After experiencing 3 years of ‘Primal dieting’, I wish to share my experiences and help others to pursue the same interests. In November of this year I will travel to Hawaii for the rainbow raw olympic games. There I will meet with Aajonus Vonderplanitz, creator of the Primal Diet to discuss the possibility of him coming to Australia to perform a seminar and private consultations, if we can gather enough interest. The purpose of this blog is therfore to create this awareness. Stay tuned.
Aug 6th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
I’m so there if it happens! Do you eat all raw foods? Please tell us more about your diet and exercise regime. I follow the warrior diet and have been having good success so far.
Aug 7th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Hi Louise. I’ll update my bio as soon as I have time,to let you know everything. Yes I eat a 100% raw Primal diet. My diet mainly consists of raw meat ( beef,lamb, chicken,kangaroo) all pastured, organic or wild game, raw dairy (milk, kefir, butter, cream) all pasture fed, raw eggs (pastured, organic), green vegetable juices ( all raw, fresh and organic), honey (raw, unheated, organic) and small amounts of fruits and vegetables all raw and organic. I studied exercise science with the I.A.R.T (International Association of Resistance Trainers)in Canada and am a certified Fitness Clinician. My exercise is predominantly of a resistance nature but the structure is dynamic and as such is constantly changing depending on my objective.
Aajonus is keen to travel down here but requires confirmation of a certain number of private consultations and workshop attendees. He is easily the worlds foremost authority on this type of diet and his self ascribed iridology. I have consulted with him on the prospect of learning his techniques in a clinical setting, and will do this within the next 4 years in Thailand.
Aug 8th, 2008 at 5:52 pm
Hello Scott and Lousie, yes I too would be interested in learning more from you or Aajonus! I have read alot about the primal diet on the internet but prefer hearing from people who have actually done it - or live by it with great success before I try it out myself. I am also keen to learn more improved and efficient ways of excercising, to build strength and tone muscle so I am all eyes and ears, when you get the chance to tell us :)
when you do can you include all the positive experiences, but also any more challenging experiences you have had or know others to have had, the more information the better!
Thanks so much
Aug 8th, 2008 at 5:54 pm
Scott… what about food poisoning? Do you have an iron gut? Wow. How do you eat the raw meats… like the Japanese, very thinly sliced or like steak tartare? THAT is impressive! Raw eggs and fish (sashimi) is do-able, but meat…. Hmmm… not sure I could do it. Do you have recipes to share? What about soaked nuts and grains? Sorry about the questions, but I’m so impressed, I thought I was getting all prehistoric with the warrior diet! We (well Sophie and I!) want details. Maybe you could show us what you eat in a typical day and specifics about your workouts, I’m focusing on muscle gain as a personal goal.
Aug 10th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
Louise…no I don’t have an iron gut. There is no credible evidence available which suggests that consuming clean raw food is dangerous. In fact, to the contrary, every documented case of food bourne illness can be more easily traced to cooked/pastuerised or processed foods than it can be blamed on ‘raw’ food. Sally can testify to this as it relates to milk, raw meat is in the same beaurocratic tangle. Logic alone proves that raw foods are safe, however my next article will address the microbe/parasite myth further.
I eat my meat in a variety of ways.Whole,sliced,diced,chopped,ground (minced), pate or liquified.
Your apprehension towards raw meat is not all your fault. It is socially based, mainly through the media as a result of processed food manufacturer’s being able to infiltrate and abuse government policy. Go with your instincts and logic on this one and try to forget the years of brainwashing.
I have plenty of recipes, none however contain grains. Nuts are fine but I consume them in a nut formula which negates the effects of enzyme inhibitors just as soaking does. I blend the nuts or seeds with raw unsalted butter, raw eggs, and unheated honey.
I will show you a typical day of mine ( nutrition + exercise) in a future post, but as individualism is the governing principle of exercise science, I wouldn’t prescribe the same for you. Contact me about a private consultation if you prefer.
Aug 10th, 2008 at 5:55 pm
I’m searching to find the body’s natural status and am really interested in this area…
How does the Primal raw foods Diet affect certain people’s constition (eg the Vata types in Ayurvedic context) where raw foods aggravate imbalances in the body?
Aug 10th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Sue…you’re searching to find ‘your’ body’s natural status, and I applaud you. We each have a unique constitution and our health prescription must have an individualised approach as well. This is true of each aspect of health, be it physical such as exercise, nutrition or mental health (personality). Your chosen lifestyle will also be influencial on health prescription. Considering that individualism is the governing principle of everything health related, then The Primal Diet must also address the fact that people exist with differing requirements, just as in exercise where an individual’s body type (somatotype) must be determined and so to in the Ayurveda view on vata types (Doshas).
There are 3 basic blood types to consider when determining which raw foods someone should eat regularly on the Primal Diet. There are also some food combining ‘rules’ to enhance proper utilization. There is also the individual’s objective to consider.
I do however warn against metabolic typing, as this prohibits or restricts certain foods from certain metabolic types which are not warranted, and also advises the use of foods which form toxicity, and would therefore preferably not be consumed.
I will expand upon each of these issues in future posts.
Aug 12th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Hi Scott
I’d love to hear some of your recipes and experiences when you first started to consume raw meat. I’ve been doing a little experimenting with this recently by adding some grated frozen raw liver to my morning smoothie (which is based on raw egg yolks) - so far so good. I also love marinated raw steak (marinated in rice vinegar or lemon juice) but not sure if this counts as raw or not.
Inspired to hear from someone who follows a raw food diet but is not a vegan. Looking forward to your future posts.
Aug 13th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Actually its pretty hard to avoid eating contaminated chicken meat, especially bugs campylobacter and salmonella unless you are gutting your own and avoid disturbing gut contents onto meat…as for milk undulating fever was a pretty good reason to pasteurise.
Beef carcass is said to be sterile however.
Good luck
Aug 13th, 2008 at 5:58 pm
Marie..you’re right. Actually it is futile and therefore pointless to avoid eating or being exposed to campylobacter, salmonella and e.coli (and countless other microbes) since they exist everywhere, including in substantial numbers in our digestive tracts, the very place some might have you beleive their presence would make you ill. As you state yourself, ironically this is the place they are also found in all animals, including those processed for consumption. This is true for cattle also, they are not a magically sterile animal.
The point being, is it logically possible for bacteria to ’cause’ disease? This was a myth perpetuated in 1928-1938 by two giant food manufacturers to prove that their cooked and processed foods were cleaner, healthier and safer than raw foods. Their researched failed to achieve this.
Bacteria, viruses and parasites are a symptom of disease, not a cause. They become pathogenic only in a toxic, non-organic “cooked†environment.
Aug 16th, 2008 at 5:59 pm
I believe the three said micro-organisms are unique to the digestive tracts of warm blooded animals, and don’t exist everywhere. Modern medicine would argue that bacteria can cause infection…whether you choose to believe this is your right! Actually some microbes produce deadly toxins that no amount of cooking can destroy.
Like I said good luck! I look forward to reading about how your iron gut keeps up with it all.
Aug 16th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Hello Scott,
This is really interesting especially your last post. So if a person went raw from a 50% cooked diet could they go straight into eating raw meats without fear of parasites? I do eat raw fish including my daughter and just started ( after a craving ) eating a little raw beef but I soak it first in whey overnight as Sally Fallon suggests in NT.
So do you ferment anything other than milk? Do you include the more difficult vegies to digest like brocoli, cabbage, kale in your raw diet also?
Aug 17th, 2008 at 6:01 pm
Of course I don’t mean they literally exist ‘everywhere’, just potentially they can. They can certainly proliferate in the digestive tracts of warm blooded animals, but they’re definately not limited to this environment. Remember the digestive tract has an ‘exit point’ as well. Feacal matter leaves the digestive tract taking micobes with it and returns them to the earth ( and to whatever might come into contact with it ie. potentially anything and everything). Modern medecine certainly argues that bacteria can cause disease, unfortunately with no scientific basis. Some microbes do produce toxins that no amount of cooking can destroy, so why bother trying?
Aug 17th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Hi Cathy,yes absolutely! You need not fear parasites, they only eat weak, damaged and decaying tissue ie. conditions caused by accumulated toxins. In a healthy body they cannot survive. They just do their job and leave. Analogy:
Parasite infestation is a major problem for domesticated animals consuming a ‘humanized’ diet. Ever heard of a wild animal requiring worming out (or vaccination for that matter)? Parasite fear is my major critisism of NT. Considering that none of the traditional cultures referred to held this fear, I believe it is largely a socially based phobia. Raw meat shoud be treated with the same credence as other raw animal products such as dairy. Choose the best quality grass fed, organic products you can find. The more people I speak too, the more I find with an instinctual craving for raw beef. Funny how the body knows. I have often offered my children (who do not hold social phobias because of their age) the choice between cooked and raw meat, including chicken, and they always choose raw. Their health speaks volumes.
I ferment (pickle) condiments such as ginger and capsicum for use in small amounts. If I consume either leafy greens or cruciferous vegetables I prefer to do so juiced. (my other critisism of NT).
Aug 18th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Hi Scott
Just a few points - not critiscms - but would love your feedback regarding this as you have obviously spent a lot of time researching a raw diet that includes animal products.
Traditional cultures did not have access to modern juicers so would not have consumed leafy greens or cruciferous veges juiced. Would you suggest lactofermentation as another viable option?
Although I’m not a proponent of the germ theory, my recent purchase of a composter and worm farm inspired me to do a little bit of research into composting. The Chinese didn’t compost, they applied their ‘waste’ (aka human manure or ‘night soil’ directly to crops). Traditional Chinese food is always cooked, often for extended periods of time. Nothing appears to have been eaten raw including fruit - they must have known that eating raw food could result in some nasty parasitic infections due to the use of their night soil fertiliser. Apparently if human (and other carniverous animal waste) is composted correctly all pathogens are destroyed in the process making it safe to apply to food crops as fertiliser (Joseph Jenkins book Humanure is a recc. read if anyone is interested in composting, it’s available free online at http://weblife.org/humanure/default.html).
Coming accross this information has led me to rethink my thoughts on germs and infection a little - not to the point of paranoia as complete germaphobia has its health drawbacks (Hygeine Hypothosis and the development of allergies). What are your thoughts and/or experiences regarding this?
Warm regards
Sarah
Aug 18th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Hi Sarah,first of all feel free to offer any critisisms. They are an important part of healthy debate. On your first point regarding juicing. Tradition shouldn’t be an excuse to disclude any recent improvements in our diet. No element of any traditional diet ‘always’ existed, each had to be percieved, conceived, conceptualized and invented and then further improved upon during it’s (and our)evolution. Proceeding generations constantly improved upon ‘Traditional’ techniques such as in the evolution of dairy for example. Post industrialization, many of these so called improvements have proven to be faulty (such as pasteurisation) however juicing does not fall into this category for the most part. Juicer types are important. Lactofermentation of veges is reasonable when juicing is not available. Juicing is one of our generation’s gifts which will become ‘Traditional’ over time.
On you second point, if we are to assume that the feacal matter contained pathogens that would have been harmful once returning to the soil, then we must also assume that they already existed within the person who expelled the waste. If no harm was done in the first place, there is no reason to assume harm in the second. Bacteria are ‘used’ reather than destroyed during composting. They stay only so long as there is adequate decomposing materials for them to consume. The way the Chinese did it was the more ecological and natural way to return waste to the earth, just as all animals do. I dont believe this is the reason that the Chinese tend to cook all of their food, I think it’s just social conditioning, the same as the rest of the world.
Aug 18th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Hello again Scott
I love juicing but wont do it because I go orange the next day ( anything colorful ) even from a small glass unless its many days between juices.
Isn’t a little cooking just the same evolution as juicers?
I find cooked foods in winter are especially delicious and warming, like cake and raw cream. Pumpkin soup made with bone broth. Other times I crave lamb shank casserole mainly in winter time. How does raw lamb shank taste?
Another thing I prefer about lacto fermentation to juicing is that a little is made to go a very long way where as juicing is the opposite.
So in winter time do you and your children really enjoy raw chicken?
Raw foods don’t satistfy me for very long, mind you I’m no expert but when I eat raw tuna for example an hour later I need to eat again. Do you have to eat lots when on a raw diet that includes meat?
Also is it possible that meat from animals needing grain during droubt could become contaminated with parasites and could this infect people who may be run down or ill at the time of consuming it?
I’m from a very dry area and even though I eat organic / biodynamic meats and eggs the animals are fed grain for many months a year, so unsure how safe this meat is raw.
Aug 18th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Hi Cathy. Wow, you turn orange the next day? Do you know why? Is it carotenemia (harmless) or something else that you are aware of, maybe kidney related? I would be interested to know. Does this also happen when you eat the vegetables whole?
Yes, cooking food is evolutionary but has proven to cause mineral and enzyme mutilation. Juicing does not do this (closed case crush press). Regarding vegetebles, the argument is that lightly steaming breaks down cellulose for easier utilization. Juicing does a much better job by pre-masticating and removing the plant cellulose for much better utilization, whilst leaving enzymes intact.
Only since eating 100% raw foods have I been able to cope well with extreme cold. Raw lamb shank is delicious. Raw food doesn’t necessarily mean cold food. Most of my food is eaten at room temperature. My chidren and myself have discovered enjoyment in foods as a result of their health giving proprties, not just taste or flavour. All of the cravings you mention can be subtituted with raw foods.
Lactofermentation of whole or partly whole foods gives the elusion of quantity because of the fibrous content. Raw Juice has a much higher concentration of vitamins, minerals and enzymes.
This is true of all raw foods as opposed to their cooked counterparts, and is also the reason why usually less raw food is required to create satiety. However this is relative to individualism. Some people will consume much more raw food and ‘expell’ very little waste initially, indicating the status of health.
Except for birds (chickens etc.) no animals need grain. Cattle fed hay or silage during winter (or drought) are better. 100% grass fed is best. However, when this is not available, I have happily eaten non-organic ’supermarket’ beef, lamb and chicken with no problems. I only eat the muscle meat though. As most toxins store in organ and glandular tissue (and bone) I avoid these if they are not organic/biodynamic.
Aug 19th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
I have been eating a high raw diet for about a year. I never was Vegan on this diet, always adding a some raw eggs. I found that that this wasn’t really adequate. Eggs for me weren’t very digestible. More than a few would give me gas of the worse sort! Raw milk wasn’t available and I’m not sure I could tolerate it, as I am allergic to whey proteins. Recently, I tried some raw chicken for the first time. I marinated a chopped up Cornish Hen in lime juice and ate it. The experience was illuminating, leading me to consider that I was possibly deficient in something on the diet I was following. Or was the meat acting merely as a stimulant? The persistent sense of well being afterward didn’t seem like the effects of a stimulant. I am not sure that I will add much raw meat to my diet, but I am having to rethink a lot of philosophical things as the idea that vegetarianism isn’t viable goes against imposed lifelong assumptions.
I still don’t think that the parasite issue is not a serious one. When one looks at specifics, on realizes that there are a lot of different strange and harmful parasitic organisms. One should be careful about basing life on generalities of blind faith.
Lack of infection could be just a matter of luck rather than immunity. Recently, the CDC tested a large number of Supermarket meats for Toxoplasmosis and found it only in pork(4 in 2000 samples, I believe) You could potentially eat raw pork every day for a year and a half without being exposed. If you weren’t healthy enough, then what? There are a lot more nasty infective agents than this. Parasite load is supposed to be a significant contributor to the decline and death of predators. Von der Planitz claims to have “cleansing crises†even after many years of raw eating. Suppose instead, its just infections from raw meat?
One of the reasons I am considering meat is the weight loss I’ve experienced. I don’t mind going from 22% to 15% body fat, but would rather not have lost lean body mass.
I am interested in whether you have gained back the weight you lost.
Aug 19th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Hi Justin, sounds like your finding your way. Eggs are ususally the easiest raw protein food to digest (doing so in as little as 20 minutes). Could the gas have been a product of combining the eggs with say, friut or vegetables? I’m glad you have had an enlightening experience with raw chicken. Most people never allow themselves the chance. I find it doubtful that meat could act as a stimulant, unless you’re suggesting that the meat contained a chemical stimulant of some sort. It is quite normal to have apprehensions about eating raw meat, as you say, you have been told not to do so most of your life. If you are philisophically minded, check your premises.There are many contradictions in the parsasite/microbe fallacy.
Parasites exist. They consume dead and decaying tissue from their hosts. When they are done, they leave (or are unable to survive). Therefore they are healthful rather than harmful. This is not a mystical assertion, it is a factual one. No part of what I say or do is blind acceptance induced by feeling in the absence of evidence or proof. Keeping an active mind is essential. If you arive at contradictions, check your premises, you will find an error in your thinking.
The argument that Aajonus’ detoxification phases are ‘infections’ is a common one. Either way, they perform more good than harm. His health proves that.
Raw meat is the only catalyst for proper cellular regeneration. Raw vegan diets may posess similar cleansing and detoxification properties, but do not offer full cellular regeneration. A look at any raw vegan will illustrate their inability to maintan muscle mass. Considering meat is the right option for you if you can overcome your apprehension.
I gained back 10 kilos of muscle. I know weigh a muscular 80kg at 10% bodyfat (by ELG analysis).
Aug 20th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Hello all,
Ive been trying lots of raw meat lately as I am intrigued by the Primal Diet. I always eat my egg yolks raw, but tend to cook the whites because I had a terrible experience trying to digest them once, and I find cooked egg whites much more filling! In terms of meat I am very happy to eat raw mince (i find it requires less jaw action then tougher cuts), raw liver grated up and mixed in with my vegies, raw fish is ok but not as satisfying as raw meat. Thats what works for me anyway. I do mix up raw meat with slow cooked meats, particularly the meat left over from making all my bone broths, however I try to eat most raw. I am yet to try raw chicken and think i might now after Justins experience :). I have to say though, that although i enjoy some celery juice each day, I do absolutely love lots of fresh steamed vegies with butter and herbs, and I would find that very hard to give up.
Also Scott I am interested in knowing where you are based in terms of maybe organising an exercise consultation? I am in Sydney…..
Thanks!
Aug 20th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Hi Sophie, that’s great to hear, I was once intrigued by the Primal Diet, now I’m totally consumed.
How did you eat your eggs when you experienced discomfort? I find that poking a small hole in either end and sucking them from the shell is both the best for digestion and the most satisfying. If you whip or beat them (without the addition of milk, cream or coconut cream) many of the enzymes are lost via oxidization. This could create digestive difficulties.
You most likely prefer raw red meat because it is the one that develops blood and muscle tissue best. The body knows what the body needs. Definately give chicken a go though. Maybe sashimi style with some lime juice and coconut cream!
Your love of veges sounds like a craving for fat, ie butter. As Sally says, vegetables are really just a vehicle for butter. Ha ha. What about just fresh raw herbs and butter. Melt your butter by placing it in a glass jar and immersing it in mildly hot water ( no hotter than your finger can stand ) for 5 minutes. Create a sauce to pour over your raw meat meal. Just a suggestion…
Aug 20th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
Are you concerned about biotin deficiency at all? Avidin in raw egg white can bind dietary and intestinally produced biotin. I’ve heard some raw foodists say its made up for by the extra biotin in the egg yolk, but I remmember reading a mercola article saying that avidin binds up to a thousand times its weight in biotin. I have searched but cant find the reference to this. The article below shows how biotin deficiency was discovered by feeding rats dried egg white.
Biotin is an essential micronutrient for all mammals and is a member of the B complex group of vitamins. Biotin was discovered in nutritional experiments that revealed a factor in many foodstuffs that was capable of curing the scaly dermatitis, hair loss, and neurologic signs induced in rats fed dried egg whites.
“Avidin is a glycoprotein found in egg whites and binds biotin very specifically and tightly. From an evolutionary standpoint, avidin probably serves as a antibacterial in egg whites because it is resistant to a broad range of bacterial proteases in both the free and biotin-bound forms.
Because it is resistant to digestive enzymes from the pancreas dietary avidin binds to dietary biotin and prevents its absorption. The normal bacteria of the large intestine synthesize biotin. Cooking changes avidin and makes it susceptible to digestion and unable to interfere with the intestinal absorption of biotin.
The fact that we have a requirement for biotin has been most clearly shown in 2 situations that result in biotin deficiency:
Prolonged consumption of raw egg whites and
IV nutrition without biotin supplementation in patients with short-gut syndrome
Interestingly, the biotin requirements for normal persons and for persons in special clinical circumstances are not known. Safe and adequate doses have been suggested. “
Aug 20th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
I found the article :
“One of my raw food mentors convinced me that there was more than enough biotin in raw egg yolks to compensate for this problem, and I revised my previous recommendation to say that eating whole raw eggs would not pose a problem. This idea made sense to me as many wild animals consume raw eggs with no apparent problems.
However, recently a subscriber, Dr. Sharma, PhD, who is a biochemist with Bayer, contacted me about this issue. His investigation into the matter revealed that there is not enough biotin in an egg yolk to bind to all the avidin present in the raw whites. He found that 5.7 grams of biotin are required to neutralize all the avidin found in the raw whites of an average-sized egg. There are only about 25 micrograms — or 25 millionths of a gram — of biotin in an average egg yolk. †from the mercola website.
I guess you would still be getting a lot of biotin from the raw meats as well?
Aug 20th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Thanks for all the suggestions Scott, I shall try them out! I have to admit I do actually love my veggies, the taste and all, not just the butter. I think its also because i can eat lots and lots of them and I don’t feel too full (I like being able to eat lots!) unlike with meats and fats I definitly feel uncomfortable when I occasionally eat a little too much. Part physical and part psychological i guess :) I would really love to hear more about what you eat in a day - and maybe I need to purchase the book to work out how to follow it properly :) It does seem to make sense in theory to me but then I do wonder about things like home made stock which is supposed to be so nourishing and nutritious too :)…and tasty!
thanks for all your comments and feedback too
Aug 20th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Jad…the action of the amino acid avidin binding with biotin is shown empirically in laboratory analysis.(The bond has also been shown to be beneficial for retaining muscle glycogen and dissolving biocarbons). However the body has an innate ability to properly alter any chemically identified enzyme inhibitor in eggs, allowing them to be eaten in their entirety. The empirircal evidence is presented here by none other than mother nature. Many Primal dieter’s have also eaten up to 30 eggs per day for at least 25 years and exhibit none of the symptoms associated with biotin deficiency. Conclusions based on lab analysis which arrive at contradictions when considered metaphysically should be dimissed. There is no doubting that biotin ( as with all of the B vitamin complex) is an essential nutrient. It has never been shown that the consumption of whole raw eggs can cause a deficiency of this or any other nutrient, in fact quite the contrary.
Aug 20th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
The depth of this subject is mind-boggling! this is all a fascinating read - thank you for everyone’s knowledge…
Aug 21st, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Sophie..here goes. My general daily eating schedule.
Upon waking- 250-300 mls of green vegetable juice (85% celery, 10% parsley, 5% raw honey, occasionally coconut cream.
45 mins to 1 Hour later- 300grams of raw meat (beef, chicken, fish, lamb, kangaroo) with 3-4 tablespoons of raw fat ( butter, cream, eggs, coconut- usually blended into a sauce). 250mls of kefir.
At least one hour later- Another 250-200mls of green vegetable juice.
At least one hour later- Another 300grams of raw meat plus fat. 250 mls of kefir.
When I am next hungry(usually 1-2 hours later) I will eat a small amount of fruit (usually tomatoes) dates, bananas, papaya, pineapple, oranges etc. with an equal amount of fat-butter, cheese or coconut.
45 mins to 1 hour later- Another 300grams of raw meat plus fat. 250 mls of kefir.
2-3 hours later- A milkshake (milk, eggs, honey, cream) or a nut formula (nuts, butter, honey), or a similar ’sweet’ meal. Usually this brings me to the end of the day.
As you can see, I eat many meals per day, non however make me feel physically full ( in stomach capacity), but all hit the satiety trigger. This is because of their nutrient density. That is my focus, not calories. This quantity and combination of food (especially the meat and fat) is neccesary with my level of activity.
I do suggest that you purchase the book ‘The Recipe For Living Without Disease’. Do so at http://www.wewant2live.com. Also check out Kieba’s Retro Raw books at http://www.bodytemplebootcamp.com. Both offer good recipe ideas.
Aug 21st, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Wow, there’s no way I could commit to eating that much throughout the day. I’d never get any work done! I eat 3 meals per day and find I don’t need to eat in between - each meal contains at least 1 raw egg, some coconut oil and kefir plus either meat (cooked) and vege, sprouted grain bread or some fruit. I never feel hungry in between meals and never experience cravings - except if i’m doing a lot of work on the computer I get bored and keep visiting the kitchen but this has nothing to do with hunger.
How do you get any work done between eating, preparing and cleaning up in the kitchen?
Aug 21st, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Sarah…I definitely need to be organized. The beauty is that generally raw food requires much less preperation than cooked. Juicing is probably an exception. I prepare all of the following day’s food the night before, and juice enough to last 3 days. A general Primal Diet eating schedule is supposed to elicit the gain in body fat required for the removal of deep tissue toxicity. I tend to exercise too much for this to occur as frequently as I would like, especially when I am training specifically (such as now for the Raw Olympics). When my exercise demands decrease, so does my food consumption. Also, as a part of deep tissue toxicity removal, there may be one or two instances per year when I change my diet to induce fat loss. Obviously I would eat much less during these times. The time consumed is one issue often raised, the other is the financial cost. I don’t see either as being too problematic. Both are a cost/benefit issue and in both instances the benefits far outweigh the costs.
Aug 24th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
what about dehydrated meat?
Aug 25th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Dehydrating meat requires a higher temperature than other foods (such as fruit and veg) in order to bring the moisture content down quickly enough to prevent spoilage. This is especially true of fatty meats with a higher moisture content. This causes nutrient loss the same as cooking. Refrigeration is best for meat preservation.
Aug 25th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Bugger! I dont think i can eat raw meat but was maybe willing to give it a crack if it was like jerky. Nevermind, i’ll just stick to raw milk and raw egg yolks.
Aug 25th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I was once in the exact same predicament, even dried some kangaroo loin strips to get me started. I only ever did it once though. If you are already consuming some raw animal foods (milk and eggs) meat will happen soon if your mindset is right. Sounds like it’s only the texture that your having problems with. Try ‘drying’ some small cubes of beef by leaving it uncovered in the refrigerator for a couple of days. I have done this with some fussy clients who prefer a less moist texture.
Aug 26th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Hi Scott - about the raw eggs - I have tried raw eggs several more times - mostly on their own or mixed with some raw meat, however every time I seem to get an upset stomache, and a horrible scratchy dry feeling in my throat! Raw egg yolks are yummy, but I think I am not respecting my body by eating raw egg whites at this time :). I think i might try drying some meat in the fridge as something new. Also I have tried raw brains now - (from healthy pasture fed lamb) obviously, and they went down really well. Brains don’t have much of a taste i found. I quite like offal I am finding…….except kidney - not so much!!
keep up the great posts everyone as I find them all so interesting, thanks :)
Aug 26th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Hi Scott and Sophie
I’ve been eating up to 6 raw egg yolks per day for the last year (usual is between 2 and 4 per day). Like you Sophie I react badly to the egg white - raw whole egg gives me explosive diarrhea which is not much fun. I’m fine with just the yolks. I’ve even experimented with one whole egg and the rest yolks but the same thing happens.
Scott, I have found the opposite situation with raw egg yolks, if I don’t have my egg yolks in the morning for breakfast then I’m tired and irritible. I’d always been a horrible person in the mornings - I wasn’t nice be around until I’d had a few cups of coffee. Once I started the raw egg yolks I no longer needed the coffee (although i did start off by blending them with raw cacoa nibs so that would have given me a bit of a caffeine hit too). Now my partner Phil always notices if I haven’t had my egg yolks (usually because I’ve been busy and run out of eggs). He always jokes that the egg yolks have helped me find the right side of the bed in the mornings.
Aug 26th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Despite the fact that eggs are probably the best compact food in nature, they are not essential in any specific quantity on a Raw food diet. The immature protein in eggs is not utilised for cellular reproduction the way that raw meat is, and therefore should not be substituted for meat more than occasionally. As a supplement however, they are a great natural balance of bioavailable nutrients. Because of the immature proteins, digestion can be affected if raw eggs are consumed cold (ie. refrigerated). The same is true for cold raw milk as protein factions pass undigested into the blood stream causing cramps. I suggest that that you not consume raw milk or eggs in proportions that would cancel or reduce your appetite for raw meat anyway.
Sarah, the metabolic affect of consuming only the yolks was observed in experiments (performed by Aajonus Vonderplanitz) with animals and humans who ate a 100% raw food diet. Results showed that ‘…metabolism was considerably increased, usually without increasing energy. The side effects were that often hunger increased to a frenzy and dispositions tended to be irritable’. The conclusion stated that ‘…eating the whole raw egg was more nourishing, and better for metabolic and emotional balance’.
Because these experiments were performed on 100% raw food consumers, the results are relative to what a ‘normal’ balance of metabolic and emotional balance is considered to be. Seeing that you cook at least some of your food (I think you said in a previous post you cook your meat), then your balance would be quite different to a raw food consumer. Therefore it would be feasible that you could experience the opposite effect, ie. an increase in energy and a reduction in irritability relative to your normal balance, once consuming raw nutrients.
Thats actually a good example of how much better you could expect to feel on an all raw diet. Your current ‘good’ ie. high energy and low irritability, may become your ‘bad’ such as on your coffee regimen. Look out Phil, she could become a high energy bundle of happiness!
Aug 27th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Hi Sophie…the experimentation that you have undertaken is vital. It is required to find your own ideal nutrition prescription. As unusual as it may be, you may have an issue with digesting raw eggs, or specifically the whites. Either way, you obviously have the awareness to listen to your body to find out what it likes and dislikes. This is definitely an issue of individualism. However, it has been noted that the consumption of raw egg yolk, minus the whites, has the potential to disrupt metabolic balance. The symptoms of this include an energy deficit and irritability. Watch out for these as you continue to experiment!
Raw brains are great, as is most offal. When eating raw animal foods you quickly realise that most of them are fairly neutral in flavour. The cooking process imparts most of the flavour to conventionally prepared foods. The natural flavour is always lost. Rediscovering it (we all have the instinct) is exciting. However, you should always be able to prepare meals that are appetizing with raw ingredients. I don’t suggest that anyone forces themselves to eat something ‘nutritious’ if it doesn’t appeal to them.
Sep 2nd, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Hi,
Scott, I’m a fellow raw eater, though I believe all things in moderation so I eat a fair amount of cooked too, but my favorite foods are raw organs and seafood, nothing better once you get past the initial brainwashed gross out factor.
I was recently reading an article on the WAPF website about traditional eating habits of Native Americans and it sounds like they lived rather decadently! Eating large amounts of raw fats from all types of animals. I remember the first time I had raw liver and fat from a freshly killed wild turkey, I don’t think to this day I’ve ever had anything quite so delicious.
To any nay sayers, you don’t know what you’re missing, and you’ve swallowed big business’ lies, hook, line and sinker, good luck with THAT!
Always think for your self!
Sep 2nd, 2008 at 6:37 pm
Hi Sarah -
“Traditional cultures did not have access to modern juicers so would not have consumed leafy greens or cruciferous veges juiced.â€
What traditional cultures did was chew their vegetables and spit out the pulp.. So if you don’t want to buy a modern juicer you don’t have to. It just makes things a little easier. The point is that the fiber in vegetables is not needed on a 100% raw diet which includes meat.
Sep 2nd, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Michael…that’s correct.The importance of fiber (insoluble) is largely overrated in most common nutritional forums today. Bacteria is far more important to a healthy digestive tract and stool formation than fibre. Fibre is another phenomenon driven by large food manufacturers (such as processed grain products) trying to justify their otherwise worthless products.
Sep 2nd, 2008 at 6:39 pm
**
“Traditional cultures did not have access to modern juicers so would not have consumed leafy greens or cruciferous veges juiced.â€
What traditional cultures did was chew their vegetables and spit out the pulp.. So if you don’t want to buy a modern juicer you don’t have to. It just makes things a little easier.
**
A big difference between chewing/spitting, and juicing, is saliva. Which will have a big effect on digestion. Can’t speak for raw meat eaters, but for people that eat a mix of raw and cooked healthful food, then I don’t think you can compare juices to whole veges.
