Testimonials
Below are actual quotes from registry members, separated by topic. They are compiled from the free response portion of our questionnaire, which has a simple open ended prompt: "Tell us your story." While these quotes cannot prove that the paleo or low carbohydrate diet were the direct cause of these reported benefits and side effects, it is quite astounding to see the uniformity of purported effects from around the world.
ACNE & SKIN |
"Help to end #acne in our Standard American Diet consuming friends and RT. Eat #paleo or #lowcarb !"
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"My skin cleared up almost entirely, from mild acne to practically none."
" I have more stable energy levels while following the primal blueprint, I have much better concentration, I saw improvements in my acne, heartburn, and I am no longer constantly hungry." " My acne is starting to clear up. I'm no longer tired all day. And I learned that I love sprinting (who knew?!)" "I ended up loosing 70 pounds, and cleared up my acne." "Thanks to Primal, my stomach issues have disappeared, as well as my cystic acne that I've battled all my life. I also no longer get motion sickness (weird, I know)!" "In college she had developed a very bad case of acne which she had suffered from a bit over the years. Her mother had taken her to various dermatologist who treated her with drugs including antibiotics with mixed success. At college she had discovered the Paleo guy Cordain's book on acne and how to cure it by cutting out carbs, sugars and particularly bread. Her complexion completely cleared up and has remained so ever since on the low carb advice of Cordain." |
" I also have developed food allergies to tree nuts and shellfish and have adult onset acne(seriously not one zit my whole teen years)!...[Now] I have so much energy and my acne is all but gone as well."
"In the last four weeks of "going Primal," I have lost five pounds; the chronic acne on my back, shoulders, and arms has cleared; my skin is more supple, soft, and glows; the "off" switch to my appetite has resumed functioning properly; and this awful, chronic anal itching (which I had attributed to a mild hemmerhoid) had completely stopped." "My skin cleared up (used to get cystic acne)." "Decrease in acne on face and back" "I have had severe acne since 5th grade and still medically treated at age 40 -- now i am off all treatment and rarely have acne; my skin is the least oily in my life (on a high fat diet)" "I also had really bad acne. Chronic eczema too, which I was prescribed anti-inflammatory steroids for. I also got sick at least once a month...Once I cut out grains, sugars, beans, and vegetable oils completely from my diet, I noticed immediate positive changes in my health AND body composition!... My acne cleared up. I spent more time in the sun. I dropped all the prescription meds." |
"Cyctic acne cleared up, GERD stopped, chronic yeast issues ended."
"Acne and chronic rhinitis improved." "I have been advising my patients with chronic disease to adopt the diet for almost 3 years now, but did not go fully paleo myself until 6 weeks ago. It has been amazing. I have a 3 month old baby and lost 10 more pounds of postpartum weight after going on the diet although I felt like I was eating a lot of food. My acne and sinus congestion are gone (really the only health problems I ever had), and I have tons of energy even though I am still up several times every night with my son." "Acne slowly improving." "Even though he has no weight to lose, he has noticed the rise in energy, the lack of acne, the nasty bloaty feeling when eating processed foods, especially carbs, and the general sense of well-being on this WOE." "I started on the Paleo journey (although I didn't know it had a name when I started) to cure acne, migraines and gut problems. I have been relatively thin my entire life and wasn't looking to gain weight. In fact I was always looking to get bigger. My migraines are gone but my acne and gut problems persist." "I have so much energy and my acne is all but gone as well." |
"AND, MY SKIN has improved 300%. I used to have some brown skin tags on my face and shoulder and a large one on my scalp. Low carb diet has made them FALL off, effortlessly. I also want to THANK GARY TAUBES for all he has written."
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"I feel so much better eating real food. I never had a ton of weight to lose, but I wanted to lose the 8 pounds I gained my first year of law school. I have more stable energy levels while following the primal blueprint, I have much better concentration, I saw improvements in my acne, heartburn, and I am no longer constantly hungry."
"I had frequent heart burn and acid and my skin was very dry and flaky. I started going to the gym and reducing what I ate, but determined after a few weeks that this just was not going to work...I cut out all grain, starches and sugars. I eat at least one meal a day with a couple of eggs cheese and meat, I eat salads and meat, I eat a little vegetables and meat, and by the wedding I had lost 35lbs and dropped over 4 inches on my waist. I never once counted any calories; I would just check labels for sugars or carbs. Since I started on the diet I have not had a Prilosec and have not had any problem with heart burn or acid at all. The flaking of my skin has completely gone." |
"Rough skin on my heels disappeared; I can concentrate now and follow a train of thought; skin is clearer/softer."
