Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Messages - Rob

Pages: 1 [2] 3
26
I'm no guru, or even wed to any specific ideology. I am more like Lex, and on my own personal quest for what works for me, but it was b-12 deficiency that sent me from raw vegan to raw omni, and now I am doing it raw omni, low carb. That is a big transition for someone who used to eat his own weight in fruit every few months as his main calorie source.

The raw meat thing is so much easier as a lifestyle as well.

27
General Discussion / Re: Which way to go when having to compromise
« on: September 12, 2010, 08:26:33 am »
Well, in one case I could have brought my own food to the 2 day meeting, but it would have been a little too weird. In this 2 day meeting, all meals were provided, they were long days, and I am just transitionaing, so I am not yet getting the animal fat figured out fully. Anyway, I was stuck at meals with some of the most influential people working in my field, and not interested in burning professional bridges. My everyday co-workers know I'm a little outside the norm (they all are in their own way) but this was one setting that I felt strong social pressure to eat with the guests and not be the weirdo.

The funny part was, one of the guest complained about the "health food" that was being served, and I was appauled at having to pick from the available choices to eat.

28
Journals / Re: Rob's Journal
« on: September 03, 2010, 07:06:19 am »
Well, my worst fear seems to be coming true. I think I have a kidney stone. Last time I was low carb (atkins diet in mid-late '90s) I ended up with kidney stones. Now I think I have another one. I have found references to low carb and kidney stones being correlated, but only in studies with children eating cooked food to control epilepsy. Anyone know what is at play with kidney stones in the raw paleo world? They really hurt, and I am dreading the next couple of days if this is a stone moving through my ureter.

I am going to re-read Aajonus' kidney stone remedy right now...

29
Journals / Re: Rob's Journal
« on: August 30, 2010, 08:30:07 am »
Today was day 1 again of a recommitment to getting to a 100% raw RVAF diet with a goal of keeping totla carbs <100g/day.

For breakfast I had a 14 oz rump steak. Delicious. A little mustard and sea salt, as it was tasting pretty bland.

In the afternoon, around 3:30, I started getting a huge craving for nuts. I can't tell if this is a fat craving or a salt craving, but I really want to get away from nuts. Thinking it might be the lesser of 2 evils, I decided that maybe some raw dairy would ease the cravings. The thought of the back fat I have just turned my stomach. So I ran out for some raw cream, and while there got some other dairy from my local raw dairy provider. I got some quark with herbs, and some whole milk yogurt. I didn't notice until after I had some that the yogurt was pasteurized. The rest of the dairy was raw. I had a few ounces of the yogurt. 8 ounces of the cream with a TBSP of raw unfiltered honey, 2 egg yolks and a TBSP of raw cacao powder mixed in. It was like a chocolate milkshake. I had a little quark and that led to bingeing on the quark, as the herbs seemed to get addictive to me immediately. I then spent the evening with diarrhea. It did kill the craving for the nuts though, so I think it is a fat craving, not a salt craving.

I am having a hard time getting to a point where the back fat is satisfying and enjoyable. I wonder if it is just tough on my digestive system. I clearly need to continue to avoid dairy, but I need to do something to get in animal fat until I can eat the back fat regularly.

If anyone has any experience struggling with this transition, I look forward to any advice.

30
Raw Weston Price / Re: coconut oil
« on: August 30, 2010, 08:15:56 am »
I find it raises my blood pressure. It also raises my energy levels. I use it sparingly at best.

31
General Discussion / Re: Deer Antler Velvet?
« on: August 30, 2010, 08:14:53 am »
I don;t know anything about its efficacy, but my local elk farm sells velvet:

http://www.velvetpastures.com/recipesandproducts/velvetantler.html

I am not affiliated with them in any way.

32
General Discussion / Storing and Eating Back Fat
« on: August 30, 2010, 12:39:57 am »
I got my first back fat shipment a couple of weeks ago. I thawed one package. I am not able to eat it fat enough to keep the entire pound "fresh" in the refrigerator. I have half a pound left and it smells and is a little slimy. I know that there are many who like to cultivate bacteria on their meat, but eating a large slab like this just turns my stomach.

So how much do people eat in a serving or per day, and how do you keep it fresh? Do you re-freeze?? Cut it frozen and only thaw a portion at a time?

33
General Discussion / Cut list for a side of beef
« on: August 29, 2010, 03:47:41 am »
I just got the e-mail from my farmer saying my steer is ready for the slaughter, and I need to provide him with my desired cut list.

Last year, I got the premium steaks and roasts cut, and the rest of it ground. No organs or suet. I had the roasts cooked for my family who won't eat it raw. I ate the steaks raw. This year I am getting the organs and suet, and hopefully fat trimmings, and wondering if anyone here has any suggestions for my cut list.