I’d be interested in more info or references on traditional peoples that chew and spit veges, especially what kinds of veges.
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 6:40 pm
I’ve never understood the argument for saliva secretion opposing the consumption of raw green vegetable juices.
The first point is that the role of salivary amylase is to break down starch into maltose for utilization as an energy source. Green leafy vegetables DON’T CONTAIN ANY STARCH. At least not in the parts we generally eat. This can be shown in a simple Iodine Starch Test. Therefore this argument is irrelevant. Even if starch were present and you relied upon endogenous (your own bodily) enzymes to digest your food, the pancreas would secrete sufficient enzymes for this purpose (albeit at a great metabolic expense to the body). Even better still, if the vegetables were consumed raw, their own amylase content would promote their proper digestion.
The second and more important point is this. As a result of their enzyme-free diet, modern humans are basically the only animal on earth that secretes digestive enzymes in the saliva. Ruminents (who consume huge quantities of vegetation) secrete large quantities of saliva completely devoid of enzymes. The exceptions are domesticated animals (dogs, cats, etc.) which we feed a processed, high cabohydrate, heat treated diet to. Enzymes are present in their saliva in about one week after they are removed from their natural, raw carnivorous diet. All other wild creatures rely upon exogenous (food) enzymes to perform the bulk of the digestive process, and therfore show little enzyme secretion in digestive juices. This is the key to health! Modern human digestion makes extravagant demands on the physiology of the body. This energy should be put to much better use. Juicing is the way to consume vitamin and mineral dense vegatable foods with their full quota of enzymes, with the least metabolic expense, and without the fibrous content. Cooked vegatables consume more energy (metabolically) than they provide, leaving a nutritional defecit, as a result of providing no digestive assistance (enzymes).
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 6:40 pm
M.J. and Scott Wheeler, I eat raw meat, though I am not on the primal diet specifically. I must tell you both, I make beef jerky by drying it in the sun. You can also use a simple dryer fashioned from a 100 watt light bulb, a box, and some other stuff. Anyways, the meat does not spoil. Ive made it with no spices, and with spices (garlic…and some times a little salt and pepper) The spices greatly improve the taste and make it just like jerky. You can also make a raw sauce ( tomatoes with garlic is like italian dish) then just hang it out to dry in the hot sun. You can use a screen to keep flies away, but I have done it without and it worked fine. Make sure to use LEAN meat….like Kangaroo (they are lean right?). Fattier meats with go rancid within a week, more or less, because fat requires a much higher temperature to dehydrate (i.e. cooking).
-Eric
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 6:41 pm
Scott, can you write a post specifically about juicing. I’m intrigued how you marry it into traditional eating. PS your point about traditional environments being different therefore we require more raw fat interests me also. Not least because I love fat.
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Scott I am not sure I agree with your argument. For one there’s this human that you call “Modernâ€. When does that generation begin? What is different about the “Modern†human being. Could it be the large number of chemicals they are exposed to due to over indulgence of the scientific trend? Of which I notice you have used too justify the argument above.
One curious thing you said was that “Modern human digestion makes extravagant demands on the physiology of the body. This energy should be put to much better use.†What better use dare I ask? Is stripping the plant of it’s wholesomeness the best way to consume plant food? I think just the process of analysing food down to it’s atoms and what not already takes the shine out of eating.
Traditional diets were not eaten for what their chemical compounds were or did. They were eaten for how they made people feel emotionally, physically and spiritually. Everything was eaten as whole as possible and plants were considered spiritual gifts to us.
The body of a human being is composed of very intelligent cell and intelligent bacteria so that when taken care of it detoxifies itself and is able to secrete all the enzymes necessary for our digestion. We tend to think that we have to do and add everything into our bodies for our bodies to stay healthy yet we disregard the functions the body is able to do for itself.
Finally I’d like to add that the FIBROUS CONTENT is very important if plant foods because it regulates the energy release and is fantastic for the health of the bowel. Definitely should not be discounted.
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 6:43 pm
The act of chewing doesnt just trigger saliva production, but also other digestive enzyme flow.
However as green vegie juices are quite bitter, and bitters tend to also stimulate a lot of digestive enzyme flow I cant see any reason why a green juice should be of any issue.
Im sure if traditional cultures had access to efficient juicers they would most likely have used them, its just that the technology wasnt available.
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 6:46 pm
Hi Scott, I forgot that you were talking about leafy green juice (but then I’ve been reading bits of this thread not all of it). I was thinking of the ubiquitous carrot juice, and then trying to imagine the kinds of veges that traditional cultures ate by chewing and spitting - I’m still curious about that. I eat raw chickweed, dandelion, and other green leaves but I don’t spit out the fibre.
However you are talking about modern greens yeah? The traditions I am aware of that eat those plants cook/ed them.
Also, while I accept what you are saying about the Western science view, I was thinking of other, older sciences like TCM, where saliva has a much deeper import for the body than what you presented in your last post.
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 6:46 pm
What about babies? Oaky, for me,I am all for raw milk, raw cheese, raw cream, reaw honey but the thought of raw meat, especially chicken, turns me green actually, but for arguments sake, I have two children, both still in their infancy with my oldest reaching four soon and the other still only 20 months.
Do you recommend babies eating raw meat? If so, from what age? The normal recommendation for solids is between the ages of four to six months.
Sep 3rd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
Yes…I would like to write a post specifically on juicing. It’s link to traditional eating is also related to post industrial environmental changes. Keep an eye out for it in the coming days. In the meantime, keep eating lots of fat!
Sep 4th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Amy…modern means ‘from the present time’. As I stated, I am referring to post-industrialization i.e early 20th century onwards. There is very little biological difference between modern and ancient humans. That’s the whole point, biological evolution has remained very constant during such a time period, environmental conditions have not.
‘Modern human digestion’ refers to the fact that since improper foods have become available to us (i.e post- industrialization),humans have devoted a huge amount of enzyme potential to making digestive enymes. This places undue strain on the production of metabolic enzymes, which undertake every other cellular task the body must perform in order to keep all of the organs and tissues functioning. If your asking for a list of these ‘better use’ functions, refer to a biology text as the list is huge.
Yes, stripping the plant of it’s wholesomeness IS the best way to consume plant food. Just be sure to consume the wholesome part i.e the juice (in the case of green leafy vegetables).
Yes, eveything was ‘traditionally, eaten whole. There was no option previously, there is now.
Digestion itself is the process of breaking …’food down to it’s atoms’ and ‘chemical compounds’.
Whether you choose to think about it or not doesn’t alter these facts.
And yes we do have to …’add everything into our bodies for our bodies to stay healthy. We are born with a given supply of nutrients in our bodies to facilitate all bodily functions. From then on, as we grow we require these nutrients in much greater quantities. We eat to satisfy the need to replace the nutrients used to achieve the most efficient bodily functions. If you think that your body has the capacity to perform the multitude of tasks neccesary for optimal health by relying on it’s ‘very intelligent cells’, then try a diet of beer and skittles and see how it performs. In an ‘ideal’ unpolluted world, an animals desire for health and wellbeing is guided by the instict to consume nutrient dense and bacteria rich raw foods. The sense of hunger is directed by these foods, and their consumption happens to best support bodily functions. Modern humans eat not from instinct, but from habit and addiction. We are socially conditioned to be germaphobic and consume commercially prepared foods without the full quota of nutrients.
On you last point, you have generalized my argument against the fibrous content of specifically ‘green leafy vegatables’ to include all ‘plant foods’. I don’t drink fruit juices, as I do note that the fibrous portion of the flesh is important to the slowing of the ’sugar hit’, especially in those with a high sugar content i.e. most fruit juices. However I do not buy into the propoganda that fibre is important to the health of the bowel. A good reference to this can be found in an article titled ‘Fiber Menace….’ concerning the case of John Harvey Kellogg, which was once published on this site.
Sep 4th, 2008 at 6:48 pm
An excellent article by a very interesting man and a great read:
http://nourishedmagazine.com.au/blog/articles/fiber-menace-thou-shalt-not-eat-any-abominable-thing
Sep 4th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Mum…sorry for the delayed response. I have 2 children aged 4 and 6 years. Both have consumed a largely raw diet, including chicken, beef and fish for about 2 years. That means my youngest started at about 2 years old. At that age the only consideration was preperation methods. He preffered minced meat rolled into small balls, plain and simple. Others prefer meat (and glands) blended or liquified with the addition of milk, honey, eggs etc. Your children will not have the same apprehension towards raw meat that you do because they are too young to have been socially influenced. Try to be as ‘neutral’ as possible if you offer them raw meat so that they don’t pick up on your apprehension. They will know what they prefer though. My children now have an apprehension towards cooked meat! They are both in terrific health.
If you decide that raw meat offers any benefit to achieving optimal human health, then this would be true for ALL humans young or old. In fact optimal nutrition is paramount for creating initial health in babies, so as to avoid the neccesity of attempting to reverse disease in later life.
In younger babies (<12 months) I beleive the breast milk of an adequately nourished mother, or the raw milk of adequately nourished cow or goat (whichever has the healthier diet) is best.
Sep 5th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Dear Scott,
I just ran across your article and blog today and am thrilled to see it. I have met so many Primal Dieters over the last few years that are doing really really well. Aajonus gives ‘q & a periods after each potluck in the L.A. area and he does workshops in various parts of the country. This coming weekend, he is in giving a workshop and several days of consultations in Aspen Colorado. (see http://www.wewant2live.com/site/811618/page/937343). I mention these because Aajonus really wants us to be able to think with the diet and to make knowing and informed choices within the context of the diet. You do a great job of communicating this facet of the Primal Diet. Now that I know of your blog, I will be following it more closely.
Sep 12th, 2008 at 5:32 am
Cathy,
On a daily basis the food I listed is what I consume, everyday. My wife however is about 8 inches shorter and a 100 lbs lighter she eats about 1/2 of what I eat - Our Moisturizers, milkshakes and meat meals, fruit meals- Like Scott, I prepare all of our meals before bed in about 20 minutes time ( not including squeezing lemons, cutting meats, or vegetable juicing). Which makes it very efficient during the day, each meal satisfies me, I never feel stuffed or bloated. I function very well on my daily tasks.
Sep 25th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Excellent validation of the Primal Diet and its Benefits. Also Scott, how did you find Brian D. Johnsons I.A.R.T? I have been thinking of becoming certified for the past couple of months.
Sep 28th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Hi Tristan…thanks for your support. The I.A.R.T is the BEST place in the world for you to learn objective execise science. Be prepared for some hard,satisfying work, both physical and mental. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough. The head office is about to move to New York, but Brian will remain in Ontario, Canada. These guys aren’t appreciative of Primal diet protocol, however you can apply this to your nutrition yourself, as I have for optimal results. I.A.R.T nutritional protocol is pretty standard/conventional stuff which is probably my only critisism.
Sep 29th, 2008 at 5:29 am
Hi Scott, thanks for the reply back. Ive had many people praise the I.A.R.T as being the best, and Iam very close to beginning the course, infact I will most likely be ordering it today. As for them appreciating the Primal Diet protocol, Ive found that alot of people find it very hard to appreciate, and I have given up on preaching about it, I take the criticisms about how Im going to die from Ecoli, get worms and turn into a raging beast and continue to eat my steak raw. If any of you would like a great read by an author that pratices the Primal Diet check out Randy Roaches new book “Muscle, Smoke & Mirriors” Here is a link to his website and I think the book can be purchased from Amazon or Chapters. Im not trying to push the book for sales or anything, its just an excellent read.
To check out his book:
http://randyroach.ca/
Sep 29th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Thanks Tristan…I’ve actually read some excerpts from the book you mention, some of them in mainstream published exercise literature. All of them failed to mention that the author practiced the primal diet. I guess they all ‘forgot’, despite the fact that it’s probably the most important part. It just proves your point about the apparent anti-social nature of the diet. We’ll Keep trying! Thanks for the link. Good luck with the I.A.R.T. You wont be disappointed.
Scott.
Sep 29th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Hey Scott, good to hear you have heard about the book! Thats great that its being heard of all the way over in Austrailia! The author of Muscle, Smoke and Mirriors does practice the Primal Diet very stricly but it doesnt have anything to do with the book, I just thought that I would mention it to intice you to read the book by an author who is obviously open minded and is all about FACTS and not fads, like eating cooked food :P I actually train in the authors basement and he is also my personal trainer, nurtitionish and mentor (kind of a guru to me). As for the Primal Diet being anti-social, my family is going to be shocked come Thanksgiving when I slap a raw steak on my plate of gobble it back instead of a turkey! I spoke with Brian today via email and will be getting the course Wednesday to being my I.A.R.T. certification process! Im very excited about this! If I have any questions or need the occasional point of view sharing I would love to converse with you about it!
Tristan.
Sep 29th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
Dear Tristan and Scott, Randy has put entries on the http://wewant2live.blogspot.com/search/label/body%20building blog quoting from his book before the book was even released. He mentions Armand Tanny as an early body builder who consumed raw milk - it is a fascinating entry and typical of the complete research Randy has done throughout the entire Volume I of his book. He sent me an advance copy which I find fascinating. He also sent one to the Governor of California as he is mentioned. Randy autographed the book and said something like for the man who can save raw milk in California.
Sep 29th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Hi Jim, great find with the entries Randy has made on the wewant2live blog, I have not read this before but I intend too! Randy goes into many of the nutritional background of bodybuilders from the beginning of physical culture to the present, some of the diets did include raw products and many include vast quantities of raw dairy. Jim, how do you know Randy?
Sep 29th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
Hello again Jim…I have previously read Randy’s entries on wewant2live, but did not make the connection until you pointed it out. Thank you, hope you are well. I’m looking forward to meeting with Aajonus in Hawaii in about 6 weeks time for the raw games. Will you be there?
Sep 30th, 2008 at 6:39 am
Ahh, the raw games, I would love more information about these and whats involved! I would also love to go to Hawaii! Good luck at the raw games Scott!
Oct 1st, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Hi, Scott. I have just read the book “We want to live” and have really enjoyed the comments posted on this site. One question I have is in regards to drinking raw milk, don’t some people increase mucus production when drinking milk. My son has asthma and we have avoided milk products for a long time because of this. Is it different with raw milk? Thank you for your reply.
Cindy
Oct 1st, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Hi Cindy…I’m glad you’re enjoying the discussion.
As far as I am aware, there is no credible evidence which suggests that drinking milk (raw or pasteurized) causes an increase in mucus production in general. Potentially it could, if an allergic response existed as a result of milk consumption, but this would be true of any food. As asthma is in fact an allergic overreaction, it might be advisable to use raw milk cautiously initially, and check your son’s response.There is much less chance of an allergic reaction occuring with raw as opposed to pasteurized milk. I’m sure you will find that raw milk will in fact be beneficial to the healing process and definitely not contraindicated as the common ‘myth’ suggests.
Oct 7th, 2008 at 11:22 pm
Hi
I live in Oz. I read ‘We Want to Live’ 3 years a go and have been eating raw meat and fat for over three years. Bit lonely here, should move to California or London where there is a bigger movement for raw animal foods.
I don’t follow the Primal Diet as I found coconut/dairy/green juices/fruit/eggs were a real problem, but eat raw meat and fat which consists 99% of my diet. I ended up on this diet through pure desperation not out of choice unfortunately!
Cheers
Oct 8th, 2008 at 11:28 am
Dear Scott and Tristan,
I met Randy through the internet when he contacted me in order to subscribe to Aajonus’ Primal Diet newsletters at the www.wewant2live.com website. He gets his own newsletter each time they come out, in a format which his computer can read to him as he is visually impaired. I have tremendous respect for him. His book (Volume I so far) is a major work.
The raw games sounds great but I will not be there as I have a commitment to make the morning veggie juice, lay out the meat meal & the smoothie, to provide encouragement, transportation and more for Barbara, my wife of 26 years as she recovers from advanced spinal cancer. Her poem upon receiving the diagnosis is on the home page. She also is now writing occasional articles (on the net) as a cancer survivor.
I would have come out more boldly on your blog but I didn’t want people to think I was just tooting my horn to get visitors and customers.
Oct 8th, 2008 at 1:12 pm
Thanks again Jim for your involvement. This is a Blog that I have sponsored specifically for the purpose of raising awareness for The Primal Diet (and similar ones). So, feel free to TOOT as loud as you want.
I know of you and your wife’s plight through wewant2live, and have read her poem and articles. Thanks for the inspiration.
Oct 10th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Scott,
Thank you for your reply. I just started the raw diet today. I am interested to see how things progress. I will advance slowly with the raw milk and cream, but find that the butter is no problem. I just recently found out that I am hypothyroid and am curious to see how this diet will effect that. I had one question as to what happens in the body when a traditional meal is eaten sporadically when one is on a raw diet? Does a person get ill or does it just effect each person differently? What has been your experience. Thank you.
Cindy
Oct 10th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Hi Cindy,
Following a raw diet will most definitely assist your hypothyroidism, particularly if you also concentrate on foods that will assist hormone production within the thyroid. If possible, avoid any medication (such as thyroxin) as this will ultimately cause atrophy of the gland itself.
Generally, the consumption of occasional cooked meals when following a raw diet reduces the effects of the raw diet by slowing the detoxification process. This is sometimes actually prescribed for patients whose symptoms are so severe that a reduction is preferrable (such as the elderly, for quality of life). Such patients may eat one cooked meal per week in order for this effect to occur. However, for the most part, the idea is to undergo as much cellular detoxification as possible, in order to enhance health. Therfore slowing this process by consuming cooked foods would be detrimental.
Personally, if I happen to consume cooked foods, I feel the difference from a digestive perspective, a definite lack of energy and some nausea, but nothing too serious. Seeing as how you have just begun the diet, I doubt you will notice anything too specific initially, however the effects will be slowed.
Scott
Oct 26th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Scott,
Thank you for the reply. I am sorry it has taken so long to check back. I have fallen off the wagon (as far as the completely raw diet), but I am ready to try it again this week. In regards to concentrating on foods that wil assist hormone production within the thyroid, what foods might you be referring to? I have read where kelp is a great source of iodine, as well as yogurt, which amazes me. I can’t figure out how yogurt would be high in iodine. Thank you again for your reply.
Cindy
Nov 18th, 2008 at 9:36 am
Hi, Mr. Wheeler, thank you for sharing your experience with the primal diet. I was wondering if you can direct me to the information you have written about with regard to parasites, websites? books? etc. I have a seven year old son who I use to not feed any meat to, just fish. I started to feed him grass fed beef few months ago, mostly in stews and soups. Then I gave him slice of raw filet of beef, well he really like it. I get my beef from a farmer who raises 100% grass-fed black angus so I feel fairly confident as far as quality of meat. Now my wife is a little freaked out that I am feeding our child raw meat, which I sort of understand. I just read a book last night called survival of the sickest. There was chapter dealing with parasites which would seem to contradict what you have stated. I just want to be as sure as I possibly can when it comes to my child. For myself, I love eating raw meat, though on a spritual level, I am some what conflicted. My goal is actually to someday to live on just air water and sunlight, make life a lot simplier. Well thank you for your time.
Jon Kit Lee
Dec 19th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Cindy…sorry for the delayed response. Foods to assist thyroxin production include fresh dates and raw cheeses, fresh ocean fish (scallops oysters, clams etc.) and sundried powdered clay (mix with vegetable juices). These foods act to supply the thyroid with the nutrients necessary for hormone production. Vanilla extract can also stimulate the thyroid.
As for milk products (such as yoghurt) these have a general value as well, in that they all supply good mineral ratios. However the iodine content is a bit of a misnomer. The reason that dairy appears to be a source of iodine is that for decades dairy equipment was washed with iodophors (cleaning solutions and sanitizers containing iodine) which contaminated the milk supply. These are becoming less common, and so dairy is no longer considered a source of iodine, especially from health conscious dairies.
Dec 19th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
Jon…again apologies for the delayed response.
Most of the common information you can source on parasites and bacteria will seem to contradict what I have stated. Thats because parasite and bacteria fear and paranoia is what drives the medical industry to their huge financial gains. You need to source unbiased data to see the difference. If you love eating raw meat, you obviously have encountered some benefits (or at least have been done no harm). Thats the best empirical evidence available. Statistics hold nothing compared to personal objective observation. My advice would be to maintain your integrity on this issue. You have reached a conclusion, or at least are progressing toward one from your own personal nutritional perspective. The maintenance of your own life should be your primary goal, and implicit in that is optimal health. If you are conscious enough of this to include things such as raw meat in your own diet, why would you do so if you considered this to be harmful to your child? Trust in your rational ability to detrmine what is best for you, and consequently what is best for those who are influenced by you, such as your wife and children.
Once I had discovered the benefits of raw foods and observed the misinformation about pathogens, I had no hesitation in offering my children the same nutritional protocols as I apply to myself.
Your other issue is alot more difficult to justify. You will likely find no empirical evidence to support, nor be able to observe any benefit from a breatharian/sungazing lifestyle. Humans are ‘food animals’ amongst other things. What you describe sounds more like the nutritional requirements of a plant. If by making your life ’simpler’ you mean making it ‘painfully shorter’, then this approach may work.
Dec 23rd, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Thankyou Scott for sharing your experience. I find your grounded perspective on health and the primal lifestyle very refreshing. And to everyone else’s contributions, they have been so insightful.
I was vegan for 10 years and in the past 3 years raw vegan. I started to struggle with pain, and digestive problems after 18 months raw and realised I needed something more. It was a painful period of not knowing what to do, as a vegan, animal products were not considered an option, and I resorted to eating cooked foods again earlier this year, in order to find balance. During my period of being raw vegan, I met a man who had been eating raw for 8 years and raw meat for the past 5. He looked incredibly healthy and had good muscle mass, even though he did little exercise. I passed no judgement on his diet, despite my own, and was in fact mildly fascinated to understand more about how he did so well.
We are now living together and I have recently started to eat raw meat. I tried raw fish a few months ago, and this was wonderful for a while, until it started to taste different, and I no longer desired it. I was conflicted about trying beef, as I had concerns about parasites, but mostly I was holding onto my vegan propaganda, and feeling concerns about what my vegan friends would think. My partner Luke has been incredibly supportive during my transition, and I am now eating raw egg yolks with paw paw in the mornings and fatty meat - often slightly fermented, or simply warmed in the sun, each day. Organic, local free-range eggs. Grass fed meat only, organic and local when possible. And I’m glowing! I am seriously amazed at how my vision is sharper, my mind is calmer and although my energy is just now picking up, (coming through a rather intense detox period of fever, and pain & ezcema in the lymphatic regions), I feel so happy in myself, more balanced and satiated after small meals.
From what I understand, the meat has given my body what it needs to throw off accumulated waste in my body, and start to rebuild and repair. I am also eating loads of tomatoes, as my body craves them, I suspect to remineralise, as well as fresh coconut juice and cream. I have stopped biting my nails and they are growing strong and healthy for the first time in almost 20 years.
I recently read ‘We Want to Live’ and only just came across this discussion, and was thrilled to find you are in Australia. Luke and I would welcome you in Tropical North QLD anytime :)
Kindest regards to everyone this holiday season
Namaste
Sarah
Dec 24th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Helo,
I am on PD since mid October to deal with a large breast tumor which is my second time primary.
I do believe in the Diet and am adement on staying on it permenantely.
However, i am experiencing sever pain in my left lower back , left hip, and my movements are becoming limited due to this pain.
When Aajonus says if it stays on for too long. what is he referring to as long term? this has been with me since or just before the diet. will it go away or is the cancer spreading to bones or ….?
I would love to hear from you, specially those who have healed themselves of cancer.
thank you .
zarin
Dec 25th, 2008 at 3:35 am
Thankyou Scott for sharing your experience. I find your grounded perspective on health and the primal lifestyle very refreshing. And to everyone else’s contributions, they have been so insightful.
I was vegan for 10 years and in the past 3 years raw vegan. I started to struggle with pain, and digestive problems after 18 months raw and realised I needed something more. It was a painful period of not knowing what to do, as a vegan, animal products were not considered an option, and I resorted to eating cooked foods again this year, in order to find balance. During my period of being raw vegan, I met a man who had been eating raw for 8 years and raw meat for the past 3. He looked incredibly healthy and had good muscle mass, even though he did little exercise. I passed no judgement on his diet, despite my own, and was in fact mildly fascinated to understand more about how he did so well.
We are now living together and I have recently started to eat raw meat. I tried raw fish a few months ago, and this was wonderful for a while, until it started to taste different, and I no longer desired it. I was conflicted about trying beef, as I had concerns about parasites, but mostly I was holding onto my vegan propaganda, and feeling concerns about what my vegan friends would think. My partner Luke has been incredibly supportive during my transition, and I am now eating raw egg yolks with paw paw in the mornings and fatty meat - often slightly fermented, or simply warmed in the sun, each day. Organic, local free-range eggs. Grass fed meat only, organic and local when possible. And I’m glowing! I am seriously amazed at how my vision is sharper, my mind is calmer and although my energy is still flat and I have chronic headaches, (coming through a rather intense detox period of fever, and pain & ezcema in the lymphatic regions), I feel so happy in myself, more balanced and satiated after small meals.
From what I understand, the meat has given my body what it needs to throw off accumulated waste in my body, and start to rebuild and repair. I am also eating loads of tomatoes, as my body craves them, I suspect to remineralise, as well as fresh coconut juice and cream. I have stopped biting my nails and they are growing strong and healthy for the first time in almost 20 years.
I recently read ‘We Want to Live’ and only just came across this discussion, and was thrilled to find you are in Australia. Luke and I would welcome you in Tropical North QLD anytime :)
Kindest regards to everyone this holiday season
Namaste
Sarah
Dec 26th, 2008 at 5:15 am
i would like to know if anyone is dealing with bone cancer on PD ? and what are the results?
zarin
Dec 26th, 2008 at 5:15 am
i would like to know if anyone is dealing with bone cancer on PD ? and what are the results?
zarin
Jan 2nd, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Mate you are ripped!I for one would be over the moon if AV comes to Aus. I will keep coming back to your blog to see updates about this. Thanks
Jan 5th, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Hi everyone my name is Guy Green. I have read we want to live and eat a raw meat and fat diet. Thankyou for the excellent disussion and information. I would be interested in seeing Ajonus for a consultation if he comes to Australia!
Jan 6th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Sarah…thank you for your interest in the discussion. My experience in Hawaii led me to many stories just like yours. Raw vegans tend to do great for about 5-7 years, then they invariably hit the wall. When I saw David Wolfe for the first time in person, this was confirmed. David is in poor physical condition but has invested so heavily in his nutrtional protocol (financially and philosophically) that he has no choice but to continue, or at least deceive his followers into believing he is doing so. You were right to develop a valid means of evaluating your information, otherwise it is little more than propoganda. Some vegans get stuck because the diet actually affects their cognitive capacity, leaving them with no means to objectively determine what is wrong with their diets. I admit to feeling very calm,focused and centered compared to the raw vegans I have spent time with. You are right that the inclusion of raw animal products to your diet is the key to this.
I would love to visit you both in TNQ in the future.
Jan 6th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
James and Guy…stay tuned for more AV info as it eventuates. We need an official list of interested parties to determine venues etc. If you could email me with your details (where you are from etc.) that would be great. Do this through the contact sponsor link.
Jan 6th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Hi Scott and Sarah,
Thankyou again for sharing your experiences with raw food. I very much enjoy reading about them. I often find myself reading about raw vegan foodists and their many transformations, (usually weight loss), however where they say they are all healthier for it, the more I read and look at such photos I can only see that most of the time they often look pale and thin and lack colour in their faces, and muscle tone. My own observations only of course. Just looking at the photos of you at the raw games Scott is testimony to this!
No doubt their raw vegan diets are healthier to the typical Australian or American modern diet, however it seems it does not provide the robustness and vitality that animal foods do, as Weston Price observed.
I know for one that I am much healthier and happier and have a stronger and leaner body since adding good quality raw animal food into my diet and look much better for it.
Look forward to reading more discussions and posts.
S
Jan 6th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Your observations are absolutely right Sophie. Raw veganism has all the cleansing and detoxifying potential of a raw diet containing animal food, but no capacity for cellular regeneration since humans cannot synthesize plant proteins very well, cooked or raw. It is this cellular generation which holds the key to optimal health and longevity, amongst other things.
More important than the observation of the differences in musculo-skeletal constitution is that of mental constitution. Your stronger and more functionally able body will serve you well, but your happiness will serve you even better. At the risk of being superficially stereotypical, every raw vegan I have met has had very apparent epistemilogical issues, and I’m still yet to meet a ’skinny’ person who is happy.
Feb 1st, 2009 at 6:21 am
G´day Scott
I´ve wanted to start the primal diet for awhile now but cant seem to tolerate dairy either cooked or raw. Whats the alternative? I´ve been told coconut oil is good but thats not raw so i am wondering does aarojunous or yourself have any ideas for the non dairy folk who want to start the primal diet. Thanks
Feb 1st, 2009 at 2:39 pm
Hi Robert
This is a fairly common problem which is caused by an enzyme deficiency (like most problems are!). To correct it, try adding about 1 tablespoon of raw unheated honey per cup of raw milk. Blend and allow to warm to room temperature before drinking. Apart from in hot weather, I never drink cold milk straight from the fridge. I will however drink kefir cold as the lactose has been predigested. Some people will however suffer an intolerance to milk whether these precautions are taken or not. If this is the case for you, you may still be able to tolerate butter, cream and cheese where the lactose content has been significantly reduced.
Generally if someone cannot access or tolerate raw milk or alternate dairy products, the amount of green vegetable juices consumed would increase. Meat and fat are more important than dairy when following a Primal type diet. Dairy is great, but it should not be consumed in such high quantities so as to suppress the appetite for meat.
Coconut cream is superior to coconut oil, but this is not commercially available. You have to make it yourself with an appropriate juicer such as a Greenstar.
Feb 28th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
dear scott,
Thanx for the last reply. My wife has major concerns about this diet and my weight loss. I was about 90kg now im down to 83kg and look thin. I am a bricklayer and have also had a solid build, i can’t afford to loose more weight. I’ve been eating raw for a bit over two months, for breakfast i’ll have about 100g of raw liver , four raw eggs, a small portion of fruit, either clabbered raw milk, or raw sheeps yoghurt, along with a piece of organic butter. At work i’ll have 6 raw eggs, 2 glasses of clabbered milk and some raw honey. About 3 or 4 o’clock i will have a piece of lightly seared steak approx. 200g and a salad and after some grapes and paw paw with clabbered milk or sheeps yoghurt and a slab of raw butter. Just at the present time i have a chest infection and ulcers in my mouth and am not feeling to well. My breath is still foul, feeling very frustrated and my wife is concerned. Any help with this matter will be greatlly appreciated.
Ian
Mar 2nd, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Hi Ian,
You body is likely using large amounts of energy and nutrients in order to detoxify. I would continue to support this function by consuming as much food as is required to reverse the weight loss. You need to establish a caloric surplus which is sometimes difficult when you feel unwell. I also drink lots of milk, eggs and honey mixtures and eat lots of raw chicken during these phases, regardless of appettite.
Your foul breath is quite normal and will be eliminated over time.
Is there any particular reason why you choose to lighlty sear your steak?
This loss of body weight during detoxification is the reason why Primal dieters desire a higher than normal body fat percentage to combat the negative caloric equation. You need to prepare yourself for these instances so that they do not become such a physiological burden. This will happen over time if you persevere with the raw diet.
Mar 4th, 2009 at 9:37 am
You mention you have mouth ulcers which is indicative of Vit B12 deficiency. I would strongly recommend medical advice and a blood test to verify.
Mar 4th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
A Vit B12 deficiency would be a virtual impossibility on this type of diet. Ian consumes meat, eggs, liver and dairy…the big four for B12. Over acidity could be a cause of the mouth ulcers though. I wouldn’t contraindicate medical intervention, but finding a co-operative doctor who would support Ian’s nutritional choices would be difficult and probably unneccasary.
Mar 4th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
A vitamin B12 deficiency is not impossible. It dosent matter how much B12 you consume if you have pernicious anaemia, your body is unable to make intrinsic factor, which is vital for B12 metabolism. Pernicious anaemia is commonly a genetic disorder and is treated by B12 injections to bypass the need for intrinsic factor.
