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Yes, Paleo is absolutely right for you.

I'm also 21, also very underweight (weighing just 46kg), and living with an autoimmune disease. I've suffered anxiety most of my life, and think I can offer you some really useful tips.

Eliminating gluten 100% has done a lot for me (but was incredibly difficult at first), in fact I've eliminated a ridiculous amount of stuff due to my illness, I now avoid all nightshades, refined sugars, gluten, eggs, dairy, nuts, seeds, and high starch vegetables (I suffer from a leaky gut and have to follow the Paleo autoimmune-protocol).

An important question to ask yourself is, why are you underweight in the first place? I didn't used to be underweight, but as my gut health deteriorated, I developed food malabsorption, gut dysbiosis, and bacterial overgrowths, meaning I could barely tolerate any sugar, even from fruit, but especially not carbs. Being underweight - this was a big problem, I lost about 10kg, and I'm only just starting to recover and make sense of it all. It sounds like you're in a VERY similar situation to me, so perhaps we can help each-other out.

The most important thing is to accept that you're ill, and that things will only get worse unless you take action. However, no matter how hopeless you feel, just remember that by understanding the science behind your illness, you have the power to get better.

I strongly reccommend you buy this book: LINK

If you haven't yet been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease or leaky gut, chances are you are at high risk of developing one or the other. What you will find, is that by following some version of the Paleo diet, you will give your body everything it needs to recover back to it's natural state. Your gut is possibly the most important aspect of your health, once your gut is damaged, you don't digest food properly, and toxins are able to enter your blood stream, causing an immune response, leading to problems like allergies and a weakened immune system. This all has an affect on your hormone levels, and that is a very likely cause of your weight loss. I myself tested low for Testosterone levels.

Here are some quick tips:

• Increase your protein intake (I have nearly 100g protein daily), don't worry about the myths of excess protein being harmful, as long as you get your protein from healthy sources such as Salmon, Grass fed Beef, Shellfish, Poultry, Insects, ect, you will be fine. If you plan on following a low-sugar, low-carb Paleo diet (which I highly recommend), increasing your protein intake is a must, otherwise you simply wont be getting enough calories necessary to gain weight.
  
  
• Increasing your protein intake might cause you constipation at first, especially if you aren't digesting food properly, if this happens, there are several things I found which help. First, buy yourself some digestive enzymes, I recommend this brand LINK. Other things which help are stomach acid supplements LINK, and Ox-Bile LINK. I cannot stress how important it is that you properly digest your food, there's no point in eating if you aren't capable of digesting it. Always keep things moving, having a bowel movement at least every 1-2 days is important, so if constipation is an issue, don't be afraid to take supplements like magnesium 1-2 times a day LINK, or Glycerin suppositories. Also, it's important to have some vegetables with every meal, if you can tolerate starchy vegetables - great, if not, try and include plenty of food like broccoli & salad.
  
  
• Increase the amount of fat in your diet. Try and ensure you maintain a healthy omega-3 to omega-6 fat ratio, this can be done by avoiding grain-fed meat, always choose grass-fed meat when possible. Try and eat a portion of grass fed beef every day, this will help with gaining weight. Salmon is also very high in protein, as well as omega-3 fats. Don't be afraid to drizzle oils over your food, I personally like Garlic infused olive oil, avocado oil, flax-seed oil, walnut oil, macadamia oil, etc..
  
  
• Variety is important! Going on a restrictive diet can be really really stressful, especially when modern-day society shoves all these irresistible hyper-palatable foods in your face every minute of every day. It's super important to make sure that you ENJOY your food, otherwise you will be a slave to temptation. Plus, when you enjoy your food, you feel better, and you digest better. At first, going Paleo felt horribly restrictive to me, but after a while, I realised it has actually opened me up to a whole new world of wonderful foods. Eat like a king, enjoy the full variety that nature has to offer, here are some of the things I've learned to love since following the Paleo approach: King Prawns, Razor Clams, Frog legs, Octopus, Kangaroo, Offal (heart, liver, kidney, tongue, tail), Sardines, Sea Bass, Trout, Swordfish, Cod Roes, Crab, Lobster, Insects (dehydrated Crickets, Super-worms, Silk worms, Meal-worm), I could go on. Many of these things sound gross at first, but trust me - it's all completely natural, and tastes delicious!
  
  
• Although adopting a low sugar diet is important, it's also important to consume some sugar/carbs with each meal, in order for your body to produce insulin for storing that energy as fat. Having some ripe banana or pineapple with each meal is best.
  
  
• Space out your meals. Allow yourself to feel hungry before each meal, this will make you enjoy your meals more, and help with hormone regulation.
  
  
• Focus on sleeping more. I always leave myself at least 10 hours, in case I have a bad night. Sleep is when your body recovers and grows, even if you have the perfect diet, gaining weight will be impossible without adequate sleep.
  
  
• Go for walks in nature. Nature is a wonderful way to clear your mind and bring you back to your roots, it's wonderfully calming and healthy, it will do wonders for your anxiety. Listen to some calm music during your walks and try to meditate and allow yourself to absorb into your surroundings. Use this time to connect with yourself and make important life decisions. Walking also stimulates the digestive system, relieves stress, anxiety, and regulates your hormones. Try and go for at least one 30 minute walk per day, or two if possible.
  
  
• Try and connect with someone. I started seeing a nutritional therapist, and she did wonders for my self-esteem and is still helping me get my life back on track. Feel free to message me any time if you have or questions, or simply want to chat. :)
  
  Hope this helps, best of luck! Enjoy the journey to good health!
  
  Edit: Oh, and I recommend taking L-Glutamine every day, it will help you gain weight, and it's extremely good for healing your gut. Also, home-made bone broth will do wonders for health, I can't recommend it enough.