"Even the rough skin on the heels of my feet smoothed away!" "My skin looks much better and my wrinkles are markedly decreased in both depth and number. I just feel great and I wish everyone could feel as good." "Improved skin (no longer suffer from terribly dry skin)." "My skin cleared up for the first time since pre-adolescence and I had ENERGY. Before the change, I believed my low energy was a natural part of aging, even in my early 20s, and I couldn't believe how good I felt. I stopped getting seasonal colds, the keratosis pilaris I'd lived with all my life was practically gone. My hair and fingernails were stronger and healthier than ever. It was life-changing in so many more ways than simple weight loss." |
"My life long stomach issues seemed to be radically reduced which leads me to the idea that I must have issues with gluten, and the bumps on my skin and the rough elbows were gone."
"Another remarkable health benefit that I have been enjoying is the regression of the psoriasis I have had for over 40 years. Today after 7 Months of being paleo and rebuilding my cells with the proper balance of omega 3 and 6 oils, and not eating any grains, my skin has cleared up and the "incurable disease" has vanished. My GP Dr is dumb struck at all the improvements in my health. At the last visit a week ago he was questioning me on how I had done all this without any medical intervention. There has been medical knowledge used, just not the conventional wisdom dished out so often by our health care system." "My skin cleared up, I have more energy, I lost the black skin on my elbows and neck that are a sign of insulin resistance." |
"Growing up, I had acne worse than any of my friends. They had 'zit farms.' I was a 'zit plantation.' I was prescribed oral Doxycycline and a Retin-A topical treatment. I took this for 8 months, and became to sensitive to the sun that just standing in it for more than 10 minutes meant severe pain, like my skin was on fire...[After the Paleo Solution] My skin is clear. I look and feel GREAT."
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"My skin looks better than it has in years, and I am happier than I have ever been. I still haven't been to the doctor. No need now. :) I thank God, I thank Gary Taubes, I thank Dr. Weston Price. I thank all of you out there in the world searching for the truth. You made it possible for me to learn."
"Our dental issues disappeared. The entire family had 100% cavity free check ups for the first time ever! My lifelong skin issues cleared up fast, my hormone imbalances immediately began getting better." "There have been moments when i have weakened and slipped back into my old ways, but whenever i have spent a week back on sugars and grains, i feel terrible at the end of it. Like a hangover- bloated, tired and moody! And my skin is where it shows the most- my dermatitis comes back with a vengeance." "Eating organs has also finally eliminated all the lingering health problems I had even after going gluten free, such as anemia and dry skin." "My skin is clearer (I don't look 50)." "I found Paleo. Give up grains? Fine. Give up my giant servings of fruit every day? Fine. Give up the sugar in my coffee? that hurt a little. Start eating more fat? Sorry, what??? Well, we tried it. Suddenly I started packing on the muscle, my skin improved, my nails improved." "My skin is clear, I don't get bloated, I don't retain water as badly as I did before." "I love not having to count calories or carbohydrates. I started loosing weight immediately, my skin started to look younger within the first week and am feeling really healthy." |
"Also, I no longer have a chronic skin condition that I've had since high school. No more itching/flaking/dry skin at my navel, underarms, and eyebrows."
"My health, skin, nails, weight and wellbeing have improved dramatically." "I began to sleep better, my skin improved, energy levels not only returned to normal, but went through the roof!" "Better sleep, better hair, better skin, less puffy all around." "My skin is better, my depression and anxiety are TONS lower, my body fat percentage (which the low-cal diet did NOT change) went from 31 to 25." "I don't just weigh less. I feel better, I look healthier in my eyes and my skin, and I am SO much happier." "My skin texture improved, though I am still unhappy with my acne 8 months in." "Quitting gluten 14 months ago is finally allowing my skin to heal after 30 years of "eczema" (dermatitis herpetiformis)." "By the end of the month I had lost 7kgs and was really starting to look different. My hair, my skin, my eyes, my nails - everything was just responding so well." "I stumbled upon the Primal Blueprint while studying abroad for a semester in Argentina, where I drank beer and ate bread like never before. I couldn't understand why my face kept breaking out and getting worse despite getting facials, medicines, cream, etc. I've always avoided HFCS (thanks to my label-reading mom!) and gave up soda when I was a teenager....My weight training is going well and, best of all, the whole point to starting a healthier life style has come to fruition - my skin is finally healing." |
"A dry skin condition I had since high school cleared up."
"30 days later [after starting] and I had lost about 30lbs, I wasn't chronically oedematous, my skin had cleared up, I had more energy than ever and my mood had brightened considerably." "I feel healthier, have much improved skin, less congestion, and feel like I am reducing my body's stress. I used to get cold sores regularly, and when I went to the dermatologist and asked why I get them she told me that my body was stressed. Well, I didn't know why that would be because I always thought I ate healthy. I haven't had an outbreak since I started this diet." "My knees and hips, which always ached, but I ignored had stopped hurting. My skin cleared up. Amazing!" "Clearer skin, reduction in exzema/dermatitis." "My hair was dry, my skin was flaky and spotty, nails brittle, and I was pretty much always exhausted. I can't remember how I found Paleo, but I was doing some researching online and found other people who had been living like I had been and feeling the same way until they dropped the sugar, grains, processed everything, etc. So I tried it and it was amazing...my hair/skin/nails improved even more." "Help to end #acne in our Standard American Diet consuming friends and RT. Eat #paleo or #lowcarb !"