Anyone with experience buying beef this way have any good suggestions?

34
General Discussion / Marrow Bones
« on: August 29, 2010, 02:29:18 am »
I got a 10 pound bag of grass fed marrow bones from a local butcher. I had a friend pick them up for me as they were out of town. Upon receiving them, they were about 9" long on average.

What are my best options for splitting these bones and getting the marrow?

1. Returning to the butcher to have them sawn lengthwise?
2. Getting them sawn in short segments across the bone?

any options for splitting the bones myself? I don't really want to buy a meat cutting band saw (unless cheap enough).


35
Journals / Re: Rob's Journal
« on: August 29, 2010, 12:37:59 am »
OK, so here is my first entry, only moments after making the first post.

I have been working on getting myself to a LC raw paleo diet for almost a month, and I am struggling.

My current goal: RVAF, <100g carbs/day.

I have had some disruptions, such as 2 day long business meetings where the food was served in the meeting. There was very high professional/social pressure to eat the provided food. I did my best to keep to raw plant food (salads and fruit), cooked seafood, and yogurt. Over all, still better than the bread-centric and refined-sugar foods my colleagues were eating. And some travel which was conducted very last minute with no ability to pre-plan, where I ate cooked meats with salads, and some store bought pemmican/jerky/nuts/cheese on the road.

Regardless of these recent disruptions, I have been struggling to keep to 100% RVAF. I am having a hard time getting good raw animal fat in a way that is both palatable and digestible.

Typical foods I have on hand:
  o Raw eggs (free range local).
  o The remnants of a side of beef (grass fed, pastured, no hormones/atibiotics, local).
     - I have some ground, and a lot of steaks. No organs.
  o I have tried some raw cream.
     - Delicious, but doesn't agree with me.
  o I have some bison back fat.
     - Tastes ok, not very "comforting"
  o Coconut Oil
     - As raw as that can get
  o Raw unfiltered local honey
     - Used VERY sparingly

In addition to this, I get a share form a local CSA (which I joined while eating my mostly plant diet). I don't eat the corn or potatoes, but I do eat the small amount of fruit I get, and most of the other veggies that can be eaten raw. They are locally grown and organic.

So where is the problem? Well, when I run out of fruit and veggies for the week, I find myself craving foods that are more soothing at some point in the day.  Usually fatty. To this end, I usually turn to nuts or peanuts. On rare occasions Raw Pumpkin Seeds will cut it. I can find myself bingeing on nuts, eating a 9oz can of mixed macadamias and cashews with sea salt in a single sitting. A serving of back fat does not leave me feeling satisfied in the same way. The nuts seem to give me instant energy, and the back fat seems not to.

I am not sure if I am still acclimating to a low carb lifestyle, and will be on vacation this week. I will make an effort (starting tomorrow, I already had the nuts for breakfast) to have a week of just RAF and see if I can start to work through these cravings.

36
Journals / Rob's Journal
« on: August 29, 2010, 12:05:48 am »
Well, I am working at getting myself to raw paleo, and struggling, so I thought I would start a Journal to track my progress and possibly receive useful feedback on my struggles.

Current status:
  o 42 years old.
  o Significantly over weight.
  o Adrenal Fatigue (confirmed with spit test).
  o Mild hypertension (controlled with prescription).
  o Mild depression and intermittent anxiety.

History: Misdiagnosed sleep apnea in late teens led to 15 years of trying to treat apnea symptoms with anti-depressants. During that time I gained a tremendous amount of weight, and actually became quite depressed. The med-go-round of antidepressants, which continued even after a proper apnea diagnosis led to additional weight gain.

In 2007 I was taking an antidepressant that resulted in 50 pounds of weight gain in 6 months. Blood pressure went from normal to extremely high (180/110). Frequent intense headaches. Doctor prescribed 3 BP meds. Within 6 months of this, my cholesterol skyrocketed (over 350), and I developed Type 2 diabetes. I was placed on 2 diabetes meds.

The diabetes diagnosis scared the crap out of me. I started doing my own research. Discovered the BP meds created an increased risk for diabetes. Discovered the raw vegan claim that diabetes was curable. Became a raw vegan overnight. My doctor then tried to put me on statin meds for the cholesterol, which I already believed to be a huge danger. I asked about waiting for 30 days to check the impact of the diet. He said no. He was fired on the spot.

Within 30 days I was off the diabetes meds and blood sugar was always normal. Within 90 days I was off of 2 of the 3 BP meds, and down to a half of a pill on the 3rd. Over the next 9 months, I lost almost 70 pounds (from my peak weight of over 350) but fear a lot of it was lean muscle. During these 9 months I became vitamin b12 deficient and probably greatly worsened my adrenal fatigue.