I learned about the Paleo diet from Cordain's book. I learned about the various related diets from the practitioners who designed them.

I'm not aware that any of the people you list claim that they follow a strict Paleo diet. Rather, they (mostly) advocate starting with a Paleo diet, and then transitioning into a more self-experimental mode for long term health. Hence the explosion of spin-off diets-- Archevore, PaNu, Perfect Health Diet, Primal diet, etc.

Robb Wolf:

>"Fourth Shade of Paleo – The Lacto-Paleo (Also known as Primal)
>
>This one is exactly what the name implies. The lacto-paleo follows a traditional paleo style of eating but includes dairy products."

Okay, if you want to call it lacto-paleo instead of primal, I'm on board. Because that still lets me know before I click on something that it contains dairy.

Chris Kresser:

>"More recently, some authors/bloggers have advocated a diet based roughly on Paleo principles but that also may include dairy products and even certain grains like white rice and buckwheat, depending on individual tolerance."

Sounds like he agrees that "Paleo principles" exclude dairy. He goes on to advocate what he calls a "Paleo template", which starts with Paleo, but may then go on to add things that are outside of the aforementioned Paleo principles... like dairy.

From page 10 of Everyday Paleo (the "What Is Paleo? section):

>"Anything that I did not list above should be eliminated-- meaning all processed foods, dairy, legumes, any form of sugar, and grains!"

That's pretty straightforward.

Diane Sanfilippo:

Here is the informational graphic that she displays on the "FAQs: What is Paleo?" page of balancedbites.com.

>image

Notice that the category "Raw, grass-fed dairy" Is outside of the bracket encompassing Paleo, with a little asterisk next to it, corresponding to the PRIMAL descriptor. Almost as if she thought dairy was part of the Primal diet, but not the Paleo diet.

And so forth.

There is a difference between saying "I think dairy is fine if you self-test and discover that you tolerate it well; in fact, I consume dairy myself!" and saying "Dairy is Paleo!". Namely, the first statement is true, and the second statement is false.

And guess what? I also consume some foods that are not approved on the Paleo diet! I occasionally eat... wait for it... WHITE RICE! But it would honestly never occur to me to call it Paleo. Why? Because it isn't.*

Breakfast for me is a smoothie. I use a NutriBullet and use the following (portions are "about a handful"): spinach, frozen carrots, frozen mango, frozen blueberries, apple, banana, cashews, chia seeds, flax seeds, protein powder.

Lunch I have a great service called Kettlebell Kitchen. Not sure if you have this in your area, but really helps me plan out a week easier when lunches are taken care of. Another option I have is Dig Inn. It's a farm-to-table idea with whole natural ingredients and no additives. Better than the "i'll just have a salad" sadness people get on diets.

Dinner I plan out days in advance. I have a ton of recipes, and I would recommend buying Nom Nom Paleo Cookbook. Try a few dishes from there, or you can also learn some of your classic favorites that are paleo.

Sunday I made Spicy Sloppy Joe's. I made it with the eggplant and also made Garlic Cauliflower.

Tonight i'm making Italian Veal Chops. Using Spaghetti Squash as the "pasta".

I, myself, reward myself one meal a week with cheese. Why don't you do the same? One suggestion is a Cobb Salad. Here's how I make it:
Lettuce, Avocado, Tomato, Cucumbers, Egg, Onion, Bacon, Bleu Cheese, Grilled Chicken.

I make my own dressing, it is Balsamic Vinaigrette. Don't buy cheap olive oil when making this, buy "the good stuff". Same with balsamic.
1/2 cup Olive Oil, 1/4 cup balsamic, 2 Tbs Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder. Whisk with a fork in a cup. Pour over salad.

No offense, but your diet sounds boring and sad. You gotta get creative. Even simple stuff like Crispy Chicken is more fun to eat than plain grilled chicken and "some sort of veggies". Why not make bacon and brussels sprouts. I eat this at least once a week.

Welcome! I'm a single mom to a 15 month old so I understand where you are coming from

-I make a lot of chicken thighs and buy in bulk at BJ's

-Check out Local Harvest for farmers markets in your area. I can get a weeks worth of fruits, vegetables and eggs for around $25

-Pick a day on the weekend and prep all of your fruits and vegetables for the week. It saves so much time during hectic week days.

-Macadamia nuts tend to be pricey so I try to buy raw almonds in bulk

-I recommend Well Fed or Everyday Paleo. The hot plates in Well Fed are awesome. Some of the recipes take a bit of time but are delicious.

-I use my crockpot faithfully, I prepare everything at night before bed that way in the morning, when we are rushed all I have to do is pull it out of the fridge and plug it in.

-As far as a picky toddler I don't keep anything that is not Paleo (other that whole milk from a local source) in the house. That way I'm not tempted to give in and just make mac and cheese. I give my daughter a variety of foods to try. Usually she eats everything but in the off chance she doesn't she knows she gets what's on her plate. We've had some tantrums because she would rather have fruit but I stick to my guns. I also try preparing vegetables different ways, she doesn't like cooked carrots but loves raw carrots or prefers one spice over another.

Please feel free to PM me if you need anything else and hope this helps.

Check out getting a vegetable noodle peeler! I just bought this one and made zucchini noodles with it a few days ago. They are pretty tasteless, but have a good texture and soak up other flavors well. You can use just about any root veggie out there. Going to try and make a beef stew with carrot, rutabaga, and turnip noodles in the crock pot this weekend!

Here is the one that i bought. Super simple and cleans easily.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=oh_details_o07_s02_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Edit: oh and to cook them just microwave it for a few minutes or boil it. I'm sure you could make some awesome potato or whatever you like fries with this too!

All grains cause the glycemic index in your body to go up. Basically, it turns into sugar giving you that sugar rush. Everything from white bread, pasta, waffles, crackers, and whole wheat will do that. Conventional wisdom has taught us that whole wheat is good and we should consume more of it. While it is better than regular wheat, it still does the same thing in your body. It's just a lesser of the evils.