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HUNGER |
"Help to end #hunger in our Standard American Diet consuming friends and RT. Eat #paleo or #lowcarb !"
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"After a lifetime of being overweight... through childhood, the teen years, my twenties, thirties, and forties,... finally, at the age of 55, I experienced a "normal" appetite on a low carb diet. For all of those decades I "overate" because I was hungry...It certainly is NOT a problem of weak willpower."
"At the age of 48 I easilty lost 40 lbs 9 years ago over 9 months on a carb restricted diet, and a further more gradual (but effortless) 10 lbs one year ago when I stopped eating even small amounts of wheat after figuring out that is was the cause of 25 years of GERD (dyspepsia.) I have always been active, even when overweight. I always felt hungry and/or had carb cravings with other diets or even when not dieting (ie, gaining wt)." "I got most all of my health benefits, getting off blood pressure medicine and such, before I lost any weight at all. And I didn't lose any weight the first month. But I sure pigged out. It's amazing I didn't gain weight, that first month. I never went hungry. I always ate plenty of fatty foods to keep me satisfied. I stopped losing weight after 6 months, however, and I'm still hovering on my plateau, a year later." "Many who see my weight loss tell me how hard it must have been, but I tell them it wasn't. On the reduced carbo diet, I am almost never hungry. Because of my work schedule, I have no time for exercise and all of the weight loss has been through the change in diet." "Having struggled on this way for several years, while assuming I would inevitably progress/succumb to the long-term complications of Diabetes, I was lucky enough to be told of Gary Taubes on a Diabetes on-line forum...So, without any set diet plan, I simply cut out all foods that listed more than 1g of carbs per serving. I lost 25lbs in the first 2 months AND for the first time in as long as I could remember I was no longer hungry ALL the time -- as in... as soon as one meal was finished I would be looking for the next. This was a revelation in of itself and more than worth the price of admission. I can now trust my own body to tell me when I need to eat... just like breathing or drinking water!" |
"Frankly - besides difficulty finding the proper types of food to eat that are readily available, this way of living is wonderful. I'm in great shape and am rarely hungry. I want to help as many people as I can."
"Since February, Ive lost 20 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of lean muscle. I eat more and better tasting food than I did while on Weight Watchers (which I had been on for 9 years). The biggest change, though, has been that I no longer am obsessed with food, nor am I hungry every few hours. My carb-induced cravings have disappeared, and for the first time in my life, I feel free. Its transformative." "Giving up grains and legumes on January 1, 2011, was easy with no side-effects. Six weeks later I noticed my clothes were getting baggy. I got on the scale and had lost 12 lbs. I noticed I was never hungry- no snacks and two meals per day usually at 7:00 am and 4-5:00 pm." "I was never hungry; If I was busy, I could actually forget to eat. I felt an amazing mental clarity, which is hard to describe. These things reassured me that I was doing something right." "Since the new year i have been cooking more Paleo but allow for cheeses and yogurt. I am excited to cook healthy foods with veggies and meats we picked up at the local farmers market grown by locals!! I feel better than ever and am hardly ever hungry. In fact I can go w/o eating for more than half the day if I decide i want to fast or something." "I have dieted since I was a teenager. I have always been overweight, except for a few 'diet successes' when I was younger. I thought that I was eating a healthy diet, albeit too much good food. I was a regular exerciser, but it never led to weight loss. Then I read Wheat Belly and immediately stopped all grains and sugar. I just was not hungry, my ezema (that I have had since college went away) and I stopped having aches and pains." |
"I was amazed how quickly my body adjusted to the new way of eating. In previous attempts to lose weight I had gone on low-fat, calorie-restricted diets that are based on 'mainstream' advice for weight loss. I would always be hungry and feel fatigued, and could never resist 'cheating' on my diets. On the low-carb diet, I rarely get hungry between meals and never feel fatigued. I weigh myself once a week. By the end of the first full month on the diet, I had lost twenty pounds."
