Going Native: Wifezilla's Tropical Experiment

wifezilla · Going Native: Wifezilla's Tropical Experiment

In Gary Taubes' book "Good Calories, Bad Calories", he mentions a study of the Tokelau atoll natives. (photo here: http://www.uscg.mil/d14/units/kukui/Swains/jungle%20trail.JPG) Their diet was comprised of about 70% coconut, fish and some breadfruit. While many Pacific Island cultures grew starchy vegetables and ate high levels of carbohydrates in the form of taro, yams, breadfruit, etc....according to reports on the Tokelau, they did not have cultivation and, though they ate breadfruit, they got most of their nourishment from coconut and fish. It is my aim to incorporate the health aspects of the Tokelau diet (the coconut and fish) while eliminating the bad (starches). I am also incorporating healthy elements of other Pacific Island cultures. To keep things low carb, I am making modifications to replace the starchy breadfruit with low carb fruits and vegetables.

Goals:
Still remain low carb while trying to get up to 70% of calories from coconut and the remainder from primarily fish. So if I eat 2000k a day, 1400 of that should be coming from some kind of coconut. Instead of using carby foods to fill the role of breadfruit in their diet, I have added low-carb friendly veggies and a few fruits. I would still be aiming for a daily carb count under 30g (but it could go as high as 40). This woe will allow me to figure out if dairy is one of the reasons I have been in such a long stall.

Duration: The month of March. After that, I am going to add back in dairy and see what happens.

Allowed:
Coconut including coconut oil, meat and milk
Fresh water fish (perch, trout, walleye, etc...)
Clams, oysters and scallops
Shrimp, lobster, tuna, shark, sword fish, etc...
In small amounts:
Tropical nuts such as macadamia and almond
Tropical nut oils and palm oil
Low carb fruits like strawberries, blueberries and kiwi (to replace high carb native fruits)
Jicama (as a replacement for bread fruit)
salad greens and other low carb veggies (think Atkins induction)
Nori (seaweed wraps)
mushrooms
spices

Disallowed:
Beef
Pork
Lamb
Dairy including cheese, milk and cream
And all high carb foods like cereals, grains, fruit juices, etc...

Artificial sweeteners:
Following the carnivore experiment has shown artificial sweeteners to be weight neutral in my case. I am going to leave this up to personal choice, just list them if you use them.

Research: I used the Taubes book as a start off point and then hit the Weston Price website. I found some interesting sources of information listed below. One thing that stood out was several people claiming native islanders ate a low fat diet, and then they mentioned they ate a bunch of coconut. Uhhhh....hello!

https://edit.britannica.com/getEditableToc?tocId=53908
http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/price/price8.html

" It was particularly instructive to observe the diligence with which some of the isolated Maori near the coast sought out certain types of food in accordance with the tradition and accumulated wisdom of their tribes. As among the various archipelagos and island dwellers of the Pacific, great emphasis was placed upon shell fish. Much effort was made to obtain these in large quantities. In Fig. 74 (lower), will be seen two boys who have been gathering sea clams found abundantly on these shores. Much of the fishing is done when the tide is out. Some groups used large quantities of the species called abalone on the West Coast of America and paua in New Zealand. In Fig. 74 (upper), a man, his wife and child are shown. The father is holding an abalone; the little girl is holding a mollusk found only in New Zealand, the toharoa; the mother is holding a plate of edible kelp which these people use abundantly, as do many sea bordering races. Maori boys enjoy a species of grubs which they seek with great eagerness and prize highly. The primitive Maori use large quantities of fern root which grows abundantly and is very nutritious." http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/price/price12.html

"Inland, fertile land yielded some comestibles such the yam, taro, cassava, banana, papaya, and sweet potato, which were native to the islands. The diet of the Polynesians included the aforementioned staples but was centered around indigenous maritime animals such as shrimps, clams, oysters, snails, eels, and many types of fish." http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/islands/polynesia1.html

"For most, a traditional diet of fresh fish and vegetables has been replaced by Spam, canned corned beef, potato chips and beer. A result is the one of the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the world. Life expectancy is only 50 for men and 55 for women."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/full...sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all

