof and throat are all bone dry.  I could be dehydrated, but I think it is unlikely as I consume quite a bit of water.  I don't measure the water but I drink at least the equivalent of 3 20oz. bottles, sometimes more. 

I have been eating on a pattern of about 90% raw meat some days (including organs, had liver for the first time raw the other day) and other days I eat raw fruits and cheese or buttermilk for most of my meals, with maybe one meal of raw meat.  I eat 3 meals a day, usually 7am, noon and 6:30pm or thereabouts.  Some days I eat a large amount of fruit in the morning and then eat meat the rest of the day.  My foods are raw lamb, cheese, buttermilk, very small amount of nuts (walnuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds), butter, olive oil, coconut oil, bananas, apples, oranges, grapes, pears, melon. 

Should I just drink more water?  I hate forcing myself to drink water when I am not thirsty.

Ryan

This is interesting:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110224145600.htm

Could it be that we lose this ability to heal as we age due to eating the diet of civilization??

Ryan

Hello everyone!

I decided to adopt a cooked Paleo diet plus a little dairy (Neolithic, I know) just over a month ago.  That didn't go over so well with my family and some friends who were worried I would not get enough fiber, though I was able to convince them I was getting way more vitamins by substituting fresh fruit and veggies for grains and starches.  All of my meat has come from a whole grass fed lamb that I purchased direct from the farmer. 

Four or five days ago I decided to switch to all raw, because my stomach would be throbbing/pulsating after eating a cooked meat meal (even if it was all meat, no fruit or veggies).  I have no problems digesting raw fruits or veggies.  Since switching my meat to raw meat I have vastly improved digestion.

Just from the switch to cooked paleo: my bowel movements are easier and less messy/require no cleanup (sorry for the added detail but it's relevant), I had a twitch in my eye that went away, I had an inflamed and sore rectal area that has totally gone back to normal.  I sleep more soundly (even though I have yet to cut out caffeinated teas), my mood is significantly elevated and I have more energy, my mind seems sharper, and I have lost all cravings for alcohol (I was drinking about 2-3 beers a day on average).  I had a hypoglycemic episode (I think I was pre-diabetic from my SAD) on the second or third night and ran to the kitchen and had to scarf down an apple and a grapefruit, but have had no other issues with the switch since then, even on days when my carbohydrate intake was near zero.

Most of the above improvements are a result of ditching grains, starchy vegetables and legumes.  I have not changed the amount of exercise I get (I have walked about 5 miles a day for the last year).    The exception is the digestion problem, which might have just been due to my body not being used to grass fed meat.  In any case, I am hoping to see more improvements in mood, energy, etc.

Mt reasons for switching to paleo, then raw paleo have to do with health, so I am not really interested in reenactment, in duplicating hunter-scavenger-gatherer behavior exactly.

I eat with my instincts by eating lots of raw fruits (botanical fruits, which of course include avocado, tomato, pepper, squash) and berries.  But I get my dose of raw meat also.  For instance, I really wanted fruit this morning so I ate a banana, an apple, some lime, a few dates and a small handful of walnuts.  For lunch I am going to eat some raw lamb I cut off the bone (I cut up over a pound) until I am full.

My instincts have steered me away from leafy greens and tubers and starchy vegetables.  They just aren't appealing.

I plan on buying some sushi grade raw fish soon as I am trying to conserve the last of my lamb.  I think I am going to buy a quarter of grass fed beef soon as well.

I haven't had any negative physical or psychological reactions to raw meat or raw eggs (I lied, I find raw eggs unappealing and probably won't buy any more, but I will eat them if I'm in a pinch).  I started with ground lamb the first day but have moved on to eating it off the bone or cutting it off and eating it.  It has less flavor but so does almost everything eaten raw.  It has all the nature flavor intended it to have.

I look forward to learning about the experiences of others here!