"I stepped on the scale and got a reading of 399. I might be the only guy in the world who has ever been happy to see 399 on a scale. I have found Protein Power to be easy to follow and today weighed in at 304...I still have a way to go in order to meet my goal, but I have gotten this far without working out much or ever going hungry." "I ate an extremely low calorie diet for perhaps two years. I didn't follow any particular plan, I just avoided empty calories and counted calories carefully, limiting myself to about 1000 calories per day. I didn't eat an obsessively low-fat diet and I ate a lot of carbs I thought were healthy - rice, whole grain bread, potatoes. I was hungry all the time; I obsessed about food to the point that I planned every meal for several days in advance. I felt cold much of the time, especially at night. In addition, I fasted many weekends. Doing this, I was able to get down to a 34 inch waist." "Eating low-carb saved my health; I reversed some early diabetic neuropathy, and went from an obese lump of misery to an active Mum again. I never ever went hungry; and maintaining the weight over the last 7 years has been straightforward. My blood glucose readings are normal - not a cure for diabetes; but a brilliantly easy way of controlling it." "[My] diet roughly followed the normal USDA recommended guidelines with a few things missing and I consumed about 1800 calories per day on average, while not including exercise I typical would burn 2300 calories on an average day. This worked and resulted in 60 pounds of weight loss though I felt like crap and was hungry all the time and of that weight at least several lbs. were lost in muscle." |
"Fast-forward into my early 40s: I was riddled with joint pain, weighed over 220 pounds, and was on a cocktail of anti-depressants and anti-seizure meds... Fed up and scared, I went to a nutritionist and paid a lot of money to be put on a 1,200 cal/day standard low-fat diet, which I complied with meticulously, despite being miserably hungry all day long. And I worked out nearly every night, too. After five weeks, I was up a pound. The light bulb flashed for me: I needed to eat low-carb, and to heck with my doctor and conventional wisdom. I plan to eat this way for the rest of my life. Not only has my health improved spectacularly, but I have no cravings at all, and food takes up very little of my mental energy. I don't think everyone needs to go "zero-carb" -- far from it -- but for me, it's been pretty close to a miracle." Meet Rose >
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"This time I did a little more research and conducted some simple experiments on myself. This helped me discover what foods kept me satisfied (not being hungry at all) with the least amount of calories. After some trial and I found that if I significantly reduced my carbohydrates (25-50g), increased my protein intake to 180g, and then included the rest for good quality fats I felt great was not hungry and only ate about 1800 calories while including minimal exercise (1.5 miles a day walking during my commute)."
"I have enough body fat to burn up about two pounds a week. I have lots and lots of energy, and I am never, ever hungry. Since starting on a VLCKD I have lost a great deal of weight. At one point I had lost 170 pounds. I am currently about 100 pounds below where I started. Id like to be around 225, which means I need to lose another 50 pounds (again)." "I also limited what I ate, consuming anywhere from 1200 to 1600 calories. I had oatmeal or plain low-fat yogurt with fruit for breakfast, peanut butter on whole grain bread for lunch, and salads for dinner. At my lowest in September 2010, I was 123. My problem was, I was hungry all the time and had no energy. I also binged on a semi-regular basis...Then I read Gary Taubes' Why We Get Fat and it changed my whole paradigm...Now I must say that I don't feel satisfied if I don't eat meat, and I'm convinced of the Paleo argument that it is good for us." |
"I lost 10 lbs during the first month and total weight loss of 65.1 pounds at the time of writing this while still not feeling hungry."
"I used to have times during the day when I was extremely hungry. I rarely feel this way now. My energy levels are more constant during the day, not the ups and downs I had before." "When I got married I was slightly overweight at 215lbs (I am 5'10") fast forward 7 years later, I am 270lbs, extremely overweight, unhealthy. No energy. I tried a calorie restricted diet paired with exercising 3x a week - I was exhausted and starving, but making some weight loss progress. Then I found out about Low Carb dieting. After some investigation I started my diet. Within three months I have lost 30lbs, I feel great, I am eating great food, and most importantly I am never hungry. I have not yet started exercising but I have lost more weight eating delicious foods on this diet than when I starved myself trying to restrict my calories. I am still on this weight loss journey, I am down to 230lbs now and I am shooting for 180lbs." "I've literally been on a diet all my life. Lost weight through calorie deprivation and also following the ill-advised low fat/high carb recommended by conventional wisdom and the U.S. government. I was always hungry with low energy. Eating that way was completely unsustainable for me." |
"Twice I lost about 5 pounds restricting the amount I ate following the Weight Watchers. In both cases, I was never able to loose any more then the initial few pounds, I was hungry throughout most of the day, and if I didn't remain completely vigilant, the weight came back on. Then I read Gary Taubes book--almost exactly a year ago--on the role of carbs in raising insulin levels and immediately stopped eating bread, pasta, rice, and starches. In a few months, I was thinner then I ever thought I would be again. I didn't not add any exercise to my hectic daily life. My activity level has remained constant. I am hungry less often. My energy levels are more constant."