"When Captain Cook discovered the Hawaiian Islands in 1778, the native population (est. 300,000) lived chiefly on dasheen and sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas), supplemented with things from the sea. In the Hawaiian Islands, taro was said to have been formed by the union of daughter earth and father sky, before man was born, so taro was honored as superior to man and treasured as the most important food crop. So intensive was its cultivation there that there may have been up to 300 cultivars in Hawaii when Captain Cook landed. Poi was traditionally prepared by removing the corm "skin" and then pounding the white flesh on a board with a stone pounder (pohaku ku'I) to make a thick paste, which was dried, diluted with water, kneaded, and then aged. The infamous Polynesian poi may be fermented (first bacteria, then yeast) or sometimes unfermented forms of this sticky dasheen paste, eaten with the fingers or as small balls. Some Polynesians were said to consume up to 20 pounds of poi per day!" http://www.botgard.ucla.edu/html/...onomicbotany/Colocasia/index.html

" Breadfruit is one of many starchy fruits traditionally eaten by Pacific Islanders. The diet also includes abundant fresh vegetables, fish, and nuts. [Photograph by Wolfgang Kaehler. Corbis. Reproduced by permission.]

Fruits, fruit juices, vegetables, and nuts (e.g., peanuts, macadamia, and litchi) are eaten in abundance, while milk and other dairy products are uncommon (there is a high prevalence of lactose intolerance among Pacific Islanders). Coconuts are plentiful, and both the milk and dried fruit are used to flavor meals. Pigs, chickens, and cows exist on the Pacific Islands, but in areas like Fiji they are expensive, so local villagers tend to purchase them only for large celebrations and feasts."
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_gx5200/is_2004/ai_n19120941

jeff

Interesting. I'll be watching.

Heather L

Zilla- This sounds like a good experiment. I hope it goes well for you.

wifezilla

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I guess this is one way to get a taste of my fantasy to live on a beach eating sea food and coconuts all day. :D

mae_west

Have fun! This sounds like an interesting experiment.

I would love to do a challenge where I only eat seafood and butter, but that does not sound like this one. I don't think I could afford it either...

Dean

I would eat a TON of Appetizing Aquatics if I could afford it! Cry

Erasmus

Ya know 'zilla....

As you are doing this you should start playing Hawaiian music around week two to three but don't cop to it. Just say, "I hadn't noticed, must be the coconuts." when asked. Then...

Around week 3 or 4...

Start wearing nothing but a grass skirt. Devil

-E

Manaloa

highly recommend haupia

wifezilla

Sounds good to me E :D

As for the cost, I started stocking up on fish a couple of weeks ago. I have perch, cod, salmon, and shrimp. I am keeping my eye open for any and all seafood sales. I got the perch from ShareColorado.com. Unfortunately they don't have any fish or seafood for the March order.

I bought 3 jars of coconut butter last month and it has been calling my name for the last several weeks. I also have a jar of evco and that is readily available at my local Wally world. And I have refine coconut oil for cooking too.

Haupia sounds really good. According to the article I just read, unflavored gelatin can be substituted for arrow root powder. I might have to try that. :D

Tracy

Will be watching with interest! Very cool experiment.

Coconut butter - do tell!

Vesna

Wifez, this sounds like a terrific experiment.

Of course, in my mind, it has Aquatic Ape Hypothesis written all over it!

I've begun to rely more on canned fish and seafood. Doesn't cost too much, and it stores so easily. I've found that more expensive sardines and tuna really do taste better. And tuna in oil tastes way better than tuna in water.

Keep postin'!

wifezilla

Here is the coconut butter I have. It is so delicious!
http://www.premierorganics.org/

Aquatic Ape Theory? Never heard of it. I will have to check it out.

wifezilla

I picked up a couple of cans of coconut milk last night at Wally World. I need to check the vitamin cottage and see what kind of coconutty goodness they have :D

I have also been running sample menus through fitday. This is looking very doable.

Heather L

Zilla- It sounds like you are getting prepared. (stocking up, crunching numbers) I can't wait to see what you think of this once you get going. I love to watch a good experiment.

Tracy

I'm eager to read your meal details!

What do you use the coconut butter on? Well fish, I suppose :) Duh.

wifezilla

Eat it with a spoon....or spread it on an almond meal macaroon. Yummmmmm

I may try using it as a cream replacement for coffee. I don't drink much and I don't do it every day, but sometimes you just need some java dammit!

wifezilla

Maybe I need to get this before I start?

