Newbie to Paleo need some help

[tjv]

I love the So Delicious cultured coconut milk yogurt. Dairy and soy free/organic.  But not sure if i can eat this on plan.  Can someone help me out?


Also I know that bacon is allowed.  But, is turkey bacon?

Just starting this week so want to stay true to plan.  I think Gluten is my trigger but very excited to start a healthier meal plan and feel better.

Since I am having stomach issues would you suggest holding off on egg and nut/seeds as well?

Thank you for any tips you can give.

[maren]

I don't know about American brands but you can make coconut milk yogurt yourself at home. You need milk kefir cultures and off you go!

I don't see why turkey bacon should be forbidden, but make sure it does not contain a whole lot of additives.

Stay off gluten, grains (also gluten-free grains, here is why: www.thepaleomom.com/2012/10/gluten-cross-reactivity-how-your-body-can-still-think-youre-eating-gluten-even-after-giving-it-up.html), dairy, seeds, nuts and eggs plus everything else on the list: www.thepaleomom.com/autoimmunity/the-autoimmune-protocol

Then, s l o w l y start to reintroduce: www.thepaleomom.com/2012/09/reintroducing-foods-after-following-the-autoimmune-protocol.html

And: Read, read, read!

Good luck, it's a great journey, so don't be scared or inhibited!

[EJ]

tjv are you doing AIP or just Paleo?

Either way, most processed (store-bought) products can have ingredients that can set back your healing. Some of the So Delicious yogurt ingredients that I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole include: ORGANIC DRIED CANE SYRUP (sugar!), NATURAL FLAVORS (that could be ANYTHING), LOCUST BEAN GUM (beans), ORGANIC RICE STARCH (rice), CITRIC ACID (corn), CARRAGEENAN (possible carcinogen & definite inflammatory additive), GUAR GUM (beans). As well as added minerals and vitamins-you don't know what they used to add them, and it's just better for you to get your vitamins and minerals from natural foods (things that don't need them to be added!). So that stuff isn't Paleo and definitely isn't AIP It's a great idea to make your own coconut yogurt-here is Sarah's recipe: www.thepaleomom.com/2012/04/recipe-coconut-milk-kefir-yogurt.html

Just read all ingredient lists carefully. If you see something you don't recognize-look it up to find out where it comes from. Or just put it back on the shelf and buy real food. Something that doesn't have an ingredients list

Bacon is fine, as is turkey bacon. As Maren said, check the list to make sure they didn't add anything crazy.

If you're just starting Paleo, I wouldn't suggest giving up eggs and nuts/seeds for now. Get yourself comfortable with the Paleo basics and see how you feel after a month or so...then if you're still having issues, you can experiment with giving up those things. Just don't eat nuts with wild abandon! (http://www.paleoforwomen.com/six-reasons-i-dont-eat-nuts/) Check out Chris Kresser's website for some whys...for some reason it's not loading right now so I can't include the links I want to

Good luck! Remember that changing your diet is a process! If you haven't done great this week-that's okay! Just continue to learn and make changes as you can. And preparation is key! If you found yourself starving this week so you ate "forbidden" foods...do a bunch of cooking this weekend to make sure that doesn't happen next week!

[jgirl61]

I'm just starting too and had a couple of questions. I use Truvia to sweeten my coffee and tea and baked goods, is this ok on a Paleo diet?

[localkaty]

There's some concern that stevia use can impact hormone function.

www.thepaleomom.com/2013/03/teaser-excerpt-from-the-paleo-approach-the-trouble-with-stevia.html

It takes some time to adjust, but I tend to prefer most of my food unsweetened. It's really much more flavorful once all the sweeteners get out of the way.

[EJ]

Hi, jgirl61. Truvia is an artificial sweetener that you should throw out of your pantry There are healthier substitutes.

Here are some blog posts about sweeteners:
www.thepaleomom.com/2011/11/sugar-vs-sweeteners.html
www.thepaleomom.com/2012/03/is-sugar-paleo.html (here you'll find Sarah's suggestions for sweeteners)
www.thepaleomom.com/2012/01/important-pantry-items-for-paleo-baker.html

Here's a nasty blog post about Truvia: balancedbites.com/2011/01/there-is-nothing-honest-about-truvia.html

As a newbie, you'll want to find some resources that you trust. My go-tos include Sarah's site (ThePaleoMom.com), Chris Kresser's site (ChrisKresser.com), and Mark's Daily Apple (MarksDailyApple.com)-keep in mind that his diet/lifestyle is "Primal" so he includes some dairy, which most Paleo people eliminate (at least initially). These 3 people use actual science to make decisions-and pass on easy digestible information to us non-scientists. So when you have questions, you are welcome to ask on here...but you can also Google "Paleo Truvia" and look for one of their sites for a reliable answer to your question