"Since eliminating grains, I have lost 23 more lbs., effortlessly. Since eliminating wheat my cravings have disappeared, night-time snacking no more, hungry less often and for smaller amounts of food. Energy, mental state both far better. This is how I will eat for the rest of my life." "Now, very early on (a week or two into the diet) I noticed that my appetite had plummeted. I didn't go into this with the intent of starving myself; I was only willing to shift my diet, not go hungry! So I realized quickly that improved control of appetite was a huge benefit. I also noticed after a few weeks (3 or 4) that my energy levels were soaring, with after-meal "crashes" in energy completely gone. Frankly, ever since going paleo, I am hard pressed to even get tired." |
"I grew up as an obese child. I never could understand why I was fat and others who ate the same stuff weren't. I was always accused of just eating too much - calories in/out thing. Maybe I did, but that did not explain why I was always hungry - why was there no "appetite off switch?" One time, many years ago, I lost 100 lbs. in a year when I turned 30 on a low calorie semi-starvation type diet. In spite of constant hunger, I remember thinking, "This was easy, how come I hadn't discovered it before?" Then I quit starvation rations (I could only maintain my weight eating green salads) and the lbs. quickly returned about as fast as they came off. Keeping the weight off was impossible! I came to realize it was carbs that I had problems with and reducing them might at least arrest my never ending weight gain. Low carb did just that and enabled me to lose those hundred lbs. again with no hunger albeit over many years time since I was not after quick weight loss. I was after permanent weight loss and good health. Going Paleo for a further 30 lbs. loss was a continuation of my education on nutrition - it was the evolution of my diet to only eat basically nutritious whole foods. I still have some pounds to lose, but I no longer feel like a freak. No one laughs at me anymore, no one makes rude jokes, I can shop in non "plus" sized stores, I feel normal and I feel good! Taubes's "Good Calories Bad Calories" book was also instrumental in my understanding of the causes of my weight problem. It's my favorite all-time book, I read it three times!"
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"I have been a vegetarian, high-level athlete and scientist for a long time. Up to about 4 years ago, I ate what is commonly believed to be a very healthy vegetarian diet with lots of whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruit. Lots of cold pressed vegetable oils. Some eggs and cheese, but little or not butter. Although I was doing everything that I thought was right for a healthy diet, I had very bad digestion: bloating, burps, farts, etc; very bad teeth with new cavities all the time, and receding jaw bones; mineral deficiencies, dull skin, and was always hungry"
"I was always hungry and thinking about food. Now on a low carb diet I eat without worrying about counting calories. It makes life easier." |
"I had lost about 35 pounds counting Weight watchers points and kept it off for 10 years. But, I was hungry all the time, even though I ate every 3 hours. I read about low-carb diets in reader's Digest in 2011, got the books by Jonny Bowden & Gary Taubes, and slowly eliminated the bad carbs from my diet. I was amazed at how my hunger subsided."
"For 2 months I diligently counted calories, keeping within daily and weekly limits. I also did some mild exercise 3-4 times per week: walking, Wii Fit, DVD workouts. My cardio-vascular health began showing some minor improvement, but my weight was not changing and I really wasn't feeling very good. I was hungry ALL the time. Even after just finishing a meal. My results were not great. Heck, they weren't even good." |
"Have always been overweight ("stocky" as my Mom used to call it) and when BP went to 155/95 my doctor said it was time for BP medicine. That scared me, so I "went radical" and started to eat very healthy (no white food) but still did carbs, only brown fibrous ones (brown rice, whole wheat bread, etc.) and walk regularly. Dropped 35 pounds, felt better but felt hungry a lot."
"Help to end #hunger in our Standard American Diet consuming friends and RT. Eat #paleo or #lowcarb !" |
ARTHRITIS |
"Either #paleo and #lowcarb works or this is a massive world-wide conspiracy against grain."
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"I love that I discovered this on my own, That I did it on my own, and that I know my body so well now. My back has improved, the arthritis in my hands has gone, my reflux and bloating gone. My lack of energy is gone. I want to exercise. I hated that previously. It's a miracle."