"The ultimate in ridiculous relaxation. A hammock slung between two realistic palm trees with palm fronds, coconuts, and a cooling mechanism. The Tropical Island from Bim Bam Banana comes as close to being there as… well… being there. This getup would look great by any pool, or on any city roof-deck. Place one of these babies in the middle of your patio, grab a reflector screen, and your neighbors will scramble as you’ve certainly one-upped them.

For the bargain price of $8,240.00, the hammock comes with a pillow and drink caddy. The palm trees have an internal dual-control mist mechanism to simulate a misty ocean breeze. Play some Buffett in the background, and presto, you have paradise, even in Buffalo, NY (weather permitting). The website promises that the setup will withstand anything short of a cyclone. "

jeff

Heather L

With native hunks in loin cloths fanning you, who needs the hammock? Devil

wifezilla

God point! How much are hunks going for now-a-days?

wifezilla

more inspiration...

mae_west

The music here is sooooooo relaxing.....

wifezilla

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiFf6iafw8g&feature=related

jeff

wifezilla · Day 1

My first day was rather tasty I must say!

Brunch: Salmon Burgers with tropical tartar sauce (coconut butter seasoned with diced pickles, garlic, lemon juice, balsamic, horse radish, Mrs. Dash and dried onion)

Snack: Coconut Flakes (They were pretty large and I ate them like potato chips)

Dinner: Shrimp and cucumber salad with warmed coconut dressing (coconut oil, vinegar and spices)

Dessert: Coconut milk smoothie

Stats...
1775
Fat: 126 1136 64%
Sat: 92 829 47%
Poly: 4 35 2%
Mono: 4 40 2%
Carbs: 39 104 6%
Fiber: 13 0 0%
Protein: 132 529 30%

My percentage of calories from coconut only worked out to be 53%, but I expected it would take me a few tries to dial it in.

No change in weight (not that I expect any from 1 day).

Eating tropical today will help keep my mind off the fact that is is FREAKING SNOWING AGAIN!!!! Here is a little visual inspiration for those following along...

wifezilla · Day 2

Total: 2028
Fat: 161 1450 72%
Sat: 123 1106 55%
Poly: 8 71 4%
Mono: 12 105 5%
Carbs: 49 104 5%
Fiber: 23 0 0%
Protein: 113 452 23%

Another tasty day :D

Breakfast was the rest of that smoothie I made yesterday...
Salmon burger and shrimp for lunch (cooked in coconut oil of course)
Snack was coconut flakes and dinner was trout with cocnut oil and lemon juice.

Total % of calories from coconut was 63%. Almost there!

wifezilla

Holy guacamole!

Down 1 lb! Woo hoo!

jeff

Nice!

wifezilla

No menu to post from yesterday. I didn't eat anything. I caught the flu. After weeks of having people cough and hack their germs on me, I finally got it. Bleh!

Anyway...feeling less like death today so back on plan...I hope.

Tracy

Congrats on the lost pound!

wifezilla

Down one more to 213. I did eat some food yesterday, but not nearly enough calories. And I went off plan with a small bowl of stew. I had it already made up for hubby and cooking was out of the question.

Still feeling a little woozie, but my appetite is returning. I dreamed about pizza last night and woke up reeallllyyyy hungry!

wifezilla

Yesterday was a mixed day. My appetite came back with a vengence. I did eat coconut, but I also scarfed down a bunch of chicken wings. Opps.

Today I was a good girl though. Salmon burgers for breakfast, coconut bark for snacking, and this awesome coconut clam chowder I whipped up in the morning and left cooking in the slow cooker. I wish I would have measured things so I can make it again. I think I can get close. Think clam chowder with coconut milk instead of cream and lc veggies instead of potatoes. Yum!

I also managed to get another blog post up. Check it out if you want a quick laugh :D

Here is some inspiration for tomorrow...

Dean

zilla, that clam chowder sounds great. I hope you will post that in the Appetizing Aquatics forum. BTW, did you ditch dairy from Feb? Or were you not doing dairy? I'm lovin' the "deflation" of my dairy bloat since March 1. Cool

wifezilla

I am ditching dairy and eggs for March. I actually have an intolerance to eggs that was dxed when I was in college. They haven't caused me to break out in hives since then so I just ate them whenever I wanted.

As for the dairy, I do feel a little different these days. Not sure if it the lack of dairy or adding all that coconut.

I gained back one of the pounds I lost when sick, but I figured that would happen. Still at 214.