I would suggest if your lifting, to switch from the starchy carbs to protein and fats. Your body can burn sugar, but it's not that effective. Burning fats and protein are a lot more effective and clean. Here's a testimony of someone on the paleo diet who lifts.

Also, if you interested on what wheat actually does to the body, I would highly recommend Wheat Belly.

Best of luck!

Edit: Typos

There are so many Paleo blogs out there that I really don't think you'll need to invest in a cookbook. But if you really want to get yourself one, I would suggest Melissa Joulwan's Well Fed, as I keep hearing so many amazing things about it: http://www.amazon.com/Well-Fed-Paleo-Recipes-People/dp/061557226X/ref=sr_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332421430&sr=1-9 (I haven't bought it because I just don't think I need to - soo many recipes I have yet to try from online)

What I do is I surf reddit and blogs for meal ideas and then I pin them onto "Pinterest" (http://pinterest.com/) - which is kind of like a Vision board-type thing (highly addictive) where you can take snapshots from websites and post them to your boards to keep them organized. It's like bookmarking but visually appealing.

Some blogs I'm enjoying/recipes plan to use:

http://www.whatrunslori.com
http://nomnompaleo.com/recipeindex
http://hollywouldifshecould.net/2011/11/a-month-of-paleo-crockpot-recipes/
http://fastpaleo.com/coconut-crepes/ (made these for breakfast)
http://sogoodpaleo.com/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ (he's more primal but his posts are great)
http://www.paleoplan.com/2010/01-13/cauliflower-rice/
http://theycallitfallingforareason.blogspot.ca/2011/06/paleo-carrot-cake.html
http://www.simplepaleocooking.com/


And the list goes on. Just google "Paleo __" and you're sure to get a ton of hits.

Good Luck :)

EDIT : This often helps a lot of people: http://robbwolf.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/thePaleoSolution_FoodMatrix.pdf

EDIT 2: Her stuff is sometimes paleo, it's usually gluten free: http://www.elanaspantry.com/gluten-free-recipes/breakfasts/
and Her stuff is good too: http://www.freckleditalian.com/ (mostly baking stuff)

It just depends on what's important to you. Assuming that wheat is causing a lot of health issues for you, then you may be forced to confront a simple choice: fix your health or satisfy your cravings. Some people won't make that choice until they're in really bad shape, like a smoker who won't stop smoking until s/he is diagnosed with cancer. If things are going this badly when you're this young, you can safely assume it's only going to get worse if you don't make some changes (eliminating wheat being one, others maybe be important too).

You might try reading the book "Wheat Belly." It's not paleo, it's not perfect, but I think it's an informative and worthwhile read for somebody in your situation, and it may scare you into trying something for your health. It's worth seeing if it resonates with you, and it will provide you with some insights I can almost promise you don't yet have.

The book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1609611543

The associated website: http://www.wheatbellyblog.com/

While eliminating wheat can be tough, especially if you're essentially "addicted" to it, I don't think you have to take the approach right in the beginning that you must never have wheat again. I would suggest, however, that you, when you are emotionally prepared to do so, cut wheat out for 30 days, promising nothing more to yourself than you will re-evaluate your decision once those 30 days are up and you see whether it had an impact on you. Again, that won't be easy, but it could give you some information you need to determine whether or not you should make it a lifestyle choice.

And you have certainly identified one of the big problems cutting out wheat, it's convenience. So many packaged and/or easy-to-prepare foods are wheat-based, so you really do have to plan ahead and be prepared if you want to deal with cutting it from your diet.

Also, I don't know how much you've really bought into "paleo," but it does tend to be a relatively high-fat diet. This would mean that a lot of the calories you replace from weight should come from things like butter (technically not paleo, but most are okay with it), coconut oil, fatty cuts of meat, olive oil, and some other stuff too. These things tend to fill you up much better and much longer than wheat products to, so hunger shouldn't be a problem if you do the diet right, though I certainly recognize that cravings can be something distinct from hunger. Those, you will just have to will yourself through.

The replacements for breads, cakes, and wraps are probably not ideal if all you are doing is buying the "gluten-free" versions of these things. That would help some, but not a lot. Some general replacements would be lettuce wraps, nori (seasoned seaweed), almond bread (in limited quantities), coconut bread, buckwheat products, rice crackers, maybe some other stuff too. Some of that stuff is probably going to have to be homemade though, so it won't help with convenience.

I think you should take 30 days to eliminate wheat. You could go all out and do a Whole 30 challenge - /r/whole30 - and see how you feel. (I think Whole 30 is a good idea, because it won't let you get away with adding a bunch of paleofied versions of things you crave, and it will probably also reduce your overall carb intake, which may be an additional issue than just wheat intolerance.) Or just cut out wheat and also avoid non-gluten bread for those 30 days, and don't worry as much about cutting all the other stuff out for the time being. That may be beneficial as well.

I will say wheat elimination seems to have done a lot for me and others I know as well, and none of us were diagnosed one way or the other as gluten-intolerant.

Good luck!

Find farms that are local to you. I buy grass fed beef direct from the farmer. (I even get to pet my dinner during their happy, but short lives on the farm.) It's like $5 a lb, but I have to buy in bulk.

The same farmer though also sells individual chickens. They are TRUE free range. Not like CAFO chickens - these birds literally could leave if they wanted too. There is no fence or gate preventing them from just heading out and walking down the road. The meat is incredibly dense and the birds are huge. I am a big eater and single breast is more than a meal for me; while I could pretty much eat an entire Publix chicken on my own.

Also - buy a slow cooker and find a source for quality meats in the cheaper cuts, like a roast.