Mar 4th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
MJ,
I did not state that a Vitamin B12 deficiency was impossible, nor was it ever implied that Pernicious Anemia was clinically present in this case. You have arbitrarly added these statements as facts.
I did say that a Vitamin B12 deficiency was virtually impossible while following a Primal diet, and I stand by that comment.
It has been proven that low doses of orally administered ’synthetic’ vit B12 supplements are ineffective in the treatment of PA. That is why it is common to administer large doses by subcutaneous injection to bypass the digestive tract, as you state. However, neither of these approaches are necessarily warranted if bone marrow is supplied with sufficient nutrients to produce mature red blood cells. The consumption of the foods previously stated which contain high levels of naturally occuring Vit B12 serve this purpose, as well as to provide the bacterial pre cursors of the glycoprotein referred to as Intrinsic Factor. This is a nutritional subject, not a genetic one. PA develops from poor ditary habits, most often low blood sugar caused by too many processed sugars. It could only be refered to as genetic in the sense that it is the same malnutrition, caused by learning the same dietary habits and carried on for multiple generations.
If a deficiency continues through a genetic lineage, the genetic plan for proper biological functioning of a particular system may be misplaced but never lost entirely. Therefore, most genetic illness can be corrected with proper nutrition, including Pernicious Anemia.
Mar 12th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Hi Ian,
You do not mention that you take the Green Juices which alkalize and balance the system. The Green Juice also provides the extra minerals, vitamins, enzymes, etc. essential to nourish the body.
Too many greens (whole) will slow the digestion of the meat meals. Only use as a condiment.
The Lubrication (moisturising) formula on P.146 maybe helpful. I add finely grated raw ginger to this. Delicious!!
Barbara QLD
Mar 18th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
Hello peoples :)
Very interesting discussion…
I am wondering if there are any raw meat eaters eating aged or rotten meat? Maybe the term high meat might be easier to consume ;p
I noticed back in the discussion the issue of bacteria was mentioned but seemed to get side tracked.
I have been eating raw meat for over three years (almost 9yrs raw) and have had very positive and interesting experiences with eating smelly, slimey meats including fish. I do not have a cast iron gut… just a bacteria friendly one.
namaste
Luke
Mar 19th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
Hello Luke,
Yes, I eat high meat regularly. I have recently eaten beef that was aged for 18 months, with great results. I get a huge energy surplus from eating high meat, and great mental clarity. I have also recently begun to breed and harvest my own composting worms via a worm farm. They are great for reducing organic waste down to bacterial rich castings, which I then eat as a ‘probiotic’ along with the worms themselves. This produces a similar effect to consuming high meat.
Mar 19th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Hi Scott,
You have me smiling hugely!
Loved the idea of eating worm castings and worms. I had not heard of or thought of eating worm castings before. I have however eaten worms which send me into a very peaceful, calm space where I feel deeply connected to mother Earth.
I myself immensely enjoy eating high meat and have done so since starting the raw meat adventure. I have tasted, after indulging in high meat… blissful states, large amounts of energy flowing through my being to having full colour visions and feeling extremely sexual… near life experiences? :P
Eating high meat gives me the feeling of deeply nourishing my whole being.
I also get the full colour visions from eating slimey old immature coconut flesh. It feels like it is feeding my cerebellum.
The lady I share my life with has as yet to try high meat but after just a few months of eating raw meat her previous congested body tissues have softened and her mind is opening up. I practice massage so have wittnessed huge tramsformation in her.
We live in amazing bodies!
Mar 20th, 2009 at 3:00 am
Hi Scott,
Just a quick question on Staphylococcal infections
My brother who has struggled with his health for over 20yrs has a staph on his scrotum. He is raw but has freaked out because it is very uncomfortable and has just got bigger and bigger… really nasty. He has been using honey on it, but it just got worse so he freaked and went to a doc who gave him anti-biotics and he has started taking them. Any suggestions?
Mar 21st, 2009 at 2:30 pm
G’day to Scott and everyone.
Scott i have a question regarding energy levels while on the primal diet and similar diets as opposed to raw vegan diets. From what i have read on other sites people on raw vegan diets claim that there energy levels are better than when they were teenagers and these are from people who are in there 30s and 40s and beyond. I know Ann Wigmore in one of her books made the statement that she had more energy at the age of 76 than when she was a child. Now this got me wondering, why is it that you don’t hear these types of testimonials from people on the primal diet and similar diets. is a raw animals diet less energising than i diet which consist of more salads? Im interested to hear your own observations and anybody else. Thanks.
Mar 21st, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Luke:
I would use a moist thick layer of natural (untreated-not pharmaceutical grade)) clay as a poultice on non toxic cotton.
Must be kept moist and maybe change 2 times a day. Perhaps some raw coconut oil, or raw coconut cream in between treatments. The clay detoxifies and will terminate most infections.
If you use honey it would be best to use a small amount of Jelly Bush, similar to Manuka. But I believe you will get better results from the clay. However that said I’m sure you will find out what is best for you.
Scott:
I have been eating worm castings, not worms. Do you eat them when they are alive???
Also eat high meat and rotten (aged) eggs. The rotten eggs taste better than they smell. I have heard that some Chinese have always consumed aged eggs and pay a lot for them.
Barbara QLD
Mar 22nd, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Hi Luke,
Staph infections can be persistent. When I was in Hawaii recently, I witnessed some very persitent cases as a result of the humid conditions, despite the diet which the sufferers followed. Good nutrition always prevailed eventually though. I hypothesized that some of the superficial (skin) infections were as a result of applying rancid coconut cream too frequently, suffocating the skin causing the tissue to degenerate rapidly. Barbara’s clay treatment may be effective as it will draw toxins from beneath the epidermal layer (dermis) and dry the site in such conditions.
If your brother has chosen to use the antibiotics, you may be better served to assist him with the recolonization of his intestinal flora once his course has finished. Lots of high meat etc.
Mar 22nd, 2009 at 5:56 pm
G’day Robert,
Sounds like you have fallen victim to weak induction. Those evaluations you read are probably biased self appraisals. Most people with high financial and/or philisophical investments in their particular nutritional protocols will often ’sell out’ or at least act without integrity in order to protect their status. As I have mentioned in an earlier post, I have witnessed this on a large scale. If you focus on this information, you will likely misinterpret it.
That being so, it may well be possible, short term, to experience an energy surplus whilst following a raw vegan or fruitarian diet. But, owing to their unsustainability, long term followers inevitably fall into an energy deficit, or at least have erratic and inconsistent energy levels due in part to the high burden of toxins within cellular tissue. Remember that most followers of a Primal type diet were once vegans or fruitarians until they discovered this inadequacy.
Every opinion which I can source on energy levels whilst consuming raw meat/fat suggests a net surplus in energy and increased mental clarity. However, this is a variable phenomenon, relative to health status, functional ability and digestive function. I still experience energy fluctuations after 4 years and expect these to continue until I reach optimal health, probably 20+ years from now. Generally however, my energy levels have increased dramatically since including raw meat into my diet.
Mar 22nd, 2009 at 6:02 pm
Hi Barbara,
Yes the worms are alive when I eat them. They don’t stay that way for long though.
You’re right about the Chinese century old eggs. They are highly prized nutritional supplements.
These are all good ways to add bacteria to your diet.
Mar 23rd, 2009 at 1:48 am
Thanks for the suggestions Barbara and Scott I will pass them on.
Robert:
I find that all the raw vegans I know are totally in their head. They like to talk up the benefits of the diet but ignore the downsides. I was one of them for around 5yrs so I have been through the heady thought loops and pressure of the diet working. I have found veganism to be a very weighty belief to bare… so glad to have shed it and let go of what I think other people think of me (well for the most part). I am 38 and I am still climbing coconut palms bare foot and have more than enough energy for my needs. I am no athlete and am not into the competition thing but I do still enjoy the buzz of pushing my body to the limit. One thing I found is that on a vegan diet my sex drive dissappeared totally and only returned when I started eating raw flesh and has only increased. This to me says alot. One of the biggest benefits I have found with eating raw meat is feeling grounded ie feeling connected… calm and at peace in the moment.
hmm rotten eggs, will have to try…
Apr 4th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
Hello again…
I have an issue with my right eye which I have just recently started to feel again. Years ago before I started on a raw diet I had what looked like a Pterygium form on it. It has not been a concern because I have excellent eyesight and it did not seem to be getting any bigger. Just recently though, my eye has started to feel heavy as if there is pressure being placed upon it. I realy feel it after eating tomatoes.
My thoughts were that it is linked to congestion in my liver but I am not 100% sure anymore. One because my liver seems to be very happy and two because I think I am to close to the issue to see clearly :P
So any advice or thoughts on eye growths or Pterygiums would be greatly appreciated.
I also would be interested to hear the different ways to go about the prep and eating of rotten eggs.
Thank you
Apr 16th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Treat pterygium as you would with any other form of scar tissue, that is with nutrition. The scar tissue in your eye (pterygium) is caused by poor healing of cells which have been exposed to some type of stressor, usually sunlight, dust or wind in this case. Lots of raw meat and fat will facilitate healing. Topically it is difficult to treat scar tissue in the eye, but you could try a poultice of blended apple and honey rested on your closed eye for 20 minutes to soothe when it feels inflamed or ‘heavy’, or 1-2 drops of raw egg white to add nutrients directly to the area.
I too would like to know how Barbara prepares and consumes her ‘aged’ eggs. Please let us know Barbara.
Apr 26th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Hi Scott,
I have not only survived but mostly thrived for 20 years plus as a fruitarian. 99% fruitarian at home but compromise with what ever vegetarian food is available when out socialising. In my sixties I can dance throughout the evening with considerable stamina (if not skill) and perform Tai Chi with strength and flexibity greater than many far younger. However I have come to the feeling that I could be even healthier. I am skinny, experience the erratic, inconsistent energy levels you speak of and for last 3 years have had embarassing facial pimples. Looking for answers I came across AV, DRs Eades and they made a compelling case for the primal diet so I have begun trying it with an open mind. I have found your comments in your blog extremely informative, well presented and answered many questions that I had.
When are you going to write YOUR book?
Gradually reducing fruit consumption but finding this a challenge - emotionally as much as anything. After less than a week of eating raw meat my facial pimples have all but cleared so that is encouraging. Am in practise of monoeating ( 1 fruit at a meal ). Instinctively want to do the same with primal foods. Would that be a problem or not?
Thanks for a great blog and website, Kevin.
Apr 26th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Hi Kevin,
You have done alot better than most people whom I have observed on a long term friutarian diet. Only a modest handful can synthesize enough protein to facilitate ‘basic’ bodily functions, let alone create a health surplus. Your diet has allowed cellular cleansing to occur but has not met the requirement for regeneration (building and strengthening) of bones, nerves, muscle and conective tissue. This is indicative of your current body composition and mental disposition including your desire for greater health.
After 20 years, any shift away from your current homeostatic state will be challenging. Sounds like you have the drive and courage, as well as the logical rationale to cope. Eating instinctively with mono principles will be fine. You will soon discover the food combinations which work well for you. In philosophical terms it’s like discovering new information which overides your current knowledge. You need to disassemble the old information before you can conceptualize and then integrate the new information into the sum of your knowledge. This will take time before it becomes an automated process.
Congratulations once again for living consciously enough to be able to evaluate your health status in the face of nutritional dogmatism which ultimately surrounds these various protocols. An ‘active’ mind is essential.
I hope you continue to enjoy the information shared on this blog. I do intend to write a book on the topic sometime soon….Scott
Apr 28th, 2009 at 2:07 am
I agree Kevin… very cool that you are doing this Scott.
Thanks for the infomation Scott.
I have heard that AV might be speaking in Sept on the Gold Coast. Should be interesting as well to meet some more open minded Australian raw food eaters.
Apr 28th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
YES!!! Aajonus has confirmed that he will attend the Gold Coast in late August this year for a lecture, workshop and personal consultations. I will post the exact details over the next couple of days.
May 4th, 2009 at 8:53 pm
Hey Scott,
Great blog. Do you know anywhere I can download the video of you on Today Tonight? and lol I’m sure you would have loved the chance to reply to the nutritionists comments at the end about there being no science to raw meat and dairy. By the way where abouts are you located?
Paul M.
May 5th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Thanks Paul,
I don’t know where you may be able to find that video of me on Today Tonight. Perhaps someone else might know? Someone did mention Youtube but I have not investigated.
Although I have never actually seen the footage myself, I have read the transcript, and yes I would have liked to reply to Susie Burrell’s comments, although it is impossible to win an argument with someone who makes such arbitrary assertions, and I think she made herself look as foolish as she obviously is when she stated that I should be eating “…real foods”, as opposed to meat, fruit, vegetables, eggs and dairy. All of us here at Nourished know the dangers of Susie’s type of conventional, media hyped, politically correct, nutritional propaganda and we can afford to chuckle. Unfortunately many more are tragically misinformed.
I am located in Camden, southwest of Sydney.
Scott
May 5th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
Here is the link- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-PcGP0BLqM
May 5th, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Thanks Anita,
Finally got to watch it myself, typical cut and paste type set up where everything that added credibility to my argument was conveniently left out. Still, I knew that would happen when I agreed to do it and I’m still happy enough for the exposure of fringe diets in mainstream media for individuals to consider. The link was established by someone else but it shows all of the pertinent parts of the interview with me (what was aired anyway). It also confirms that Susie Burrell should be shamefully embarassed about her contribution.
May 7th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Hi Scott,
I have been suffering from Candida / Leaky Gut / CFS / LOW adrenal&thyroid for about 2 years with little improvement through both conventional and alternative medicine. A friend told me about the diet 1 week ago and I decided to give it a go (with the exception of raw milk & honey). After just 2 days the results were unbelievable, the fatigue started lifting, the head fog was clearing and digestion improving. The only problem is I am so hyped up I can’t sleep at night as I just ly alert. I’m over the moon that I’m climbing out of this but need to get some sleep so I can heal and get better! I suspect my hormones have shot up maybe too quick, have you any advice? Do you think it will balance itself out without any intervention/tests (as I’m over all that crap!)? I have been taking Valerian but even at high doses its no good.
Conor
May 7th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
Hi Conor,
This is a common phenomenon when first attempting a raw diet. It is just as common however for the opposite effect to occur, that is, one may experience lethargy, nausea, and general fatigue shortly after beginning a raw food regime. It is all relative to the individual’s current physical health status, and consequently their reaction to the nutrient bombardment and how the body utilizes those nutrients. Some get right to the more progressive levels of healing imediately, while others undergo more subtle regenerative changes and tend to detoxify rapidly. ALL however ultimately continue on an elevating curve (although varying) towards optimal health.
Your situation will most definitely balance itself out without further medical intervention if you continue the diet. I will occasionally experience the symtoms you describe if I overconsume high meat. During these times try eating some raw cheese or some raw nuts blended with eggs, butter and honey. These things tend to arrest excess hormones. Also, if it becomes available drink some warm raw milk before bed blended with raw honey to assist sleep, or drink some naturally sparkling mineral water to help calm the adrenals.
Scott
May 7th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Scott,
Thank you very much for your quick reply that makes sense. Regarding the Raw Milk/Cheese/Honey I have no problem obtaining these as I live in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs but I choose to ommit these as surely this will cause relapse in Candida? (my infection was off the scale). A few months back I had a little goats yogurt and I felt terrible for 2 days, even coconut kefir (made with whey) made me a little ill. So I fear the lactose in the raw milk/cheese or natural sugar in the raw honey will do the same. I have no problem with raw butter (as there’s no lactose in it) so I eat loads of it. In the past I found that when I consumed any small amount of carbs I have a bad reaction, I think its because my flora was never properly restored and the yeast grows back so easily when fed. What you reckon?
Also I am still taking herbal antifungals to reduce my overgrowth, the nutrition who is treating me advised that parasites can cause relapse because they choke out the friendly flora so he has told my to take Diamataouses Earth (An Organic wormer). Having read “Recipe for Living Without Disease” I understand the important role parasite play, especially on a raw food diet so I’m reluctant to take the Diamataouses Earth.
A Vonderplanitz doesn’t seem to elaborate much on Candida. I want to give the diet 100% but surely compromise should be made for specific conditions like mine? What you think?
ps-Sorry to bombard you with all these questions, I don’t expect you to have all the answers but I do appreciate your knowledge and experience.
Conor
May 10th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Conor,
Conventionally prepared or processed milk cheese and honey may exasperate your fungal condition, but any of these foods in their raw state are unlikely to. Fungi, like parasites, consume dead and decaying tissue resulting from the consumption of processed foods, not any element of the foods themselves. Raw foods generally won’t produce degenerative conditions to warrant cleansing.
However your apparent intolerance to lactose may be unrelated to the fungal detoxification. I have seen cases where people have never been able to fully overcome a lactose intolerance, but can take all of their dairy as butter. Experiment with raw (room temperature) milk blended with some raw honey and monitor the effects. If you were to gain some sort of tolerance to milk it would be taken this way.
Which ‘carbs’ tend to cause a bad reaction? The yoghurt you mentioned was most likely heated, as most are, and cosequently became a digestive burden. Not sure about the coconut kefir, this should be OK.
Your nutritionist is misinformed about parasites so you are right to be reluctant. They will not consume or ‘choke out’ healthy tissue or bacteria. Their presence may overburden the digestive process but only while they are required. Let them and the fungi run their course and support the cleansing process with good (raw) nutrition.
I don’t believe there is any specific condition where this diet may be contraindicated. Forget the social modern medicine dogma of ‘killing’ microbes and parasites and work on creating an environment where such things have little purpose. You’re on the right track.
Scott
May 10th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Hi Scott
Just some questions about raw cheese.
Is Rockerforte Blue cheese truely raw? Are any of the Swiss hard raw milk cheeses sold by Fromart.com.au truely raw?
Do you buy or make your own raw cheese?
I saw the you tube vid of you on Today Tonight (thanks for posting the link Anita) and i thought you were great and your two children looked gorgeous! You were very brave to do it, good on you. You certainly got my folks talking after it aired!
Kindest regards
Cathy
May 10th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Hi Cathy,
Truley raw cheese has often intrigued me. To really know what you are getting takes some knowledge of the cheese manufacturing processes, specific to the different varieties of cheese. This is because although many cheeses are made with raw milk, some undergo heating during processing to the extent that they are more or less pasteurised products by the end anyway. For this reason, cheeses lack most bioactive enzymes, also because they are basically dried milk (the whey contains alot of the enzymes). As far as I am aware Rockeforte is truley raw, and having spoken to the guys at Fromart and tried their products, these are great cheeses also. Try their Raw selection.
The biggest problem for me with these cheeses is the salt content. The swiss raw milk cheeses at Fromart are soaked in a brine solution (no salt is added to the milk itself). However I still find the salt content quite high, but this may not me a problem for you by NT principles.
I make all of the cheese that I eat myself, however my kids prefer the Fromart cheese. Like you say, they’re doing great, thank you.
I received alot of positive feedback from the TT piece. A ’boutique’ or fringe industry is a very difficult thing to promote, as you would know, but I’m doing my best.
Scott.
May 11th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Just watched the TT segment. Had I not have read your blog here, I’d have probably thought you were a bit extreme based solely on the TT story from the way TT presented your story. I’m heading down the primal track now, after trying raw food diets for a bit. I get now that the raw fruit/veg diets aren’t healthy long term, but I still wonder why the raw fruitarians and raw fruit/veg foodies always have such a healthy glow, if it’s not a healthy diet? The fruitarian on the TT segment had such a healthy glow.
May 11th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
Agreed, they only intended to show the extreme bits for shock value. They even told me this during the filming and it was clear they weren’t interested in the logic.
The majority of my feedback re. the fruitarian was quite the opposite. Most people have been saying she appeared moderate at best from a physical perspective, but much worse from a mental perspective with an apparent lack of mental focus and clarity. Not too sure exactly what ‘healthy glow’ refers to, maybe it’s some sort of cosmetic! I would have to meet her in person to evaluate her health status fully.
Of those that I have met, only those who act without integrity, ie. cheat, have been able to maintain a reasonable health status long term. Aajonus claims to have met a very select few who continue to remain healthy as long term fruitarians.
I also regularly come accross people who give the outward appearance of health, yet do not reveal this fact upon further analysis. The opposite is also apparent. I guess a true evaluation of health status requires a deeper conceptual estimate, not just sensory evidence.
May 12th, 2009 at 1:53 am
Thanks Scott. Classic that TT were so upfront with their objectives for the segment. Regarding the fruitarian, I was just meaning that they all seem to have that glow with their skin, a kind of glowing skin that you just don’t see on other diets/lifestyles etc. Shows how much I have to learn, still equating health to skin appearance. Thanks for your blog Scott, I’m learning alot.
May 12th, 2009 at 2:06 am
Hey Josh
It would have been great of we could have met her boy? I wonder how he looks?
Not sure why but I never get e mailed when there’s a new post. i have to come into Nourished each day to check my reading the side bar posts. I used to get buzzed till my friend opened up Thunderbird for me. Anyone know why?
May 12th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
I must reiterate Josh, a fruitarian diet does possess the cleansing and detoxifing characteristics of a Primal diet. It just does not have the potential for regeneration of structural tissue since we lack the ability to synthesize enough protein from vegetation. Therefore optimal health would be virtually impossible to achieve on a fruit only diet, but it may still promote the clarity and cleansing of many vital organs, such as the skin, which you have pointed out. Just adding raw meat to a mostly fruit diet would still be problematic though because too much fruit causes the necessarily acidic parts of the digestive tract to be overly alkalized. This disrupts digestion, as evidenced by indegestion that tends to occur when meat and fruit (or vegetable juices) are eaten closely together. The biggest problem with Fruitarianism is it’s underlying philosophy. Most of it’s proponents are not concerned with human nutrition as much as they are with the ecology of the planet. I find it most concerning, since we are Human, to treat Humans as an unnatural phenomenon, with less importance than the ‘natural’ environment.
May 14th, 2009 at 12:08 am
Scott,
Yeah the more I read the more enthrolled I get, I’m now 100% convinced raw is the way to go and am loving it. However I am hitting a few bumps in the road. In response to your points regarding fungi and parasites. Fungi also feeds on “natural” sugar contained in say fruit and root vegetables and have exasperated my condition in the past?? So surely the natural sugar in unheated/unfiltered honey will do the same?? Is there a difference in fructose and the sugar in honey? Fungi multiplies 200 times faster when fed with sugar so you can understand why I am a little terrified! Regarding Dairy I was thinking of making kefir from Raw Goats milk as I read Goats Milk is much easier to assimilate and nutritionally superior, would you agree?
I completely agree with AV’s point that parasites are a form of detox and should not be feared but I’m unsure about his theory on “Fungal Detox”. Candida is predominantly caused by antibiotics/steroids/stress etc killing the friendly flora which normally keep it in check. AV says its your body detoxing antibiotics but they aren’t the only cause, and why does it keep ravaging the body even when starved of carbs? Also when the fungus goes systemic how do you tackle it without antifungals? (As good bacteria can’t travel to other parts of the body like fungus does?)
There are lots of testimonials for the primal diet curing cancer and other terrible diseases but I can’t find much on people who have got their lives back from Candida using it, is there?
Again sorry to lump all this on you its just although my energy has improved since I started the diet and life has definitely got a lot easier I can feel me Candida coming back again, sore back/neck, foggy head etc so I’m worried I will completely relapse (and I don’t want to go back there again)
Thanks
Conor
May 14th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Thanks for the Today Tonight link. Scott you presented yourself well on the show and the contrast between yourself and the fruitarian was apparent. I live about 30 minutes North of Camden. Would you mind sharing your sources for raw chicken and raw dairy? I really wish I could find some raw cream. You can email me if you’d rather do that. mclarenp@optusnet.com.au
Thanks!!
May 14th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Conor,
I like to think about it this way. Candida is known to thrive in conditions where sugar is in high concentrations, as you suggest. However, the two principles often overlooked in this generalization are, 1) Naturally occuring, raw, unprocessed sugars behave much differently from a metabolic perspective, and 2) If your only sources of sugar are raw fruits, vegetable juices, honeys and raw milk, then you are definitely not consuming a high sugar diet anyway.
Again, it is not necessarily the sugar that candida like, it’s the conditions created by an environment subject to high concentrations of processed sugars. Evidence for this is the fact that even when starved of sugars, fungi can continue to act upon degenerative tissue if it exists, as you point out. So by eliminating this primary cause and focusing on facilitating the cleansing process with good nutrition, the need for any fungi will necessarily be reduced and eliminated.
The big difference with raw unheated honey is not the type of sugar, but the presence of an ‘insulin like’ factor which dramatically improves the assimilation of the honey into blood glucose.
I generally regard cows milk as superior to goats milk only because of the high curd content and the seperation of the fat globules (cream) which enables the use of the cream alone and the further production of butter etc. Chemically speaking however, the differences between the two have little bearing on their respective nutritional qualities. Both are good.
Candida will continue to flourish as long as there is sufficient cause. All of the causes you mention are predominantly indirect (antibiotics, stress,steroids,sugar), in that they promote dryness and lesions which require cleansing. Being exposed to any or all of these stressors acutely does not automatically constitute the requirement for fungal detoxification, otherwise we would all suffer from them regularly.
It doesn’t matter whether the fungi is systemic or localized, the treatment is the same, consume a diet which facilitates cleansing and healing.
No need to apologize for this discussion, that’s what the blog’s for. Keep me informed.
Scott.
May 14th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Thanks Paul,
All of my meat (chicken and beef) and eggs come from Peter and Julie Clinch at Oaks Organics. www.oaksorganics.com.au My raw milk comes from a local farm which I can’t disclose for obvious reasons, but if it is convenient for you, I can organize to supply you if you wish. I make my own butter and cheese from this supply also, which obviously necessitates plenty of cream.
Scott.
May 14th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Thanks Scott,
That was a great reply; very imformative, helpful and encouraging thanks mate. I have to say eating on the Primal Diet “feels right”.
I noticed on an earler post you eat Kangaroo, I have also started eating Roo, any recipe tips?
I have also put some beef, lamb and roo in containers to produce “High Meat”, what meat do you generally use and when do you find it is best to start eating?
I’m hoping my recurrence of Candida Symptoms is the ‘last throws of a dying animal’ as so to speak, lol.
I have booked my spot for AV’s visit to Gold Coast in August, can’t wait and no doubt see you there. In the meantime I have emailed him regarding a phone consultation but have had no reply, do you know of his availablity?
Cheers
Conor
May 17th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
that would be great Scott… my email is mclarenp@optusnet.com.au if you would like to send me a message so I have your email.
thanks a lot!!
May 17th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Conor,
Whenever I eat kangaroo I make sure to supplement with lots of fat, especially butter. I do this with all meats but particularly roo because of the fact that the whole carcass is so lean. Kangaroo with a mustard butter sauce is great.
Use any meat for ‘high meat’, and wait at least 1 month before you start eating. The longer the better, I ate some beef last year that had aged for 17 months with great results.
Aajonus will respond to your email, but as he is often travelling he is always delayed. When I met him in Hawaii last year he had over 200 emails to respond to. I know he is currently in San Diego for a ‘potluck’ so this is the likely reason he hasn’t yet responded.
Just one caution, and I know I’m being fairly critical here as you probably didn’t mean it literally, but I wouldn’t choose any nutrtional protocol simply because it “feels right”. This would amount to acting on a whim and without any rational cognitive process. Feelings or emotions aren’t enough justification to act upon, you need further empirical data to establish facts. Alot of ‘fringe’ dieters are guilty of this phenomenon and as a result, pursue the wrong avenues.
Keep searching for proof or at least evidence that supports all claims, even mine. Obviously one of the best sources is your own sensory experience, which is what I think you are alluding to. At some point you should be able to make the claim …”I have to say, I am certain that eating on the Primal Diet IS right.”
Sorry…just my philisophical side coming out…Scott.
May 20th, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Scott,
Thats a fair point as I guess a lot of vegetarians/raw vegans would say that their diet “feels right” but the empiracle data proves that they are actually far from right. But yeah I was referring to the way I feel after eating raw food as opposed to cooked food, energised and satisfied not bloated and lethargic etc.
I do have something else quite important to discuss. Before my fall from health with Candida 2 years ago I never had any problems with bowel movements but since I got ill I have been very constipated. For the first year I put up with it (1-2 BM per week) and became very toxic and couldn’t move, then as I started to learn more I realised this was quite dangerous and learned how to relieve it with the ’salt water flush’ (1 tbsp MgCl + 1 litre warm water), this was very affective and told it was safe. Recently I have also been taking daily enemas. Having read AV’s books I know that this is not a good idea as I’m washing out all the ecoli and other bacteria needed for stool formation. I have tried AV’s methods for temporary relief but they are proving somewhat ineffective. I know “high meat” will be the answer in the long term and I have meat in the fridge in preperation. What do you suggest to keep my bowels moving? I know enemas are damaging but they give instant relief from foggy head, tiredness and bloating which I do experience in the evenings. I also do not feel like eating when I’m like this but when I evacuate my appetite instantly returns and I need to eat! (I’m only 55kg and 5ft 11″)
I’m in a pickle, do you think these methods are exceptable as I’m detoxing or should I find a better alternative that is not so destructive to the bacteri in my bowel (well whats left of them)
Need some guidance mate.
Conor
May 20th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Scott,
Also I meant to ask should I consider a change to my diet?
Each day I basically have the following:
400 ml Green Veg Juice (Celery, cuccumber, spinach, parsley, corriander, mint, ginger) ,
at least 1 hour later…
Raw meat/poultry or fish in Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice with Avocado and raw butter,
at least 1 hour later…
1/2 young green cocnut with Avocado and raw butter,
at least 1 hour later…
400 ml Green Veg Juice
at least 1 hour later…
Raw meat/poultry or fish in Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon Juice with Avocado and raw butter at least 1 hour later…
1/2 young green cocnut with Avocado and raw butter,
at least 1 hour later…
400 ml Green Veg Juice,
at least 1 hour later…
Milk Shake: Blend 3-4 raw eggs, 1 teaspoon Raw Unheated Honey, Half Avocado,
Conor
May 20th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Conor,
I don’t believe an enema or colonic irrigation is ever necessary or beneficial for most people. Hypothetically it sounds like a reasonable idea, but the process is far too invasive and destructive (particularly colonic irrigation) to intestinal flora. It is definitely a western medicine approach aimed at remedial syptomatic relief rather than addressing the cause. However, as your approach IS dealing with the ultimate cause, it may be wise to continue flushing the impacted matter via enema until your diet begins to work for you. Most people have found that only by increasing the volume of bacteria within the GI tract do they get permanent relief from constipation. Temporary measures are rarely useful, as you have discovered. The high meat will do the job. If you know someone with a worm farm, worm castings may be useful also.
You diet looks pretty good. As your body weight is so low, I would probably add a lubrication formula to your schedule. Make the formula with 4 eggs, 6-7 tablespoons of butter, 1-2 tablespoons of honey and the juice of half a lemon, blend. Drink one third of this formula at each meat meal (including the other fat you use) and the other third during the night, somewhere between your last meal of the previous day and your morning juice. This will add valuable fat nutrients.
Do you have access to coconut cream? If you do, I would replace your first coconut/avocado/butter meal with a fruit meal (I know how you feel about this!) Something like 3/4 cup of raspberries, with 4 tablespoons of coconut cream, 4 tablespoons of milk and a teaspoon of butter, blended. This way the sugar is still low. I would ultimately progress to some papaya (as in a custard) or replace the raspberries with unripe pineapple occasionally. The fruit meal is fairly important as it will assist in cleansing the impacted matter from the colon.
Hope this helps….Scott
May 21st, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Scott,
Yeah hopefully high meat will do the trick. I was wondering does high meat contain Acidophilus/bifidobacteria etc as surely I need to restore them also? I have been drinking a little goats kefir but am not tolerating it too well. I also read these bacteria cannot make it alive to the lower bowel and colon when taken orally? What about probiotics? Don’t know anyone with worm farm but might look into it.
I will definately add the daily Lub formula as it is very tasty and I have no problem with the berries as I know they are low in sugar and the fat will slow the release further.