My triglycerides were normal though, as was A1C Hg, and my total cholesterol was at 135.

I then added raw red meat into my diet, but my diet was largely raw vegan still. Over the next 16 months, as a raw omnivore, I was struggling with a high stress lifestyle, and was eating RVAF augmented with occasional cooked meals and far too frequent ice cream binges. I remained grain free (except rice) during this period. I also regained about 35 pounds of my lost weight.

My diabetes remained controlled. My triglycerides remained normal. My cholesterol crept back up to around 220. I suspected the refined sugar not the meat for causing this increase in cholesterol.

At my most recent adrenal function test, I learned I was no better after a year of very expensive supplement. I then did the research to discover that sugar is the enemy of adrenal fatigue, and found my way to Aajonus' writings. I bought his books, and the Paleo blueprint book, and read them. I realized this was my next stop in my quest for health: a raw paleo lifestyle.

As my greatest health concerns are adrenal fatigue, general fatigue, and weight loss, as well as stabilized mental health and a desire to eliminate that last half of a pill I take for my BP, I think my initial approach is to try to restrict carbs. I am not thinking zero carb, but <100g/day.

I had done a VLC diet a la Atkins in the late '90s, and lost a lot of weight, but the second time I tried the Atkins style diet I ended up with kidney stones, and have heard of other dangers involving the kidneys on this diet. I am researching that topic now as it might apply to RLC.


37
General Discussion / Tonight's dinner made me sick...
« on: August 21, 2010, 09:30:03 am »
I got my bison back fat yesterday, and my bison adrenals, and had some tonight for dinner. I had about 6oz of grass fed bottom round steak, 3-4oz of back fat, and one adrenal gland (about .4 ounces). I ate it all cold straight form the fridge. Afterwards I had a sour stomach that lasted for hours and drove me to find some soothing comfort foods (not raw paleo, green tea with honey, chocolate covered peanuts and cole slaw seemed to be what I was craving). This took the edge off the sour stomach. I will probably have some more green tea after posting this.

Anyone have any experience with this kind of issue? How much adrenal gland should I be eating in a sitting? Was it the cold fat? I am going to experiment with warming (not cooking) the food next time I have the stomach to eat. The thought of eating raw meat/fat/glands right now is so repulsive even 4 hours later.

I have been eating cold meat with room temp raw egg yolks with no problems for days. I am unsure the culprit in tonight's meal.

38
Primal Diet / Re: Preferred Cheese
« on: August 19, 2010, 09:20:49 am »
Raw goat cheese. I can even get raw goat cheddar around here. I keep to a very low dairy intake though.

39
Welcoming Committee / Re: NEWBIE!!!! Q & A
« on: August 19, 2010, 09:19:54 am »
I eat raw meat at work, and some of my coworkers think I'm crazy, and other ask where the raw eggs are for my raw meat. In my mind, this means the door is opened for raw eggs in my meat at the work place.

I find large meals make me want to sleep. Until I can get past this, I am eating 2 meals per day just to keep the amount I eat down to a reasonable size per sitting. If you are fairly low carb (I hover around 50-100g per day) You don't get hungry as much.

40
General Discussion / Which way to go when having to compromise
« on: August 19, 2010, 09:06:43 am »
Imagine you are traveling suddenly, or stuck at a work function where food is served, which would you rather eat:

1. Salads, including cheese and bottled dressings
2. Cooked Meats, including deli meats
3. A combination of the above

And while on the road, would you rather have:
1. Some jerky and nuts and cheese
2. Some salad with bottled dressing

I was faced with a need to compromise my diet and was unsure the best way to break from my eating plan.

41
General Discussion / Re: Water
« on: August 15, 2010, 10:19:35 pm »
It's not a unit, it's a system. To clean my water, I have to chlorinate it to remove the tannins, filter the iron, filter the sediment, and then remove the chlorine. The chlorine is filtered with carbon, but I would say it does not filter out everything, as the pH of the water is 7.4 and the TDS is about 110-140. It is delicious.

42
General Discussion / Raw egg advice
« on: August 15, 2010, 07:15:19 am »
I have been reading conflicting reports about the eating of raw egg whites. What is the consensus here? Should I be eating them, or only the yolks?

43
Off Topic / Re: Phthalates how can I avoid them?
« on: August 15, 2010, 07:05:20 am »
What about the plastics used in the cryovac packs? Are these phthalate loaded as well? I thought it was mostly the very soft wrap used on fresh meats that was the main culprit.

44
General Discussion / Need some short term fat advice
« on: August 15, 2010, 06:57:53 am »
I am trying to get to a 100% raw paleo style diet, and am having some trouble in getting good sources of raw animal fat.