"Prior to last January, I was sick all the time, missed a lot of work, had a lot of arthritis pain, couldn't control my blood sugar levels even with 3 diabetes meds. One major change, just prior to this, was stopping all diet pop. I was drinking 8-10 cans a day. Switching to water and tea was like flipping a light switch--no longer sick all the time. The low carb has gotten me off of 2 diabetes meds, and lasix. My arthritis pain is much less, and I have SOOO much more energy." "I wasn't losing weight and felt that was because I was doing what all the exercise experts were saying "carbo load" which mean't grains through pasta, breads, etc... I needed to do something, was reading Tim Ferriss book The 4 Hour Body and came across Paleo...Lost weight, feel better and never looked back! It's been a few months, lost weight, muscle tone has improved, mental well being has improved, brain fog gone and many of the above symptoms all but gone until I cheat or slip up and have bad carbs, then joint pain, brain fog, rashes, etc... come back." "On March 4th of this year (2012) I stepped on the scale and much to my dismay weighed 213 lbs. I decided to commit to getting under 200 lbs by my 60th Birthday on the 16th of April. After some research I decided on the Paleo diet approach and have been amazed at the results. Not only did I reach my goal of getting under 200lbs by my 60th birthday I lost 44 lbs in 140 days and feel amazing. Blood pressure dropped from 130/90 when I started to 105/75 currently and my constant shoulder pain (probably arthritis) has completely disappeared." "In the 7 months since then I have lost a full clothing size and my stomach has never been this flat. My acid reflux has almost disappeared, I can go more than 3 hours without crashing, and I generally feel great. I've been disappointed that I still struggle with sleeping the night through and still have arthritis issues, but I also accept that we are all a work in progress and that patience is important. There are still many tweaks that I plan to try." "I cut carbohydrates as much as I could: no sugar, no grains, no starchy vegetables, no fruit. The first week, I felt like I had low grade virus or something...low energy, low grade headache. But after that my energy level was high, thinking clearer, no joint pain." |
"I went to the library to look for a different book to help me lose weight and found the 'Idiot Proof Diet', a book based on Atkins which I started almost straight away. I felt so well immediately that I had very little trouble sticking to low carb. My arthritis disappeared and I love the food. I have researched since then and now eat mostly primal or LCHF. I continue to maintain the weight loss and the arthritis does not bother me."
"I can't see ANY reason to go back to the conventionally taught nutrition (eg, MyPlate). I think one of the reasons it's working is the focus on whole foods; removing the processed garbage removes so many non-food, potentially toxic things from the diet. More importantly, I feel fantastic! All arthritis symptoms are gone, my sleep is even better (shorter but deeper), and I look better than I have in, well, decades." "Over a year lost lots of weight while gaining tons of muscle. It was slow but steady progress. After I'd been eating this way for about 10 months (and had dropped about 25 pounds) I had a rather extreme cheat week over Xmas (tons of bread, stuffing, pie, cookies, etc). No idea if it was related or not, but afterward I developed rheumatoid arthritis. This was the kick in the pants that I needed to try going fully Paleo...I now follow the Primal Blueprint diet, since I enjoy a glass of red wine in the evening with a square of dark chocolate - and I am not fanatical about re-enacting the Paleolithic. Nonetheless I feel that this evolutionary template is the most sensible way to eat. My arthritis symptoms are much improved, although not totally gone (I do take medication for it as well)." "We kept the No Carb restriction. We started feeling healthier. The arthritis in my hands went away. During the 40 days I did a lot of research on diets and I found www.fathead-movie.com and through it, the LCHF movement. We stopped counting calories and just restricted carbs." "Most of my health improvements came from going gluten free. Improvements in depression, peripheral neuropathy, arthritis, fatigue and so much more." "I most closely followed the Primal Blueprint approach and never experienced either the emotional or hunger agonies associated with the kazillion other weight loss attempts I had tried before. I started exercising consistently for the first time in years and years, and discovered I actually enjoyed it. In addition, blood pressure and arthritis pain decreased." |
"Then I read Gary Taubes and eliminated all grains (including a daily large dose of wheat germ) and started consuming much more fat, esp. animal and dairy fat. Amazed myself by reducing to 115 pounds (what I weighed as a 15-year-old) in less than a month. After a year, I am still at that weight, and my BMI is about 19. I used to have terrible arthritis pain in my wrists, but the pain is now completely gone. (I credit giving up wheat germ for that.) One of the down-sides is that I realize exercise does not help keep my weight down."
"I am a middle aged woman who bought the low fat thing entirely. I was always hungry! I got interested in eating locally for political reasons, then a friend told me about paleo. Though I'd give it a try. It certainly cured the "always hungry" problem and I've been slowly losing fat, about a pants size in 6 months. I've also mainly kicked my antacid habit. I've NOT had any miraculous recession of arthritis or disappearance of sleep issues, yet I don't feel like giving up the way of eating." "My first intro to the paleo diet was from nutrition presentation given at an ADHD counseling center that my older daughter goes to. Thought it was a bit crazy but made sense in a lot of ways so was willing to research further. My research led me to realize that this may be the perfect diet for my younger daughter who was suffering from chronic debilitating headaches that I strongly suspected related to food sensitivites. While both girls were at overnight camp, I tried the diet on myself. Almost immediately I had more energy, arthritis was gone and year round allergies gone. I was gone." "At the age of 30 my doctor was telling me that I had arthritis in both knees and if I didn't lose weight I was headed for the same heart disease that plagued my father's family...I spent the next couple of years trying everything I knew to lose weight, eating "healthy" - three meals a day following the almighty food pyramid, cutting out sweets, restricting calories to the point that I was constantly starving, just aching for my next meal...More than a year later [after starting the Primal Blueprint] I still weigh 170, and still have more energy than anyone else I know at my age. My doctor no longer worries about heart disease, and I have no pain at all in my knees. I am free to play with my growing kids, and enjoy life without anything holding me back." |
"I am a RN; I've done my "homework" reading everything I can get my hands over the past year. Simply put...Paleo just makes a TON of sense. I wish more docs knew about it and didn't dismiss it as a "fad diet". Frustrating!! I could rant more but i'd rather stick to the positive!