You may like to read this book; The Vegetarian Myth. The title is a bit confrontational but most of the book is about the author reexamining her relationship with food and the earth. I am not a "spiritual person" but I found it quite moving and it really changed who I think about my food. The first chapter was free on her website - google it.

TL:DR: You can afford good meat; you need to buy it from a farmer not from Whole Foods.

If you're looking for physical paleo cookbooks, I can recommend Sarah Ballantyne's The Paleo Approach Cookbook as well as Michelle Tam's Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans and Melissa Joulwan's Well Fed. All of them are excellent books with a huge recipe selection, including tons of sides.

If you'd like to browse a website for recipes, look at The Paleo Mom as well as Mark's Daily Apple. There are others, but those two are great starting points.

As for flavorful sides, one of my go to recipes is roasted veggies. Try some carrots, broccoli, turnips, parsnips roasted in the oven at 350F for about an hour, with lots of healthy fat and some great seasonings, salt, pepper, maybe smoked paprika.

I gave my mom this for Mother's Day: Everyday Paleo She hasn't stopped making recipes out of it since! There are great pictures, easy to follow weekly meal plans and grocery lists, and everything is pretty easy and fast to make. not to mention every meal I've eaten from this book has been awesome.

EDIT: Wow you live in Taft?! I didnt know people lived there :P I flew in there a while back when I was doing some private pilots stuff and my Dad used to skydive there almost every weekend.

I haven't read the book but have listened to a couple of talks given by the authors and it sounds like it would be a good read for you. I did enjoy what the authors had to say. They were on Livin La Vida Low Carb. podcast, you might want to check that out as well. Good luck! You are in the right spot!

well fed has some great, tasty recipes, but is essentially a dairy-free keto recipe book. it sticks to whole30 approved ingredients, but would make a nice transition to paleo eating if you're coming from keto.

personally, i'd hoped for something a bit less carb restrictive, but if you serve the basic recipes listed with a starch, it's great.

"Well Fed"

http://www.amazon.com/Well-Fed-Paleo-Recipes-People/dp/061557226X

Not the cheapest book but a great building block for me. It's great for building things on top of other things. Got 1 meat, 3 veggies and 5 spices? Here's how to interchange them several ways and get at least 4 different meals. Here's recipes for 3 different simple sauces/toppings. Here's at least 10 different recipes they can be used in/on. Things like that.

EDIT: Also, crock pot is your friend.

I haven't switched to the paleo lifestyle yet, but I recently picked up Practical Paleo and it seems to be a great way to start out. I'm the type of person that needs something spelled out very clearly for me. I've also heard good things about Well Fed 1 and 2 and nomnompaleo.com.

I've not had this personally, but looks like coconut aminos are a great paleo-friendly seasoning for jerky. Here's a recipe.

I used to use Bragg's liquid aminos when I made jerky, and it tasted great, but Bragg's is soy based.

The hard part is just being prepared for meals, because your eating-out options will be more limited, and there's practically nothing you can get in ready-made, microwave dinners in boxes. So, there's very little room for laziness.

On the upside, you'll be cooking a lot, which is a wonderful skill to have and also makes food taste better. There are a lot of great cookbooks out there for paleo diets. My favorite is this one: http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Comfort-Foods-Homestyle-Gluten-Free/dp/1936608936/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341336840&sr=8-2&keywords=paleo

Basically, if you cut out grains, most dairy (all is best), legumes, and sugar (particularly added sugar), you're paleo.

EDIT: If you are feeling lazy, there are places you can go. If you're in California, you can get an In-and-Out burger with lettuce instead of a bun. You can also make this request at Chick-fil-a (just make sure you get the grilled chicken, not the fried.) I tried a similar request at Five Guys, and they were disappointingly inept at making that request. At Chipotle you can order the salad bowl, get some meat in there, skip the rice and beans and sour cream, and load up on pretty much everything else. Their guacamole is good. And don't eat the chips.

Spiral vegetable slicer. This thing is freaking awesome. I love noodles and pasta, and we use these "noodles" in paleo pad thai and pasta dishes. For the pasta, i just heat olive oil, throw in garlic and red pepper flakes to infuse it, toss in the noodles and cook through quickly...server meat and veggies and sauce over it or eat as is, the bomb! We also use it to shred all the cabbage, and will probaby use it to make sweet potato fries soon...stay tuned.

I don't have an autoimmune disease, but I read this book on how paleo helps with autoimmune disease. I really like it; it's a great book. It's a bit science heavy and kind of reads like a textbook.

https://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Approach-Reverse-Autoimmune-Disease/dp/1936608391/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1484962716&sr=1-1&keywords=paleo+autoimmune

I don't know what your budget is, but maybe a spiralizer -- super fun cooking. If your budget is smaller, there are these. I have one, and it works okay.

That's a great book. Well Fed is also excellent to get you started quickly. They focus on a weekly "cook up" so that through the week your meals are fast, delicious and nutritious.

There's a second edition of Well Fed but I can't speak to that one. I just know the first one is great.

Best way to start is just to jump right in. Especially cutting out grains, legumes, and dairy. After the first 6 weeks you can start introducing back in a few things, like dairy. But be mindful of young cheeses and dairy high in lactose (lactose = sugar).

I'm a big fan of The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf , Robbwolf.com, and Mark's Daily Apple.

Just a bit of heads up. The first 3 weeks are the hardest. You're body will grave grains (sugar) like crazy. My first week I broke 3-4 times and caved to a few beers, waffles, and pizza. But, don't let it get you down. Just keep pushing through. About days 18-21 you'll start to come out of the fog and really break that addiction.

Good luck! We'll see you on the other side :)

It's actually the recipe in this book, which I saw in a Barnes & Noble and purchased on a whim. Excellent recipes in there. I can attempt to reproduce it here.

