The Zone diet is a good alternative. I've been told that a lot of people start with one and go to the other depending on their results and willingness to give up certain foods. Zone is easier to do although I get confused with all the "blocks".

I don't know how most Americans would figure out the ethnic part. Most of us are genetic mutts whether we look it or not.

Tea is ok. Its the three heaping spoonfuls of sugar that I put in it that is bad!

The one cheat I'm going to allow myself is milk. My grandmother has osteoporosis and its just not worth the risk to me.

Kelly, my people are Irish. Maybe I should eat bangers, smoked shoulder and spuds all day!

Does anyone follow the "eat right for your blood type" diets? My mom is very, very health conscious (as a major understatement) and she is pretty big on this. We are both type O negative, meaning that according to the diet, I should do better with meat, fish, veggies and nuts, and minimal carbs. I do find this to be true, as even as a young child I always ate the hamburger and left the bun, and a bowl of pasta knocks me out.

 Quote: connie sutherland

 Quote: cathy goessman

I'm going to drink it anyway because it keeps me away from soda but is tea allowed in paleo?

Now that you mention condiments I put mustard on everything so that would be hard to give up too.

Well ...... I'm thinking that tea is a plant whose leaves are infused in water.

Maybe a little more "reachy," but mustard is a seed combined with vinegar (from a fruit) ..... How does the Paleo diet feel about a bit of honey in mustard?

It would probably be OK, so long as its just honey in the mustard. No corn syrup, though.

Phaedra, I have heard about that diet but I have never known anyone who does it.

Interesting topic! I've looked into the Paleo diet a little bit. The problem for me would be giving up the dairy products (and chocolate, of course).

Sometimes I envy our dogs. Sometimes I wish somebody would take the necessity of making healty choices out of my hands and just fix me up a batch of healthy, species-appropriate food every day. We humans are faced with too many choices at the grocery store, most of them bad for us these days.

So I try to follow a natural diet, though I wouldn't put any particular name to it. I try to steer away from the processed garbage and eat foods that are as close to what nature produces as possible. I eat a lot of lean protein and go easy on the carbs.

I like the taste of grass-fed beef but can't buy it too often because of the price. Same is true of organic foods. I do drink organic milk, though. I won't compromise on that.

Regarding honey, I think our ancestors probaby did enjoy honey but consumed it only rarely due to the risks associated with obtaining it!

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

I believe that in this day, people on any diet (including the Paleo diet) would do well to be careful about getting a good balance of Omega 6s to Omega 3s. Paleo people were not eating grain-fed (or grain-finished) slaughter animals for their meat.

I just felt I needed to add that although grass fed does contain more omega 3s, it is not a significant ammount. Only about 30 mg when the daily recomendation is above 2,000 mg. Also, the ratio between 6's and 3's favors the grain fed. I support choice 100%, but being a farm wife, I feel the need to add facts when I can. Anyone with other farm animal/meat/dairy questions, feel free to ask. I love to talk shop

 Quote: Cheri Grissom

Sometimes I envy our dogs. Sometimes I wish somebody would take the necessity of making healty choices out of my hands and just fix me up a batch of healthy, species-appropriate food every day.

Oh, me too, me too. I would even eat crap in a bag kibble if it came to that.

 Quote: amy vandeweerd

 Quote: connie sutherland

I believe that in this day, people on any diet (including the Paleo diet) would do well to be careful about getting a good balance of Omega 6s to Omega 3s. Paleo people were not eating grain-fed (or grain-finished) slaughter animals for their meat.

I just felt I needed to add that although grass fed does contain more omega 3s, it is not a significant ammount. Only about 30 mg when the daily recomendation is above 2,000 mg. Also, the ratio between 6's and 3's favors the grain fed. I support choice 100%, but being a farm wife, I feel the need to add facts when I can. Anyone with other farm animal/meat/dairy questions, feel free to ask. I love to talk shop

.... also (same post):

 Quote: connie sutherland

... they weren't avoiding fish because of heavy metal and other contamination, unsustainability, fishing methods, or the problems inherent in fish farming.

I would LOVE to hear more about your post info. I've been going mostly by the Journal of Animal Science and papers out of UC Chico and UC Davis. (I do recognize that the material produced by the grassfed associations might not be the best source for unbiased
accuracy. )

I would especially appreciate a link to "the ratio between 6's and 3's favors the grain fed" material. I've received info from numerous family farmers (and have edited books on raising beef cattle), and I always want more! (Info that goes against what I have received is even more interesting to me. )

 Quote: Lauren Jeffery

Yup.

No salt, sugar, flour, vegetable oils or anything processed.

The paleo diet people are really into grass fed meat for the omega 3s and 6s. That doesn't really seem doable to me since finding grass fed meat is hard around here. I would probably have to find a CSA for that. But, just like the dogs there is always salmon oil.

I'm going to give it a try. I put on 10 pounds this winter!

No legumes also, if you are strict paleo. The reason hardcore paleo folks recommend the grass fed meat is because the omega 6 to omega 3 ratio is better. How much better is debatable, IMO. What is not debatable is that the lower the omega 6 in your diet, the better. All industrially processed cooking oils are astronomically high in omega 6 oils. So are expeller pressed seed oils.

Paleo folks do not avoid saturated fat found in animal sources...

Personally, I sautee in butter or e.v. olive oil only. I have nearly eliminated wheat from my diet (not entirely....but I'm getting there), and have cut way back on most other carbs. Very limited amounts of rice, potatoes, etc...limited amounts of fruit and little or no fruit juices. I eat as many veggies as I want, but go easy on carrots and other higher carb veggies.

I have done this because I have very serious heart disease in my family, and I am trying to avoid the bypass surgeries that both my mother and older sister have had. All my bloodwork has improved since I started this way of eating...

In the past 18 months I have gone from 145 lbs at my heaviest to 125 lbs now. I have not increased my exercise, and I have not 'dieted'. I would describe my diet as low-carb, but not strict paleo. I still eat legumes and also dairy...
I try hard to avoid anything processed.

The great thing about eliminating processed carbs and eating more protein and fat is that it pretty much eliminates hunger pangs. Mostly I've lost weight because I stay full longer and don't feel the need to eat as frequently.