Both my parents also went Paleo about he same time I did with very similar weight loss (20-25 lbs each) results. In addition to looking and feeling terrific, Dad's arthritis and mom's reflux are GONE!! Mom's total cholesterol dropped FIFTY points. Dad had always struggled to keep his HDL above 40 (usually 30-37), it went up to 49! My husband lost about 20 lbs too. After seeing everyone's health improve, I threw my 11 and 13 year old boys on board several months ago. My youngest son had horrible reflux and had been on medication for about a year. Since he has been off grains, surprise, surprise...he no longer needs medicine. He is rarely bothered by it any more. When it does hurt, it's always after he's eaten something like pizza or cake at a birthday party. He's starting to make the connection though!"
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"But, right away I stopped having sit-in-the-floor-sobbing-wishing-I-could-die episodes. After a few months without gluten and excess sugar, I noticed that my container of antacids was untouched, and I hadn't been taking the glucosimine for my knees because they weren't bothering me. The weight steadily disappeared and I could get back into my size 8's again. I also noticed that I had more time because I could remember where I put things instead of wondering around for hours looking for stuff. I was amazed that a simple diet change could make such a difference in my health: depression, heartburn, arthritis, stomach fat, foggy brain, sleeping problems. Even the rough skin on the heels of my feet smoothed away!"
"The bigger surprise for me was when I noticed that I was zipping up and down stairs, taking the lids off jars, and dancing around the kitchen with the grand-kids with no joint pain. The disappearance of joint pain was an even more amazing benefit, one I had not even thought about. Joint pain started for me even before I started to put weight on 15-20 years ago. WOW! I was resigned to the pain being something I just had to live with." "I eliminated beer, sugar, pasta, bread (incl. donuts!) and coke (soft drinks) from my diet. I went from 199.5 to 173 in 6 to 9 months. It works like a charm and as a side effect I figured out I might have a mild wheat allergy, since some mild IBS I have had forever disappeared, along with some joint pain." |
"Three years ago, seeking a cure for acid reflux, joint pain and sinus congestion, I researched the web and found the Paleo Diet book by Dr. Loren Cordain. I read it, it made sense, I decided to give it a try. At the time, I was a 57 year-old post menopausal woman...I'd been eating a mostly vegetarian diet for many years: beans, tofu and eggs for protein, some cheese, whole grains like quinoa, buckwheat and brown rice, vegetables, oatmeal with a banana every day for breakfast, and on the weekends an occasional piece of chicken or fish...ALL the conditions mentioned above (acid reflux, joint pain, congestion) went away within a couple of weeks of starting the Paleo Diet. My gums also lost their sensitivity and for the first time in my life I can get my teeth cleaned with the high-powered machine instead of sitting in the chair for an hour getting them cleaned the old-fashioned way by hand."
"Then in 2008 I found a wonderful doctor who helped me with my thyroid issues and finally diagnosed my food allergies. She told me to start by removing all wheat and rice. I immediately felt better. My joints stopped hurting and I started losing weight, all without exercising. A couple of weeks in I ate some pizza, and all my symptoms came back, which confirmed my allergies." |
"In fact, it seems my body can handle much more now. The remaining vestiges of joint pains have totally vanished. I am back to including some weight lifts (like shoulder/chest press) that inherently put significant stress on the wrists, and I have no problem handling it. It's a great feeling I hadn't felt for years! The lack of joint pains in general has allowed me to move back towards lower reps and higher weight (just in the last 1-2 weeks), so I am starting to get stronger and visibly get more built again."
"Despite the improvements in weight and physique, I have to say, these are by far the least important results. I would place mood and energy first, then control of appetite, then elimination of joint problems, and only then weight/physique (along with the other sundry benefits). I can't envision ever letting myself get so awash with carbs ever gain." |
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IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME
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"I eliminated beer, sugar, pasta, bread (incl. donuts!) and coke (soft drinks) from my diet. I went from 199.5 to 173 in 6 to 9 months. It works like a charm and as a side effect I figured out I might have a mild wheat allergy, since some mild IBS I have had forever disappeared, along with some joint pain."