Regarding coconut cream, I tried to make it from mature coconuts but got very little cream and thought the juicer was going to explode in the progress! (Breville) So for this reason I have just been consuming the young green cocnuts, what do you think of these?
I have also been tring to get some Organic raw adrenal and thyroid glands with little success, I tried the Organic Butchers in Randwick, Sams in Bondi and the organic butchers in David Jones. Could you help me source some?
I have low adrenal and thyroid function which also causes constipation so if I can bring these back up surely that will help and AV reckons eating the raw organs works very quickly.
Conor
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:21 am
Hi Scott!
Love the program and I am sooo intrested in your way of eating.
Just started something similiar to that here in Sweden but was actually thinking of going raw like you since I have a difficulty chewing cooked, fried meat.
I saw this show yesterday on youtube, searching for natives and their diet and simply fell in love with your lifestyle. You look very healthy and seem to have an excellent physic compared to Mrs Osborne. I’ve actually seen several fruitarians grow weak and weary over the years of eating like that and funny, no one seems to have your beautiful teeth! The primal diet looks very healthy to me, if looking at those areas. So, I’m in. But, there is a problem: raw dairy is forbidden here in Sweden so I’ll see what I can do. I love milk but can’t tolerate it pasturiezed etc. For now I substitute that with 100% real butter (organic) and coconut oil when available. Love what you and your family are doing; hope to learn more from you guys!
All the best from Sweden, Lena Buhr!
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:35 am
Scott,
Re. post no. 7- “There are 3 basic blood types to consider when determining which raw foods someone should eat regularly on the Primal Diet. There are also some food-combining rules to enhance proper utilization.”
What are the 3 blood types- is that type A, B, O? please explain.
May 24th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Conor,
High meat will increase the volume of all necessary digestive microbes, as will soil bacteria. If you can’t find suitable worm castings, you can use moistened clay for the same purpose. These are the only ‘probiotics’ I would suggest.
You won’t get coconut cream out of your Breville juicer. You need a twin gear juicer for this. I guess the ’spoon meat’ from young green coconuts could be regarded as an inferior alternative.
Aquiring glands is difficult. Most butchers have difficulty identifying them. I’ve never used adrenal or thyroid glands but I’ll check with my supplier….Scott
May 24th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Hi Anita,
No, I am not talking about specific blood types. The three basic blood types I am referring to are more like generalized “conditions” of the blood. That is; Naturally acidic blood with a propensity for polycythemia (an ‘easy’ increase in RBC mass); Naturally alkaline blood with a propensity for leucocytosis (easily elevated WBC’s) and; Naturally balanced blood pH (balance of red and white blood cells).
Notwithstanding that any of these conditions could be the result of pathalogical influence, a naturally occuring balance can be achieved by a nutrtional influence. Relative to meat consumption alone, those with naturally acidic blood would be more likely to achieve balance by consuming mostly raw white meat. Naturally alkaline individuals who do not produce enough red blood cells would do better by focusing on mostly raw red meat, and those that have a natural balance, in order to remain that way, should consume both white and red meats in more equal proportions.
Although these 3 types can be identified by physical and psychological (and pathological) evaluation, obviously a body in a constant state of flux is able to change from any type to any other type constantly. This is the reason why I would not group individuals by way of metabolic typing or more conventional ‘blood typing’ protocols for nutrtional purposes. This idea presupposes that an individual is pre-programmed to eat according to his/her metabolism or blood type. Consider that within any primitive tribe there existed many different blood types and individuals who metabolized differently, yet in their restricted environments, all ate the same foods without apparent distress or disease.
May 24th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
Hi Lena,
I’m so glad you found this blog. I hope you can gain lots from it.
Raw dairy is a problem here also, but we find ways around it. It’s not surprising that you can’t tolerate pasteurized dairy, I don’t know anyone who can consume it and maintain their health. It isn’t exclusively necessary to have access to raw dairy on this diet, but any you can get, such as butter and cheese, will help. If you can’t get raw milk you simply need to increase the portions of the other foods, particularly raw fresh green vegetable juices.
Please feel free to ask as many questions as you like, and thanks so much for your interest.
Scott.
May 24th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
lol Conner..
I tried putting coconut meat through my Breville Juice Fountain too and I thought it was going to smash the juicer to bits heh.. it actually gave me about 75ml of cream atleast. After that I got an oscar vital max single gear juicer off ebay. I’m very happy with it. Each coconut gives me around 250ml of cream after going through the oscar juicer. You have to slightly warm the coconut flesh up first or the fat won’t seperate from the pulp. So I put the coconut meat in the oven at a low temperature of about 40 degrees C then once it is warm enough you can put the pieces in the juicer. The reason juicing is better thanj ust eating young coconut flesh is because to properly absorb the fat from the flesh you have to remove the fibre.
May 24th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Hello Scott. I’ve enjoyed reading your blog. Lot’s of great information. Thank you. I have a question that is a little off topic but I think is relevant. Can one be cured of hepatitis C and liver damage on an all raw diet? Your input would greatly appreciated.
May 24th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Hi Stephen,
Yes absolutely. Hepatitis and any concurrent liver damage is reasonably easy to rectify on a raw diet. Even conventional drugs have a 50% success rate (this is huge for medical treatments!) at eliminating the infection, unfortunately they also poison the body. The liver will cleanse and rebuild itself as long as all nutrients which are required for this are present. Some of the most important ones are found in fresh, raw unripe pineapple and raw fish. Obviously rest (both general and specific GI tract rest) is essential to recovery.
May 25th, 2009 at 1:09 am
Thanks Scott. That’s reassuring, indeed. I discovered you on YouTube in the TT video. I found an overweight nutritionist criticizing someone who’s in fantastic shape to be laughable. But I digress.
When you say raw fish, do you also mean oysters and other mollusks? A lot of people claim that raw shell fish shouldn’t be consumed by someone with liver problems.
How do you think exercise plays a roll in recovery for hepatitis?
May 25th, 2009 at 4:02 am
Stephen
I hope you don’t mind me commenting here. Treat hep C for what it really is; inflamation of the liver. You can fix your inflamed liver and your overall health with diet, gentle exercise, sleep and min stress. Believe that you can and you will.
I highly recommend straight up St Mary’s Thistle tincture with mouth full water. Greenridge used to be a good brand. A couple of ml before meals 2 or 3 times a day and you’ll need to keep up your fluids, it makes you thirsty. Its excellent at regenerating the liver. Organic herb teas are good too except I’d steer away from the ones that make you wee more, shit can’t remember the word……… like peppermint and green tea because you’ll be too thirsty whilst taking the St Mary’s.
I know many people diagnosed with this and hep in general and i know of some who now test neg (because they’re healthy) and have life long immunity. The doc’s only make things worse as far as I’m concerned starting with the fear they drive in you. Keep away from the conventional doctors so you can recover %100.
I bet Scott’s diet will fix you up!
All the best.
Scott,
do you do herbal teas??
Does St Mary’s tincture qualify as raw?
May 25th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Hi Scott, thank you so much for your reply! It’s good to know that I can relax on the raw milk. I’m having such a good time right now anyway. Wow, who thought that I would eat raw liver, meat and eggs, LOL! I love it. Since I’ve tried the paleo for 2 month I can digest the amount of meat pretty good but raw is even better for my digestion. I don’t get lethargic after a meal either. It’s easy on my teeth too, the ones that’s left :). My front teeth are intact though, thank God, so I do smile a lot especially these days! I think I read somewhere that raw animal parts could help with some rebuildning and healing on the enamel. No rush but that would be something for me, 46 and all. I did notice however that my teeth are getting whiter all togeteher and it might speed up the process since going raw the hunter’s style. I’m looking forward to that. A very nice beauty tip would be: eat raw meat and dairy and gourge away on butters!
Thank you again Scott. If you ever need a spokes woman up here in Scandinavia, I’ll be glad to help out. I do have a few questions, since being a newbee. Is it okej to eat raw reindear and dear? We have a lot of that here from the Polar areas and I know the meat is very tender at least when frozen. Frozen meat isn’t my priority but it’s good to know if Ican’t find good meats everywhere when travelling. Otherwise, love to see more videos of you and your beautiful family. You know you probably have a huge impact on the raw food movement out there. They may be hostile sometimes but I think it is because they KNOW. Your way of eating is in fact pure logic, simple and enjoyable.
All the best for now, Lena!
May 25th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Yes Stephen, any type of raw fish, preferably wild caught, is suitable for consumption by anybody. Alot of people make all sorts of claims regarding the dangers of bacteria in general, none are warranted. Bacteria and more generally microbe phobia is the single most catastrophic misunderstanding affecting human health today.
Exercise qua exercise has a limited role in recovery from any ailment. In fact, by definition, recovery could be regarded as the exact opposite to exercise (although it is also a corollary). Broadly, exercise is useful for the improvement, maintainance or slowed regression of the body’s functional ability (usually biomechanical or cardiovascular). However the exercise itself is a stressor ie. a negative influence, which requires a physiological adaptation in order to produce a result or positive response. This adaptation requires that the said function be rested after exposure in order for full recovery and overcompensation to occur. This recovery is largely influenced by nutrition.
Since your body has limited recovery resources, exercising whilst attempting to recover from illness will most likely overburden or ‘inroad’ too deeply into recovery ability.
Some ‘activity’ rather than exercise per say, may be useful to increase circulation of blood and lymph during recovery, but rest is best, particularly the most intense state of rest which is obviously sleep, where about 95% of cellular regeneration occurs.
May 25th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Yes Lena, I believe you are right about the tooth enamel. The general consensus from the dental fraternity is that teeth cannot re-enamelize within ones lifetime. I disagree. I believe that they can under the right conditions, although this is still hypothetical right now, it’s a long process.
I like your beauty tip. Raw reindeer and deer would be great sources of flesh food especially during the season when their total carcass fat content is high. Wild sourced meat is always good.
Thanks again for your support.
May 25th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Hi Cathy, I didn’t notice your comment. Feel free to chime in any time you like.
As a general rule, I think therapuetic herbs are very beneficial, particularly in conjunction with a healthy raw diet. However, as with all nutrtional elements, some if not all of the benefit is lost when herbs are dried (powdered and processed). Raw fresh herbs are best, availability is usually problematic though. A concentrated herbal extract can be made by simply juicing the herbs, or squeezing a large handful of fresh herbs into a ball, grating into a piece of cheesecloth and adding an extracting medium such as raw milk or carrot juice. Squeeze and twist the mixture to achieve extraction.
If fresh herbs cannot be obtained, some suggest making teas with dried herbs by steeping the dried herbs in water (in the sun if possible) for as long as 24 hours, then add fresh lemon juice and raw honey to the mixture. I have not tried this method…Scott
May 25th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Scott,
Thanks mate keep me posted if you have any success with the Glands.
Regarding honey, the only type I could find was Ambrosia Raw Honey which it says on the back is unheated but doesn’t mention unfiltered. It does look quite chrystalised and is very thick but I want to know for sure that I’ve got something good. What brand of honey do you use/recommend?
Conor
May 25th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Paul M,
Thanks for the advice on juicing and coconuts. I think I might just invest in a twin gear juicer if I can get one at a good price.
Conor
May 26th, 2009 at 3:08 am
Thank you, Scott.
By the way; my son thinks your ‘awesome’ and that the diet ‘rocks’!
Love and Peace, Lena!
May 26th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Conor,
Check with the manufacturer regarding all labelling claims as most are misleading. If it is crystalized it is likely raw/unheated. I use Elixir Raw Honey (www.elixirrawhoney.com.au) from WA.
I thoroughly recommend that you buy a good juicer if possible. It will make your food prep alot more efficient and therefore sustainable.
Jun 2nd, 2009 at 8:10 pm
Scott / Everyone
Just found this video of AV eating ‘high meat’ on youtube, pretty cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIrFhfyrmS4
Looking forward to trying mine, should be ready in week or so.
Conor
Jun 4th, 2009 at 11:01 am
CONOR BRADY: Hi, I saw that too, but new as I am on this I thought it looked disgusting (argh! :-) but it’s said to have some medical use!? If so, it would be interesting if there were a link to that informaition and some testimonials on the subject. This, will take some time for me to adjust to, though….
Love and Peace!
Jun 4th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Aajonus often talks about his Ripley’s experience but that’s the first time I’ve seen it. I have seen him devour plenty of high meat though, as I have myself.
Lena, certain eskimo tribes were the first to consciously use high meat when they discovered it had tremendous benefits for their dogs (and themselves). Eskimos were the first to practice conservation of body enzymes by arranging for predigestion outside of the body. Most carnivores also do the same, albeit at a perceptual rather than conceptual level(the reason dogs bury meaty bones). The reason this was so important for the eskimos is that their meat supply would ultimately become frozen, and hence enzyme potential would be reduced unless the meat was first aged (by exposure to bacteria and cathepsin). Raw fish would often not be eaten by the eskimos until it was reduced to the consistency of ice cream. The only time they were able to consume fresh raw meat was at the time of the kill, which they did whenever possible.
The inclusion of high meat into a raw diet is often for ‘advanced’ trainees, as it takes some time to accept psychologically. The benefits are often remarkable.
Jun 5th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Thank you, Scott.
From high meat to raw milk, I remember saying that I was happy not to stress about finding raw milk and today I found a wonderful organic farmer only 1 h drive from my home! It’s a well known place and the farmer has been seen on regular milk adds everywhere. So, I’ll write her today, asking if I could come over and try some raw milk, because today I also found out that it’s only illegal to sell raw milk in food shops but it’s legal if you buy some directly from the farmer…divine intervention, I’d say!
Wow, I truly will fight for the right to drink nature’s raw gold; milk, for the sake of our planet, animals and our children. I’m so glad I’ve found you guys and a way to consume my ever favorite drink: raw wholesome mylk! Love and Peace :-)
Jun 15th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
“THE CHINA STUDY”-What can you say about the book ‘The China Study’saying that meat is unhealthy?
Jun 16th, 2009 at 4:25 am
Hey Scott,
Is elixir raw honey always crystallised?
I have been buying Ambrosia green label raw honey. Sometimes it is crystallised and delicious, other times it appears just like regular supermarket honey. It’s not the weather either because I have two jars from them sitting in my cupboard and one is crystallised and the other is like regular supermarket honey. I have bought 3 from them so far, 1 has been crystallised and 2 have not.
and what a coincidence.. The anti-spam word for this post is “honey”. lol.
Jun 16th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Hi Nick,
‘The China Study’, as in the book written by T.Collin Campbell, is a series of assertions ‘loosely’ based on statistical correlations derived from the actual study bearing the same name, conducted in the early eighties. If you review the actual study you will see that Cambell’s book amounts to nothing but a misleading rehash of the actual data in an attempt to discredit animal protein and propogandize veganism. Even if his statistical correlations were corrected, Cambell offers nothing but these data to defend his views. Statistics cannot be accepted as a means of establishing cause and effect, but rather may offer a lead to further enquiry. By themselves they are an expression of ignorance, not a form of knowledge. For example, for a long period of time there was a high statistcal correlation between the number of semicolons on the front page of ‘The New York Times’ and the number of deaths amongst widows in India.
Apart from the inadequacy of the scientific method, as in most studies on the subject, this one failed to consider how the certain foods were processed. It was assumed that animal proteins behaved constantly whether they were deep fried in vegetable oil or consumed raw. Obviously this is not the case. The term ‘meat’ these days is a very broad one, covering the most processed deli style chemical ridden varieties, to fresh, organic, pasture raised flesh foods. It is an obvious mistake to group these foods together to try to establish quality satistcal data.
For more general information on the topic I refer you to www.thegreatcholesterolcon.com/The_China_Study.html
Cheers,
Scott
Jun 16th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Nick- re. ‘The China Study’ - http://www.westonaprice.org/bookreviews/chinastudy.html
Jun 16th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Hey Paul,
No, raw honey is not always crystallized but it always maintains this potential. Straight from the hive, honey is runny and much like that from the supermarket, it will slowly run out of the comb when gravity filtered. Because this is a slow process it is often heated at this point to encourage a more rapid flow. Once collected, it will usually crystalize over time, relative to differences in variety and conditions. You probably just have jars of different ages. I have contacted Ambrosia in the past to try to determine what methods they use in order to label their honey as raw. Since I received no response I chose not to use their product.
I think you’re right. Honey (both the term and the entity) is contagious. Every time you post about it I have to go eat some!!
Jun 16th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
Thanks Anita,
Masterjohns critique (and subsequent rebuttal from Campbell) is the most thorough account of the issue. Masterjohn spent much more time on the issue than I think it even deserves, but it’s definitely worth reading, in fact, reading this will save you the trouble of reading the book itself, which most followers of this website would find very a very enduring task…Scott.
Jul 2nd, 2009 at 11:23 pm
I just got some of elixir raw honey from the site Scott linked. It’s not crystallised at all but this is raw Jarrah honey and it turns out that this honey takes 5-10 years to set :D It is a dark colour and tastes a lot like maple syrup. It is reportedly known for it’s healing and medicinal qualities.
Jul 5th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Hey Paul, I got some of the Jarrah in my last order as well. I usually get a selection of whatever is in season, it’s all good. Honey has a remarkable shelf life. Some has been found in tombs of the pharaohs dating thousands of years that was still perfectly good to eat. (set by this time of course). Like I have said earlier, setting is relative to varieties and conditions. Like you say, the Jarrah is naturally ’syrup like’ for 5-10 years. While I was in Hawaii last year, Aajonus met me there and had just travelled from the Phillipines where he was able to ’smuggle’ some Phillipino jungle honey from. He kept it in a glass mineral water bottle and it was so runny that we were able to drink it as if it were a sweet, nourishing liqueur. I suggest that because of it’s consistency, this honey would have taken many years to set also.
Raw Honey is a great food source. Bees collect and store it for the winter when there are no blooms from which to extract nectar. Interestingly, they will discard the honey and abandon the hive if the honey supply reaches a temperature exceeding 34 degrees celsius. Unheated honey contains predigested plant amylase which is an insulin like substance which shows remarkable health benefits owing to it’s ability to regulate blood sugars.
Jul 16th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
Thanks for the egg white tip for bathing my eyes, Scott… it is a winner.
My eyes are a smiling :)
Jul 19th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Hi Scott,
Just thought I’d check in as I have some questions regarding high meat, worms and my diet. I have a variety of meats (chicken, fish, lamb, kangaroo, and beef mince, liver & kidneys) in jars that are approx 2 months old. I have been eating mainly the fish (which I find quite savoury) and the chicken. Initially the impact was quite obvoius- energy boost, alert etc but now I eat spoons of it and feel the same. I think I must be going through a detox as I have became a bit lethargic again although nowhere near what I was before I started the diet. Anyway about 2 weeks ago I decided to put the jars outside as there was a bit of a stink in the fridge, I didn’t see the problem with this as they are out of the sun and in the jars. However the jar with the Kangaroo and kidneys has now got what I think is maggots in it so I’m a bit dissapointed. I don’t see how this could have happened as I had lids on them, what you reckon?
Also on a brighter note I have my worm farm up and running, as a probiotic what kind of dosage would you recommend of worms/worm casting for someone like myself trying to re-establish gut flora. Also do you drink the liquid fertilizer that collects in the bottom?
I also spoke with a former client of Aajonus who had similiar digestive problems to myself, he said Aaonus advised him to eat “like a baby” until his digestion came back, this meant basically just eggs, green veg juice, milk, honey, butter. I’ve decided to give this a go until I see AV in August, unfortunately I can still not take raw dairy (except butter) or honey (I’ve tried!), it causes my sinuses to block up within a day and I start to feel terrible, which I know is fungus growing. Whats your thoughts on this?
Conor
Jul 20th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Hey Conor,
The effect of eating high meat is relative/comparative to your physical status at consumption. For example, if at your first exposure your digestive condition is poor (likely) then the effect will be obvious. Hereafter, as your condition improves, the effects will subsequently be more subtle. I notice this phenomenon myself, but as in most primal nutritional modalities in general, the long term effects are substantial.
High meat is not rotten meat, and as such it needs to be constantly refrigerated to stop from decomposing too rapidly. Temperatures that are too high and light are causes of rapid decomposition of flesh foods. Although it would probably not cause great discomfort to consume it in this state, I probably would opt not to do so. Not sure how the maggots got in but their presence would indicate a breach of the conditions described.
In addition to high meat, I would eat a small (maybe half a teaspoon) amount of worm castings every other day or so, along with the occasional worm. I stop all probiotics for a while when I feel I don’t need them anymore. I personally don’t drink the ‘worm juice’, but I do fertilize my vegetables with it.
Aajonus often recommends an egg only diet for a period of time to those with compromised digestive abilities. This is because raw eggs are simple and quick to digest owing to immature proteins, and consequently require less digestive effort, essentially resting the digestive system while still receiving adequate nutrients. (As opposed to fasting which allows rest but no nutrients at all for recovery.)
If you can’t eat raw dairy or honey, I would leave them out until your tolerance improves.
Jul 20th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Scott,
Cheers mate great info as always. Probably should have checked before moving my meat outside but I guess its all a learning experience. As a source of bacteria how does worm castings compare or differ to high meat?
I have been doing a little research on worm castings and came across some very interesting information. They are a great source of Humic and Fulvic acid which apparently have astonding effects on digestion when ingested. They reportedly eat up access mold and toxins in the GI tract, transport minerals into the cells and chelate heavy metals out of the body. Its interesting to note Humic and Fulvic acid is the key ingredient in these new ‘colloid probiotics’ which are becoming very popular. Would it be a safe assumption to say these companies are basically charging people big money for something they can dig up in their back garden or produce in a worm farm?
http://www.terepia.com/HumicAcid2.htm
http://www.freeamerican.com/FulvicAcidReport.htm
Jul 20th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Conor,
Both high meat and worm castings (a source of soil bacteria) are very beneficial for supplementing digestive microbes in animals and humans. Most animals eat lots of dirt with everything they eat, and as a result are exposed to soil microbes that assist with digestion. Consequently, this is arguably the more natural of the two methods and definitely the easiest for most to consider. Worms produce high quality soil bacteria that assists human digestion quickly. Experiment with both. A third ( and usaually less accepted) option is to eat the intestines of healthy organically grown pigs which harbor Trichuris suis whipworm, which assist assimilation of food particles.
Yes these companies are attempting to cash in, but it is not quite as simple as digging up dirt in the backyard. Depending on where you live, you will probably not find earth that has not been contaminated by chemical pollution such as pesticides etc. Therefore you need to build your own in most instances. Dirt rich in worm castings is the best way, or alternatively I make a probiotic supplemnt with sundried Australian mined clay which I can supply you with if necessary.
Keep on researching…Scott.
Jul 22nd, 2009 at 7:37 am
Scott,
About the worm castings, do you only eat the castings, or a few worms,too? Does the worm farm need to be in really clean order for human consumption, or do the worms do the cleaning? The reason I ask is that I used to be right into worm farming, but am now busy with other things, & haven’t paid much attention to keeping it in good order. I have 3 worm farms. For example, worm farms can get infested with red mites- you wouldn’t want to accidentally eat them, would you? Also, I sprinkled agricultural lime on top about 6 months ago to balance the acidity- is this now ok to consume? My worm farm is ready to be harvested anyway, so I’ll put some on the garden, & try some myself. Can some be frozen, for later use? Thanks for your help.
Jul 22nd, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Anita,
It’s fine to eat a few worms too, I often do this. You’re really after the rich, dark, high bacterial soil which basically contains the worm urine and feaces. Obviously this is also inside the worms before they expell it. The worm farm doesn’t need to be clean as such, but just like raising animals for consumption of their flesh or byproducts, you need to be considerate about what the worms are fed, and what is placed into their environmental habitat. Mites and any other sorts of ‘parasitic’ creatures that regularly frequent the worm farm will cause more good than harm. Make sure to use dolomite (calcium carbonate) rather than conventional lime (cacium hydroxide) as the latter is toxic. Personally, I use neither, but I do put in alot of ground up egg shells (which are calcium carbonate rich) and this alleviates any pH concerns. There’s no need to freeze the castings for storage. Just put some into glass jars with the lid on loosely and store in a cool dark cupboard. If it dries out too much, add a little good quality mineral water from a glass bottle and mix. If you use a naturally carbonated mineral water, allow it to ‘go flat’ first as the carbon dioxide will affect the bacterial content.
Jul 22nd, 2009 at 7:46 pm
Hello Scott, Anita and all!
I did something I’d never in my life imagined I ever could do! I guess keeping up with your blog and posts Scott for the past year/years??? is influencing me.I also read Aajonus’s book and really enjoyed it. I’ve been following wapf for years too so I’ve become way more open to all sorts of foods I’d never known before.
I discovered my daughter loved raw heart meat, thinly sliced with a little good soy sauce. I then discovered I actually don’t mind it either, but I prefer mine with some raw kefir.
In a hurry the other day I forgot some of the heart meat out on a plate uncovered. It sat at room temp (Castlemaine where its pretty cold 0 - 12 deg cel) for 4 days.
Yesterday i noticed it, darker and dry. I had just been catching up on your high meat discussions. I had a smell and surprising to me it smelled good. AFter some time thinking (hungry too and no meat in the house) my curiosity got the better of me, so i thinly sliced and ate it. It was really good and it was the end which has all the fat. I usually find raw fat hard to chew and don’t like it but this texture and flavor was nice and real easy to chew!
I felt good this morning, a bit too much energy last night but great today and best of all, had an excellent shit, a rare thing since I had my daughter almost 4 years ago.
Am i crazy? It had been frozen too before. Must mean my home is full of good bugs yeh?
Once again Scott, I love your blog and posts, big thanks!
Jul 22nd, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Hey Cathy,
I’m glad this blog has been useful to you. I agree that it is your active mind that is serving your desire to continue learning about nutrition. My purpose is to encourage people to do just that and escape the social dogma that surrounds the perception of proper food.
I’m not surprised that you and your daughter enjoy raw heart, the texture and taste is sublime, and it tastes even better when you consider the health benefits. I often do the same thing with meat my kids leave lying around. Often textures improve as bacterial content rises, and raw meat at room temperature is always much more flavorful than cold straight from the fridge. You already know what I think about raw animal fats, I can’t say enough good things about them other than they are the single most important nutrient a person can eat. Another raw fat you must experiment with is raw bone marrow. Ask you meat supplier for some organic marrow bones and scoop out the fresh marrow. The texture is superb. My kids favourite fat.
No doubt you would have experienced the benefits of some extra E.coli in your digestive tract. If you experienced this with a small exposure, you could most likely do with some more probiotic remedies. If you get brave, get some more fresh (unfrozen) heart, thinly slice it and put it in a jar in the fridge for 1 month. Take it outside and air it with the lid off for a minute or so every 3-4 days during this time. You will find the texture and taste ‘palatable’ at first but you will learn to enjoy it as you have done with the other components. Start with eating just a small amoumt at a time. I think you’ll find the benefits will be great.
Jul 23rd, 2009 at 3:57 am
I just had some fresh organic hearts delivered today (only rarely can I source these), I will give your suggestion a go.
Next time i get organic marrow bones, usually once every few weeks i’ll try some raw before i freeze the rest. So far i’ve only ever made soups out of them.
Thanks again,
Cathy
Jul 23rd, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Hi Scott
how long will the heart meat last prepared (fermented?) this way, after the month? Do you ever freeze meat and if not, do you use this method to preserve your fresh meat longer? I’ve got 8 hearts I would normally freeze them but now wondering if their’s another more nutritious way?? I need to learn how to make jerky!
Thanks Scott
Jul 24th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
Hey everybody. I am glad someone mentioned heart because even as a little boy I loved eating chicken hearts and chicken liver - cooked however. Since discovering the Primal diet I have struggled with eating raw liver and never thought about trying beef heart, so I will have to give it a go.
My question is, are their milder tasting livers from different animals? I can get lamb, goat, chicken, or buffalo livers, and was wondering if anyone has tried these?
Also, how much liver or heart a day would one recommend? One of my problems may be that I am trying to eat too much and maybe an ounce a day would be enough.
Thanks for your input.
Aaron
Jul 24th, 2009 at 11:14 pm
Hi Aaron, where are you, America?
I too was thinking about this last night. I think that because organ meats are so dense in nutrients a little might go far? I don’t think we were meant to eat too much of them considering that there’s only one per animal. I had half a lambs heart yesterday at 3.30pm ish and my daughter had the other, raw sushi style! I couldn’t sleep for ages and Nina woke on and off for the first half of our sleep. Maybe we had too much?
We should also consider our individual needs. I guess we can feel our way, follow our cravings???
I’ve tried lamb, chicken and calf’s liver not raw but really rare. I find chicken liver most delicious, lambs liver is good with a nice sauce and i struggled with calfs liver, found it too strong.
I find raw heart easier to eat than raw liver, maybe because the texture is more familiar being a muscle meat.
Scott, have you got a favourite raw liver recipe? Most of us here in Vic can’t get raw cream or butter.
Jul 25th, 2009 at 7:26 am
Hi, has any of you heard about mucoid plaques being expelled from your colon after certain ‘cleansing’ diet? I’ve read some contradictory information about this topic so I would appreciate your input. Thanks
Jul 25th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Hi Aaron, I just chop the liver into chunks and put in some honey and blend up with one of those stick blenders. Sometimes I put a bit of onion in but mostly I don’t. Blend until liquid and then eat quickly … like soup. About a cup full at a time. A beef liver is rather large and I might eat this for the meat meal twice a day for 3-4 days until it is all used up and then there is no more liver until the next kill (3-4mnths). I haven’t done heart or kidney or any other glands but would like to get game enough to try this as the health benefits sound enormous. Anyone got any ideas fro recipes that would be wonderful.
Jul 26th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Hey Cathy,
I’ve eaten high meat that had been aged that way for 18 months. If you don’t exchange the air every 4 days or so, the process will slow, essentially preserving the meat. However, most of the meat that I eat is consumed fresh, refrigerated in glass jars for about 2 weeks (when I run out). I never eat frozen meat nor dried meat (jerky or pemmican). Making high meat from your hearts would be a good way to preserve them.
Jul 26th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
I use organ meats and glands mainly for supplemental purposes since they are so nutient dense and a little hard to aquire. All organs and glands have unique tastes and textures relative to the animal they were cultivated from. If the taste or texture of any organ or gland is problematic, I suggest consuming as a blended drink with some milk, honey or cream. I also recommend that all organs and glands consumed be taken from organically raised animals since toxins tend to store at a greater rate in these tissues.
Jul 26th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Bettina,
Cleansing impacted matter from the colon is something you want to do gradually. Forcing it’s removal (usually by colonic irrigation) will cause a large amount of toxins to enter the bloodstream where they are a huge toxic burden. This process will also remove the majority of beneficial bacteria, causing malabsorbtion. To facilitate the removal of impacted matter from the colon, I would consume lots of raw fats with raw citrus (including unripe pineapple) and drink raw vegetable juices. If you eat cooked foods I would also consume whole raw vegetables a few times per week.
Jul 27th, 2009 at 2:14 am
Hey Cathy, Scott, and Bec. Thanks for your answers this is really helpful.
Cathy, I am from America but currently in Brisbane for 3 months, and can’t believe that Aajonus will be at the Gold Coast. I live in Nevada back in the states and have to grass fed raw milk and beef through travel and certain internet stores.
I can’t wait to give the lamb liver and heart a try. I can’t believe I didn’t think of trying heart before, I have tried both liver and kidney, and can’t stand the taste of either raw. I have a feeling heart will be fine. I had to share your story about the heart keeping you up with my girlfriend as I can relate to doing something and overdoing it and getting strange results. She can’t believe there are other people who actually eat like me, and I am very grateful for this website and the friendly and fast replies.
Someone mentioned mixing liver with milk. Doesn’t that negate some of the nutrients? I heard calcium binds with iron and neither is absorbed. This interests me as I think somewhere in the bible even, this wisdom is shared.
Lastly. Anyone know where I can find fresh grass fed beef in Brisbane? Any Primal Dieter here in Brisbane?
Thanks again in advance for every ones input.