Heather

wifezilla

The recipe is up :D

http://wifezillasway.blogspot.com...pe-low-carb-tropical-seafood.html

Dean

Wow, that looks deeelish! Yup

Heather

Thank you! Yup

I never thought of using coconut milk for cream soup, although I use it for curries and it's awesome.

wifezilla

I will get that recipe posted in a bit :D

Still at 214, so it looks like that 1 lb loss was a keeper, not just the scale faking me out. I have been living on that chowder for the past 2 days and I am still not sick of it. In fact, I am going to heat up a bowl for breakfast right now. Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

jem51

butter poaching, yummm. maybe dinner if i can get to the store for a bottle of white. i have some shrimp.

Tracy

'Zilla, I'm going to try that chowder. I love love love clam chowder and haven't had it in ages!

Butter poaching sounds amazing. DO you use all of that poaching liquid at once, or does it keep? I pay a lot for organic butter :)

jem51

tracy, the recipes on that page tell you how much to use...so no, you use the amt you need. in other word whatever tastes good. i will make a half recipe since i'm single and cooking for just me.

wifezilla

Down to 213 this morning :D

I had the chowder for breakfast yesterday, a coconut milk smoothie with strawberries for lunch, and 4 pieces of whiting (fried) dipped in butter for supper.

I kind of blew the no dairy thing with the butter, but I was craving fat and whiting is so boring without butter I went for it. If I keep dropping weight and feeling fine, who am I to argue??? Still staying away from cream and cheese though. I want to be a full month without before I add those back in.

Here is your inspirational image for the day...

Dean

zilla,

Congrats on the loss! Thumbs Up

wifezilla

Thanks Dean :D

That pound is still gone this morning, so I get to claim that one lost for good too!

I need to get to the store. This particular diet is WAY more easy to fall off of than the meat and fat only diet I did last month. If I run out of food (or time to cook) on meat/fat, I can just go to McDonalds and get a dollar menu cheese burger and throw out the bun. You can't get seafood in Colorado at a restaurant unless it has been battered or is drowning in a sugary sauce.

I also can't reheat my seafood stuff at work. Nobody likes a copy shop that smells like fish :p

Oh well, I think I have time to cook up a piece of mahi mahi. I will be doing butter again since it only has 1g of fat but has 21g of protein.

Demi on the active low carb forum has posted a really cool article about butter. Check it out. http://forum.lowcarber.org/showthread.php?t=367210

Erasmus

Dean

wifezilla

Erasmus

Fine. Make me do this the hard way. Wink

1) Pre-cook your fish. Cut into small blocks no bigger than an inch or so. And refrigerate.

2) Make a stock/soup/curry without anything fishy. Portion and frige.

3) At work nuke the hell out of #2. Then cool it by adding fish chunks.

4) Eat non-fishy smelling lunch.

---OR---

Get a thermos.

-E

Dean

Or tell your coworkers to get over it. LOL

wifezilla

I am the owner. I am worried about the customers! LOL

Erasmus

Dean

That grill looks so cool... makes me drool. Cool

wifezilla

Still on plan. I am seriously enjoying the mahi mahi. In order to be more in line with my original goals, I am mixing the butter with 1/2 coconut oil. It tastes really good :D

I am not the only one who "went native". A Canadian village in Alert Bay Canada returned to their native diet. There is a documentary out about it called "My Big Fat Diet". I blogged about the experiment (link in signature) and I posted links to some video clips and a radio interview with the doctor who started it. Their native diet was wild salmon and oolichan grease (a fish oil).

Oolichan kind of looks like a smelt. Of course, now I want to taste one...LOL

jem51

zilla, look in the c cafe for a discussion on this 'native' diet.

wifezilla

Will do :D

Opps..forgot to post some inspiration...

wifezilla

OK Jem,

I give up. I can't find the thread. Can you toss me a link?

NEVERMIND! I found it. Duh. I had even posted on it. LOL

jem51

thanks for that blog zilla.

wifezilla

You are welcome :D

One more thing I have to brag about...

I took my blood pressure last night. When I started low carb it was 149/95. Last night... 101/62 :D

I had taken it a few times during the carnivore challenge and it was 125/80ish.

The coconut and fish thing has taken it down to levels I have not seen since high school. INTERESTING!

Dean

zilla, are you doing less salt and salty foods now than if February? What are the differences?

wifezilla

Dude....

I have 4 kinds of gourmet salt and use them all the time! LOL

So nope. No change in sodium intake.