Take 1 large eggplant (or 2-3 small ones), cut it in half, rub some olive oil on it, and bake it at 400 for 45 minutes (in a foil covered pan) face up.
let it cool
peel the top skin off, scoop that shit (minus the skin) into a blender
and 2 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 cloves of garlic
a dash of cumin
blend until smooth
then add 2 tbsp olive oil (slowly blend this in. I added about half a tbsp at a time)
good to go
I dipped cucumber slices into it

I used 3 huge ones and it was very potent, still good though.

I have this one and love it! It does spiraled noodles and straight noodles. It's easy to use and clean. Those are always my top priorities when looking for this kind of kitchen stuff.

I have been hearing so very much about that tool lately. I may need one.... That looks delicious.

Here is the one that some friends of mine have and love though.

There are two good, scientific books that have nothing to do with cavemen and everything to do with the science of how our bodies work that are worth reading. If she doesn't want to read them because its "too hard" or "time consuming" she really doesn't care that much about her health and its not worth pushing the issue. Sounds harsh, but its true. If she really wants to be healthy and wants to take the time to change, she should look at these resources.

Why We Get Fat

The End of Overeating

*Deleted my name at the end of this comment. I signed it like an email, and don't know why!

I sorta did it by the seat of my pants but if I recall it went something like this:

• brown 1lb ground bison
  
  
• brown 1/2 onion and several cloves garlic in the same pan
  
  
• add 2 chopped bell peppers, 2 chopped eggplants, 2 c. sliced mushrooms and 2 large cans diced organic tomatoes.
  
  
• Add many spices - salt, pepper, chili flakes, thyme, marjoram, oregano, basil. Add a splash of vinegar and a pinch of stevia.
  
  Cover and simmer until the veggies are cooked to your liking. Stir it every so often. Serve over your favorite spaghetti alternative such as zucchini, spaghetti squash, or shirataki noodles

You're not alone. Menstrual problems are extremely common in vegetarians, and so are mental health issues. There's plenty of stories similar to yours over at the WAPF, Let Them Eat Meat, and Beyond Vegetarianism. Personally, I gained a whopping 55lbs, developed B12 deficiency (despite taking 1000mcg of methylcobalamin per day), and ended up with a bunch of other nasty things. I'm proud to say that I've lost all of that weight plus seven pounds. (Who would've known a slice of bambi's mom could be so satisfying?)

So, a lot of people have clearly experienced health problems as a result of a vegn diet. Why does the ADA still insist that a "well-planned vegetarian diet" (a clear oxymoron) is healthy and even beneficial? [Seventh-Day Adventists and vegns have so much influence on the ADA to the point that it's rage-inducing.](http://letthemeatmeat.com/tagged/American-Dietetic-Association)

The Vegetarian Myth, The Mood Cure, The Meat Fix, The Ethical Butcher, The Whole Soy Story, and Defending Beef are all worth giving a read. Were you tested for B12, iron, zinc, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, magnesium, and/or iodine deficiency during your vegn years? If you quit recently, it's very likely that you're still deficient in some of these vitamins and will need to supplement for awhile. DHA and EPA are also very important due to how poorly ALA (such as that found in flaxseeds) converts to these essential nutrients.

I was vegan for nearly six years. No cheats. I always had my doubts about it, but getting to learn what other vegns look like was my last call. Just keep in mind that some lifelong meat-eaters will insist that a vegetarian diet is healthier. And some people are really mean.

There's a book dedicated to that topic actually: Wheat Belly, it's a heart doctor who recommends avoiding grains. It's not strictly about the paleo diet as far as I know, but following a paleo type diet (paleo, primal, PHD, etc) will take care of that for sure.

Great question.

I'm lactose-intolerant, so I never ate more than the occasional insignificant amount of dairy anyway. That wasn't much of a change.

Over a 6-month period prior to the first photo in the series (Jan 15), I started reducing gluten consumption more and more. I decided to eliminated it entirely after reading Wheat Belly, which was around the time I started paleo, so eliminating gluten wasn't that big a change, either.

It was really reducing other grains, and legumes, that was more of a change for me. I never ate many processed foods, but eliminating them as a conscious decision, and being more aware of what's on ingredient labels, is a big difference.

Re: IF, that was a big change, but it's really become easy with time (just be consistent for a few days / weeks and your body will adjust). See this comment I made above for more. This excerpt from Taleb's Antifragile is what inspired me to start with IF.

I'm sure that any paleo "purist" would probably argue that protein should be sourced entirely from whole foods. However, for different reasons among different people, not everyone can do that. Hemp protein is quality but it's kind of high in omega 6 (inflammation) and a bit pricey. Your best bet is finding high quality whey protein ISOLATE and I will shamelessly plug NOW foods. Their protein is affordable, flavorless (no aspartame, sucralose, etc), and high quality. It's probably your best bet. Add some blended fruit or cocoa to get your own shakes.

Is whey isolate "paleo"? Probably not. However, I haven't noticed any problems with adding it back in to my diet.

Nope, it's not the ingredients or the microwave that are causing the stir. The Whole30 people refer to paleo-ify baked goods as Sex With Your Pants On. I dont think anyone is trying to make you feel unsupported, just trying to point out what might be a flaw in your Whole30 plan so you don't unintentionally sabotage yourself. It's up to you if paleo english muffins are going to work for you, but just understand its not to the letter of the Whole30 program. That does not make it bad, just not necessarily "Whole30". Hope that helps. I also highly recommend reading the book as it goes into greater detail on where the rules come from. It helped me a lot to understand how some rules that seemed arbitrary, weren't so arbitrary after all!

Seriously! You must try this-

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371068095&sr=8-1&keywords=spiral+slicer

It works great with sweet potato, zuchini, and turnup (at least those are what I've tried so far!)