Jul 27th, 2009 at 3:39 am
Scott,
I’m really curious what your kids take to school for lunch & snacks. Obviously, it’s easy enough for you to take a jar of meat, but kids at school-what to do? Interesting………
Jul 27th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Hi Aaron,
There is some unsubstantiated evidence about which suggests that calcium can limit the absorbtion of iron from NON ANIMAL SOURCES (ie. the least bioactive type). This will not be a problem when mixing raw milk and raw meat. There are alot of examples around in which calcium and iron co-exist in animal sources, raw milk is one of them…scott
Jul 27th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Hi Anita,
Unfortunately, kids school lunches are always a compromise. This is because of social pressure and misinformation. My kids would be happy to take a jar of raw meat for lunch but this would be unacceptable according to their school’s principles. They can’t even take nuts. To ‘fit’ the social dogma, my kids take an organic wheat tortilla filled with raw butter, avocado, honey and cheese most days. They leave their raw meat meals for home. For snacks they suck eggs (poke a small hole both ends and suck),drink milkshakes, eat fresh or frozen organic raspberries, spoonfulls of coconut cream and butter as well as other fresh fruits. They also have the occasional bowl of organic popcorn (air popped) with lots of raw butter. Eating cooked starches moderately is fine for most kids and some adults because the starch binds with excess hormones creating calmness. When consumed with lots of raw fats, Advanced Glycation End product storage is limited.
Jul 27th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
Aaron …. Why don’t you try Mitchell Grass Meats … they advertise on this site and have some delivery points in Brisbane. Or the Meating Place (if they are still operating??) may be better for smaller quantities (organic but not sure if completely grassfed?) Maybe the Northey street markets are worth a try.
Scott …. should I just do the heart the same as the liver? Blended up with honey? Can kidney be done the same? What have you done?
It takes a bit to rearrange the brain but the benefits I have had from the diet are wonderful!
Jul 27th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Hey Bec,
You could blend heart the same as liver but it has a firmer texture and is better to eat just as sliced meat. The organs/glands I have consumed blended are liver, adrenal, testes/ovaries, thyroid, brain, kidney and pancreas. I’ve also had pigs intestine the same way. I don’t have any of these very often, just when I have needed them or when I was curious to try them.
You’re right, integrating new information is always difficult to achieve. Even more so when it is directly opposed to a conventional paradigm…once you have empirical evidence on your side the battle is winnable.
Aug 1st, 2009 at 7:40 am
Thanks for your reply Scott. Have you (or others) experienced expelling mucoid plaques as a result of dietary changes alone (I mean, without the use of colon cleansing products)? Some people argue that mucoid plaques are actually accumulated as a result of consuming colon cleaning products and that normally they do not exist in the colon.
Aug 2nd, 2009 at 4:52 am
The colon cleanse issue is an interesting one. I liked what Scott had to say on gradually cleansing it but… I personally cleansed mine with a green super fine clay psyllium husk detox drink colon cleanse with self administered enemas. The stuff that came out was not just the detox drink, it had been in there for many years. I was a hard nosed raw vegan then and I am unsure if I would have done it or not with the knowledge I have now. As high fruit eating vegans I and my brothers who also did the colon cleanse did not get the staph infections that all the other raw high fruit eaters got. I have pooped out since then on two occasions (on a raw meat high fat diet) small mucoid plaque lumps that smell like the stuff that I passed on the colon cleanse. So it is possible to pass it just by giving ones body what it needs diet wise.
Aug 2nd, 2009 at 4:06 pm
bettina,
So called ‘colon cleansing’ products are nothing more than laxatives. The two main ingredients are generally psyllium husks or seeds and bentonite clay which act to irritate the bowel to the extent that anything loose enough will be expelled with the fibre debris. Impacted feacal matter is not ‘mucoid plaque’. In fact, ‘mucoid plaque’ is a commercial term coined by the manufacturers of colon cleansing products, and hence doesn’t scientifically exist. Dried, impacted matter can form a coating on intestinal walls, but laxatives are unlikely to remove it. Colonic irrigation can potentially remove it, but as I have stated, this is an invasive process with a high cost/benefit ratio. The matter which is expelled as a result of taking colon cleansing products is most likely to be the gel like substance produced by the psyllium seeds along with the bulk from the absorbing clay.
Aug 3rd, 2009 at 12:54 am
Hi Scott and Nourished friends!
Mum came up today and took Nina (my 3.5yo) for the night. What a surprise!!!! Its been ages that I’ve had time to myself and what do I do???Jump on line!! But I’ve got the music blaring, rock and roll, I’ve got a BD wine (rare!) strawberries and raw cheese mmmmm.
Just wanted to say that Nina and I ate raw liver last night and we loved it! I chopped it in small cubes, added finely chopped onion and garlic, and olive oil. In Nina’s I also added raw apple cider vinegar and honey. We both loved it. And I felt great instantly! My gas heater (which I try to avoid) is really zapping me, i felt like crap and needed a lift.
Also, we had a carrot juice, I test the waters occasionally, and I still go orange, Nina too! I can’t juice most vegetables because I go orange. I hate it, it keeps me from juicing. Do you know anything about this?
Scott, do you use any celtic salt? I wonder why Aajonus is against it, or has this changed?
see ya!
Aug 3rd, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Hey Cathy,
good to hear you’re enjoying life! Your liver dish sounds delicious. I’d ditch the gas heater though, if it’s unflued, it’s the formaldehyde thats making you feel zapped.
Your carotenemia is most likely from overconsuming foods rich in beta carotene, or poor utilization of these vitamin A precursors. It may be that you have a high serum level of vitamin A which is impeding the conversion of carotene to vitamin A. I’m assuming that you are taking cod liver oil supplements. Usually carotenmia is non toxic and harmless, it’s quite common in children and vegetarians. Limiting carotene intake may be your only solution if it continues to bother you. Also, try to get plenty of sunshine as vitamin D works to regulate vitamin A metabolism.
No I don’t use any salt (sodium chloride) at all, celtic or otherwise. Despite it’s nutrient density, salt dries and destroys red blood cells (1 grain kills about 1 million RBC’s) This probably isn’t as horrific as it sounds (there are around 5 million RBC’s in a pinhead sized drop of blood) but significant nontheless considering the cost/benefit ratio. Mineral salts are utilized by plants for food. We can access them in their bio-available form and in correct concentrations in vegetable juices…ROCK ON!!!
Aug 4th, 2009 at 5:41 am
Thanks a lot for your reply Scott. It makes sense what you said about mucoid plaques. I like reading all your posts by the way. Thanks again.
Aug 4th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
I don’t know if its unflued but I am going to find out. Its one of the wall heaters, the tall long ones with the electric fan. Today we’re rugged up, hats, scarves and layers of wool because I’m not turning it on. I told Nina the heater is sick (instead of the heaters making us sick!)
My carotenemia started when I was a vegetarian/vegan (so there was never any true vit A in my diet most of 11 years) , i tired to do the candida diet and lived on tahini & carrot/veg juices, 6 weeks. I worked in a vegan cafe so i juiced all day long. I became very orange from head to toe, wish i took a photo. That was 7 years ago now but since then even a bowl of brocoli turns me orange, even spirulina.
Since wapf its reduced often not there at all because i’ve replaced those cartenous (is that a word?) vegies with sauerkraut. But soon as I drink one carrot/veg juice etc its on for the next two days, usually worse two days later.
It can’t be the clo.
Maybe sunshine is the key?? I have Maltese background, need lots of vit D, Nina too. I will pay attention this summer, I’ll hold off the carrot, brocoli juice till then. Maybe I’ll learn to enjoy celery and zucchini juiced…
So if you don’t use salt, do you make kraut or ferment vegies?? I thought salt was prized my indigeous groups?
I’ve made my way through Aajonus second book and the recipe for the high meat you’ve told us about. Far out, he says if you open the jar inside after one month your house will stink for up to 36 hours!!! I think mines been going for 10 days, not sure of i’ll eat it but I’m going through the process any way.
Another question is good bottled wine raw? I just wonder why there’s no fizziness to it like home fermented juice.
Thanks, I had so much fun, the other night. I danced so much that I was a bit stiff when I woke up!
Aug 4th, 2009 at 10:57 pm
If it’s a wall heater it’s probably flued. Even still, we don’t use any artificial heating either, just rug up. We also use good old fashioned rubber hot water bottles which are still great for direct heat.
Vitamin D may well be the key. Experiment with high UVB light, ie midday sun. Try not to burn though. Expose as much of your skin as possible (I go naked) for as long as you like during low lattitude winters, and regulate during summer.
If I were you, I’d be using celery as the base for your juices (about 70-80%) and go from there.
I do occasionally use pickled or fermented vegies as condiments, but not very often. I find whole vegies (either raw or fermented) neutralize the acidic digestive environment required for all the raw meat, eggs and dairy I eat.
I don’t think indigenous cultures used salt anywhere near as much as Sally suggests. Just my opinion.
The term ’stink’ as it pertains to High meat is a relative concept. My wife certainly thinks it stinks, I think it smells ripe and aged. Either way, the odour is very ubiquitous, I’m ordered outside to eat it. You may initially need to hold your nose to force it down, but once you discover the benefits you’ll ‘appreciate’ the taste.
I think the carbon dioxide from fermenting grapes is lost when the solids are removed from the wine. This is true of all wines, but with sparkling ones, more care is taken to preserve the CO2, or more yeast is added after the solids are removed to further enhance CO2 production. I’m no wine expert though.
Aug 5th, 2009 at 2:07 am
Hi Scott, I’m 21yrs old and have chronic constipation that I’m really working on fixing at the moment. Could you please explain a little more on what you said here:
“To facilitate the removal of impacted matter from the colon, I would consume lots of raw fats with raw citrus (including unripe pineapple) and drink raw vegetable juices. If you eat cooked foods I would also consume whole raw vegetables a few times per week.”
So an example of this would be eating an orange followed by a spoonful of virgin coconut oil or raw cream, as well as vege juices? Any tips on how to eat the unripe pineapple?
Thanks so much
Aug 5th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Hi Amanda,
Common treatments for constipation are often remedial in nature and offer only temporary symptomatic relief. To treat the cause, a wholistic nutritional approach needs to be adopted. The two main causes are delipidation (not consuming enough raw fats) and too little bacteria (specifically E.coli) in the digestive tract. If you are eating alot of cooked foods, this is contributing to the drying and hardening of fecal matter. In this case you would also require some fibre (ie. whole raw vegetables).
Fruits, particularly citrus in their least ripe state, act as solvents which can break down congested matter in the digestive tract (or anywhere else in the body). Unripe works best because there is more enzymes and less sugar. These solvents work best in combination with raw fats which soothe and lubricate inflamed tissues. You can blend these into fruit smoothies for best affect. Your orange example would work as 1 whole orange, 2-4 tablespoons of raw dairy cream, 2 raw eggs and maybe a teaspoon of raw honey. To use pineapple, blend 1/2 cup of pineapple with 2 tablespoons of cream, 5 tablespoons of coconut cream and some honey. Like I said, these are not instant remedial measures but long term measures to rectify your chronic situation.
To address the E.coli issue, use either ‘high meat’(see previous posts) or probiotic formulas such as worm casting.
Aug 7th, 2009 at 6:21 am
Thanks Scott, I’ll give it a go!
I’m still trying to source some raw cream (canberra) but eggs, coconut oil, raw honey and fruit/veges I can do.
This morning I juiced broccolli leaves (from my garden), bit of celery and a granny smith apple and mixed in a raw egg. Great stuff. It actually tastes better with the egg.
Aug 9th, 2009 at 4:32 am
Hey Scott,
Do you know if organic beef must be 100% grass-fed? Do you know if The Oaks organic beef are grass fed for their entire lives?
By the way this is an interesting article on grass-fed vs grain-fed cows. http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/grass_fed_beef_in_a_nutshell.htm There’s some other interesting links on that page too.. thanks.
Aug 9th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
Paul,
It is not necessary for organic beef to be 100% grass fed in order for it to be certified. This is the flaw in the organic model. Certified organic beef can be fed virtually anything which itself is certified organic, such as grains. This is true of chickens also, which are certified organic even if they have been fed organic soy products which have been chemically processed. For this reason you need to source organic ‘pastured’ or ‘grass fed’ produce. Oaks organics is most definitely 100% grass fed organic beef and has been for over 20 years, certified for the last 7 or 8 years. The cattle never receive any antibiotics or worming medications as they have a natural resistance to disease. They only eat naturally growing green grass without the addition of synthetic chemicals or fertilizers. They never even receive hay or silage. This is the best quality meat I have been able to source locally. John Woods of US Wellness Meats does a similar quality product which I eat when in the States.
Aug 13th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Hi Scott,
I have came across some interesting info I’d like your take on. I was listening to an interview on oneradionetwork with a guy called Michael King about clays. At the end he briefly mentioned about himself overcoming a severe candida overgrowth so obviously this got my notice and when I contacting him he told me a few very interesting things. Firstly he said that in addition to eating dead tissue and undigested food, fungus is a back-up system for blood sugar regulation when the pancreas cannot cope and that’s why it feeds on sugars so easily. This would also explain why fungus is always found in diebetics, as its actually helping control their blood sugar. Of course even those in ‘Alternative Medicine’ are now saying fungus causes diabetes amongst all these other diseases. Kind of like blaming an ambulance that turns up at a secene of an accident for causing the accident?
He also said this belief among Raw Fooders that eating fat along with your fruit (smoothies etc) slows down the sugar is absurd as it actually blocks insulin in the blood from finding sugar. He said this would also apply to unheated honeys. He believes this is why hundreds of raw fooders he has met over the years have blood sugar problems.
Anyway I decided to give this a try. Before if I took an 1/8 teaspoon of unheated honey (Elixir) with say butter I would have a bad reaction. Well in the last 5 days I have consumed about ½ kilo of honey on its own with minimal reactions, but I have seen an improvement in my bowel movements and a definite increase in body temperature (I am always cold due to my thyroid).
He also said improving bile flow is critical to recovery and good health and recommends the use of bitters so I have started putting ginger, tumeric, radish and endive in my green veg juice and will see how that goes. Pretty interesting, what you reckon?
Conor
Aug 13th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Hi Conor,
Fungus feeds on cellular toxicity whether this is created by free radical sugars or any other cause. It’s not a back up system for blood sugar regulation but rather a back up system for cellular detoxification. Fungus is found in diabetics because they have alot of intracellular toxicty caused by radical sugars.
Our bodies are not designed to consume alot of sugars whether in combination with fats or not. Blood glucose should be predominantly from pyruvate, formed from proteins rather than sugars.
Eating raw fat with fruit time-releases the fruit sugar into the blood (slows the digestion of the entire food mass) so that there is not a sugar rush requiring copious insulin release. They do not arrive in the bloodstream at the same time. Carbohydrates leave the stomach first, then proteins and lastly fats. Fats cannot interfere with insulin activity in the bloodstream.
I don’t consider unheated honey to be a sugar as such, owing to it’s insulin like factor which converts about 90% of the carbohydrate content into enzymes cabable of assisting the digestion of fats and proteins. For this reason, unheated honey will not adversely affect blood glucose levels. You can eat as much as you want with or without raw fats.
Those bitters you suggested do have the potential to incresae digestion in small quantities. Mustard as a (raw) condiment also works well for this purpose. Let me know how this goes.
Aug 26th, 2009 at 3:53 pm
Hi and thanks to all attendees of the recent Primal Diet lecture and workshop on the Gold Coast. It was great to meet you all face to face and to have such a large group of like minded individuals. As an added bonus we all got to see Aajonus going through a ‘healing crisis’ which probably wasn’t as much fun for him. I hope everyone who received consultations was satisfied with the outcome and are now armed with more knowledge with which to fulfil your nourishing requirements. I intend for this blog to continue on with as much zest as ever, so any questions arising from the information overwhelm over the weekend are welcomed. To those who experienced Primal diet principles for the first time over the weekend, you now better understand what I’ve been talking about over the past 12 months, and so, welcome to Primal dieting. Tell your friends….scott.
Aug 29th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
It was great to finally meet you Scott, along with a number of people on this forum, and of course Aajonus himself. A very interesting man, who soldiered on despite being in obvious pain.
Luke and I have been eating raw meat for some time now (Luke far longer than myself), and using the We Want to Live book as a reference, however we did not consider ourselves to be on the Primal Diet as such. Since the workshop however we have been following Aajonus’ recommended eating plan, and we are feeling very different. I think the most significant difference has had to do with much less consumption of water (sips of mineral water only now), dairy fat (especially butter) instead of olive & coconut oils, and far less fruit.
After a week, my brain feels sharper and I can only describe the feeling as if it’s being fed. My mind has been active constantly during waking hours, with instant clarity apon waking. My body has started to wake routinely at around 4-5am and with a small amount of nourishment will return to sleep instantly, to wake about 2 hours later. The clarity is very welcome. Although drinking soured milk on our return home was a bit of a trippy experience at times, and the adjustment to having hydration drinks other than water has created a bit of lethargy and a need to nap occasionally, my brain is fully charged and alive.
Both Luke and I have experienced detox symptoms related to our specific issues, but feel really great and positive about working them out of our systems.
To think that I could give my future children a great start by nourishing myself and thus passing on vital nutrients they will need for growth and protection throughout their lives; beginning a process of reversing generations of nutritional deficiency, keeps me determined to make it work.
We’ve ordered the DVD set for future reference, and recorded some of the workshop + consultations. Thank you for helping to organise such a valuable event, it was certainly an information rich experience.
Aug 30th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Thanks Sarah and Luke, I’m so glad you found it a rewarding experience. Keep us updated on your progress.
Aug 30th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Greetings!
I am just discovering AV’s work, and am trying to procure raw food locally. I have found a source for raw dairy, but, the meat products, though organic and grassfed etc., arrive frozen. I think AV says that meat should not be frozen. How much of a drawback is it that my organic source will be frozen?
Thanks for your efforts!
Aug 30th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Hey Carl,
Frozen meat is a fairly substantial problem. Below freezing temperatures result in alot of nutrient loss. Frozen meat protein is only 25% utilizable and is more susceptible to E.coli overcontamination. Fresh foods are much healthier in most cases. If you live in the US try contacting John Woods at US Wellness Meats (www.grasslandbeef.com/) Whenever I have travelled there he has been able to send me fresh meat anywhere in the country, including Hawaii. Let me know where you are located…scott
Aug 31st, 2009 at 3:45 pm
Thank you Scott! I live in Maryland.
If I am unable to source organic meat that has never been frozen, aren’t I still better off eating the organic meats raw?
Here is an example of fresh-chilled (not frozen) product from the web site you mention: http://www.grasslandbeef.com/Detail.bok?no=919
This would be roughly $10 a pound. If a person eats 2 pounds a day, that’s $600 a month just for raw meat. Pretty expensive. But, maybe some is better than none. Talk to me about compromises, ways to save, and the like.
Many thanks for your efforts!
Aug 31st, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Hey Carl,
If expense is the issue, I would use good quality unfrozen ‘conventional’ muscle meats predominantly and supplement with the unfrozen organic grassfed ones. Buy the cheapest cuts of the organic meats and the best cuts of the conventional meats. This is because generally expensive cuts are leaner (eye fillet etc.) and you don’t want to consume much of the fat from conventionally raised meats. Eat as much fat as you like from the organic grassfed meats as there are few toxins to store in the adipose tissue. Basically you want the opposite to most consumers so you should have a financial advantage there. I’ve eaten plenty of ’supermarket’ muscle meats in the past (never organs or glands) but after discovering the obvious benefits of meat from healthy animals, I rarely do so now.
I never regard investing in my health as expensive, especially when the alternative is considered.
Sep 1st, 2009 at 4:20 pm
Hi Scott! Thanks for your insights.
I need to re-read it more carefully, but, I think in WWTL, Aajonus describes replenishing his son’s food supply near the hospital in Cincinnati. For example on page 79 he tells someone that he “has to go buy some” food for Jeff. It’s unlikely that there was an organic supply of things right by the hospital. So, conventional sources must also be nourishing. I don’t offer that as a QED of any kind, it’s just that the conventional sources must be of some value. Also mainstream food stores do try to sell some “organic” beef and such, so, maybe one could avail oneself of those.
On another note, someone whose familiarity with AV’s work is unclear to me has commented indirectly that ‘freezing is necessary to kill pathogens’. Feel free to comment. I think the problem with that idea is that AV’s work seems to demonstrate that pathogens are not the problem people think they are. For example, they indicate, rather than cause, illness. They eat decaying flesh or other rot. The result is a cleansing.
I might order their 15-pound hamburger product. But what if I can’t eat it all within a week? Am I then starting to eat high meat?
Cheers!
Sep 1st, 2009 at 4:24 pm
Ah, look: on page 27 of WWTL, AV inquires about the location of a health food store. The answer seems to indicate that there is one. So, his son’s food could have all been from organic sources. Hm.
Anyway, I’ll conclude that mainstream food stores can be a help, but it’s worth every effort to find organic supplies that have not been frozen.
Sep 1st, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Sorry to bombard with questions! I am hoping to line up my supplies over the rest of this week.
On page 29 of his recipe book, AV explains the various benefits of red meat, fowl, and wild-caught salt-water seafood. On this latter type of meat, may I trust the local mainstream food store to get it right?
Sep 1st, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Hi Scott. Yes loved the workshop weekend and meeting up with everybody. Thanks to all involved in the organising. well done. Scott, I was wondering …. do you have an acceptable source for wild caught atlantic salmon? Most salmon for sale is farmed. What do you do for fish? Do you use the bell jars from the u.s. for juice storage? or just any jar that about the right size? And can you elaborate any more on the timing of everything eg fruit between hours of 1-3pm etc.
Thanks.
Sep 2nd, 2009 at 7:15 pm
Hi Carl, there’s no doubt that organic grassfed meats are superior to there conventional counterparts. This is true of any healthy food producing animals, irrespective of the product, as opposed to those to which health has been compromised by common farming practices. However, items such as muscle meats do offer some value (as you eluded to) in their conventional form, as long as you weigh the cost/benefit ratio. Conventionally (feed lot) raised muscle meats retain all of the regenerative properties of organic ones if consumed raw. The cost is that they may not support the same volume of nutrients per unit, and more importantly, will contain some level of toxins and altered lipid profiles which will add to the consumers bioburden. Too many nutrients are lost and/or altered when meats are frozen, significantly affecting this cost/benefit ratio. Freezing meat is definitely not a prerequisite of consumption, for the reasons you mention.
I buy large quantities of meat on either a weekly or fortnightly basis. Meat remains suitably fresh for at least 2 weeks in refrigration before beginning to taste bacterial rich.
Your conclusion that mainstrem foodstores can help, but it’s worth every effort to source unfrozen organic produce, is valid. As for fish, yes you can really only focus on wild caught from minimally polluted waters, and trust your local fish monger or catch your own. Theres no such thing as organic fish, as this would imply a structure of farming…scott
Sep 2nd, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Hi Bec, glad you enjoyed the weekend. Unfortunately I do not have a reliable source of wild salmon. I source all of my fish from the Sydney Fish Markets, but concentrate on non-farmed species, mainly swordfish and deep sea cod. No wild caught atlantic salmon exists at these markets as far as I am aware. Anyone else fell free to chime in…
Yes I use the Ball brand canning jars from the US, but anything similar is sufficient.
As for nutrient timing, basically, the first meal of the day is generally veg. juice for it’s mild alkalizing properties. The body has a tendancy to become acidic during the night. The following meat meal is of utmost importance as it sets the body to produce pyruvate as it’s fuel source for the day, which is clean burning as opposed to glycogen formed from sugars which produce AGE’s. A milkshake tends to be soothing for all cellular tissue, so consuming it next would normally be appropriate. Aother juice may be appropriate next considering the previous meals have required an acidic digestive environment. Allow adequate space. Following the juice, a fruit meal would be appropriate as it requires a more alkaline environment for optimal digestion, provided by the juice. Also, if by this time it is early afternoon, blood sugar should be fairly stable or even tapering slightly so that the fruit will not cause emotional imbalance. Add plenty of fat. After this, either a third juice meal or another meat meal may be consumed aloowing for adequate digestion. If at this time digestion is slow, eggs may be consumed to hasten the process.
These fundementals however should not be accepted as concretes. I encourage you to experiment with the principles and discover what works well for you….scott
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 7:01 am
Bec, the organic butcher in Randwick shopping centre sells salmon that comes from antibiotic free farming. Scott, thanks for the info on freezing meat. I always suspected that it does something to the meat. Do you know if freezing does any damage to raw butter. I have been told that it doesn’t but I find it hard to beleive.
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 11:43 am
Hi Scott!
Many thanks for being there to answer questions!
I just today procured organic never-frozen pork, beef, and chicken. For beef I bought some chuck and a shin cut. I have just now consumed about three cubic centimeters of the latter. I find that the fat is rather difficult to deal with. When I chew, my teeth hit a kind of hard block. So I concentrated on rolling the fat pieces around so they would melt a bit, and then swallowing them down. Perhaps that’s the way to handle that type of fat.
So now I’m officially a beginner!
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Whew! Feeling kinda shaky here, a bit sweaty. Courage!
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Feeling better, and I’ve had a little chuck now.
I bought the shin cut because it was very fatty, and raw fat is very helpful to the body.
Cheers!
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Hi Bettina, thanks for the salmon info.
Whilst butter seems to handle freezing for short periods (1 or 2 hours) long term frozen storage has been proven to be detrimental, as with raw cream. So, in general, recipes containing these items, such as ice cream made with raw cream is OK, but eat it straight away and don’t store it for longer periods for optimal nutritional advantage.
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Ha Ha, Carl’s an apprentice Primal Dieter!!
Keep at it mate, your apprehension will soon pass and you’ll develop one instead for stinky, dead cooked meat..not to mention your health improvements. At the very least, you now have a cool party trick with which to impress your friends…mine still find it entertaining to watch me devour a raw steak…simple minds enjoy simple pleasures!!
Enjoy!
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 2:41 pm
I have a couple of non-urgent questions. One is–and I hasten to note that I’m not a radical environmentalist or something, I have no agenda–is this form of eating sustainable for a world population of, say, 10 billion people? Suppose we decide to eat two pounds of raw meat per day. That means that each year, a person would eat the equivalent of about one cow. Say two cows, because not all of a cow is meat. So, two cows per person per year. Of course we eat more than cows, but this is just a way to get a grasp of the question. In theory then, can the world support 20 billion cows? In general, feel free to forget my attempt here, and just explain how the diet can scale.
The other question is, suppose we accept the premise that bacteria, virus, pathogens, and parasites are expressions or indications of disease and not causes. Nonetheless, is there ever a justification for attacking them within our bodies? For example, what if a healing crisis is in some way overwhelming? For example, there is a rare parasite that lodges in the brain. Suppose we accept the premise that it’s attacking dead tissue. Nonetheless do we want that to occur? Will we always know how to feed ourselves to control and properly facilitate the healing crisis?
Wow, look what I found. A skull cancer patient with maggots. Graphic image.
http://curezone.com/image_gallery/parasites/brainworms/default.asp
Here’s another interesting case, just clicking around on the same site that I just found.
http://curezone.com/image_gallery/parasites/infected/default.asp
What would be the raw food theory applicable to cases like these? And what if we end up with a brain parasite? Should we say, the parasite is eating what is dead? What’s the solution? Where would we go if our heads got ‘infected’?
Just curious.
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 4:47 pm
I think, irrespective of your claim to have no agenda from an ecological perspective, that your basic premise has been propogandized by ‘green philosophy’, which is implicit in your comments. To even be thinking in terms of future generations and sustainability implies a notion of guilt for being a human being living to the best of your ability in the present. This is absurd, and a tool of political persuasion. How has it become that a human being is, in ecological terms, considered a burden to nature, when in fact human beings are nature. I believe the error lies in an incorrect and artificial philosophy rooted in the altruist model, which negates man’s purpose from a metaphysical perspective as well as severely inhibiting our intented mode of survival, that being rationality, or the requirement to think. Environmental issues are matters for science, not politics.
This is not intended as a personal slur, just an estimate of the current philosophy most now live by as a result of religious coercion for the last hundred years or so. If we all reverted back to the original policy of individualism (the pursuit of the individual rather than the collective), rational self interest would not be a crime, and we could happily look after ourselves without fear of retribution. Society would also generate an understanding of the laws of nature, which to be commanded, must be obeyed. In other words, a healthy balance of respect for nature as well as pride in human achievment.
Anyway, in a round about way what I’m saying is the question of how to feed the world is a rhetorical one of sorts, since no one is charged with the responsibility of finding the answer, but each individual is responsible for the maintainence of their own lives. No ones coming, so feel free to do your best!
As for your next question, again, I think that the ‘germ thoery’ has infiltrated and disrupted pholisophical ideals. Alot of ‘natural’ phenomena posess the ability to cause a human being harm, including animals, insects, microbes and even other humans. That is no justification for waging war on these things. What is required is a better understanding of the processes of integration and symbiotic harmony rather than battling the so called enemy. (Funny how the ecologists aren’t prepared to sacrifice humans at the expense of microbes as they are with trees or endangered animals). However, certainly if any natural phenomena threatens human life, in accordance with it’s own nature, then action should be taken to remove the threat. In your example, a rare parasite is lodged in your brain, and supposing it causes intolerable dicomfort to the point you beleive your life is endangered then certainly take action to remove the threat. Just as if a tiger perceived you to be a nourishing addition to his diet, you would avoid this confrontation. The similarity in the examples is that you are a source of nourishment for both, but the latter is a much more easily understood threat, so your actions are obvious. Unfortunately, the percieved threat is usually misunderstood, as you point out. Sometimes the process of detoxification can produce undesirable symptoms, in which case action should be taken to maintain and support human life in every instance.
Generally then, since it is the role of microbes and parasites to cleanse degenerative materials, ideally we should strive to avoid the necessity of these processes by eliminating the real cause. We need to direct our ammunition towards chemical toxins and processed synthetic foods to win this war.
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 5:42 pm
I like the philosophical elements of your answer. My answer to the first question would be that assuming economic freedom, the economy would adapt in myriad ways to support this better form of eating. If indeed it is better. The logic is certainly compelling. My answer to the second question would be that eventually, as the medical community embraces these superior ideas, the means to facilitate cleansing crises would be in place. The real meaning of parasites in the brain would be clearer. AV discusses experimental use of pathogens on cancers in “The Recipe…” p. 171 ff. The medical community is gradually sniffing around this issue. “It’s common to hear that cancer patients who pick up a virus get a regression of their disease.” -Don Morris, quoted on p. 172.
My question for myself is, why do I believe this stuff? Why do I decide to eat raw meat after reading two books and some web pages about it? I know nobody who eats raw meat. My influences are exclusively these sources. So, why? Why, considering the overwhelming-by-numbers opposition to that point of view? Doctors have much education and are horrified. Well, it seems to me that AV’s work has the hallmarks of truth. He brings up an ancient debate that strikes me as worthwhile: Pasteur vs. Bechamp. I don’t see anyone screaming from the rooftops that they followed AV’s work and suffered for it, or anyone claiming that his work with nutrition clients is fictitious. In one youtube clip a medical expert ends up saying something like “I’m not saying that this diet isn’t the greatest thing for you”–which is an entirely lame point of view: it’s good, or it’s bad. And AV’s overall presentation in favor of the cellular integrity argument (Bechamp) seems rigorous. And anyway, one person can disprove a million. Also it is well known that the regulatory regimes are heavily corrupted by agribusiness and pharmaceuticals. Artificial sweeteners and dangerous drugs are examples easy to come by. So, I am convinced by an overall sense that the greater truth is found by AV, in the picture he paints and the work he reports. Within a month or two I’ll subscribe to his newsletter database and read even more.
Thanks for your help! Not saying good-bye, just thanking you again. My next task is to procure some fish, and, then to graduate to recipes rather than just wolfing some meat down. Also I need to work on the drinks thing.
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 6:28 pm
Hi Carl,
I’ll not pretend to be an expert on sustainability but I do know this theory that a plant based diet has less impact on the environment and is more sustainable is complete nonsense. For example, say you buy 50 acres of pasture and decide to use it to provide an animal based diet for your family/community. With good farming practice and good animal husbandry you will not only be able to supply a sufficient and sustainable supply of good body-building foods, you will also have a positive impact on the environment as the animals will be giving nutrients back to the earth.