I have having a LOT less "puffiness" in general over the past couple of weeks. Coincidence or due to coconuts and fish? Hard to tell at this point.

It could be a variety of things....
Lack of dairy?
Additives in beef and pork making me puff up?
Something in the coconut oil reducing overall inflammation?
Increase in omega 3's due to the fish?
Or total coincidence?

I will have to wait until the end of march and then experiment with adding things back in to really get a better idea.

One thing I can take out of the equation...my period. TOM stopped by today. He didn't make me puff up like usual. Too weird.

Vesna

Zilla, I keep several cans of sardines, herring, mackerel, etc. in my drawer at work. I never have to worry about a source of fat and protein at work.

I use to eat them at my desk. Then one of my co-workers got promoted to department manager. He'd never said a word about it -- then one of his first official actions was to instruct me to eat my sardines in the break room! Blush

Dean

jem51

on lc you'd have less arterial damage so plaques would diminish. arteries would also become more flexible, hence lowering BP.

wifezilla

Naturally, but I have been low carbing since last May. I am having a noticeable change over the last 2 WEEKS. Something else is going on.

Dean

Could it be the absence of cow pus? Dunno

I'll never get that restraining order rescinded. LOL

Tracy

It prolly is the lack of cow pus, much as I hate to admit it even to myself. Dammit!!!

jem51

coconut in all it's forms does have some healing properties. maybe that's it.

wifezilla

I hate that thought too. I am from Wisconsin!!!!

Cheese is supposed to flow in my veins!

EAT CHEESE OR DIE!

jem51

i love cheese. i have gone for long periods eating none. not even a cheat when i was vegan or macro. now, and especially the last two weeks, it has become my fast, grab-n-go food. i stopped eating vegies so had to replace w something as a snack....cheese it is!! if you really want a fatty cheese, you must try st andre brie. the fat lingers on your lips, so so good.

Heather L

Zilla- The increase in Omega 3s could be a big part of it too. Just think how much fish and Omega 3s the Inuit took in. We know their health was fabulous.

Dean

I think it's lack of dairy, and eating coconut and fish.

It's a good thing you're rich, zilla, cuz keeping up a diet of seafood and coconut products won't be cheap. Wink

I think, if one watched the amounts of CO (lots of cals), one could lose weight on this diet, since the fat is not as high. The healing of this diet is great, too. I still think eating fatty pork might be just as healing, once you have got to your ideal weight. Way cheaper to eat pork, too.

wifezilla

I think it may turn out to be a combination of all of the above :D

I did learn something last night. Pork makes me swell up. Hubby cooked dinner and I had to work overtime. He made me a pork chop and my son had made some bacon. I was tired and at a pork chop and some fatty bacon bits. When I woke up this morning, my fingers felt all puffy and I felt like garbage.

Sodium or something else? Not sure. But it looks like I will be avoiding the pork for a while until I figure it out.

Back on track today.

Made another batch of the seafood chowder, so now I have instant meals on hand. That makes it much less likely I will do something stupid again. I also picked up some more coconut oil. I will make a batch of bark so I have that handy too.

wifezilla

The seafood chowder really makes my life easy, and despite eating several batches, I am NOT sick of it. I can't afford to keep buying shrimp the way I go through it, so I may try to make chowder with some of the fish I have on hand.

The mahi mahi is disappearing rather quickly. DAMN that stuff is good.

Back when I lost my 35 pounds rather quickly, one thing I was doing that I stopped was eat coconut bark. With the tropical plan I am back on the bark...if I can hide it from my husband :D I think I was worried about calories going too high. But now that I am eating it again, I am losing. Go figure.

I want to try out some different recipes next week. I have some cod, a bunch of whiting (bleh) and some trout. Having a friend with a cabin on a trout pond sure is handy! I told my gf I was doing a fish experiment for March and she offered me a couple of trout. I gladly accepted, and when we got to her house and she told her hubby, he cleaned out the freezer and gave me about 7 HUGE trout. My gf turned to her hubby and said "You are giving her ALL the trout?"

I started laughing and said "Your hubby is using me as an excuse to go to the cabin and get NEW trout! I am so ON TO HIM!"