Prior to today, I only had some cooked nuts. I need to get away from that.
My local butcher has marrow bones, grain fed only. No suet or fat trimmings at all.
I can get local pasture raised chicken eggs (I got 4 dozen today)
I can get raw cream from pastured grain fed cows (I got 2 pints).
I can get some pig lard, from the same farm that has the eggs/dairy (though it is pricey).

I am getting a side of beef (grass fed, pastured) in a couple of months, and will be getting all the marrow bones and suet with it.

I had some cream today, I am definitely having a mucous response. I don't think raw dairy is a good idea for me.

So, in the short term, What should I be doing beyond egg yolks given the options above. I will order some bison back fat next week, and keep looking for decent sources of marrow. I was really disappointed, as I was told they had grass fed marrow on the phone, but when I got there, it was a different story.

45
General Discussion / Re: Water
« on: August 11, 2010, 10:07:07 am »
I have a deep-ish well at my house, about 350 feet, and it is into the second largest aquifer in the sate of New Hampshire. The water that comes out is riddled with tannins, sediment and iron, but absolutely free of biological contaminants, VOCs, and other undesirable contaminants. My filtration system (which looks like a municipal water treatment plant in my basement) leaves me with pure delicious water with a pH of 7.4. It has a slightly alkaline pH due to mineral content, which I do not filter out. My sister, who is a big coffee snob, showed up at my house (and got me the same coffee machine as hers as a housewarming gift) brings her snobby beans, and claims my house results in the best coffee she has ever had, and attributes it to the water. It is delicious, refreshing, and flows from every faucet that way in the house.

I bottle it in stainless steel water bottles to take with me. Truly wonderful stuff. If ever in the seacoast area of NH, come on by for a glass.

Since drinking this for the last 20 months, I have found even plain seltzer is now no longer even remotely quenching, whereas it used to be, and Dasani (which we have in the office vending machine) is a sad substitute. I was really bummed when I moved in and learned it was going to cost almost 5 figures for the filtration (and that is with me doing the labor), but in the end, I could not have been happier. Worht every penny.

46
I am looking for some references about eating RZC. What about claims of alkalizing the body with fruits/veggies, and the benefits found there? My understanding is that without these foods, we tend towards the acidic, and need to utilizes calcium stores to alkalize. Surely there must be some reason that this is an incomplete understanding of the picture.

And what of sources of vitamins, where can I find a good source for balancing my food intake to be sure i get what I need form just animal sources?

I am game to go pretty low carb, and eat exclusively raw, just not use if I should be eating/juicing low carb veggies to round out the nutrients available to me.

From what I gather, I am looking at eating a high fat, moderate protein diet of all raw animal products. But I am unsure the best way to go about this for best chances of success.

47
Health / Re: Bowel Movements
« on: August 10, 2010, 08:53:06 am »
well, I pooped today, and it was not as traumatic as I feared. It was smaller than usual, as well as representing 3 days worth of food.

I am hoping my gut flora is in reasonable shape. I take probiotics, and was eating grain free and a ton of refined sugar. I was mostly raw omnivore + cheating for the last year.

Another thing I noticed today, in the past switching to VLC eating had me wiped out for almost a week. Today I had great energy, and I have only been VLC since friday. That was a pleasant surprise.

48
Hot Topics / Re: Cod Liver Oil
« on: August 10, 2010, 08:49:23 am »
I'd love to get more sun time, but I really hate being outdoors under the sun. I know this gets better the better I feel, but these days I just dread it. I also am very faired skin, and burn through any SPF level I have ever used. As I get healthier, I will try to get more into the sun. In the meantime, sunshine in a bottle for me.

49
Health / Bowel Movements
« on: August 09, 2010, 08:41:38 pm »
Coming from a diet high in leafy greens and fruit, I have become used to large, regular, effortless bowel movements. I have been <20g carb per day since last friday, and have not had one since. Is this normal? Am I really using all of the food I have ingested, or is it just moving through that slowly?

50
Hot Topics / Re: Cod Liver Oil
« on: August 09, 2010, 08:39:20 pm »
I am using supplemetns under the direct care of a competent naturopath, so I am taking D3. Though he has a track record of success treating people with adrenal fatigue with his supplement based approach, I agree, and I would like to get healthy enough to get off of them. I don't yet have the courage to just stop them on my own, as I don't quite fear them the way I do the heavy duty pharmaceuticals. If I could find a practitioner who was interested in working with me without prescribing $350/month in pharmaceuticals, but wanted me to spend that money on better food, I'd be there in an instant.

Oops, uh, I mean CLO is probably better for you raw. Sorry for the thread hijack.

Pages: 1 [2] 3
SMF spam blocked by CleanTalk