Raw Paleo Diet to Suit You > Carnivorous / Zero Carb Approach

Overeating

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Kristelle:
I'd like to share my story as a reminder that too much of a good thing can prove to be harmful. I went all-raw during the summer of 2007 and mostly ate organ meats. I also stopped eating any carbs. I would eat large amounts of heart, kidney, tongue and liver, usually twice daily. I began to experience fatigue, especially after meals and certain symptoms I hoped would go away on this diet actually worsened like hives. This lasted about 2 months after which I decided to change things around. I tried including more fruits, less meat, more muscle-meat, more fat, etc. Always raw. If anything, things got a little worse. I would often feel bloated, my weight went up, my moods were unstable, my skin was very dry, hives persisted. Post-meal fatigue would sometimes get so intense that I would fall asleep almost immediately after my meals and sleep for hours. Gained weight, felt anxious, abdomen was hurting and was distended.

At the moment, I mostly eat muscle-meat, rarely organ meats and only slightly cooked, raw on the inside.

Until recently, I didn't quite understand why I was feeling so lousy on a diet that is supposedly the healthiest for "man". But then, I remembered something Tyler once said, that if he ate too frequently (i.e twice daily), he felt tired. He surmised it was the excess nutrients and strain on the digestive system. Bingo!

I would often eat despite lack of hunger, just because it was "time" to eat or because I was bored. But, if I listened to hunger, I would usually only eat every 24-36 hours. And everytime, I did, I felt a little better. Suddenly, my energy levels would rise.

So, in our quest to regain health and reap the most benefits out of such a diet, we should not forget to also get in touch with our body's signals. This is a nutrient-dense diet and as such, we don't need much. Eat ONLY when hungry and things will be fine. Let your acculturation and emotions dominate your actions and you will pay the price. I certainly did.

Squall:
I'm not trying to be contrarian, but I do want to point out that an endocrine system compromised by decades of toxic food may play a large role in inhibiting proper digestion and sending false signals. Depending on who you are, the above might be fine advice, but it may not work for everyone, as most everybody's body has been abused in unique ways relative to others.

I myself am still trying to find my zone as far as eating well and feeling well, too. If I ate what my body told me to, then I would be eating refined carbs all day. Conversely, if I eat all raw with a good dose of fat, I feel panicky and anxious and am all but useful at work. If I eat high-quality cooked meat, I tend to feel really good, even though I'm pretty sure that raw is much more healthy. I attribute the disparity between feeling well and eating well to a messed up system, including the strong desire for stuff that my paleolithic ancestors never ate.

Call me a pessimist, but listening to the body in the early stages of this life style when things are rough and all out of whack does not sound like a good idea to me. Perhaps after a few years, the body is more attuned to its true needs, and listening to it would be prudent. This is my opinion, and its merely based on my own experiences. That being said, I'm glad you found your sweet spot, Kristelle. I'll find mine one day as well.

rawlion:
Maybe you had too much purines in your diet?

http://www.goutpal.com/foods-high-in-uric-acid.html

As regards tongue, it seems to be more "safer" than other organ meats, as its content is pretty balanced and is more closer to that of fatty muscle meats. Heart, kidneys and especially liver in excess may cause certain problems for some.

Furion:
That was interesting.  Thanks.

goodsamaritan:
I concur with Kristelle's personal observation.
As a rule I only eat my big raw animal food meal only once per day, usually lunch time.

The rest of the day, I'm just on hydrating fruits for snacks.

My fruits are not sugar bombs... I live in the tropics so our fruits are hydrating (coconuts, watermelons), local, organic, in season... and every month there is always a new set of fruits in season... and helps in digestion (e.g. papaya, pineapple)... and is a source of raw fat (coconut meat).

I read Henry Bieler's Food is your Best Medicine (1965) and he observes that there are types of people who do well in eating lots and lots of animal foods.  I'm probably not one of those people at this point in my life.

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