On the other hand, if you decide to use the land to supply a plant based diet and plough the fields and plant say, corn, wheat, soy etc. You are not only supplying foods that will not sustain the health of humans but you are also wiping out entire eco-systems; moles, rabbits, badgers, field mice, worms, soil based organisms etc Not to mention depleting the soil which will then take centuries to recover. For more info on sustainability you can google Jerry Brunetti who is a bit of an authority.
Conor
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Thanks Conor! Re “centuries to recover” — yes, unless you put animals on it! Thanks for your input! I was thinking of that idea also. Now I’ll look up Brunetti.
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Agreed. I think the underlying premise is deinitely congruence, and more specifically integrity. Aajonus has this in spades, whereas big pharma and agribusiness (where all mainstream ideaology arises as a result of clever marketing) are willing to surpress the truth for financial gain. Essentially, the truth is free for any enquiring mind to discover. No one is going to make fortunes by encouraging people to live consciously and healthily. The challenge today is not an easy one. It is to maintain high personal standards while feeling one is living in a moral sewer. So why should you or I believe what AV has to say? Because his congruence is transparent. Words and behavior match. There are people we know whom we trust and others we do not. If we ask ourselves the reason, we will see that congruence is basic. Big pharma and agribusiness are guilty of lacking this quality. They deliver beautiful mission statements unsupported by practice. It’s easy for an enquiring, logical and reasoning mind (such as yours) to identify incongruence. If you act against what you believe is right, if actions clash with expressed values, then you act against your judgement and betray your mind. One or two books plus some web pages is probably not significant enough in terms of empirical evidence required to establish a truth, but you certainly can begin to determine the validity of the author based on the philosophical statements.
Now go eat, but continue to think before you do!
Sep 3rd, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Hey Conor, thanks for the Brunetti reference. Your example is spot on. I tend not to bother arguing this topic practically because I think the premise is faulty. Again it’s quite obvious that an animal based diet makes far more ‘ecological’ sense than a plant based one, for all the reasons you mention. Often people who argue for ecological sustaiability are irrational so I don’t bother attempting a rational discussion. I don’t mean you Carl! Nor am I an expert on sustainabilty since I don’t think it deserves the effort.
Sep 4th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
I am having a good bit of trouble enjoying coffee. I am accustomed to gulping and/or sipping about 5 big cups of thick black coffee daily. Now a couple of sips and I feel somewhat resistant.
Sep 4th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
I just had my first taste of raw pork chop. Oh my, it is delicious. All by itself. The best yet.
Tell me, what would be a good strategy for selecting an organic bacon. I’m interested in it partly for the high fat content. Sometimes it is smoked, so, that probably means it has reached a higher temperature. There’s one I see called “pepper bacon”. Perhaps that one has never been heated. Is there a strategy for selecting a bacon?
Sep 5th, 2009 at 3:41 am
Hi Scott,
Sarah is going through quite an intense left eye detox. There is loads of gritty mucus coming out. She had it for a couple of days and then it stopped but now has returned at a greater rate. With it she has a headache behind the left eye with alot of heat also. The headaches don’t respond to any of the bodywork treatments I know. The mucus feels gritty and is salty.. she has removed loads of it but it just keeps coming and is driving her crazy because it is so uncomfortable. It seems as though the butter is bringing it on. We understand that it is good for the body but some sleep and chill space would be nice. Would smearing butter in the eye help or anything else you can think of? She has used egg white but finds it drying to the eye. Frustrating to see her in a constant uncomfortable space… if it is not a heahache or gritty mucus eye its inflamed excema that keeps her awake at night and scratching throughout the day.
I like what you and Conner have been writting… spot on. I saw Mr Brunetti talk and was very impressed even with some vegan guy heckling him he remained calm and to the point.
Sep 5th, 2009 at 7:58 am
Future cleansing crises are one thing that worry me somewhat. You’ll say that the price is worth it, and you’ll be right, but, it will be embarrassing to get colds and strange symptoms. People around me will say “Go to the doctor!!” when they see e.g. mucus emerging from my eye and so on. Ah well. The benefit is, not immortality but maybe longer years, and, less sick years, less disease during the years we have, and more strength during our years.
Sep 6th, 2009 at 12:05 am
Hi Scott, I have been reading for a while, eating the WAPF way, minus grains, plus raw meat and other raw animal products regularly and I have a few questions.
I read a book called “Fermented Foods” in which the author says that you should never mix honey with fermented dairy, as it is an antibiotic and will kill the bacteria. I have been having my kefir (made from our own raw milk, we have three house cows ;), we do our own beef too ) with raw honey a lot and am wondering what your opinion on this is.
I am trying to culture my gut with good bacteria (I have asthma and my mainly breastfeeding daughter is not digesting solids very well either) and I am totally torn by the conflicting information from the primal diet compared to GaPS. GaPs for example, says to cut out all dairy for at least 4 weeks, in order to help starve “unwanted” bacteria and encourage the good ones. Hmm… come to think of it, going with Aajonus’ info, all bacteria have a function, don’t they?
GaPS says that stocks/bone broths are very, very healing and they do seem to have that effect on me, but Aajonus says the opposite.
I think I will try the high meat and some clay first and see how that goes. . . .
What are your thoughts on all this?
Thanks for all the info on this blog.
Sep 6th, 2009 at 3:52 pm
Hi Luke,
I also tend to detox rapidly through the eyes. I use an alkaline smoothie (usually eggs, unripe pineapple and honey, about 3 times a day) to treat the situation. I also avoid applying coconut cream topically to my face at this time as this seems to intensify the situation. If you have identified butter as a likely aggravator then I would back off on this also until the symptoms diminish. Try the poultice for conjunctivitis for soothing the eye (blended red potato works best) and apply to the eye to relax the condition. An accompanying headache is most likely caused by a toxic blood stream. Try sipping mineral water (San Pellegrino works best) blended with honey, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice. This will bind with the excess toxicity and also supplement the alkalizing environment. Use this formula when the headaches are most apparent. As with any detox, rest whenever you can, and plenty of fresh air and sunshine would be very usefull also.
Sep 6th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Hey Carl, that’s great that you’re finding coffee repulsive. Take the opportunity to ditch it from your schedule. It’s most likely interfering with protein digestion (coffee creates acidic compounds which neutralize digestive secretions) which is causing your reluctance to consume it.
The best strategy for selecting bacon is to not select it at all. It is all smoked (cooked) and even nitrate free has loads of sodium. What I have done on occasion however is to ‘dry’ pork by just thinly slicing and leaving uncovered in the refrigerator for a couple of days for a bacon illusion!
Don’t fear symptoms of detoxification. Whilst you might never learn to enjoy them, you will learn to appreciate the benefits as you consider their necessity in progressing toward optimal health. I never live a ’second handed’ life, that is, I never rely on the input of others (positive or negative) to determine my status of health or anything else. It’s a self esteem issue. I often have crap oozing from various parts of my face (like Sarah) but never let anyone sabotage my efforts, try as they might with petty comments.
Sep 6th, 2009 at 5:51 pm
Hey Nina, firstly I want to encourage you to continue to live consciously and to accumulate evidence for your optimal health regime. This is something you are obviously already passionate about. You’re right, a whole bunch of contradictory information exists on the subject, and it’s your job to build a case for identifying the truth. This may require some experimentation in order to establish some personal empirical evidence in light of some of the statements you may observe, for example.
1) Honey, despite it’s mild antibacterial properties will not kill the bacteria in milk, effectively preventing spoilage. This is evidenced by the fact that if you place a small amount of honey into a portion of raw milk, the milk will still sour, and quite quickly outside of refrigeration. Honey is often used as an innoculant (ie the opposite of a preservative) because of this property. The amylases in honey act to predigest milk lactose, just as bacteria do.
2)Building a solid bacterial colony is mainly reliant upon an acidic digestive environment, since most beneficial bacteria thrive under these circumstances. Since lacto fermentation requires acidic bacteria and is useful for digestion (as you are obviously aware), where is the logic in eliminating dairy since this is the ‘good’ bacteria that they must be refering to. If not, then what is a medium for promoting good bacteria?
3) Stocks and bone broths are full of minerals, unfortunately they have been mutilated during the cooking process, rendering them useless and most often harmful by way of mineral imbalances. On a cooked food diet, this may give the illusion of being beneficial, since the hygroscopic property of gelatin is enhanced. I have observed the striking differences between feeding dogs raw bones as opposed to processed bone meals and broths. Those fed cooked bones often experience over-calcification of joints causing bone deformities.
Sep 7th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Thanks for the feedback regarding bacon!
And now the apprentice dieter observes, his first diarrhea! Oh No!
Sep 7th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Some of the meat I bought last Thursday is already getting ‘high’, sort of sticky and stinky. I guess that means it’s getting to the point of being ‘high’ in bacteria, correct? Should I just get some down anyway? Or should that be in very modest amounts, and not really for starters? I’m surprised it didn’t last longer but it may not have been cut from the animal the day I bought it. Anyway the selling point was indeed that it’s not preserved and processed, and was grown organically.
Sep 7th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Hey Carl,
You’re first Primal stomach detox, you must be excited!
If you ended up buying the ground beef, this will spoil more rapidly than larger cuts due to the greater surface area exposed to the air. It wont cause any harm to consume it this way, it’s not too high at the moment. The ‘improved’ digestibility may exacerbate your diarrhea though. Again, no harm will result from personal experience, just observe the results and add them to your evidence bank for future reference.
Sep 7th, 2009 at 9:56 pm
Hey Carl.. I am in the same boat today mate.. been eating primal for about 3 weeks now. Today my body decided it had room for a detox. I couldn’t quite share your enthusiasm though Scott. I haven’t been able to venture too far from the toilet all day.
I must say that I have an enormous amount of energy and clarity eating this way.
Hey Scott, does Lamb have any particular detox properties that you know of? We had some delicious raw lamb last night, I was hungry again about less than an hour later so it must have digested quickly.
Sep 7th, 2009 at 11:32 pm
Hey Wes, way to go mate! As each detox further enhances your energy and clarity, you will soon share my enthusiasm.
It’s not uncommon for followers of this type of diet to have an insatiable hunger early on as a result of the fact that they are so starving for nutrients. This lasts a couple of months max before you will become more easily satisfied.
The early detox is also common but it’s generally not related to the specific foods eaten as such, just an opportunity as you say to dump some toxins. I haven’t experienced any detox properties specific to lamb consumption, although I don’t have access to good quality lamb so tend to eat it sparingly… wanna share!!…scott
Sep 8th, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Hi everyone. I’m at a point just now where my eating is pretty much paused. Anything goes in, I instantly feel full. Today, I retrieved from a service my first raw batches of cheese, honey, and butter, plus more raw milk. I had some of each, and whew! about twenty minutes later I was feeling pretty sweaty. So, I’m taking an egg every few hours, and letting things take their course. My guess: this relates to the ‘temporary failure of appetite’ that is a sign of healing, that AV discusses (e.g. “The Recipe…” p. 12). Perhaps there is some process going on where my body has decided “now’s the time to make a run for it” and it is cleansing something, and doesn’t want any distractions.
I get the impression that eating high meat is especially beneficial, but, oughtn’t to be rushed into, nor overdone–in other words, that I should be eating fairly fresh meat, by and large. Is this because “[ b ]acteria are janitors who consume organic cellular waste, keeping the body clean” (WWTL p. 142), and thereby generating an accelerated–and perhaps too rapid for the beginner–cleansing process?
Cheers!
Sep 8th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Yes, absolutely. Fresh raw meat is less likely to instigate detoxification symptoms since it is more adept at the repair process rather than the breakdown process of healing. In much the same way, fresh raw milk is more soothing to cellular tissues than fermented dairy such as kefir.
So, in order to maintain some level of control over uncomfortable detox symptoms, regulate your intake of high meat in particular, and use it only as you consider necessary, usually as a booster shot for intestinal bacteria…scott
Sep 10th, 2009 at 9:22 pm
I wish AV’s views of virus and vaccines would somehow get public attention. There is a persistent focus on H1N1 and on the supposed importance of being vaccinated against it. Nobody in the media seems willing to question the received wisdom of the day.
Sep 11th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I thought a little ‘poop’ talk might be in order. These days I am still somewhat inclined toward diarrhea. But a funny thing about that. The first instances, and traditionally, were very ‘acidic’ I suppose one could say, certainly uncomfortable, rather ‘hot’. Now there is no discomfort at all. Fat content in the poop?
I am pretty sure that the kefir (made with raw milk) is the instigating factor.
I’ve been told by different branches of alternative medicine, without any prompting from me, that my belly absorbs, i.e. seems to ‘need’, chi. What might that incline you to speculate, as far as cleansing goes?
I wonder if I will ever have a normal bowel movement again. Still I am probably ’sick’ even if normal medicine would ‘find’ nothing amiss.
Most days I am having some raw meat. I have had very little high meat. I am consuming kefir and raw eggs daily, and some fresh milk.
I have a question about leprosy. I got a solicitation in the mail for a mission in Africa that wants money to help in rural areas. It reads, in part: “Many people think leprosy is a disease of the past. If only that was accurate! Although there is now a cure for leprosy, early diagnosis and treatment are not available for hundreds of thousands…. Leprosy … is caused by bacteria. … Through your compassion and generosity….” etc. So, what is the AV approach to this? Would the basic argument be that the leprosy is attacking something that needs to be attacked, and that their need is raw meat, raw dairy, raw honey and butter, and other raw foods, with which their bodies would be enabled to overcome?
Sep 11th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
I just saw an episode of Animal Planet series “Monsters Inside Me”, which is about parasites either within the body or making frequent recourse to the body from the outside. One man suffered a lung fluke after eating raw crawfish. AV emphasizes that we are to use salt-water fish, not fresh. Nonetheless, would the lung fluke affect everyone the same way? Or would a strong person thwart the parasite’s journey to the lung from the stomach?
Sep 13th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Carl, AV’s views of virus and vaccine will NEVER receive mainstream public attention because big pharma control this outlet. No one stands to make any money by suggesting that virus are largely beneficial and should be supported by a healthy diet. These truths will always be suppressed so you need to be quite sleuthful to find them. This is true of most of AV’s information, and also the reason why the media won’t report on it (except in opposition). They also need to support the greater ‘collective’ interest to sell their wares.
Regarding the diarrhea, are you drinking much vegetable juice? This is the most common cause for me to produce loose stools. Too much upsets my digestion.
That Leprosy is caused by bacteria is a misnomer, as with any other disease which makes this same claim. Bacteria, virus and parasites are often found in the presence of illness and disease to help cleanse degenerative tissue, waste compounds and cellular debris when so much of these exist that normal metabolic regenerative processes are incapable of performing the task. This degenerative environment is caused by chemical toxins, synthetic foods and pollution (as well as the normal metaphysical processes as biolgy requires, to a much lesser extent). Micro-organisms do not cause disease, but may exacerbate symptoms of illness in an unhealthy body.
In your lung fluke example, this parasite would have no medium for survival in a strong healthy person, ie no cellular debris to consume. If a parasite were required for a certain cleansing function, generally we would not have to wait to come into contact with one, we have the cellular capability to manufacture parasitic help from our own tissues.
Sep 13th, 2009 at 11:41 pm
Hi Scott,
You know in the workshop DVD Aajonus explains how he cultured a tapeworm by fermenting some Macao / Macau?? powder in raw milk to make kefir. I have googled this macao but all I find is info on China, lol. Can you explain what exactly he used and how he did it? Also I know that pig intestine is a good source of whipworm but are you aware of any other good sources of these little helpers?
Cheers, Conor
Sep 14th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
I think he meant maca root powder (although ‘macao’ is sometimes used to describe a combination of maca root powder and cacao). Either will effectively sour milk to produce a kefir like beverage (Chichia). I don’t think the substrate is important, but he was more concerned with building an environment suitable for parasitic infestation, ie lots of detoxification activity.
Other than Trichuris Suis Ova (TSO) or pig whipworm eggs found in the intestines of pigs, I don’t know another source. I know that they are available in certain parts of the world as an individual supplement, but not here, unless someone else knows more…?
Sep 14th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Thanks for your insights, Scott.
The reason why GaPS is suggesting to cut out unfermented dairy (there is a debate about this, as the author is not discerning between raw and pasteurized) for at least four weeks is to give the digestive tract a rest and a chance to heal. And you are supposed to provide “good” bacteria with probiotics and fermented foods.
My daughter, who is 18 months, has trouble digesting a lot of things and she craves things like bread and popcorn, which according to GaPS are all symptoms of “bad” gut bacteria in her digestive tract. She has only had bread about 5 -max 10 times in her life, before I knew better and then when I thought that sourdough would be ok and we have cut it out completely now, same as with all grains. She reacts badly to all of them. (she gets stomach cramps and has tantrums)
She loves raw eggs, but won’t eat raw meat (loves it cooked on the outside, raw (not rare) on the inside.), but has trouble digesting it. I don’t know what to offer her, any suggestions? 80 percent of her diet is still breastmilk, which I value very highly. She only poos about once or twice a week, with lots of straining. So there’s obviously something going on.
Could you go into why children need (?)) cooked potatoes on occasion? I have cut those out too (as per suggestion in GaPS).
Oh and just as an aside, I used to sneak raw meat as a child. I would just eat some out of the fridge when nobody was looking. Especially chicken and pork (the two you should never eat raw ;) ) I grew up thinking I was really weird for doing this. I love raw meat and find myself not wanting to eat cooked meat more and more.
Thank you so very much I appreciate your time and effort in keeping this blog going.
Where can I get the dvd of the workshop?
Sep 14th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Hi Nina, thank YOU for your interest.
Resting the digestive tract is warranted to allow time for healing to take place in cases of IBS etc. The best way to do this (I advise strongly against fasting) is to eat a predominantly raw egg diet for a short period of time. The reason for this is that the immature protein in eggs is easily digested and utilized (in as little as 20 minutes) allowing very little inroad into recovery ability whilst still providing nutrients for healing. This practice is advised against long term as the protein in eggs is largely utilized for cellular regeneration but not cellular reproduction, with raw meat being best for the latter task. Intestinal flora are best supplemented with bacterial rich foods like high meat, eggs and worm castings etc.
Craving cooked starches is an indication of excess hormones in children (and usually this and/ or toxicity in adults). The requirement for cooked starches stems from the fact that cooking releases the gluten that is otherwise unobtainable from grain products. This gluten can bind with the excess hormones and arrest the symptoms. Due to the formation of Advanced Glycation End Products, cooked starches should be kept to a minimum, but a little popcorn, bread, potatoes etc. with lots of raw fat, like butter, is fine for children.
Sep 15th, 2009 at 12:40 am
i didnt know there was gluten in popcorn and potatoes?
Sep 15th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Hi Scott,
Thanks for clearing that up I might put some Maca into my Goats Keffir see how that goes. I found this site that posts worms worldwide.
http://wormtherapy.com/
I am going to look into this when I return home as Australian customs are the toughest in the world whereas the UK is a bit more relaxed.
Conor
Sep 15th, 2009 at 1:59 am
Hi. I tried the bathes as described in WWTL. I couldn’t last more than 45mins. It was very uncomfortable. So I was wondering if it is a case of forcing yourself to stay in for the suggested time and temperature to obtain results or do you build up to it?. Also for protein production Joel Salatin’s farming concept are excellent and show just how underused land is.
Sep 15th, 2009 at 4:09 am
Great, thanks.
I will try the raw egg thing for a few days for both my dd and myself.
My partner is learning how to culture specific bacteria for specific soils and conditions, to apply on large acreages gently with a yeomans plow (non damaging), effectively increasing nutrient availability, biodiversity and capturing carbon. He will learn how to culture bacteria for anaerobic conditions, but also for foliage application for the plants. As chemical fertilisers and sprays kill many bacteria in the ground and on the plants themselves, this practice is very important. We don’t get enough bacteria on our fruits and vegetables.
I am tempted to drink some of the compost tea, what do you think?
Oh and could you give me your cheese recipe(s)?
Sep 15th, 2009 at 5:34 am
Nina,
To my knowledge, in properly prepared sourdough the gluten is minimal and you can further reduce it by toasting the bread and/or by eating the bread when it is few days old. I have a 21 months old and he loves sourdough soaked in egg yolk - he seems to have no problem digesting it.
Sep 15th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
Megan, that post may have gotten a little confusing. There is no gluten in popcorn and potatoes, but releasing the starches from them by cooking performs the same hormone arresting function as gluten from grain products.
Sep 15th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Hi Bec, yeah, a 1-1 1/2 hour long hot bath is difficult, and pretty uncomfortable. I find these time suggestions quite arbitrary anyway, so just do what you can handle. You will build a tolerance as you go, and if dehydration becomes a problem as a result of perfuse sweating, be sure to drink plenty of the ’sports drink’ formula while you are bathing.
Sep 16th, 2009 at 4:08 am
Hello Scott, Wes, Nina and everyone
My computer keyboard got hit with a glass of raw kefir, so I’ve been off line 4 weeks. Its been amazing, I’ve gotten SO much done, even built a chook shed!!!
I did miss Nourished though, especially this blog.
Scott, I’ve tried the “high meat”! It was “high heart” and it wasn’t as bad as I imagined. I did what you said, opened it outside and blocked nose before eating some. I was able to chew well, (texture was nice) and the after taste was ok too. The first time I was terrified, almost rang Nina to call me in a few hours to check I was still alive but after I ate it I was calm, just knew it was all good. Anyway willing to try anything for a regular shit, can’t believe the toll building Nina those first few years took on my body. There’s more but I’m just gonna fast forward to my question;
Scott in Aajona’s book he always mentions “fertile” eggs. Is there much difference between the two? Don’t know if I should have a rooster or not?
Sep 16th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
Hi Cathy, ha ha, a similar thing happened to me a while ago. I vacuumed up my entire top row of keys in an attempt to remove some of the ‘finger putty’ that had accumulated on my keyboard. The downtime was very productive, although I don’t have a chook shed to show for it!
Good work on the high meat, I’m glad you were able to go through with it.
As for fertile eggs, I don’t believe they hold any significant nutritional advantage over infertile ones, although there probably exists some yet to be understood life energy factor. Fertile eggs contain a rooster sperm but this won’t make any difference unless the eggs are incubated for a long period. I guess the sperm itself offers some minute nutritional advantage, again relative to the health of the animal, from a stem cell perspective (sperm cells contain stem cells). Even if your hens are constantly in the company of a rooster, there’s no way to determine if your eggs are fertile or not before you eat them, so you’re only assuming anyway. That said, I probably would keep a rooster myself just to balance the mini eco sysytem, and to breed more chickens if required.
Sep 16th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Hi all, bit of a snag here. My meat source arrives on Thursdays. By about Monday, what meat is left is getting to stink a bit. I guess that makes it incipient high meat. Also I have too many vegetables around, so I end up cooking meat and vegetable dishes. So I am not getting the full benefits of raw food. Nonetheless, daily I have raw dairy, milk, butter, often kefir; also I am having at least two raw eggs daily from chickens that are happily wandering loose eating bugs and such, from what I’m told. These eggs are awesome: the albumen is downright chewy, and the yolks are well-defined. Also I have raw honey each day.
Sep 17th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Fertile eggs PROVE that the hen lives cage-free/free-range, & the rooster is around. Fertile eggs mean the hens are healthy and happy. The first thing that happens when a hen’s environment/diet isn’t good, is that fertility goes down. (The red blood spots are not a sign of fertility; that’s something different.) This is how to tell fertilized eggs- http://forum.backyardpoultry.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7978169&p=290039
So, her eggs are obviously more nutritious because she’s scratching in the dirt, eating good bugs & getting sunshine! It’s all in the diet & stress-free lifestyle. Genuine free-range eggs have 4-6 times the amount of Vit. D., 3 times more Omega3 than shop eggs, etc., etc. There’s no genuine free-range eggs in supermarkets.
Filipinos & Vietnamese eat balut, embryonic eggs, with little bodies inside!
Sep 17th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Hi Anita, since Cathy’s chickens are her own, I doubt that she requires proof of their living status, but you are right. I still think it’s very difficult to tell whether an egg is fertile or not, and impossible before you creck it anyway. The nutritional advantages you describe have more to do with living environment than the presence of sperm cells in an egg. I do concur that a hen with a higher fertility rate is probably a healthier bird.
Yeah, if you can learn to identify a fertile egg, you could use that info as evidence to support it’s origin. However, if you know (as Cathy does) that your hens were receiving all of the other physical properties you mention, such as sunshine, scratching in the dirt, bugs, exercise etc., I’m not convinced that the fertile egg itself is any more nourishing. Unless of course you allowed the embryo to further develop via incubation, such as in your example, where the immature protein has essentially developed into meat which is definitely more nourishing…thanks for the insight.
Sep 18th, 2009 at 3:36 am
Hi Scott,
Yes, agreed, with your own chickens you’ll know their nutrition. Here’s how to tell, without cracking open the shell- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMkOSy3aHW8
This was so interesting!
Sep 18th, 2009 at 4:14 am
Hi Scott,
Thanks for the advice for dealing with the crap oozing out of Sarah’s face :) and the headaches. I should’ve checked AV’s book before posting. Sarah is doing ok… she has accepted the eye detox although at times she is totally over it/frustrated because it just keeps coming. The difference for me is a marked improvement. My ankle feels stronger, I am putting on weight and having less muscular pain although I struggle alittle with staying hydrated. I feel so much better though since I stopped drinking water.. my eye’s are much clearer.
I would be interested to know your opinion on oil pulling? http://www.oilpulling.com/
Sep 18th, 2009 at 4:45 am
Thanks Scott! I think I’ll get a rooster, I agree the chooks will be more of a happy little family with a guy around!
Quick question; can I follow a piece of high meat with some raw kefir or a smoothie or even a little honey or do they negatively effect it?
Hello Anita, haven’t checked out the video yet but will do soon. My chooks though are so well, they have a great garden and pen. I love them Sooo much, they’re amazing. Goto watch Nina though, three times I cought her out the gate walking a chook-in-arms up the street. She said she was showing them around their new home. And then tonight when I put her to bed she explained how she put one of the chooks on the tyre swing we just made (up the street) and the chook loved it! Shit, is what I was thinking!!! I had visitors and missed it! I have LOCKED the chook pen gate…
I’ll keep this short, my last longish one didn’t make it, I’ve got to update my program but long story. Hope this gets through………..
And Scott, I nearly vacuumed up my keyboard too while I tryed to suck up the kefir! You made me laugh alot :)
Sep 19th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
Hello Scott
thanks heaps for all that. I’ve posted a couple of long ones (some funny chook stories)but they don’t seem do be getting through from home. Long story but computer s falling behind. Till I get it sorted I’ll be in the silent background reading.
I would really like to know if its ok to follow “high meat” with some kefir or honey or if its best to not eat for a while?
Also do you know what bacteria “high meat” supplies? There’s probiotic, can’t remember the name rght now but its extrememly expensive, one mother on the “Joyous Birth” group spent $300 on it a while ago for her autistic boy doing the SCD diet. Anyway supposedly this probiotic is superior because unlike all the others its grown in human something, feaces (Nina help?) as say Inner Health Plus grown on sugar or lactos. Scott, could this women have saved that $300 and used the “high meat” instead? Do you know what bacteria is in “high meat” ?
You made me laugh! I nearly sucked up my keyboard too trying to suck up all the kefir!
see ya!
Hi Anita!
Sep 20th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Hey Luke,
Glad to hear Sarah is coping well, and also that you are progressing rapidly. As you are in the tropics, you are used to drinking alot of water so you will feel less hydrated than normal without so much water. Still, drink some water when you feel you absolutely need it (I sometimes sip some if my activity level is high) but try to be discerning between actual thirst and delipidation. You will begin to notice that thirst is often confused with a craving for lubricating fats rather than water which is a universal solvent with drying rather than lubricating properties.
I’ve never tried oil pulling, but since I know you are into Ayervedic methodology you may find it usefull. Let me know if you have any success with it and you might prompt me to look at it more closely…scott.
Sep 20th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Hey Cathy,
It may not necessarily be your computer with the glitch, but rather the whole system in general. Most times your posts go directly through, other times they sit in the queue awaiting approval (which I eventually get to). Don’t know why this is but we’ll persevere.
Whilst high meat is most beneficial when eaten on an empty stomach, consuming some kefir or honey with it will not produce any adverse effect, in fact it may well be beneficial. Just don’t use any citrus or alkalzing fruits which will disrupt the bacterial balance and nullify the effects.
On that note, E.coli are the major constituent responsible for the benefits attributed to high meat. E.coli perform the final stages of digestion and serve to feed the brain and nervous sysytem directly. Most indigestion issues are as a result of low E.coli levels or mutated colonies caused by toxins from chemicals and cooking. There are also a myriad of additional microbes which serve as helpers in this symbiotic relationship. This is why one or two ‘probiotics’ abstracted and then integrated to form a supplement do not work. Just like vitamin and mineral supplementation, they lack the wholistic principles required for optimal function. Of the lactobacillus strains for example, the focus is often on acidophilus, which really only serves to assisit sugar metabolization. Often bulgaricus (more adept at fat utilization) and caucasicus (protein) are not considered as supplements. Nontheless, in processed supplement form, none of them act to establish your own bodily flora, but rather just mimmick this function. Not sure what your friend is using but yes, she is wasting her money.
Ha ha, so Nina loves the chooks too. Child proofing your chook pen is much more difficult than fox proofing, (kids are far more cunning) but at least she won’t do any harm. In fact, maybe she is aware that the nutrient profile of the eggs will improve if the hens are exposed to fun! She’s probably right.
Sep 21st, 2009 at 1:15 am
Hi Cathy,
My niece is a “Chook Whisperer”; she helps her chooks lay eggs:) Maybe a calling there for Nina.
Sep 21st, 2009 at 11:43 am
I have had zero diarrhea for a while now. I never drink vegetable juice. I eat roughly one vegetable and one fruit per day, but it varies considerably. I often have toast with my butter and/or raw meat. I often have a bowl of cereal/grains with my fresh true milk once a day. Daily dairy as I said. Raw meat while it lasts during the week. I don’t think I feel an energy increase per se. Often I feel sort of bla. I don’t know why exactly. It could be that my body is sick and is using the energy to heal. It may be that I am not eating enough, although I am rarely hungry. I have coffee several times a day but rarely more than, say, a quarter of a cup, often just a few sips. Sometimes I take kefir at times when I used to have coffee. Cooked food is less exciting to me now. But I still have to work on varying the flavors for the raw meat. Anyway just checking in.
Sep 26th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Anybody there? Still active?
I have a question. A member of my family knows someone who was hospitalized for months with a food-borne illness, relating to hamburger that was not fully cooked. What is the correct way to think about this? Is this right?: Namely:
1. That person had a weakness that permitted the bacteria to overwhelm
2. The hospital treatment makes the problem worse: what’s best is raw food to help the body recover
3. Some people ate the same batch of food and didn’t sicken; hence the germ is not at fault
Sep 27th, 2009 at 5:47 am
Hi Scott and everyone. First, let me start by saying how much I enjoy reading your discussion on this forum. I find this blog mentally stimulating and I learn a lot of new information. I’m not a ‘primal dieter’ but I do integrate quite a bit of raw food in my diet. Now, I have a question about the safety of ‘high’ (i.e., decayed) meat. I have no concern about bacteria (or microbes) per se but I feel uneasy about the decomposed matter which is produced by the bacteria during the decaying process. I tend to listen to my ‘gut feelings’ and when it comes to ‘high’ meat, I feel that something that smells that bad should not be eaten. In addition to my gut feeling, if I understand the process of putrefaction correctly, the bacterial decomposition of meat produces toxic by-products called ptomains, which are responsible for food poisoning. Interestingly, ptomaine poisoning is an old theory proposed to explain the cause of various diseases (e.g., thypus) however it got outdated by the birth of the germ theory. I think most of us here reject the germ theory, but I’m wondering what your opinion on the notion of ptomaine poisoning. Have any of you who have tried ‘high’ meat ever experienced any symptoms of food poisoning? I would also like to add that ptomaine poisioning also explains why people get sick if they eat food that they cannot digest – food starts to putrefy in the intestines resulting in the release of toxic substances (intestinal toxemia). And Carl, in my understanding the germ or the microbe is never ‘at fault’; it is us humans who are at fault for providing soil for the germs to feed on.
Sep 27th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Hey Carl,
Still here mate!