"My greatest success with the diet has been the almost complete end to my fairly severe symptoms of IBS-D. This alone makes the low carb/paleo way of eating a worthwhile thing to me." "...reduced IBS symptoms, heartburn and acid reflux completely gone." "No more IBS, decreased seasonal allergies." "Improvement in allergies, asthma, acid reflux/heartburn, IBS - no longer take medication for any of these issues." "What's amazing is that every health/medical issue I have dealt with my entire life went away (still healing my gut). The doctors told me more fiber, more whole grain, less red meat, less fat to heal my IBS - I ended up doing the complete opposite and for the first time I feel like a normal healthy person (never thought I would see this). It's been rough. I figured out I am prediabetic (father on dialysis and older brother diabetic). I can't fix it. The damage is done - it hasn't changed. But I know it won't progress as long as I don't listen to anything but my own body." |
"But more than just the energy levels there was the alleviation in my lifelong IBS. And the fuzzy headed feeling that I would get often where it was an act of will to focus my eyes or speak without slurring, usually in mid afternoon but even at other times of the day."
"The thing that did change significantly is my digestion. I was probably borderline IBS, and it's all gone now. Same for my allergies, which disappeared the moment I stopped dairy (except butter)." "Improved digestion and bowl movements and IBS symptoms gone." "IBS symptoms were gone and was able to come off of 3 different prescription drugs for my IBS." "I then read a lot of other Paleo books and liked what I read in The Primal Blueprint. Got his cookbook as well and follow it for the most part, still kind of Neanderthin as well. They're not diametrically opposed. I did it mainly for the IBS and to drop my blood sugar and was shocked when after a couple of weeks I'd dropped 10 pounds. And my blood sugar has dropped from 6.1 to 4.8 at last measure. My IBS hasn't been cured but it's lots better and hopefully it'll come around as well." "IBS episodes much less frequent." "IBS gone, eczema gone." |
"Less IBS"
"My whole relationship with food is different. I feel well nourished. My partner is on the diet partly for weight management and partly for the increased athletic performance - which is VERY significant. I do feel much better on the paleo diet. My IBS is gone, I no longer take meds for reflux, my mood is better, my vital energy is better." "IBS type symtoms diminished." "Better skin, IBS comlpletly gone, sleep better" "3 days in, my IBS was gone, my hypoglycemia stopped happening and I was eating less often. 1 week in I still felt good, I felt great in fact. I was skipping meals and only eating when hungry. I have much more energy and as my knee healed I started walking a lot. I cant run but now I can walk without much limp. The weight seems to be dropping off and I was wearing jeans that are 4 sizes smaller after a few weeks. My BP has become about 135/80 and the headaches are gone and I am off the meds." "Lost 30 lbs. and greatly improved body composition and general health. Cured severe gout, IBS and GERD 100% and went off all medications. The paleo diet is relatively easy to stick with and has made a drastic improvement in my life as well as several of my family members." "Improvement in IBS symptoms." |
"I've had IBS all my life. While on chemo for ovarian cancer, I developed ulceritive colitis. I was treated for it by my GI doctor. After taking many expensive drugs that did no good, I stopped all drugs and looked on the Internet to see if I could find a solution. My energy level was still very low and I was having daily bleeding. I found that some people had good results with the Paleo diet so I tried it. After just three days the bleeding stopped and has not returned. I didn't plan to lose weight, that just happened. I'm not sure what I will tell my oncologist as she will think the cancer has returned and caused me to lose weight."
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"Gerd and IBS symptoms have disappeared"
"The reason I sought out diet change was primarily to get rid of IBS symptoms that had appeared after I turned 40. I did several elimination diets, but none helped. I stumbled onto Mark's Daily Apple and decided to remove grains. It was removing grains that was the magic formula." "No more Irritable bowel syndrome." |
"Alleviated IBS symptoms, regular bm's."
"I was diagnosed with IBS and told to increase fiber and take probiotics. Being a nurse practitioner myself, I was compliant with my instructions but upset by the lack of results. My husband, Chad, suggested that I try a two week trial of avoiding grains like bread, pasta and rice. He is a follower of the Primal Blueprint/Paleo diet and intimated that everyone has some sensitivity to gluten. I scoffed at the idea, but because this issue had been affecting my life for so long, I thought two weeks without bread would not be the end of the world. My nephew, Josh, who had long before omitted bread from his diet with amazing results, encouraged me along the way. Suddenly and dramatically, my issues improved!" |
"IBS symptoms virtually eliminated."
"The best part of this is I have convinced my parents, who are in their 70s and starting to suffer quality of life issues, to give it a try. My dad has lost 10+ pounds and feels fantastic. My mom has lost 5 so far and has started to control her IBS. (She is a little harder to convince!)." "No more IBS, no more seasonal allergies, no more skin sensitivity to sun." Top |