Also makes carrot and cucumber look badass for a salad ;)

As others have mentioned, fat. But check out the book It Starts With Food if you want an ELI5 breakdown of the science and reasoning behind it; you'll find the answers to your questions, as well as a list of references for the information presented--a launchpad for your own research. The writing can be less than stellar at times (geared towards conversational motivation more so than academia), but it's a good starting point. Like an infographic in book form.

The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982565844/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_HlbKub1RY2NX3 - gives you the "why" so the "how" comes naturally.

Practical Paleo: A Customized Approach to Health and a Whole-Foods Lifestyle https://www.amazon.com/dp/1936608758/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_LmbKub0PJBYV7 - If you're not already a wizard in the kitchen, this book helps make your food taste less shitty with good wholesome ingredients.

Good luck!

As an alternative when you're just not feeling the sauerkraut vibe (which is always for me...) the Vegetti works as advertised--we just grab a couple of zucchini and make up veggie pasta. Great because it really lets the flavor of the sauce come through. Great as an alternative to our normal spaghetti squash.

Why not get one of the many books on Paleo and read up on it so you know what is "good to eat".

Once you get a handle on your situation just make sure you have plenty of grub available to you so you won't cave to your cravings. Also, your cravings will subside pretty quickly if you start eating "right".

Non-mobile:

• Paleo Comfort Foods
  
• Paleo Happy Hour
  
• Paleo by Season
  
  ^That's ^why ^I'm ^here, ^I ^don't ^judge ^you. ^PM ^/u/xl0 ^if ^I'm ^causing ^any ^trouble. ^WUT?

For those asking about good spiral slicers (zucchini pasta machines), here's the awesome one that I use, from Paderno: http://amzn.com/B0007Y9WHQ.

Which is actually a pretty good read:

Amazon Link --> Paleo Diet for Athletes

This is the one I have. Not OP but I love mine and continue to use it regularly since getting it in August. I found that watching non-professional youtube videos of the most highly rated ones gave me the best impression and helped me to select the one that I did.

What's neat is that if you get a spiralizer you can make "pasta" from vegetables. Mind blown. I now make "noodles" out of zucchini, sweet potatoes, and any relatively firm elongated vegetable, and the taste if out of this world!

tone: eyebrow raised

I'm not a dude. And Paleo has never endorsed carbs. Taken from the FAQ under "what did Paleolithic man eat?":

> heavy reliance on animals as food, including land animals (game), birds, fish, molluscs, small mammals and insects

> moderate consumption of plant foods, fruit, and nuts/seeds

A couple more questions down, "So what shouldn't I eat?":

> everything made from grains like wheat, corn, rice, barley and oats: this includes all baked goods (bread, crackers, muffins, cookies, etc.), pasta, and breaded/fried items

> sugar in all forms except whole fruit

> vegetable and seed oils like corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil, sunflower/safflower oil, etc.

> legumes (beans, peanuts)

tone: encouraging & informative

Check out the rest of the subreddit for the myriad of questions of "Are rice and potatoes bad? They aren't grains." The overall consensus is that if you want to lose weight, avoid these (and hardcore Paleo lifestyle dieters will typically tell you to avoid them anyway), but if you're hurting for calories, eating them in moderation is okay.

You should also do some research and check out things like the book Wheat Belly, which has also been posted & talked about in this subreddit. It details how your body stores grains differently than other sources of energy, hence the wheat belly (or commonly known as "beer belly".)

P.S. Keto and Paleo are closely related, the main difference being that Keto endorses dairy (because of the fat), while Paleo doesn't and encourages much more veggies.

As /u/nihilisticpunchline suggested, you may want to start with the auto-immune protocol.

In combination with "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" which explains the SCD diet (similar to Paleo in practice), I suggest this book which has a TON of great information about the suggested mechanism of action by which these changes will benefit your body: http://www.amazon.com/The-Paleo-Approach-Reverse-Autoimmune/dp/1936608391/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406570528&sr=8-1&keywords=paleo+autoimmune+protocol

Get Why We Get Fat:

http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307474259

or the audio version

http://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Get-Fat-About/dp/0307877523/ref=tmm_abk_title_0

Read her a chapter every night and play the guilt card "You'll listen to this if you really love me."

I make mine in a Cuisinart food processor which is supposed to make less fluffy, more creamy than if you use a blender, but mine has come out awesome and not runny at all after I did these things:

1. Light Olive Oil. This was the key, so it gets #1.
   
2. Pour in the oil as slow as possible. The stream of oil should be very small. It takes about 3-4 minutes and my arm gets a workout.
   
3. Bring everything to room temperature.
   
4. Use at least a tablespoon of lemon juice.
   
   Well Fed has the mayo recipe that I follow and it has been foolproof for me. I screwed up a bunch of batches before finding that recipe and getting it right.

In short, it's a result of the varying life cycles of memory and regulatory t-cells. At length, it's a textbook. The most approachable guide through the impact of paleo-type eating on immune response is probably this book. It's still sort of a textbook... but it has more helpful pictures.

I really like Paleo Comfort Foods

I bought a Paleo slow cooker book that has a lot of great recipes. More than just ground beef too. My personal favorite was the chile verde. Upon searching it looks like there is quite a few books, but here's the one I have:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1936608693/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1479260041&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=paleo+slow+cooker+cookbook&dpPl=1&dpID=51z%2BXZgMFtL&ref=plSrch

I just got a hold of this book from my library. A bit on the simple side, but quite good.

I bought on of these. I love it.

My recommendation would be that you read this book by Robb Wolf to better understand the whys of paleo. To address your second question... You should jump right in with a 30 day strict paleo diet to get yourself over the hurdles of cravings/dependence. It will be hard and you will be mean for up to two weeks, but trust that its for the greater good. When you are no longer dependent upon sugar/grains you will feel in control. The way I like to look at it... if you were addicted to heroin and trying to quit would keep doing heroin a couple days out the week? I know... an extreme example, but you get the idea.