Firstly, in the example you describe, the key element relating to this forum is that the hamburger meat was in fact cooked, not raw, regardless of the amount of cooking that it received. Often these instances are reported as food borne illness caused by consuming raw foods which is obviously a misnomer. None of the cases ever reported for food borne illness steming from hamburger from fast food chains has ever resulted from the consumption of raw food, always cooked (to some degree) but it’s always reported as raw i.e. undercooked.
When something with an already high bacterial count is heated, the present bacteria are given the perfect environment in which to proliferate rapidly and putrify their medium. Beyond a certain threshold, this process will reverse as the heat kills the bacteria, and alters or kills many of the nutrients. At this point the food is said to be ‘adequately’ cooked.
As you suggest in point one, consuming meat which has been allowed to putrify rapidly could overwhelm the consumer if this level of bacterial exposure is not common to them. However, as per point two, as the body strives to reinstate a balance in intestinal flora in such a situation, the administration of antibiotics (such as in hospital treatments) serves only to further disrupt the body’s natural ability to perform this task. Obviously this ability is relative to the health status of the individual. Your third point is strong empirical evidence of this fact, and of the fallacies of the germ theory in general. If many people are exposed to the same apparent cause, yet only ’some’ develop symptoms of illness, then this is clear evidence that other factors are ultimately responsible for whether or not a person remains healthy or becomes ill. Yet the argument that germs cause illness is still strong!! Go figure.
Lastly, consider the quality of the food that has been eaten in your example, whether cooked or not. Processed foods containing synthetic substances (such as preservatives, agricultural chemicals etc.) are far more vulnerable to ‘pathogenic’ alteration. This is because bacteria that feed on them become diseased and mutated and hence produce much more toxic waste byproducts, which ultimately becomes our food. Little wonder that this could cause a rapid progression towards disease , particularly in an already unhealthy individual.
Sep 27th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Hi Bettina,
If you have little concern about the presence of bacteria in your food, then you understand more than most about how digestion works, but your concern for the byproducts of these microbes is nontheless unwarranted. Very briefly, this is how digestion works for a healthy human:
Enzymes, then digestive acids/juices act upon foods breaking them into small particles.
Digestive microbes (bacteria) further reduce these small particles by consuming them.
Excrement and secretions from these microbes (i.e. urine and feces) ultimately become our food nutrients.
This is by far the most efficient way for a human to obtain nutriment, utilizing the least energy and resources for optimal efficacy. If we destroy our intestinal microbes (with agricultural chemicals, synthetic additives and pharmacueticals) then remove the enzymes from our food by cooking, then our bodies need to compensate by increasing the volume of digestive juice secretions. This task is very overwhelming and largely unachievable, resulting in major digestive defficiency and ultimately disease. Therfore, the ..’decomposed matter which is produced by the bacteria during the decaying process’.. is the very substance you should be seeking, not fearing, hence the high meat.
Ptomaines do not cause food poisoning, otherwise the whole food chain theory would be flawed. If the consumption of decaying animal flesh had the ability to cause illness then no carnivorous species would have survived. When raw foods pass through a creature’s body, digestive bacteria create non-toxic by products, and ‘janitorial’ bacteria are present only in small colonies because there is little natural toxicity. This is exactly the same theory presupposing that microbes cause disease, yet misconceptions disseminated by the medical industry are indoctrinated into everyone so that the germ theory can continue to make big pharma rich.
I have not come across anyone who has consumed high meat and become ill. As for the smell, this is purely a conceptual issue answerable by basic a philosophical premise. A sense of smell is just that, perceptual sensory evidence that something exists, just like sight, sound, taste and touch. This sensory evidence is not proof that something should or should not be eaten. This process requires much deeper conceptualization to determine facts about something. The first time you ever smell something, there is no information pertaining to whether or not that smell is good or bad. Experience allows you to integrate any further information you gather about the substance, eventually leading to an integration of knowledge. This knowledge becomes automatized so that every time you smell something familiar, that concept is evoked. You can easily change your response to something by further conceptualization of the facts, like aquiring a taste for something or learning to like something that you previously didn’t. Interestingly, an animal of the lower orders (below humans) is never confused by conceptual data since they don’t have the ability to process it. They act upon instinct alone, or sensory perception. A carnivorous animal would never reject high meat, in fact they prefer it this way.
Your mistake is to incorrectly estimate a certain smell as offensive without reviewing all the possible data, such as that from a nutritional perspective. The fact that humans are rational animals is not an advantage unless we choose to use that function, rather than evade it and attempt to live instinctively on sensory evidence. If you have consumed high meat and derived benefits from doing so, than this evidence should suggest that the smell (and taste, texture and appearance) of it is pleasurable rather than offensive. Maybe after a few more goes this will be your experience…
Sep 28th, 2009 at 7:23 am
Hi Scott,
Thanks for your detailed answer. Some of what you say I accept but there are few things that I disagree with. The first part of your argument is on the important role of microbes in life, which I accept. I have just recently read an impressive book on microbes and if you don’t mind I will be using some quotes from that book. (Partly because the author argues so nicely that it deserves to be quoted; and partly because I can save some time on paraphrasing). The book is titled ‘The microbe-Producing-Disease Theory Inconsistent With the Laws of Nature’ by J. P. Schmitz (1901) and it can be downloaded for free.
So let me start with the role of microbes (which I think we agree on)
“Soon after the death of a tissue or a body, the microbes commence the separation and isolation of the anatomical and chemical elements, thereby fitting these elements again for living organisms. That is their duty and function. The microbe is not a disease producer. It takes hold of that matter only which is decayed or dead, and transforms that matter into its primitive elements, whereby, it becomes useful again for assimilation and growth of new animal and vegetable vital tissues”
You said that “Excrement and secretions from these microbes (i.e. urine and feces) ultimately become our food nutrients.” Yes, I agree with that too and I think you are referring to the process of katabolism, which is described in the book as
“series of changes in the vital economy by which the living tissues are partly broken up and the ‘waste matter is set free.’ Here we notice again that in the most perfect healthy organism (animal and vegetable) ‘waste matter is set free.’ The co-operation of the microbes is indispensable for the continuance of animal and vegetable life. Matter that once formed a part of a vital organism, but is now dead, is by the microbes reduced to its elementary state, thereby fitting such elements again to be used by vital living organisms…the part the microbe plays in the economy of nature is to separate and isolate non-living organic matter, fitting it for assimilation to other organic beings.”
So yes you are right that ultimately we do need that decayed organic matter but it is important that first we “set that waste matter free”, that is eliminate it (urine and feces) so it can be recycled by other organisms.
You are saying that “Ptomaines do not cause food poisoning, otherwise the whole food chain theory would be flawed.” This I disagree with. I tend to think that the poisonous nature of ptomains actually supports the food chain theory because it assures that decaying matter is eliminated from the body. (And in the case of food poisoning, it is done so rapidly in the form of diarrhoea and vomiting).
On ptomaines:
“We know the vital reaction of the cells and distinguish between the effects caused by decayed or poisonous matter for instance, ptomaines, the principal acting substance in decayed or putrified animal or vegetable tissue. The ptomaine is to dead tissue or matter what the albuminoid (proteid) is to living matter. And here it may be remarked that it must not be imagined that everything that stinks is a poison. To prevent dirt, and filth, and keep things in a good sanitary condition should be done not with a view of destroying microbes, but of preventing decomposed poisonous matter and thereby the ptomaines.”
Scott, if you don’t think that it is the ptomaines that cause food poisoning then what is it? Surely, it is not the microbes (we both agree on that). Also, I think your argument for consuming ‘high’ meat is a bit circular. You take it for its microbes so that they do their job of eating up the dead cells in your body. Yet, you are taking dead cells (in the form of the decayed meat protein) with the microbes. Isn’t it a bit like hiring a cleaner to clean your home but start making a mess when she starts cleaning?
In one of your replies to Carl (post 247) you are saying that “in order to maintain some level of control over uncomfortable detox symptoms, regulate your intake of high meat in particular, and use it only as you consider necessary”. What ‘uncomfortable detox symptoms’ are you referring to? (I assume diarrhoea). Is it possible that those symptoms are the symptoms of ptomaine poisoning? That is, your body might be eliminating the decayed protein that you consumed in the form of ‘high’ meat rather than your own dead cells. Actually there is a simple way to answer that question. If the symptoms occur soon after the consumption of ‘high’ meat then I would say that your body simply reacting to the ptomaine (the body is really good at detecting poison and eliminating it ASAP). But if the symptoms occur later, it could indicate that the microbes took their time to break down your dead cells (or simply some food that left undigested in your intestines). I’m not sure if you can follow my logic. Now, I’m finding it hard to follow my own logic so I think it is time for me to go to sleep.
Sep 28th, 2009 at 11:44 am
Wow. You know, the scientific and practical ramifications of these ideas are immense. Thanks Scott et al.!
Sep 28th, 2009 at 6:59 pm
Scott: > “However, as per point two, as the body strives to reinstate a balance in intestinal flora in such a situation, the administration of antibiotics (such as in hospital treatments) serves only to further disrupt the body’s natural ability to perform this task.”
So, the problem of the sickened hamburger consumer is iatrogenic, based on how we understand the issues.
bettina: > “Scott, if you don’t think that it is the ptomaines that cause food poisoning then what is it?”
Perhaps there really isn’t such a thing as ‘food poisoning’, unless one wants to talk about putting actual poisons into the food, such as lacing food with arsenic or some other obvious poison.
bettina: > “If the symptoms occur soon after the consumption of ‘high’ meat then I would say that your body simply reacting to the ptomaine (the body is really good at detecting poison and eliminating it ASAP). But if the symptoms occur later,….”
Perhaps there is waste within the intestines, or readily accessible through the liver or kidneys, that generates a rapid reaction by the body, waste that would otherwise not be fully processed.
Sep 28th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
I’ve started a baby step today. Just then I went to my organic butcher (Canberra, Griffith Shops) and asked for some raw meat. He went to give me the best quality piece as it would be more tender etc. However, that portion was going to be $12! I ended up convincing him to give me a recently cut oyster blade steak. I’m eating it now with my salad from the vegetarian shop next door (ironic…). The sinews are a bit difficult and the taste is okay.
I feel like I need to read a bit more on high meat to understand it better before taking the plunge. I really don’t won’t to make myself sick by accident.
Scott, this blog has encouraged me to start eating my meat/liver vary rare. But, in respect to your recent posts, would you say that this is worse because the heating process makes it more ‘dangerous’, as an individual would be better off either having it completely raw (due to dangerous pathegens developing) or completely cooked?
I’m refering to your answer from an earlier post:
“Firstly, in the example you describe, the key element relating to this forum is that the hamburger meat was in fact cooked, not raw, regardless of the amount of cooking that it received. Often these instances are reported as food borne illness caused by consuming raw foods which is obviously a misnomer. None of the cases ever reported for food borne illness steming from hamburger from fast food chains has ever resulted from the consumption of raw food, always cooked (to some degree) but it’s always reported as raw i.e. undercooked.
When something with an already high bacterial count is heated, the present bacteria are given the perfect environment in which to proliferate rapidly and putrify their medium. Beyond a certain threshold, this process will reverse as the heat kills the bacteria, and alters or kills many of the nutrients. At this point the food is said to be ‘adequately’ cooked.”
Thanks
Sep 28th, 2009 at 11:25 pm
Carl,
Food poisoning is very real - you could test it on yourself but I don’t recommend it. From my readings, I conclude that ptomaine is an ‘actual’ poison and it causes symptoms of actual poisoning (even death). Even the healthiest person can be poisoned or dis-eased by decayed food containing ptomaine (but his or her tolerance level may be higher than that of an unhealthy person). Again, if it is not the ptomaine, than what is it? I only came across one alternative explanation – the germ theory – which I reject simply on logical grounds.
You are saying that “perhaps there is waste within the intestines, or readily accessible through the liver or kidneys, that generates a rapid reaction by the body, waste that would otherwise not be fully processed.” If there is waste in your body then there has to be microbes in there as well (because microbes are responsible for decomposing matter). Even if you are suggesting that you are taking in microbes with ‘high’ meat to finish of the job that your body’s own microbes couldn’t do (for some reason?) that process would still take time (the same way it takes time to mature your ‘high’ meat).
Sep 29th, 2009 at 9:50 am
Hi Scott,
Hope you are keeping well. I have been back in Ireland 5 days and as predicted I am sleeping 6-8 hours per day as opposed to 1-2 in Sydney. Most of this is in the evening as I still awaken during the night but its great none the less. I have also acquired a source of raw dairy from a local farmer (who insists on giving me it for free!) and have found a great little butcher with an excellent selection of meat and offal, its not certified organic but having quized him I’m very happy with his farmers methods.
Anyway I’m about to make my first attempt at butter, you said you hold your milk in a dispenser which enables you to easily seperate the cream. Can you send me a picture of this or post a link to a website that sells them as I’m having trouble finding something suitable.
conor_brady78@hotmail.com
Thanks mate
Conor
Sep 29th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Bettina,
The ptomain hypothesis is long gone. It was a very primitive attempt to explain bacterial food poisoning which was never proven. I think much of your information is outdated. The term Ptomaine isn’t even used in any current scientific literature.
However, food poisoning is real for sure. It is caused by bacteria feeding on cooked/chemically treated food causing mutations which produce volatile toxins. This is what causes symptoms of food poisoning such as diarrhea and vomit. Raw, organic foods do not cause food poisoning. So, as Carl suggests, food poisoning is a bit of a misnomer. It doesn’t exist unless you essentially poison your food.
Consuming raw meat with a high bacterial count may cause vomit and/or diarrhea, but not from poisoning. Rather it is a radical intestinal detoxification, where the potentially harmfull toxins must be flushed quickly before they can cause harm.
Sep 29th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
Amanda,
The bacterial count in cooked meat will grow as much as sixty times higher than in raw food. Not only that, the by-products from the bacteria which feeds on cooked food is up to 100 times more toxic than those from raw foods. It all depends on the bacterial levels present prior to the cooking process. Raw is obviously best. The potential for bacterial food poisoning increases with any heat application. From this perspective, I guess a slow, thouroughly cooked peice of meat has less potential to cause harm, but it’s also fairly useless from a nutritional perspective. Definitely a catch 22. Cooked is cooked regardless of the amount really.
Sep 29th, 2009 at 10:11 pm
Well, maybe some first hand experience might be of interest..
I have been experiencing what Scott describes as a ‘radical intestinal detoxification’ for the last 5 days now. As mentioned in earlier posts, my body was already showing detox symptoms some weeks ago - mucus from the eyes. The eyes took turns politely, allowing me to see with at least one at time for about four weeks, a process which thankfully concluded on Friday.
Saturday morning after having spent a week eating a great deal of raw, rotten, but not entirely high meat, I started to experience intestinal pain and diarrhea. For 2 days I kept eating the same meat - heart, liver, pork and rump, all aged. On the third day, I opted to stick to green juices all day as the discomfort increased.
Yesterday was definitely the worst, with severe pain and constant running to the toilet, with little relief. However, in the afternoon I had a green pawpaw smoothie for gas pain and ended the day with a meat meal of aged chicken. Today I have felt a marked improvement. The diarrhea continues, and the more meat I eat, the more waste removal occurs, which gives me greater energy. I have been eating alot of rotten meat, continually throughout the day and with every bite I can feel a shifting in my intestines. Acknowledging the work that the meat does, has definitely helped.
I have been a long sufferer of constipation - single bowel movements a day with difficulty. For over a week prior to the diarrhea, I could feel a large, hard lump in my intestinal track which became discomforting and refused to move. Since the diarrhea began, the lump has slowly dissolved and has now moved all the way down. Shortly after eating the rotten meat, during this last few days, I experience painful gas, however I can also feel bubbling and action around the hardened matter. Its as if there is an army of little workers in there chipping away at the block :) As a side note, my pre-existing excema is now finally clearing in direct timing with the bowel unblocking. I am estimating maybe 1-3 more days until I am clear.
Although the process has been unpleasant to say the least, I now respect the bacteria theorum wholeheartedly. I would not describe this event as a food poisoning, its quite the opposite, my body now has a chance to release poisons pre-existing, by the simple act of adding some bacteria.
Sep 29th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Hey Conor,
I’m glad all is well. Great news that your sleep quality has improved, as you predicted.
Free raw dairy is the best sort. I use a container with a tap at the bottom (clear so I can see the cream level). Just collect your milk and allow to sit for a day or 2 so that the cream rises. Then drain off the milk to the cream level. Alternatively, just skim the cream carefully off the top with a spoon. The container I use is glass, probably an old wine making apparatus which would be very hard to source. A plastic container would serve the purpose. I’ll see what I can locate.
All the best…scott
Sep 29th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Great account, thanks Sarah. Keep us updated.
Sep 30th, 2009 at 4:02 am
Thanks for that Sarah. Look forward to your upates. I too have been eating high meat for 6 weeks now but only small piece once every day or every second. I’ve noticed I have much more tollerance and constipation isn’t as bad. Never did it make me sick, I was on edge first few days, not sure if there’s connection.
How much high meat do you eat and did you ease into it?
Sep 30th, 2009 at 7:43 am
Hi Scott and others,
Sorry for dragging this out, but I feel morally obliged to stand up for what I believe is true especially if it has import implications for health. Please understand that this is not troll. I truly enjoy reading this blog and I admire your passion for diet and your motivation to pass on knowledge to help other people. I want to make it clear that I have no problems with eating raw food. It is part of my diet – I regularly drink raw milk, make raw cheese, butter, sourcream, raw egg mayonnaise, I eat raw meat when I feel like it (for some reason I mainly feel like it in warm weather). I have absolutely no fear of germs which is indicated by the fact that my son is not vaccinated. I do however believe that consuming decayed food (such as ‘high’ meat) can cause food poisoning. I have described my reasons in my earlier posts but your last reply (286) reflect that you made no serious attempt to consider the validity of my argument.
Scott: “The ptomain hypothesis is long gone. It was a very primitive attempt to explain bacterial food poisoning which was never proven.”
Ptomaine hypothesis is an old hypothesis but it is not gone – it is right here with us at the very moment. And I would not call it primitive and you will understand why if you take some time to read upon it. It is a true scientific theory – logically structured and empirically supported. A gem in the history of science. (by the way, philosophically speaking you can never prove a theory; you can only disprove it by finding a ‘white crow’. Ptomain theory has never been disproven, only outdated)
Scott: “I think much of your information is outdated. The term Ptomaine isn’t even used in any current scientific literature.”
Yes you are right the ptomaine theory is outdated, but most importantly it is outdated because it got replaced by the ‘germ theory’ – the very same theory that you (and me too) so passionately reject. The term ptomaine is still used in scientific literature. The following definition is from a current online dictionary (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ptomaine)
“Ptomaine: Any of various toxic nitrogenous organic compounds produced by bacterial decomposition of protein, especially in dead animal tissue. Ptomaines are bases and are formed by removing the carboxyl group (COOH) from amino acids. They do not cause food poisoning, as was previously thought, but the term ptomaine poisoning is still used to describe food poisoning caused by bacteria.”
As you can see, the reason that mainstream medical professionals no longer believe that ptomaine causes food poisoning is because they believe that food poisoning is caused by bacteria (which we both reject). By the way, have you noticed the circularity in that definition? They are defining ptomaine as a TOXIC substance and at the same time they are saying that it does not cause poisoning. (Oh well, what do I expect? These are the type of ‘experts’ who insist that vaccines are safe and raw milk is dangerous)
Scott: “However, food poisoning is real for sure. It is caused by bacteria feeding on cooked/chemically treated food causing mutations which produce volatile toxins.”
You keep referring to these ‘volatile toxins’ produced by bacteria, but you do not specifically name them. Is there a chance that we are talking about the same thing – i.e., ptomaines? Well, I can call them toxins if you prefer that term ;o). EUREKA !!! I think I just worked out where exactly our views differ. You believe that toxins/ptomains are only produced when microbes are feeding on “cooked/chemically treated food”. (Yes it could happen, but only if the food is not fully digested). Okay, where do I start to make it all clear?
The basic assumption that you need to understand is that microbes feed on DEAD tissue only. (read my previous posts, and the book I recommended). They do not touch healthy tissue, otherwise they would eat us alive. Microbes are good guys, they are for us, not against us. So toxins are formed by microbes decomposing dead tissue. And these are the toxins that cause disease. Now, there are 3 ways we can get these toxins.
1., Intestinal toxication: Food that we cannot digest passes into the intestines and start to putrefy (i.e., microbes start eating it up releasing toxins which is absorbed in our blood). There are various reasons why we cannot digest food. It could be due to the nature of food - some food (e.g., unfermented bread) are hard to digest. It could be due to eating more than your body needs (even if you eat the ‘right’ food). It could be due to psychological factors (e.g., digestion slows down or stops when you are stressed or angry). I remember a time when I had an argument with my husband during dinner. He said ‘I have no appetite’ and did not eat. I ate and I had the biggest diarrhea the next morning.
2. Auto-intoxication: Your own cells or tissues malfunction and die (for some reason – I believe some of the reasons are of psychological origin) so the microbes start doing their job and clean up the mess – releasing toxins as their by product. I think Bechamp argued that each of our cell contain a microbe (or microbes?) – he referred to them as microzymas.
3. Food poisoning: You ingest food that the microbes already started to decompose producing their toxic by product. Since you ingest the toxins directly into your body, the symptoms of poisoning (e.g. diarrhea) happen rapidly. Compare this with my example of intestinal toxication where I had the diarrhea few hours after I ate (microbes needed some time to do their job in my intestines)
Well, I’m not going to drag this out any longer. To speak metaphorically, I have planted the ‘seed’. It will either start sprouting or not. If it doesn’t, either I have planted a futile seed or the soil is not appropriate for the growth. I do however believe that I’ve planted a healthy ‘seed’ and I hope it finds a fertile soil. For those of you that would like some good reading I recommend the book that I mentioned earlier. ‘The microbe-Producing-Disease Theory Inconsistent With the Laws of Nature’ by J. P. Schmitz (1901. I found it an inspiring scientific endeavor with important implications to health. It is a very short book (28 pages excluding glossary) with a language that is easy to understand so you can read it very quickly. The whole book is on disproving the germ theory so I’m sure all of you would find it very interesting.
By the way, I have an open mind and I could be convinced about the value of ‘high’ meat even while I maintain that it contains toxic ptomaines. The urine is full of ptomaine (as that is a way we excrete toxins) yet some people insist that drinking their urine cured their diseases. Some say that poisons can be used as medicine but I have not yet researched that issue comprehensively so I will leave it at that at the moment.
Sep 30th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Hey Conor, good to hear you are settling in ok :)
I’m feeling much much better today, just a bit of a head cold now, but no headache! Those who know me, will understand this significance.
Hi Cathy, besides the high meat, is the rest of your diet raw?
I eat quite a bit of aged meat, which is not technically high. I have yet to brave the experience of meat older than a month.
I don’t think the meat has made me sick at any stage. To me this was just that next stage of a much needed detox and cleanout. I was vegan for many years and raw vegan for the last few of those. I had done bowel cleanses and enemas, so my e.coli was depleted. In short, my digestion was terrible when I started eating meat a year ago. I struggled with it at first, and went into detox after the first month - this story told in a much earlier post. I have some theories about why I suffered so much at that stage - the constant migraines I attribute to salt detoxification, and possibly the fact that I was warming meat in full sun and also drying it in a dehydrator then, as I was a bit finicky about eating it straight up. I don’t like exposing the meat to heat these days.. Scott may have something more substantial to contribute on this matter.
These days, I eat 2-3 cups of meat a day, its age will depend on what we have available and my tastes on the day. I eat aged meat regularly, sometimes exclusively, but often mixed with fresher cuts. I have noticed less constipation when I eat more aged meat.
This past two weeks, we have had such a supply of old meat, that we have been eating this alone. The organ meat is so mineral dense, that this could have prompted the cleanout.. Also eating a great deal of pork fat and bone marrow would have helped bring about expedited movement. But I’ve never experienced prolonged diarrhea beyond 24hours.
In the past my experience of food poisoning would always be within an hour of eating the offending item - you could know immediately what it was and the diarrhea could last a day and a night. This time it was different. I felt fine on Saturday morning, went about my usual routine - green juice, exercise, then went to have my morning meat meal and before I even got to it, the diarrhea began and didn’t stop for days. I kept on with eating as per usual, so it took me a few days to identify the catalyst was likely to be the meat, because it just played out like a natural occurrence rather than a reaction to anything in particular. I try not to jump on meat as an automatic culprit for everything these days :) I confirmed my thoughts by increasing my consumption of meat yesterday and I showed a marked improvement. So it created a detoxification, and helped me through it by finishing the job it started.
x
Sep 30th, 2009 at 6:38 pm
Thanks again for your input Bettina.
The Ptomaine hypothesis is just as logical and empirically supported as the germ hypothesis, i.e. not at all. Philosophically speaking, you absolutley can disprove a theory, with an alternate one without contradiction, in fact it is impossible to do the opposite which would be to prove a negative. How would you go about proving to someone that you weren’t a murderer? The onus of proof is always on the positive. Since Ptomaine poisoning was never proved, then disproving it is unneccesary.
I think your definition of Ptomaine says alot.
It is just as irrellevant to specifically name the ‘volatile toxins’ to which I refer as it would be for me to ask you to name any or all of the …’various toxic nitrogenous organic compounds..’ which fly under the ptomaine banner.
I maintain that bacteria in fact do cause food poisoning, but not in the conventionally believed sense, (a point you agree with) but rather foods essentially poisoned by processing supply the medium for bacterial food poisoning. In your 3 examples of ways to acquire toxins, all would only be true if cooked foods were implicit rather than raw. The best empirical evidence available to support the fact that high meat won’t cause bacterial food poisoning is to listen to the testimonials of those who have tried it, rather than searching through literature authored by people who obviously have not. Many such examples are offered on this blog. Thanks again for your input.
Oct 1st, 2009 at 1:37 am
I haven’t done high meat but I was wondering if it can be thought of in the same way as cheese?? People eat it in various stages of decomposition? and think nothing of it. I have eaten meat that has hung in the cold room for up to six weeks and been covered in mold. After removing all the mold from the outside the meat inside just looks normal, maybe with a bit less moisture, and has excellent flavour and digests very easily. I find fresh meat less tasty and harder to digest. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with preserving meat in milk in crocks. I read something about it somewhere and now can’t find it again. Would it have any adverse effects on the meat quality? Would it still be palatable? Or would it go slimy and fall to bits? If it works, my supply would last longer and I wouldn’t have to waste so much with the moldy bits, not to mention the time trying to remove it all. Any ideas. TIA.
Oct 1st, 2009 at 2:24 am
Hello people’s:)
Funny, science got us into the mess that we are now in. Our relationship to mother earth, as a species, is scientifically stuffing her!
I eat high meat regularly as well as slimey smelly fish, fowl, pork, bone marrow and even slimey coconut flesh. Having also consumed chicken and kangaroo covered in maggots which I ate along with the very tastey rotting flesh… I have only felt good to amazing from the dining experiences. On the first occasions it would send me into quite blissful energetic spaces. This may have been because I was vegan for 5 years so my body must have been hanging out bigtime for my headstuff to let go. I also eat mouldy meat and occasionally mouldy coconut flesh that does not seem to phase me. Maybe Scott could shed some light on the consuming of mould.
Good to hear your going well Conor.
Oct 1st, 2009 at 6:29 am
Scott,
You are right: experience speaks louder than science (as science is based on experience). I’ve just read your profile and realised that you have far more experience with diet than I do. You did ‘Atkins’ for a while, then the ‘Metabolic diet’, then the ‘Paleo Diet’, then came the ‘Vegan’, and currently it is the ‘Primal diet’. I don’t have such broad repertoire. I was brought up in a small village in Europe where we mainly sourced our food from our own farm animals, vegetable garden and fruit plants. For us there was only one diet, the one that has been handed down from generations to generations and the one that was afforded by nature. Pretty much that is the only diet I have had experience with so I guess experience-wise I do not qualify in this discussion. Thank you for taking your time to reply to my posts.
Oct 1st, 2009 at 2:55 pm
On the contrary Bettina, your input into this discussion is valuable as it allows a chance for the validity of the information posed to be objectively estimated, then either accepted or rejected.
None of the previous diet protocols I have followed are relevant in terms of experience, other than to say that that was the path I followed in order to evolve to my current nutritional status. I had to view and accept errors in order to move on, something you seem reluctant to do. If you feel that you should outsource your knowledge of anything, particularly nutrition, to past generations, simply because those past generations have chosen them, then you don’t require any scientific evidence for what you do. It’s akin to saying, ‘who am I to think for myself’.
This blog is about people who are breaking with standard dietary tradition, and who originated a system of nutrition unprecedented in history, relying on nothing but the unaided power of their own intellect.
Oct 4th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Scott,
I have order Aajonus’s book “recipe for living without disease” and should have it in about a week. I really wanted the hard cover so I did not download the pdf version. I’ve done a lot of reading on the subject and I’m interested in getting started, but being very caution at the same time.
Do you have any suggestions as to a diet treatment for eczema and psoriasis? I have been dealing with this for years and the problem seems to get slowly worse as the years go by. The cream I get from my doctor helps to control it, but obviously there is no conventional cure. It not serious, but I do have some area which need treatment from time to time.
Great blog…btw!!!
Oct 5th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Ivan,
You will likely find some subtle alleviations of your psoriasis symptoms immediately upon starting a general Primal Diet regime. Since your psoriasis is most likely caused by lymphatic congestion, dealing with this will also be important. You may also have a preservative allergy which will diminish once you begin the diet.
Personally, I would be consuming alot of raw fat, including cream, butter, cheese, coconut cream and eggs, as well as lots of live red alkalizing foods, such as tomatoes, carrot juice, capsicum and oranges. When these specific foods are included within a general Primal Diet regime, a reduction in the symptoms of psoriasis and other types of dermatitis has been noted.
Oct 5th, 2009 at 5:36 pm
So many spelling errors in the last blog…sorry…must have been drunk….just kidding, I was not drinking. Speaking of drinking….how do you feel about drinking wine and/or beer in moderation?
Also, any info you can send on clearing constipation would be helpful. Many in my family have suffered from this over the years.
I believe Aajonus is coming here (Toronto) for a workshop later this month. I will definitely attend and hope to gather more of his insight.
Thanks again for all the great info. I’m looking forward to your update.
Oct 6th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Personally, I don’t drink alcohol. However, in some instances it has been noted that raw organic wine can assist in the removal of hardened unutilizable fat stores. Unfortunately, this process is harmful to the liver, which may become delipidated.
Constipation is usually caused by either dry, hardened fecal matter (cooked food) or low intestinal microbes. Scan some recent posts for more info on these topics. (Try post 200/201 or around there).
Yes, Aajonus will be in Toronto later this month. I strongly advise that you get along to the workshop. Most of his information is pertinant to your specific case.
Oct 6th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
Scott,
Do you know of any source where I could find people in my area who might be on the diet? I’m sure I will be able to find people at the workshop later this month, but would also like to communicate with others in my area asap.
Thanks.
Oct 7th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Try contacting Rasha @ 416-206-9402 or healerdeal@hotmail.com for these details. This is the contact info straight from the Toronto flyer. You may already have this.
Oct 8th, 2009 at 9:01 pm
Hello Scott …. Great website !! Thank-you !!
I’m also going to see Aajonus in Toronto this month .. workshop also ..
Question ?? I have a friend that has MS … for about a year now …
Are there any benefits to eating raw for him ??
Oct 11th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Hi Wade,
Yes absolutely, your friend will most definitely benefit from consuming a raw diet, particularly one that contains lots of raw fats such as milk and cream, raw cheese, stone pressed olive oil, avocado, and of course raw meat and eggs (required to regenerate nerves and myelin). Avoiding exposure to chemical toxicity and exercising (resistance training is best) in order to facilitate increased circulation to scar blocked tissues is also helpful.
Oct 12th, 2009 at 4:38 am
Hi Luke and Sarah,
Many thanks for your support much appreciated. Glad you guys are doing well also, how is Ian getting on? Sarah your detox account was awesome, very encouraging, I feel excellent health is just around the corner for you. Mine are a bit more subtle which I will discuss below.
