A lot of people ask us, if you don’t eat grains, how do you get your fiber?
WHAT??!! NO GRAINS?! WHAT ABOUT THE FIBER?! AHHHH!
Wait. Breath. Deep breaths. Ok.
Well, what I am here today to tell you the truth about fiber – where you get it and what types do what. Listen up Paleo-lifestylers! This is going to make your life much easier. Here’s the breakdown of fiber:
What you get: Soluble Fiber
What it means: Fiber that dissolves readily in fluids. These fibers have been linked to lowering ‘bad’ cholesterol and regulating of blood glucose levels
Is that good? Yes. You want this.
What they eat: oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, rice bran, barley
Your rebuttal: citrus fruits, strawberries, apple pulp
What you get: Insoluble Fiber
What it means: Does not dissolve in liquids, passing through the digestive tract, moving things along. If you are losing weight, these foods have a fulling effect, for weight management.
Is that good? Yes. You want this too.
What they eat: whole-wheat breads, wheat cereals, wheat bran (holy cow batman! That’s a lot of wheat!)
Your rebuttal: cabbage, beets, carrots, brussels sprouts, turnips, cauliflower, apple skin (ah, that sounds better)
What you get: Resistant Starch and Others (wow, that doesn’t sound pleasant, does it??)
What it means: Starches that are not digested in the small intestine. I like to call them fillers because a lot of them are added to other things to add fiber, lower the caloric intake, and screw around with your system.
Is that good? No. You do not want or need this.
What they eat: potatoes, pasta, legumes and rice
Your rebuttal: YOU DON’T NEED ONE! YAY!
In Summation: You are going to be just fine being Paleo. There is a lot of fiber in the foods that we eat, without having to stoop so low as to getting it from those nasty resistant starches. For actual comparison charts, click here
Resistant starch isn’t a bad thing. It helps with satiety, insulin sensitivity, fat oxidation, helps keep the colon healthy, and it is in bananas.
Many people are pro resistant starches. As a Paleo practitioner, the foods that have them legumes, starches, etc. are not a part of the Paleo diet and as you get your fiber from other sources, you don’t need to worry about the resistant starches – unneccessary. As for the bananas, the reason that we say no need for resistant starches is what they do to the body in terms of insulin production. Here are 2 articles that can better explain what I’m trying to sum up and as always, I recommend reading The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf – he really does a great job of covering everything.
http://robbwolf.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/the-paleo-solution-episode-31.pdf
http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/metabolism/resistant-starch/
Again, if you aren’t Paleo, they won’t hurt you, but if you are, you just have no need for them. I hope that this helps and thank you for your comments!
~Paleo Effect
Hey Amy,That’s great to hear! We have several more that we’re going to post over the next few days, hofelulpy giving everyone a full menu that they could potentially follow on Thanksgiving. Glad you’re as motivated as we are to keep it Primal!
Hello,
I’ve been on the auto immune protocol Paleo for over 70 days now. I have endometriosis,chronic fatigue and various other auto immune symptoms that doctors cannot fathom after tons of tests.
I have been ill for over 10 years and had to give up my career as a dancer in 2007. I have become so very depressed because of it all and lost many friends who thought I looked too well to be ill.
Just a few months ago,before going primal, I started teaching 2 classes as I found I had a little more energy which has been incredibly wonderful,but I still have very stubborn auto immune symptoms which I so want to resolve,thus going Primal.
Is it true that I will start to see recovery in about a year? I have read Robb Wolf,Amazing,amazing book and I have researched endlessly on the A.I.P.
I cheat once a week (friday’s are my favourite days!) when my husband and I go to our favourite indian restaurant. My cheats there are Chick Bhuna,white rice and 4 popadoms.
I also drink 1 glass of wine a night and eat 2 small squares of organic super dark choccy a day. Should I give these small vices up too??
I have also added ‘Marine Phtyoplankton’ as of last week to my protocol as I have heard and read the most amazing testimonials attributed to it.