Just wanted to chime in and say that coconut aminos are a paleo-friendly (and delicious!) substitute for soy sauce. This recipe looks yummy!

Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan. Lots of ideas for basic recipes and how to change them via different spices. She also understands the difference between cooking a nice dinner and getting food on the table in 30 minutes.

http://www.amazon.com/Well-Fed-Paleo-Recipes-People/dp/061557226X/ref=la_B001JSE2EC_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345135233&sr=1-1

read it in a book~

with THAT said, i still drink black coffee B)

but yeah I agree with you -- it's going to be extremely difficult to adopt a strict historically-accurate paleo diet in a modern world. i used to not be able to handle coffee because it would give me bubbleguts, it turns out it was just the creamer and sugar that did.

Go visit them before you eat them. See them being treated well and having good lives even though (because?) they're being raised to be our food. It's the cycle of life, they eat their food, we eat them--and, eventually we die and rot and become plant food and it starts all over again.

Edit: you might also want to take a look at Lierre Keith's The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability.

I have this thing called a Vegetti that is excellent for making zucchini/squash pasta.

I highly recommend the cookbook Well Fed. It is Whole30 compliant, so no grains and very limited sugars appearing in fruit in the dessert section. Available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Well-Fed-Paleo-Recipes-People/dp/061557226X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345750213&sr=8-1&keywords=well+fed

1. Oats are not paleo. Read "The Paleo Diet for Athletes" here http://www.amazon.com/The-Paleo-Diet-Athletes-Nutritional/dp/160961917X. That will tell you how to get carbs and how much you need, etc.
   
   
2. Yogurt isn't paleo, but it is primal. See marksdailyapple.com for the distinction. http://www.marksdailyapple.com/dairy-intolerance/
   
   
3. Supplements are most likely paleo. Depends on what they are and what they are made of. I'm not sure which brewer's yeast you're using, but the others should all be fine. I personally stick to a multi, whey, fish oil, probiotic, zinc, arginine, and b complex.
   
   
4. Diet soda isn't paleo. I think there are a few sodas that are paleo now, but I just stick to water and coconut milk for my protein shakes. And technically whey isn't paleo, but it is primal because it is a certain type of dairy.

I love "Paleo pasta" with meat sauce. I use grass fed beef in this recipe.

I "Paleotized" this recipe. I use zuchinni & yellow squash for pasta, either ribbon cut or use this veggie slicer to make squash spaghetti

Practical Paleo is my favorite. http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Paleo-Customized-Whole-Foods-Lifestyle/dp/1936608758/

Links:

Paleo Comfort Foods

Well Fed

Don't give up. I learned from my daughter how healthy paleo can be and after watching her for about a year, I went all in this summer. Best thing I have every done for myself. That said you might get the book Practical Paleo. It was just released and it has everything in one place. http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Paleo-Customized-Whole-Foods-Lifestyle/dp/1936608758

If you want to learn... I suggest these books:

• Primal Blueprint - good introduction to the whole concept of paleo/primal
  
  
• Why We Get Fat - easy to read book on the actual SCIENCE of nutrition and body fat, and how mainstream knowledge is based on bad science to begin with

I love them...I stole this vegetable spiraler from my mom that she had in her garage gathering dust...a bit bulky but it does the job

The Paleo Solution, by Robb Wolff
http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844

In my opinion, impossible. I'm taking advantage of a paleo lifestyle, but I don't think it's practical on a large-scale level. Like leevs11 said, the only reason there are 7 billion people is because of agriculture. While many were saved from starvation, the long-term outcome was more mouths to feed, and of course, starvation continues.

Lierre Keith is interesting talks specifically about this topic. You can download a speech by her here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?007hq967v7xy937
Her book:
http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Myth-Food-Justice-Sustainability/dp/1604860804

Also, read this article, written in 1987, describing agriculture as, "The Worst Mistake in the History of the Human Race":
http://www.ditext.com/diamond/mistake.html

This is what I use. Works well.

you could tell your friends to read the recently released book "Wheat Belly", or you could just stop talking about it and let the results speak for themselves...

120 lbs and 7% - wow, ok.

First thing is to get properly educated before you begin. I started with Robb Wolf's book: The Paleo Solution. Also check out the FAQ here in the sidebar.

Exercise is a given - preferably something high intensity with short intervals. I like the Scientific 7-Minute Workout. No special equipment except for a chair.

Re: diet, I would say the lower-carb you go, the faster it will come off. Once you approach your goal, add in more Paleo-friendly carbs (sweet potatoes, plantains, fruit, etc) in order to maintain.

That being said, in getting to that lower-carb state, you might want to go about that gradually if you've never done it before. If you go super-low carbs, then you should probably take a break from it now and then (say, a couple days every 2-3 weeks have some Paleo-friendly starches)

Last but not least, mind your sleep habits and stress levels.

Don't listen to most of the exchanges here on /r/paleo - you get a lot of opinions from the users, not necessarily based on the science behind the lifestyle. Read the book, do the research, and see what works for you. It isn't supposed to be a strict diet, but a lifestyle based on clean eating and long-term life change. I'll eat cottage cheese every once in a while, because I can eat it and feel fine, and I maintain a baseline of health. My wife doesn't eat it because it makes her sick. Listen to your body, and use your brain.

Was looking at your mandoline link and then I was browsing and then I found this.

I think I want this.

I'm a big fan of using a spiralizer to turn zucchini and yellow squash into long spaghetti-like strands which can be blanched or cooked in the microwave with no added moisture for a few minutes or until soft.

I got a Julienne peeler (like this: http://www.amazon.com/OXO-Good-Grips-Julienne-Peeler/dp/B0000CCY1S) to get nice thin spaghetti-like strands. You can also use a mandolin slicer if you prefer ribbons.