We all had a good laugh and now I have tasty fudz :D

My weight had gone back to 214, but it was monthly hormonal issues and I am back down to 213 already with several days of hormone issues to go. Bleh!

wifezilla

Things are going well in the Tropical Wing of the metabolic ward. The sun is shining, the palm trees are swaying. and the coconuts are coconutty :D

I was beginning to worry about the price of this woe, but I finally figured out why things were getting so expensive. My HUSBAND! In the last couple of days, he ate a can of macadamia nuts, a can of almonds and a batch of coconut oil. Basically all of my emergency supplies.

Now mind you, I have still been cooking for this man even though I am eating fish and he is not, and he STILL can't stay out of my stuff! Grrr. A HUGE package of pork chops, corned beef and cabbage, his favorite sausages, etc.... and he still eats all my snacks.

Why is he still alive? He cooked breakfast for me this weekend. And he is kinda cute :D

Here is your inspirational image for the day...

I have made some headway on the new recipes. My whiting and artichoke stew came out rather well. I think it would be better with fresh fennel bulb, but ground fennel seeds work fine too. (recipe is on the blog)

wifezilla

Down another 1/2 lb :D

I was hoping to lose 5 pounds by the end of the month and I might just make it.

Heather L

Zilla- You may have to come up with a secret hiding place for your supplies. LOL

Congrats on losing, and hope you make it to your goal.

wifezilla

my son AND my husband are really good at finding all my hiding places :p

I have another batch of chowder going today...this time with brussel sprouts and cauliflower. Instead of shrimp, I may add perch since I have a couple of bags of that on hand.

I have a batch of coconut bark in the freezer I made this morning AFTER hubby went to work...so I may actually get some of it :D I added some almond butter since I have had a jar in the fridge for a couple of months. May as well use that up too.

Food is REALLY getting expensive...and not just the fish stuff....EVERYTHING! Ack!

Time to get creative...well...more so than usual.

Tracy

Congrats on your half pound!

I wonder if the bloating was from the bacon, or something about pork in general?

wifezilla

I am not sure. I guess I will find out Easter...ham was on sale...so guess what we are having Happy

wifezilla

The scale gods are being VERY kind to me this morning.

211 :D

Maybe is it my magic brady-bunch tiki idol I have in the garden LOL

(it was tipped over the other day, so I cleaned up his area and righted the poor fellow)

No, I did not buy a tiki idol for this experiment, I bought it last year from a dollar store because it was so weird I just had to have it. My girl friend ALSO bough one. The areas in our gardens with our idols always do the best...LOL

Mine kind of looks like the small one on the left, but there are 2 "people" stacked on top of each other on mine...

Heather L

Zilla- Congrats, tropical girl, you are doing excellent!! You can wear that grass skirt and do a little victory dance. hehe

wifezilla

After this experiment, I may have to pull out the silk lei and the clam shell bra. (Yes, I really do own a clam shell bra...we had a luau for a friend's 40th a couple years back and I wore one :D )

Kind of like this, but I sewed it to a regular bra. I needed extra support :p

wifezilla

I cooked a ham for the boys yesterday and HAD to taste some...just to make sure it was ok ya know :D

I am paying for it today. I like the taste of pork, and it does not upset my stomach, but DAMN! Once it hits the intestines, it feels like a large piece of lead is moving through my system.

Any clue what that is about???

I really like pork (it tastes good AND it is cheap!), but it looks like it doesn't like me. Wish I knew what was going on.

I hope I don't have this same issue when I reintroduce beef...we are planning on buying half a cow this Summer!

I need to make a Costco run and pick up some more mahi mahi. Our Costco is new so it is always REALLY crowded...bleh!

Out of curiosity, I have been looking in to OTHER native diets just to see what different cultures ate before the introduction of easy digestible carbs. As expected, they all seem to be very high in fat, good amounts of protein, and veggies were used for thickening or seasoning or in case of famine. Veggies were NOT the basis of their diet.

Since I am mostly Irish, this paper was an interesting read...
http://www.ravensgard.org/prdunham/irishfood.html
(thank god for SCA nerds who have time to look this stuff up!)

Dean

zilla,

Thanks for this link. Great description of post paleo life. Shows the transition into ag, starting mostly with animal husbandry for dairy and meat. Shows that carb foods were pretty nil even during this transition, and fatty meat was prized. It's accounts like these that make it pretty clear what our natural diet was and still is. With animal husbandry, it stayed very close to this in many parts of the world till just very recently. In Missouri there were pigs and chickens and goats and a few milk cows on small hilly farms not suitable for growing much of anything, but perfect for pastured animals. This was the mainstay right up until the middle of the last century. Lard was one of the most prized foods there was.