I would love to hear other stories of recovery from auto immune disease. I will always eat primal,but need some encouragement! I have lost a stone,but waiting for the elusive energy and fatigued muscle ache to dissapear..Help!
Cate,
Thank you for your story and questions. I am sorry to hear that you’ve been having such a hard time with your body, but am glad that you are seeing results, even if they are small. That means there is hope!
Now, I know I say it a lot, but I have to let you know that we are not physicians, just Paleo enthusiasts, so the advice I give you should not take the place of a doctor’s, etc etc…
There are ALLLL types of autoimmune disease, we just need to find your specific trigger foods. You may not like this, but here’s my suggestion: In addition to being Paleo (not Primal, so no dairy at all), try to CUT DOWN on the following:
1. Organ Meats, Lamb, Red Meat high in saturated fat (like sirloin): Why? symptoms range from fatigue (which you have) and joint pain (which isn’t a far cry).
2. Dairy: Many proteins in milk look a lot like other cells in the body. Your immune system wants to attack the milk, gets confused and starts going at healthy cells. After a while, your body won’t know the difference, which is bad. Best to avoid altogether.
3. Eggs: Many people have a similar reaction to eggs as dairy. If you have issues with one, you will likely have issues with the other.
4. Nightshades (like tomatoes, eggplant, peppers): Tomatoes, in particular, contain a lectin (another lectin is called gluten, found in grain) and can cause leaky gut amongst other issues. Here is a link to learn more about this category: http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/nightshades
5. Tree Nuts: It’s fairly common knowledge that tree nuts are well known allergens. Many triggers for autoimmune can be linked to allergies which cause leaky gut, etc. Tree nuts are also high oxalate foods (see below), so out they go.
6. High Oxalate foods. Oxalates are antinutrients found in foods (some chocolate so be careful). A buildup of them can cause issues ranging from kidney stones to low energy (*cough*) and chronic pain. We actually have a chart we’re putting up in our FAQs (this week!) that can help outline high and low foods. If you avoid the highs, that should help.
AND, LAST BUT NOT LEAST…Drumroll…Eat Organic for the foods you can. You never know what chemicals are wreaking havoc on your immune system and luckily, we have a guide for that too! Try to go organic on at least the orange and red: http://www.paleoeffect.com/organic-vs-non-organic/
I hate to give you that list, but if you are having that many symptoms, better to cut them out one by one and see where your body’s stressors are. I do believe that if you’ve had that many years of damage, it will take some time, but you are not alone – others have done the diet and healed. We just need to find your trigger points, be diligent and patient. Luckily, I think you’re safe with at least the wine (and maybe even the chocolate). ;)
I know this doesn’t solve it all, but I sincerely hope it helps. Please let us know how you progress on your journey and your dancing! Best of luck!
~Paleo Effect
The way this written makes it confusing.
Lysander,
I am sorry that this is confusing for you. Is there a question that you have or did you just want us to know that you thought it was difficult to understand? We’d like to help if possible, so please let us know.
~Paleo Effect
Paleo seems to be working great. I feel great.
Here is my regular intake:
nuts and seeds, seafood and meats all organic, grass fed finished, fruit mainly blueberries/berries,apples,bananas, oranges,boiled prunes, and veggies all organic..have a special spot in my heart for kale and dark leafy greens, animal fat for cooking instead of butter..the like..sometimes oils, almond milk, raw milk yogurt(any suggestions here?..I do love raw milk(cow an goat).yogurt and cheese but have been quite good), ground flax(nutraclense), Tea and coffee. I’m a student and really cannot see myself giving up caffeine for a bit. Any suggestions for cream for coffee or an alternative? I understand with some of these items an alternative is difficult as modern food conceptions are so far removed from a traditional pale diet.
Questions/help.
How often should I be having “Granola”(I LOVE NUTS AND SEEDS), which for me is soaked almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower, nutraclense, and coconut. I know some of these nuts and seeds are high is phytic acid, polyunsaturated fats and anti nutrients, omega6-3 ratios. I know I can begin implementing other healther nuts such as chestnuts and macadamia. Even Brazil nuts for selenium..another catalyst for selenium if I do not want brazil nuts?