I'd imagine you could do it with a knife, but they wouldn't be as easy to slice/wouldn't come out evenly, and would take quite a while.

Not available online, but Well Fed has a whole section at the front on making meals for the week and what to stock in your pantry, what to shop for, etc. If you buy a paperback copy you can also download a pdf for $1 so you can have a version on your computer too.

http://www.amazon.com/Primal-Blueprint-21-Day-Total-Transformation/dp/0982207778/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320463206&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1320463224&sr=1-1

http://whole9life.com/category/whole-30/

I suggest this book: http://www.amazon.com/Vegetarian-Myth-Food-Justice-Sustainability/dp/1604860804

Reminds me of some of the material in this book

after 90 minutes of endurance exercise, you are going to deplete your glycogen. You actually need to eat sugar.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Paleo-Diet-Athletes-Nutritional/dp/160961917X

not a crock, it's loren cordain

I bought this and it has helped: http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Slow-Cooking-Gluten-Recipes/dp/1936608693/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373376543&sr=8-1&keywords=paleo+slow+cooker

Practical Paleo has a bunch of meal plans in it, and the author has weekly shopping lists for each plan on her website.

It is from Practical Paleo.

Here's the one I picked up:
http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380991468&sr=8-1&keywords=vegetable+slicer

A link

I splurged and got a spiral slicer and made them last night- they were so good!

Here's one way.

Possibly. But like I said, I currently use apps on both my phone and pc to automatically filter out the blue light and yield a red hue. They are really cool as they track sunrise and sunset each day.

I think I'm going to subscribe to buying these for my bedroom:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000LWIQ1C/ref=mp_s_a_1_fkmr3_2?qid=1427215700&sr=8-2-fkmr3&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&keywords=Felt+electric+bulb+orange

One for each light I have in the room, minus one light in which I'll keep a standard bulb in.

To not get too personal, I have been having a hard time adjusting. I just moved last week and this is the first time I have had my own apartment - as opposed to a roommate. Every other apartment I've had, my entire life (minus a few bookshelves and kitchen stuff) was relegated to my room. My desk, my TV, my kettlebels. It was a really unhealthy lifestyle but it was all I could afford. Now, my bedroom is only for sleeping, changing, and sex - which are the only three activities you're supposed to use a bedroom for anyway. I do some light (non-academic) reading in bed either with a book or with my kindle paperwhite (which has the option to turn off the glow screen).

Someone linked this one. But it's fluorescent. Should I try to find something that isn't fluorescent?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00113ZZ5U/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_vm0aub1WMDZKP

Try this stuff, super concentrated: http://www.amazon.com/Lets-Do-Organic-Creamed-Coconut/dp/B00113ZZ5U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346562852&sr=8-1&keywords=coconut+cream

Nutiva also sells a jar, but these boxes are more economical.

This is what I use. I've only found it online.

http://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Organic-Vegan-Aminos/dp/B003XB5LMU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406590730&sr=8-1&keywords=coconut+aminos

You can always use coconut liquid aminos as a soy sub.

http://www.amazon.com/Coconut-Secret-Aminos-Soy-Free-Seasoning/dp/B003XB5LMU

NOW Unflavored Whey Isolate is good stuff as far as protein powders go. No artificial flavors or sweeteners to worry about. Throw that into a blender with a handful of berries, some ice, whatever and you are good to go. http://amzn.com/B0015AQL1Q

My first advice is to get some counseling, if you haven't already. Take care of yourself emotionally and mentally.

As for a book, you might find this one interesting. I just bought it the other day (kindle version) and I am salivating. Many of the recipes remind me of my childhood.

There is a book that might interest you.
http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Slow-Cooking-Gluten-Recipes/dp/1936608693
All the recipes in it are designed to do exactly what you what. Throw stuff in, leave the house, and come back to a meal...Although I think 10 hours might be pushing it...So you may want to pop for a more expensive model that has timers.

Aside from that, I've yet to have a bad meal using mine. I am currently about to throw some lamb shanks in my crockpot. Tomorrow, oxtail!

http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-recipe/braised-lamb-shanks/

http://stupideasypaleo.com/2013/06/05/crock-pot-caribbean-oxtails/

This right here: Paleo Comfort Foods

I'm from the south and these recipes are bomb.

I have probably way too many but if I was forced to take one from a burning building..
http://www.amazon.com/Nom-Paleo-Food-Humans/dp/1449450334

From Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution:
>Quinoa is botanically not a grain, but because it has evolved in a similar biological niche, Quinoa has similar properties to grains, including chemical defense systems that irritate the gut. In the case of Quinoa, it contains soap-like molecules called saponins. Unlike gluten, which attaches to a carrier molecule in the intestines, saponins simply punch holes in the membranes of the microvilli cells. Yes, that's bad.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Vegetarian-Myth-Justice-Sustainability/dp/1604860804

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNON5iNf07o

Factory farming is bad for the environment, but clearing out millions of acres of biological diversity and ecosystems to grow corn, wheat, and soy covered in Ammonium Nitrate is FAR worse.

Isn't The Vegetarian Myth horribly sourced and full of bad science (example: author states there are no bacteria in the human stomach pg.142)? According to the top review on Amazon (follow that link):

The author cites 207 references in this book.

62 of those references are websites (~30%)

18 are newspapers and magazines (~7%)

32 are journals (~15%)

95 are other books (~46%)

Just want to recommend the book "Why We Get Fat" by Gary Taubes to everyone interested in learning about the scientific effects of carbs in our system. The book is also littered with studies about why low-fat, carb saturated diets don't work in the long run. I too was skeptical of eating paleo but I've noticed changes instantly. And I have to say, I went through the "carb flu" during the second week and I'm horrified that a lack of a certain food can make me feel that way.