Modern ag, with it's push toward the Food Pyramidiot diet to support it, by brainwashing so many over the last 50 years into this fat phobia hysteria, has caused so many health problems. Is there any wonder why? It takes many thousands of years to change our genetic makeup. For optimal health, we should return to pure animal foods. A bit of rubbish, thrown in for flavor or what have you, may not hurt some people too much, but it is probably not advisable, since this is just not natural for our digestive system and our metabolism. Our health will thrive on high animal fat foods.

Erasmus

Perhaps with all the Hawaiian photos you've been posting you need a proper Hawaiian pork product...

wifezilla

Great post Dean :D

E...too funny! Those pacific islanders do love their spam...don't they? LOL

wifezilla

Down to 210 this morning!!!

:D

I have already met my weight loss goal for march and I still have a week to go. Woo hoo!

Talked to hubby yesterday about pork. Apparently he has been having the same intestinal problem with pork that I have and he was going to ask my to not buy it for a while. No problem!

I will be sticking to my fish and coconut for the next week, and then I will reintroduce beef and see how that goes. The big test will be the cheeses, but I already think I know what is going to happen (stall stall stall). I would still like to know WHY pork is an issue and I may post that very question on the other boards to see what kind of answers I get.

Here is some more inspiration to keep me on track :D

Kristelle

Yesterday, I watched a show on TV about French Polynesian cuisine and I thought about you and your diet...these guys were fishing all day, eating some of what they caught raw, then fetched some coconuts, mixed them with cooked seafood...and wow, it looked so yummy! You would fit right in with them...why don't you move there with your family?! Who says we can't dream, right?

I can't eat coconut and have to be careful eating seafood due to amine sensitivity... Cry

I

shellfish and coconut. Not fair!!!

wifezilla

It is snowing again. Sneaking off to live with some Polynesians sounds really tempting right about now.

wifezilla

Well, I had book club this weekend and I am puffy today. That's what I get for having alcohol and cheese. Oh well, clean eating will take care of that for a day (and by clean I mean tropical clean...not carnivore clean :D )

I have a batch of stew in tupperware containers, I made coconut bark last night, and I made it out to Costco and bought another bag of mahi mahi, so I am well supplied.

It is supposed to be nice out today, but looking outside, I still see frost on everything. ARGGG!! This has been the coldest, longest Winter in Colorado in over 20 years!!!

By the time I retire, I am sure I will be living on the Golf Coast somewhere...or possibly in AZ. I am SO SICK OF THE COLD!

Tracy

Thanks for the Irish link - I'm part-lass myself, so this was really interesting.

I wonder what it is about pork that's causing the trouble? If you find anything out, let us know.

Kim

wifezilla

I have been here since 82. Snow in May IS common, but it is SUPPOSED to snow, then 3 days later, it is all melted and the temps are back in the 50's and 60's.

Instead, it has snowed, stayed cold, not melted, and then snowed some more! We didn't get our mini warm spell in January this year either. Hubby and I usually bbq on his birthday. This year it was too damn cold.

I moved away from Wisconsin because month after month of cold was making me crazy. Colorado USED to have plenty of warm periods throughout the Winter to distract me, but we haven't had our normal breaks. This is seriously working my nerves.

Dean

Now I understand the real motive behind this Tropical Experiment! LOL

wifezilla

Because some day I would like to live some place like this?

You betcha!

If it wasn't for my husbands fear of hurricanes, I would already be there!

Kim

I grew up in Colorado for the most part but I lived in Phoenix from 2002 - 2004 and it is not fun in the summer and I don't like winter either. Now I live in the "high desert" in Bosie, ID. Winters are usually not so bad but this winter was the exception. I am sick of the cold. Cry

Kim

wifezilla

I feel for ya sister. This long protracted Winter crap is for Canadians and Cheeseheads!

Bonkers

Dean

Kristelle

Especially for us Canadians. Trust me ...you don't want to be here in winter, except maybe for southern British Columbia. We've had the worst of it...tons of snow, strong winds with extreme cold. You name it, we went through it. But the true heroes are those living up north, the Inuit, of course. What they must be going through, I can't even imagine!!!

Going Native: Wifezilla's Tropical Experiment

Day 1

Day 2