Raw milk, yogurt, cheese: I seldom have milk and cheese. Perhaps cheese once a week or twice a week, but do love yogurt, again 1 or 2 a week. any suggestions here? I know I should have eggs a bit more often. Cream in coffee? anything to supplement that has a creamy taste?
Beans…chickpeas..shit..can I have these at all?..once per week?
I cave for Vega shakes..how do you guys feel about this supplement?
Pooping? Bit constipated. What should I be having more of? I know high fat is important, I eat meat about 3 times a week. veggies/fruit anything i should be having more of?
Really want to get my nutrient intake understood. I usually have the above noted granola for breakfast with blueberries and almond milk and or yogurt. For lunch I tend to have fruit like apples, maybe carrots, but am not a huge eater there. Dinner meat and veg.
Cheers much appreciated!! all the best
Danielle,
Your diet sounds like its on the right track! As for the tea and coffee, consuming a little caffeine can actually be good for brain function, mood, and physical performance. So you don’t have to give it up, but if you are drinking a lot (due to classes or long nights of studying), then you’ll want to try to limit yourself. If you only drink caffeine when you need it, it will work better too. Suggestions for creamer: coconut milk or almond milk will work, but be aware that if you like coffee because of the stuff you put in it, you should try to decrease that as well. Its ok to eat modern, you just want to use Paleo ingredients to do it, and remember that moderation is the key to success. ;)
Now for the help: First, I like nuts a lot too, but you shouldn’t be eating more than 1-2 ounces per day, which is roughly equal to a handful twice a day. If you want to get selenium, the following foods are in order of highest percentage to lowest: halibut, tuna, cod, shrimp, crimini mushrooms, mustard seeds, sardines, salmon, turkey, lamb, scallops, chicken, grass-fed beef, eggs, shiitake mushrooms, venison, sunflower seeds, asparagus, spinach, garlic, and broccoli. I like that list for sure!
Raw milk: if you don’t have autoimmune issues or lactose intolerance, then raw milk, grass-fed butter, etc. are all occasional options. They actually do make a yogurt made from coconut milk or almond milk (look up So Delicious online). For breakfast, more eggs is great, we have breakfast recipes on the site for n-oatmeal, smoothies, casseroles that can easily be frozen and re-heated, frittats, etc.
As for beans – again, they are not Paleo, but if you don’t have any health issues and you are doing Paleo just to be healthy, then once a week should be just fine. Same with the Vega shakes. They have pea protein, hemp protein, brown rice protein and some other ingredients (depending on flavor) that are not Paleo, but they’re close and in moderation, shouldn’t be an issue. Again, this is all with the mindset that you are not having any health issues.
As for the constipation, that is something that is relatively when transitioning to Paleo, especially if you are spotty and are integrating some non-Paleo foods. As usual, make sure you eat a lot of plant matter, if it is minor, try a little lemon juice 10 minutes before you eat (~1-2 Tbsp), which will ease digestion. You can look into tea, Yogi has a great Ginger tea for digestion that I really like. If you really need relief, you can take a magnesium supplement, like Milk of Magnesia, which should definitely do the trick. Otherwise, I would say to hang in there and it will get better!
I hope this helps and Good Luck on your journey!
~Paleo Effect
Thankyou Meghan!
So Sorry for the late reply. It has been 7months now on Paleo and I haven’t had one relapse where my symptoms flare!
I still struggle with them but they seem less bothersome which is quite unbeleivable!
It was very kind of you to reply and all your suggestions are very very helpful! I have to put my thinking cap on now and try to figure out how to treat myself in weak moments when all I crave is Fries etc!
Thankyou again and my best wishes to all.
Cate x
7months
Cate,
So good to hear that you are doing better!! It’s always nice to have some success stories for others to see that change is possible!
Thank you so much for sharing and Keep it Paleo!
~Paleo Effect