AboutRawPalaeoGuy Expertise I can answer most questions on Raw Animal Food Diets such as the Primal Diet, an organic, raw-meat-based diet and a number of similiar all-raw or partially raw Paleolithic diets, such as the Instincto, Weston-Price, Neanderthin, Paleo and Stefansson Diets. Can also offer advice on
how to resist social pressure to eat cooked foods etc. For further info on Raw-Animal-Food diets, feel free to browse through this website:-
http://www.rawpaleodiet.com/
Experience I have been 8 years on a 99%+ raw version of the Palaeolithic Diet and experienced numerous health benefits as a result, being fully recovered from my previous symptoms from my cooked-food days. My own individualised raw, paleolithic diet routine is mostly based on Aajonus Vonderplanitz's Primal Diet(ie 99% raw, usage of "high-meat",no processed supplements, using primarily naturally-reared, organic or wild sources of raw foods) but, for personal reasons, I have also been, to some extent, influenced by ideas from:- Instincto(ie:- taste/instinct,no raw dairy/no raw veggie juice), Weston-Price(eg: preferring grassfed meat to grainfed meat, incorporating a wide variety of raw organ-meats into my diet along with the usual muscle-meats, and Vilhjalmur Stefansson(high-fat diet, pretty high proportion of (raw) animal food), but also eating some raw carbohydrates such as raw organic/wild fruit/veg/honeycomb etc.). I'm also a firm believer in the feast-and-famine idea (ie Intermittent Fasting) as regards boosting one's energy levels, and giving my body a rest from constant digestion.
Organizations Rawpaleodiet Community(Comprising rawpaleoforum , rawpaleodiet yahoo group and the rawpaleodiet.com website among others).
Publications Allexperts and Rawpaleodiet.com
Education/Credentials BA(German) 3rd; No nutritional qualification(I don't believe in standard(misguided) nutritonist doctrine, so I don't feel the need).
I have tried numerous diets in recent years in the hope that they would
alleviate my symptoms(adrenal/thyroid problems, sinusitis, tinnitus, amongst
others) and return me to good health, and have come to the current
conclusion that a high fat/high protein diet suits me best. I believe that raw
food is important in the diet but does not have to be 100% of it. I usually eat
my red meats lightly seared and rare, occasionally slow cooked and my
chicken cooked. I also think that organ meats are necessary in the diet but
unfortunately do not like the taste. I have recently learned that I cannot
tolerate dairy and also that I am sensitive to amines, salicylates and
glutamates in foods. This is particularly frustrating as it means my dietary
choices have become very limited. I need to find a source of fresh, unaged
and unhung meat that has to be frozen straight away unless being eaten the
same day. This also means I can't eat fish as I cannot get same day caught
stuff where I live.
I find I have to eat a lot of meat, three times a day, when I don't have butter
to satisfy my hunger and even then, I know I need more fat.
I read with interest your suggestions on eating suet and marrow, which could
help me increase my fat intake whilst avoiding dairy. Do you just eat them as
they are or with meat?
Could you briefly explain the consequences of heating saturated fats like
suet, as I was under the impression that saturated fats could be heated with
little damage to the chemical structure.
Thanks for your help,
Julian
Answer If you're just now transitioning to raw zero-carb I would suggest caution. I, like many others, tried going raw zero carb, years ago, and failed miserably, losing appetite almost completely, getting fatigue etc. On the other hand, there are many people like Lex who've had minimal to no problems with such a diet, actually getting side-effects if they ever eat raw plants. There is a transition period, which some claim is 2-3 weeks while others claim it is anywhere up to 9 weeks in which people usually experience some issues.
If you eat most of your meats lightly cooked, you'll miss out on bacteria(though, admittedly, you get far more benefit re bacteria if you eat bacteria-rich aged foods such as "high-meat" etc. than from fresh raw meats). You'll also miss out on enzymes. Those who eat partially raw generally take a high-quality enzyme supplement with every cooked meal they have. I would strongly recommend this, in your case.
One common symptom re adrenal burnout is an increasing tendency to have problems digesting animal foods(cooked animal foods, that is), so I'm a little surprised that you're happy with that. I had, in hindsight, severe adrenal burnout before goin in for RAF diets and would double up in agony from stomach-aches within half an hour or so of eating any cooked animal food.Still adrenal-related problems are many and varied, so everyone's different.
re organ-meats:- It's really important to get used to the taste of raw organ-meats as they contain trace nutrients which are very useful for the body. Here's some standard advice re easing into such things:-
For the moment, it's best that you buy several organ supplements from Dr on's site since you need time to get used to the standard version. Dr Ron's supplements are the only ones I know of which don't have nasty fillers like magnesium stearate(which is a trans-fat). The supplements are freeze-dried, so almost as good as raw, and actually taste fine(IMO, even for those newbies with taste issues). You will need to buy the organic organ delight supplement which covers most of the organs, and the adrenal and thyroid supplements as well.
Re dairy:- Ah yes. Food intolerance to dairy, however raw, is common for those with adrenal-related issues. As for your other food-intolerances, they certainly do limit your choices as amine-sensitivity would mean not being able to eat fermented foods etc. Your only choice seems to be to get to know local (organic grassfed meat)farmers and tell them of your requirements - well, unless you have a hunting-licence. Since you can't touch aged raw animal foods such as high-meat you may need to get hold of a high-quality probiotic.
Re suet/marrow:- Yes, they are ideal as an alternative to dairy. I generally just eat 1 food at a time, so I eat them separately from the raw meat. This is just out of habit and convenience now, but, back at the start of going rawpalaeo, it was a necessity, as my digestive system was very badly damaged at the time, and was a little sensitive if I put 2 different kinds of foods together.
You don't necessarily have to eat raw suet and marrow, though. Raw mutton, for example, is a great source of raw fat.
Re saturated fats:- One of the key findings in recent studies and reports on advanced glycation end products(AGEs) is that animal fats(all animal fats) produce far more AGEs after being heated than if plants are heated. This report makes that clear(it cites pasteurised butter(high in saturated fats) as the worst offender, but meats, in general, also produce a lot of AGEs:-
Also, scientists are finally coming round to the following notion:-
"given the prominence of this type of food in the human diet, the deleterious effects of high-(saturated)fat foods may be in part due to the high content in glycotoxins, above and beyond those due to oxidized fatty acid derivatives." The glycotoxins, as he called them, are more commonly called AGEs" taken from:-
