raw vegetables have the opposite effect on me, no matter how much water I drink-they constipate me. The only thing that has helped me with digestion problems (consipation & never be really "empty") was ZC with lots of fat.

I also find that less vegetables and fruit leads to more perfect and regular bowel movements.  I think fiber is only necessary to the extent that plant material is being consumed.  Thus if I eat a fruit or some greens it passes through me without any problems or pain because they are whole and have all the fiber that is necessary.  But when I go more ZC or VLC fiber is less necessary as there is less vegetable matter or fruit.

ideal activities for Raw Paleo  socializing?

1.  hunting

2. Raising livestock

Best answer I have seen yet.  I say this because it applies to me.  Ever since I went paleo I have had a strong desire to homestead and raise and kill my own domestic animals or to hunt wild animals.  I am going to go look at 40 acres of an old homestead this summer.  The land hasn't been worked in over 50 years and used to have an apple orchard on part of it.  It should be interesting.

Ryan

Hello everyone my name is Alex and I am/have been experimenting with many various diets through the past few years searching for something that I can settle on. I am currently avoiding (or rather trying to avoid) all grains, dairy and legumes. I eat a cooked fish heavy diet with lots of fruits and vegetables. I occasionally eat red meat and organ meats.

I have heard of eating raw meat in the past but couldn't find anything comprehensive enough to try it. I have this belief that the meat (land or sea) has to be extremely fresh to be eaten raw or it will cause severe digestion problems (lots of pain). I have had an experience along these lines a few years ago where I dried raw fish and tried to eat it. I was keeled over once it started digestion and I spend the day in the fetal position drinking lemon juice until I got it out of me. I enjoy eating sashimi and dishes like steak tartar but that experience has made me hesitant on pursuing a raw meat diet.

My main question at the moment is how old/fresh does meat/fish have to be in order to eat it raw? Is it pretty much like if I could cook it and eat it can I eat it raw instead? When buying meat is there something I have to check for (colour, smell) or can I just go to the market get a cut of meat and simply eat it as is? What about frozen meat can I thaw it and eat it? And what happens when meat that has gone bad is ingested? I understand that there I a degree of risk in pursuing such a diet and place myself as responsible for what I eat.

Welcome! We're both new!

Here's a short tale about my experience looking for fresh meat.  I live in Detroit and there is a farmers market here, the largest in Michigan.  Thousands of people pass through the market every Saturday and there are many butcher houses all over the market.  One Saturday I arrived at the market early and went to the various butchers, asking if they had any grass fed beef (or other grass fed meat).  Every butcher told me that grass fed meat was a specialty item and you could not find such meat around.  They were right!  I asked them how fresh their meat was, and the response I got was that the meat was usually about a MONTH old.  A MONTH.

Now this was the first time I tried switching from SAD to cooked paleo, and it didn't last 2 days.  I was fortunate enough to eventually discover eatwild.com and find some local farmers raising grass fed meats.  I had to drive 2 hours (one way) just to pick it up.  But it was worth every minute and every cent.  My meat was slaughtered, hung for a few days, then promptly butchered and vacuum sealed, and never frozen.  I threw it in my freezer but it is a lot of meat and I am new to this, I may just refridgerate it next time instead of freezing it, which was probably overkill.

...

I think that if you would NOT want to eat it cooked, you should avoid eating it raw.  You can't improve an already poor product (factory-raised and grain-fed old meat) by not cooking it, at least not by much. 

I was one of the addicted people to. Sometimes you gotta just suck it up. But what helped me was eating as much food as I possibly could, don't worry about weight gain, once the addiction subsides you'll be able to lose as much weight as you want. I tried easing into paleo and it didn't work. If your not eating till your as full as you can be then your not going to be able to fight your addiction.

This sounds about right to me. 

To the original poster, I don't know how much control you have over your environment (whether you live alone or with others), but you may want to consider purging/getting rid of your non-paleo foods.  I live with a carb addict and was one myself but I was able to avoid "relapse" into eating addictive high carb foods by stuffing myself full of cooked paleo foods at each meal. 

Try writing down your favorite meats and then go out and buy those.  If you can handle dairy, stock up on that also.  Make sure you have some sweet fruit and veggies that you like as well.  Go for comfort foods that do not contain the dreaded grains.  I think the key is to be prepared.

Here is how things went for me.  I started by giving up sugar and ONLY sugar 6 months before going cooked paleo.  So I was still eating mostly SAD for six months, with the exception of sugar.  People tried to pressure me into eating sugary foods but I stood my ground.  It was challenging, but it was simple as it only involved sugar.  During the time I gave up sugar and EVERYTHING containing sugar, I still ate lots of bread and pasta, that was my serious addiction.  I tried going paleo once over those 6 months and didn't last 48 hours.  Sometimes you just have to keep trying.  The second time I tried I was successful.  I prepared by buying a freezer and a grass fed lamb, then went to the farmers market and stocked up on the fruit and veggies.  On the third night of switching to cooked paleo I woke up in the middle of the night, my heart was pounding and I felt extremely weak and hungry.  I CRAWLED into the kitchen.  Luckily I had a few pieces of fruit handy and I was able to get my blood sugar up without breaking the diet, but if I had to eat a piece of bread it wouldn't have been the end of the world.  In the first few weeks I ate pickles (which contained "natural flavor" which is just MSG), I ate processed salami (more MSG and factory meat), I ate pork from a grain-fed pig... I know I ate some other grain-fed meat.  But I drew the line at grains and starchy vegetables like potatoes/yams.  NO WAY was I going to touch those!

The important thing is to keep trying and try to be prepared and not be caught off guard!  The world isn't very paleo friendly!

Ryan

Thank you everyone for the warm welcome!   

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!