Conor
Oct 12th, 2009 at 5:42 am
Hi Scott,
I found the perfect jar for seperating cream from the milk, its a Sun Tea Jar. For anyone interested check out this link.
http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m38&_nkw=sun+tea+jar
There also a couple of things I wanted to discuss. Firstly I just finished reading that book we discussed; Enzyme Nutrition, what a fantastic book and just adds even more weight to what we’re doing. However it has raised a question. Aajonus recommends eating unripe fruit as it contans less sugar and more Enzymes, but Ed Howell states on page 124 that unripe Mango, Banana and Papaya contain enzyme inhibitors and the enzymes inhibited are Peroxidase, Amylase and Catalase. Also he states that an unripe banana may contain 20g of starch but a ripe one 20g of sugar. Is starch any better than sugar? Whats your views on this?
Now an update on my experiences. Since I’ve been home a few things have changed. I’ve been getting much more sleep although I’m now experiencing much more fatigue during daylight hours. I’m now juicing using my Greenstar and also making coconut cream (yum). I have also made a startling observation kind of by accident which I’d like your take on. Our upstairs toilet is playing up and doesn’t flush well so we don’t use it. However as I often wake with extreme fatigue I will us it to piss in, I’m a man! lol. Well after a couple of days without flushing I noticed the toilet was turning dark blue/grey. I have sent you/luke/sarah a picture. What do you think of this? Could it be the metals from all those vacines I was poisoned with working their way out?
Conor
Oct 12th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Hello Scott!
Doing well here. I’d like to read more about viruses being cleansers manufactured by the body. AV’s two books don’t mention a source for that. Actually it’s something he discusses in his YouTube/SuperHumanRadio interviews about “Swine Flu”. Do you happen to know of any books that explain virus properly? Thanks!
Oct 12th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Hey Conor,
That Sun Tea Jar is perfect! Nice find.
Yep, the more unripe the fruit the more enzymes, but alas, the more the seeds are protected from early germination by enzyme inhibitors. It’s a bit of a balancing act but my take is that what you really need to focus on is ‘ripening’ fruit rather than overly green or overly ripened fruit. The enzyme inhibitors are generally concentrated around or within the seed, and are rarely found in the fleshy parts of the fruits anyway. The same is true for eggs (which are seeds) whereby the enzyme inhibitors are found mostly in the whites, but this is balanced by the high enzyme content of the yolk. In Howell’s example, mango, banana and papaya are all relatively high in enzyme concentration overall, and so whilst these fruits are ‘ripening’, their enzyme content is peaked and inhibition is minimal. Most fruit is appealing this way anyway, such as nice firm bananas which are ‘greenish’ rather than mushy and yellow.
Bananas are a little unique from a fruit perspective in that they contain both starch and simple sugars (glucose and fructose). The starch is just a group of glucose molecules bonded together, which when raw is more difficult (slow) to digest. This is the first advantage of starch from nutritional perspective. It slows the release of sugars into the bloodstream. The second advantage is that starch is able to arrest excess hormone toxicity. Some people who are unable to assimilate raw starch may require cooked starches (more easily assimilated) to perform this function.
I got the toilet picture! Yeah, I suppose it could be metals, could also be dyes which are regularly used in pharmaceuticals, especially antibiotics, to give them their pretty blue colour.
Either way, something’s coming out that shouldn’t be there. Funny how pissing where you shouldn’t can be advantageous. My son regularly urinates in the back yard and consequently left a patch of dead lawn. So, he and I have now taken to ridding the yard of weeds by concentrating our efforts specifically on them…because we can!
Oct 12th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Hey Carl,
Glad you’re doing well.
I wish there were books that explained viruses properly. I don’t believe there are any such resources. AV is on his own here I think, his virus hypothesis is pioneering. For this reason, it’s one of the aspects of his work which is most difficult to grasp, except for the fact that it makes such logical sense. His views are the only one’s I have come accross which are in complete contrast to conventional wisdom. An intersting read however is ‘Inventing the Aids Virus’ by Peter H Duesburg. I’ve only read excerpts but the implication is that the currently accepted virus hypothesis is doubtful.
Oct 13th, 2009 at 5:24 am
Scott,
Thanks for all the great post. I want to get your thoughts on a highly alkaline diet. I understand red meat is very acidic and there are many people who believe this would not be good especially if you are suffering from MS. I have a friend who claims she has cured herself of MS with this alkaline diet. She’s also done a Power Point Presentation on this topic which I would be happy to send you if you forward an email address to me.
ivan19963@msn.com
Thanks once again for all the interesting info and I’m looking forward to Aajonus’s visit on the 24th in Toronto.
I may begin this diet shortly after reading his book and attending this workshop. I’m still waiting on reception of the book via snail mail.
Oct 13th, 2009 at 5:58 am
Carl,
There are few scientists who promote a ‘theory of viruses’ that is similar to that of AV. A comprehensive review of their theory can be found in N. Appleton’s book (2002) titled ‘Rethinking Pasteur’s Germ Theory’.
Oct 13th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Ivan,
Meat in general requires an acidic digestive environment for optimal utilization. I don’t beleive that anyone should be attempting to force urine and/or saliva to be alkaline. I tend to think that an averaged pH value for saliva and urine should be around 6.4. This is acidic compared to many current recommendations suggesting 7 or above. The claims for alkalizing urine and saliva revolve around selling supplements (calcium minerals) to perform this task. The body balances the consumption of acidic foods by removing metabolic acids, so urine pH should be low (5-5.5) if the body is efficient at retaining homeostasis.
Because of the buffering mechanisms present in the body, blood pH is usually kept very rigid at about 7.35 (slightly alkaline) regardless of diet. However, on a Primal Diet, as a general rule, those who have naturally acidic blood tend to do better on white meats (chicken, fish etc.), those who have naturally alkaline blood do better on red meats, and those with a neutral blood pH should eat both to remain balanced.
Oct 13th, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Thanks everyone! I’ll look for Appleton, and re-read Duesberg. I read him years ago, and forget his general statements.
Oct 13th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
The Appleton book is here (US)-
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rethinking-Pasteur%27s-Germ-Theory:-How-to-Maintain-Your-_W0QQitemZ200393586903QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20091012?IMSfp=TL091012153004r13803
Oct 13th, 2009 at 9:57 pm
I have a question regarding the virus theory. When settlers first came to Australia they decimated many of the local Aboriginal populations through diseases like the common cold. The Aboriginal people were extremely hardy and healthy peoples. Why then did they fall like dominoes from virus’s? I can understand if this might be the case after they had given up their traditional foods, but I grew up hearing stories of ‘untouched’ local tribes being infected through the river systems and water ways, and new settlers finding a dying and dead population on their expeditions down the River Murray. We were also taught of the monstrous physical slaughters which also occured, so I don’t believe these stories were merely used as a cover up.
Oct 14th, 2009 at 11:30 pm
Comfreya
I wondered this too, I just saw a great doco called “The First Australian’s” excellent, but anyway they explained that so many aborigines died from our common illnesses that they’d never been exposed to before. I wonder if they’ve made a mistake…………. Look forward to anyones response on this, Scott??
Oct 15th, 2009 at 2:53 am
Hello Scott,
How do you evaluate a persons level of health?
You mentioned this about David Wolfe in a reply:
“…When I saw David Wolfe for the first time in person, this was confirmed. David is in poor physical condition …” (83. Scott Wheeler Jan 6th, 2009 at 6:38 pm )
I don’t understand how he could be in poor physical condition because from the youtube videos it does not look like he is doing so bad. He actually looks healthy.
Could you explain more of what you noticed about him that lead you to this conclusion?
Thanks.
Oct 15th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Comfreya/Cathy,
I recommend listening to AV’s Superhuman radio interviews for more details on this topic. He mentions this very phenomenon in relation to other indigenous groups (if I remember correctly). I don’t have a link (maybe Carl does). This is a great topic, I’m just a little time poor currently, but I’ll get to it.
Oct 15th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Here is a link to part one, of five, of AV’s interview about viruses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbFxV_C8Yw4
Oct 15th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Hey Mike,
Physical condition is not always indicative of health status. I know people who appear fit and strong whose overall health is far short of optimal. Evaluating a persons health involves a whole host of indicators on which data is gathered and used as evidence to support a conclusion. In ill health, any or all of these indicators show up as reduced functional ability. This could be apparent in any bodily system including both physical and mental. Since movement is generally viewed as any animals most important biological function, then an optimal diet would necessarily have to support and preserve this function well.
My comment regarding David was that his physical condition was poor. He had a quite apparent lack of muscular conditioning which would more than likely correlate with a limitation in musculoskeletal function. These are common traits for people whose diets lack regenerative elements, such as fruitarians and vegetarians. Since David is supposedly a role model for the superiority of raw veganism, I would have expected his physical condition to demonstrate this.
I’m not sure how old the videos you’re watching are, or what exactly leads you to believe his health is in fact good, but judging by my personal appraisal of him less than 12 months ago, David Wolfe is a long way from optimal health, although he may well be much healthier than ‘healthy looking’ people following a standard diet.
Oct 17th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Hi. I’ve listened to AVs video and I don’t think he provides a comprehensive theory of viruses and the nature of diseases. I do value his insight that viruses do not cause disease but I think his view on where diseases come from is rather limited. I wish he reviewed and referred to some relevant theories and experimental work -there aren’t many but the few that I’ve come across are very powerful. There are brilliant scientists who devoted their whole life researching the nature of viruses/microbes and the results of their experiments are hugely relevant to AVs ‘theory of viruses’. Having original thoughts is a great sign of an intellect but without the ability to ‘stand on the shoulders of giants’ one runs the risk of being perceived as a cult leader rather than a scientist. I doubt that Comfreya and Cathy will find an answer to their question by listening to AVs interview as it is mainly focusing on the dietary causes of disease. I recommend you a short book (more like an essay) on the function of microbes and nature of diseases, which you can download for free on http://www.archive.org/details/microbeproducing00schmrich or http://openlibrary.org/b/OL7198023M/microbe-producing-disease_theory_inconsistent_with_the_laws_of_nature.
Oct 18th, 2009 at 3:22 am
Hi Scott, and Primal D’s
Came down with Bec,her parents and Ross to the Worangary workshop in August. Have been doing a lot better with the program since. Definitely a challenge during busy times, but I just work on doing better each day.
Have been following the blog comments from all. Invaluable reading! All comments are necessary,(hi Bettina) so we can then toss them about in our minds , and
between us .
Hi Conor
For some one in the twenty something bracket, taking on the Diet, you are an inspiration to us matey! Keep it up!
A comment on Aajonas’ virus theory, and the Plagues, virus’ etc. that have decimated different tribes, cultures, countries. This obviously mostly occurred after an invasion of their lands.(the Spanish invading Sth. America for one.) My thoughts are that being attacked, invaded etc. would cause immense disturbances in the mental emotional bodies, thus affecting the physical body. The end result may be, a lowering of the immune system. (the ‘inner doctor’ is out to lunch!)
There are obviously many other aspects to consider, but I’ve tossed this one in the ring to ‘go a few rounds’.
I also suggested to Barbara that we could circulate email contact with willing participants.
Good blog Scott! Thanks.
Chat more soon, Keith
Oct 18th, 2009 at 5:55 am
Hi Scott and Primal D’s.
Just wrote out a lengthy comment, but was lost when i submitted it. (poor connection, I think)
Enjoying the blog, and delighted to see the enthusiasm shown.
I recently attended Aajonas’ first Australian workshop in August, traveling down with Rebecca, Ross,Ray and Riina. Have been doing well since.
Hi Conor! As a 20’s + Primal D. your an inspiration to us, for taking up the challenge this diet requires.
On Aajonas’ virus theory, and the query on the plagues, virus’, etc. affecting countries,cultures, communities,tribes etc.. We would need to consider how an attack, invasion or disruption would affect the emotional and mental state of the populace.( the Spanish invasion of Sth. America comes to mind) The immune systems of most individuals could possibly be affected, resulting in the ‘inner doctor’ being ‘out to lunch’! I’m tossing this thought in the ring for all to ponder on. (There is obviously more to consider on this subject.)
Thanks Scott for your invaluable input.
Talk more soon
Keith
Oct 18th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
Bettina,
You’re right, the radio interview does not offer a comprehensive view of AV’s position on viruses. It’s just a radio interview, no more comprehensive than an essay on the same topic, and not intended to cover the entire scope.
You’re also correct that his view is limited in that it focuses mainly on the dietary causes of disease. This is because other than it’s corollary industrial pollution, diet IS the natural cause of disease, and the topic is necessarily self limited by the facts of reality.
If Aajonus is anything like me, he couldn’t care less about his perceived status in the scientific community. For myself, I don’t ever rely on the second handed evaluation of myself by others, but rather judge my work’s importance independently of others according to my own abilities. I’m sure Aajonus has a similar philosophy.
Thanks for the link…any information on the topic is rare since big pharma took control!
Oct 18th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Hi Keith,
Great to hear from you and I’m glad you’re doing well.
On the virus theory, you’re right, there is alot to consider on this topic which is why I’m encouraging as much input as possible before submitting my views. I’m inclined to suggest that there are alot of misconceptions about just how tribal cultures were indeed uprooted to pave the way for westernization. Aajonus talks about chemical methods in many instances (such as vaccination) as a method for acquiring control over tribes, communities, cultures and countries. I think this is valid.
I also think your consideration of psychological warfare is a valid one. I think a disturbance in the energy psychology, or the relationship between the mind and the nervous system, particularly in minimally civilized cultures would be potentially harmfull. This is certainly true and observable in animal populations whose habitats are undergoing erradication. Emotional problems frequently contribute to physical dysfunction.
Oct 18th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
A quote from aajonus relative to this topic:
“…(O)thers have argued that viruses are contagious by citing the mass illness and death of Hawaiian and Continental American Natives who reportedly died of viruses from Caucasions, namely smallpox. There are many poisons that were used to wipe out American natives that have the same symptoms as viruses, including smallpox. Since our bodies discard most poisons through the skin, usually skin eruptions of all sorts will be experienced after poisoning. Clandestine military mercenaries were paid by our government and industries to poison native waters and food in Hawaii and continental USA. Medical and religious missionaries gave them smallpox vaccines.”
This could also explain why Australian Aboriginals appeared to contract viruses through the river systems and waterways such as the Murray. There are alot of assumptions made about the causes of death in these cases, but no one gathered any data to confirm them. How would they have known if the cause of death was the common cold or something far more sinister?
Oct 19th, 2009 at 7:03 am
Hi Scott,
I also think that Australian Aboriginals got diseased due to some toxins present in the river. I have some relevant quotes from the book that I mentioned earlier but I don’t have much time at the moment so I will post them later. By the way, I think you misunderstood what I meant in my previous post. I was just trying to suggest that AV should review some relevant literature to make his argument stronger -this would benefit people who are trying to understand his theory. The post came out a bit offensive – sorry. I totally support him on his journey against vaccination (and microbe phobia in general) but I must admit that his dietary advice is a bit far-fetched for me. That is not to say that I don’t eat raw food - in fact we had some lovely beef tartar today. I just tend to take things with a grain of salt (I mean it both literally and metaphorically).
Oct 19th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
Hey Scott, I read this on a primal diet forum:
“AV (Aajonus Vonderplanitz) says that the ptyalin in your saliva retards the action of protein digesting enzymes so you should expose the least amount of surface area of your food to saliva in your mouth for optimum digestion, which translates to minimal chewing.”
What do you think?
Also, should we limit the amount of raw liver we eat? I have some raw chicken livers and heard some stuff about vitamin A toxicity because if we eat too much our bodies can’t get rid of it.
Oct 21st, 2009 at 2:31 am
Was there anyone on this diet that had varices (or varicose veins) and got read of them ?
What would be the assumption in such a case according to AV?
I heard that either diet and/or posture causes them but I’d like to know your thoughts on this.
Oct 21st, 2009 at 4:03 am
Hey Mike G, I just looked in AV book We Want to Live for varicose veins and to summarise, he says that:
‘Varicose veins are veins that have become swollen, enlarged and twisted. Caffeine is the greatest cause of these in most people. Bodies that have varicose veins have irritating storages of caffeine or other toxins in the veins making them water-bloated and sluggish. Oral(birth control pills) and injected contraceptives cause varicose veins. Avoiding caffeine in beverages and medications, and dried peppers (including black and cayenne) is important to healing. Eat raw unripe pineapple with raw cream when available or stone pressed olive oil and take plenty of warm baths. Eating plenty of raw meat, including fish, will help regenerate veins.’
Oct 21st, 2009 at 6:53 am
Paul:
I know someone who has varices and he did not drink coffee but he did a lot of sport and after he quit, the varices started to form on the legs. So besides caffeine, I thnk there could also be other reasons.
Oct 21st, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Hey Paul,
I don’t believe that the ptyalin issue is a problem. Whilst it may well influence protease activity, this is largely irrelevant on a raw diet since ptyalin (salivary amylase) is only innervated by staches/sugars devoid of enzymes. See more at post no. 42. I guess if you were to eat raw meat with some cooked starch then it could be problematic.
Chewing of protein foods, particularly meats, is really only a means to serve the mechanical function of breaking large food units into smaller ones for easier passage to the stomach. Very little if any chemical processing of meat occurs in the mouth. Observe how most carnivous animals chew very little (if at all) instead relying on the cathepsins of the prey to break down proteins once in the stomach. I don’t think if you overchewed your meat that it would necessarily become more difficult to digest, but I do think that chewing too much is superfluous.
Yes vitamin A can accumulate and cause sypmtoms of toxicity, but reaching these levels would be difficult to achieve by eating too much liver (preformed vitamin A). However, individual tolerances vary. Some people easily overdose on provitamin A from plant sources, causing the skin to turn yellow or orange. This is rarely dangerous, but somewhat frustrating (just ask Cathy). If you experience nausea or vomit which you can logically link to liver consumtion then back off, but this is unlikely unless you’re consuming very large quantities. Personally, I eat liver once every 2 weeks.
Oct 21st, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Varicose veins are an indication of structural dysfunction. Just like poor muscular conditioning, varicose veins indicate that the diet is lacking a regenerative means to support proper cellular stability. Susceptability is increased when irratants such as caffeine are consumed over long periods, exceess bodyfat is carried (obesity), and during hormonal fluctuations such as with women during pregnancy. Exercise is the best way to stop blood from pooling in vessels with weakened walls. Vigorous contractions of the leg muscles drive blood up towards the heart, relieving varicose symptoms, but only proper nutrition will provide a basis for full recovery which takes many years to achieve.
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 12:38 am
Hi Scott I was wondering if you could give me your opion please. I have now been on the weight loss part of A.V’s diet now for 2 weeks. My energy is lacking some what but I am still working out alot. My trainer is worried that I’m not eating carbs and that I will lose some muscle definition. Could you please comment on this. Thanks
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 2:34 am
My mums varicose veins have improved a lot on this diet. Like Scott says it takes a long time. She reckons they were from standing working on concrete floors (one reason) but as mentioned above it and with the information we now have it would seem that the body just did not have the nutritional support it needed to “hold itself together” and kind of busts out in places of weakness.
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 6:25 am
Scott,
Can you tell me more about your Green Juicing, please. I have the Green Star juicer. Do you recommend celery as the base (for balancing the blood pH), then a less % carrot? And parsley & coriander, for pulling out toxins. I also read about the cucumber puree. Is that basically it? What about cabbage?
What do you think of wheatgrass, & do you do sprouts?
Thanks, Anita.
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 7:04 am
Hi Scott,
I listened to an interview that totally blew my mind and I though I might share it with the blog, it was with a guy called Daniel Vitalis on www.oneradionetwork.com
This guy was a former raw vegan who switched to a RAF diet (pretty much Primal diet) and has said he has been heavily influenced by Aajonus’ books. However he is now taking it to the next level and moving to raw wild foods. He talks about how most plants and animals (including those on the PD) are hybrids and if introduced into the wild could not survive and many of these plants are poisonous when overcomsumes, eg- tomatoes (nightshade). He works on the premise of you are what you eat and says he would rather be like a wild bear than say a cow, which in his words is a stupid animal. I could go on but probably best if you have a listen for your self, it really is fantastic stuff. Looking forward to your feedback.
Conor
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Hi Sam,
First of all, if you’re following AV’s weight loss diet, you should be drinking green vegetable juices, in which case you are consuming carbohydrates. This is the only form of carbohydrate you will need, other than a small amount of fruit. If you’re exercising alot, you may require a little more. I guess you’re trainer is talking about complex carbs such as grain products, which of course you most definitely don’t need at all. In order to lose muscle definition, you would need to exhaust glycogen supply. Glycogen is basically the stored form of glucose, and collects in skeletal muscle and the liver. On a Primal diet, glycogen is formed mainly from pyruvate, via a process called gluconeogenesis. This is the healthiest way for a body to produce glycogen since no toxic by-products are formed. In metabolizing carbohydrates (glycogenesis) Advanced Glycation End Products are produced which have detrimental effects on health.
So, in general the body can make glucose from carbs, fat or amino acids (proteins) meaning that high volumes of complex carbs are completely unnecessary. Carbs do hold water in muscle tissue (at a ratio of about 3:1) but this can be achieved by pyruvate. The lack of the ability to hold water in muscle tissue is what could cause the appearance of atrophy, or flat looking muscles without definition. Dehydration is virtually immpossible on a Primal diet.
You say you’re exercising ‘alot’. Depending on what exactly your exercise volume and frequency actually is, I would suggest that overtraining would have a far greater potential to negatively influence tissue architecture than a lack of carbohydrates ever would. If you’re energy level is low, this may indicate overtraining.
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Hi Bec,
Your Mum’s right. Standing or sitting for prolonged periods causes blood to pool in the legs which increase pressure on vein walls. This pressure is sustained because there is no muscular contractions to work against gravity and force the blood back into circulation. A predisposition to vascular weakness prevails unless the diet contains a high capability of cellular reproduction, such as the Primal diet. Obviously exercise also assists by performing the afforementioned task.
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Hi Anita,
Yes I recommend celery as the base (about 80%) for it’s electrolyte properties. You can work around this base for specific requirements (and taste) i.e. various herbs for other ailments. Parsley is very alkalizing, coriander is good for removing heavy metal toxicity. You can pretty much juice any vegetable you wish around the celery base, just avoid too much carrot or beets, but some (about 10%) is fine. Sprouts are just vegetables anyway, but their juice yield is generally low. I don’t do wheatgrass, again beacuse it’s uneconomical and not really worth the effort. It’s also unclear whether it is actually alkalizing or not.
Whatever your juice recipe, I recommend blending some raw honey to sweeten and preserve if you intend to store it for more than a day or so.
Drinking a green vegetable juice is great first thing in the morning since we have a tendancy to wake up slightly over acidic. Then you might drink another one later in the day between other meals where it will perform the same function without over alkalizing the acidic parts of the digestive tract.
Oct 22nd, 2009 at 4:44 pm
Hi Conor, sounds pretty cool. I’ll have a listen. I must say, when prompted, I’ve often thought about whether or not there is any logical progression from a (perceptually) extreme diet such as the one that I currently follow. Other than lifestyle based changes pertaining to the avoidance of the industrial pollution burden, (such as living self sufficiently on a deserted island somewhere), wild or at least heirloom food availabilty has been one of my considerations.
I must say, on the premise of you are what you eat, I’d rather be like a human which is much smarter than a cow or a bear, but I don’t think that eating people is an option. It’s too hard to find organic ones.
I’ll have a listen and comment further…scott.
Oct 23rd, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Hi Scott, thank you for your comments. I think my trainer is worried about the cortisol? being abundant in my body and eating my muscles but I will show him what you wrote. He is doing his best to support me in my belief of eating which goes against his training, so he has these questions every now and again.
Just to touch on the diet again, I don’t have any fruit on the weight loss part as there isn’t any written in the book. Should I be having some? Also I have only had 2 bowel movements in the last 2 weeks. I even took 2TBSP of paw paw seeds 2 days in a row (I got one little movemnet). Could you shed some light on this for me. I only go through the cycle of food once per day as I’m just not hungry, am I not eatng enough? I am also drinking mineral water with ginger and either lemon or lime juice in it as I need something to quench my thirst as I sweat alot during work outs. Thanks again Scott, love reading your blogs.
Oct 25th, 2009 at 4:01 pm
Hi Sam,
Your last comment brings up an interesting point which I will refer to as the cortisol paradox.
It’s often cited, correctly I might add, that cortisol is released during stress (such as exercise), and also during conditions of low carbohydrate stores. This is often indicated as a negative phenomenon, particularly when one considers that cortisol is catabolic and that this is the perceived enemy of hypertrophy. However, consider the objective purpose/s of cortisol release. Cortisol is a catabolizing glucocortical hormone of the adrenal cortex, secreted to decrease inflammation and to break down tissue protein to supply amino acids for gluconeogenesis (essentially it reduces swelling and speeds up tissue repair). Cortisol also has roles in maintaining blood pressure and renal function, and influencing bone and connective tissue growth in children, as well as modulating perception and emotion and breaking down adipose tissue (fat). Since acting to force cortisol levels below normal levels would supress these functions, you can see that cortisol is in fact an essential hormone.
And here lies the paradox. By consuming a diet containing raw meat, you are essentially providing a medium for cortisol to act upon, and thus providing the elements required for tissue maintainance and repair. Basically, if you consume enough muscle meat, this will be what cortisol will be “eating” and not necessarily your own muscle tissue.
Say you complete an intense resistance workout incorporating your quadriceps and cortisol levels are elevated. Muscle proteins can now be broken down into amino acids, travel to the damaged site (quadriceps) and reassembled into proteins to repair the damage. If you provide some of each of the macronutrients, current skeletal muscle will be spared. Raw meat is the key here since it has essentially the same biocellular make up as your own muscle tissue, and consequently is the preffered choice for protein synthesis. Your body will always act to maintain lean mass stores if you provide a physiological stimulus.
Yes, if your activity level is well above average and/or your exercise intensity is high, I would add a little fruit to your diet.
If you’re not hungry, you’re probably consuming enough calories, but this would explain why alot of your food is being utilized, leaving very little waste. Again, I would caution against superfluous exercise, as overtraining will instigate diminishing returns.
As for your thirst, try the following formula to replace lost fluids from exercise.
1 medium cucunber (peeled)
1 medium tomato
2 tablepoons dairy cream
2 tablespoons coconut cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
Blend all ingredients together then add 1/2 cup of naturally sparkling mineral water. Sip this mixture whenever you are thirsty. Consider that AV’s weight loss recommendations are for people who are not exercising, so adjust your caloric equation accordingly.
Oct 26th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Aajonus mentions in his book that men and women will get a temporary belly when first on his diet. Can you explain why this happens and also how temporary it is.
Oct 26th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Loryn,
The general diet as described in the book you mention is designed to provide a large caloric surplus. The reason for this is that all calories consumed on this diet will have a correspondingly high nutrient density. A huge volume of nutrients and energy is required to assist the varoius systems of the body back to optimal functional ability, assuming that some degree of dysfunction exists. Some degree of bodily reserve (fat) must exist so that the body is not significantly burdened by the healing process.
However, whether or not this additional bodyfat is carried propotionally or not is a matter of individualism. Not everyone will gain significant bodyfat, nor will everyone necessarilly carry extra intra abdominal fat. I guess he’s just attempting to trivialize the the addition of bodyfat since it goes against current social trends. How temporary it is is also relative to the individual. If you exercise efficiently, you can derive the benefits of the diet whilst maintaining a favorable body composition. It’s not necessary to get fat, you just shouldn’t fight against your body if it decides to do so on this program.
Oct 27th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Any recommendations for someone underweight? I prefer to stick with just meat and fat and eggs
Oct 27th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Hi Yann,
If you’re eating plenty of meat, fat and eggs and still failing to gain weight, then you may have an issue such as hyperthyroidism (overactive metabolism). In this case, as well as attempting to create a caloric surplus, I would also add a couple of nut formulas (raw nuts, butter, eggs and honey) weekly to supress the excess hormonal activity. Also, I would add lots of raw milk, cream and honey, and maybe a little high(er) glycemic juice such as beet juice to my daily schedule.
Oct 29th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Scott and Everyone,
Nice to read all your entries. I find it all very helpful.
I attended Aajonus’s workshop last weekend. It was very interesting to say the least. His 5 hr lecture went on for 9 hrs! I had a mini- Glandular reading done as well. He seems to be in great shape for 63 years old. Also he told us what had happen while in Australia this year. The detoxification and the reasons behind it. …Crazy stuff.
I have started the diet, but so far have not been able to get my hands on raw dairy. The sources are pretty far away and arrangements have not been made at this point.
My main concern about all of this is worm and parasites in the digestive system. I’ve read some pretty scary things about these things. Some of them can get up to 60ft long! I have read what Aajonus says about them in is second book, but my fears are still there. Do you have an estimate as to how many people are on this diet and have you heard of any problems with parasites or worms in the system? Do you have any other information that might be useful regarding these things?
Talk soon.
Nov 1st, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Hi Ivan,
I’m glad you found the lecture usefull.
Raw dairy is usually the most difficult part of the diet to obtain for logistical and legal reasons. There are plenty of people out there who are using it, particularly the farmers who are producing it, but it’s not a commercial commodity. Keep your eye out, but the diet is considered effective (albeit less so) without it.
Your parasite fear is unwarranted, but it may take you a little while to discover this. You have likely been decieved by the propaganda which you admit to reading. Consider the source of this material and you will most likely find conflicting interests. It’s the same principle as the fear mongering of microbes perpetuated by pharmaceutical companies who stand to make alot of money from selling drugs which claim to solve the so called problem.
I have no figures on the amount of people consuming this type of diet right now, suffice to say that a few hundred years ago, around 100% of the world’s population ate similarly without fear of microbes or parasites. No one I know who currently eats a largely raw diet containing animal products has ever had a problem with parasitic infestation.
In principle, it’s the same as the germ theory. Accurate information is hard to obtain since this knowledge, if held by the general public, would cost industry billions of dollars. Therefor, much of the pertinant information is withheld.
I too held these same fears until my own experimentation provided me with substantial empirical evidence to form my own conclusions. I suggest that if you can reach a point whereby this process seems feasible, then try it out for yourself.
Nov 1st, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Scott,
Thanks very much for the advise. I will forge on with the diet and see how things go from here. I am enjoying the raw fish most of all. The salmon and shark are really good. I will try some of the recipes in the AV’s book as well. I bought lots of pasteurized Organic whole milk today. Do you believe this would be helpful until I can get my hands on the ‘good raw stuff’??
Constipation is still a very bad problem, but I’m hoping a little experimentation will result in a solution which works for me.
Thanks once again.
Nov 1st, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Personally, I forego dairy altogether if I can’t access it raw. Whilst you are transitioning, you might find it usefull for experimental purposes only.
Constipation is one problem which is easy enough to solve in principle, but takes a while to achieve. You need to recolonize digestive microbes which requires a long term approach. None of the quick fixes I have tried have ever been successfull, even Primal diet ones. Once stable, a good digestive environment is very easy to maintain.
Nov 4th, 2009 at 1:45 am
Hi Ivan,
If you want to make pasteurized milk easier to digest put some spices like ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, or turmeric in it and make sure you drink it warm. And most importantly, be happy when you drink it – if you are worried or feel guilty about eating or drinking the ‘wrong’ thing then you definitely won’t be able to digest it.
Nov 4th, 2009 at 3:57 am
Hello,
Do you have any recommendations to treat muscle soreness faster?
Usually, if I get muscle soreness after a training session it lasts three days no matter what I eat.
I recently tried only yolks, honey, butter, cheese, lemon and some grapes to see if the time improves, but it was the same.
Thanks.
Nov 4th, 2009 at 6:34 am
Hi Scott / Bettina,
Thanks for the suggestion. I don’t feel I have a problem with digesting the milk and I actually enjoy drinking it. I feel I need something to replace the Raw milk in order to get fluids into my system. I have always been able to get rid of constipation in the past with drinking more water, eating greens and high fiber cereal. I’m not a big fan of eating greens because most of the time I don’t enjoy them. Now that I am not eating ‘raw greens, whole veggies or drinking much water, the digestive train as come to a screeching halt. When it does move it’s very little, painful, with some bleeding and hard as a rock! Sorry to be so graphic, just a little frustrated. Not sure how much longer I can live with that. Scott,…. if I do not have raw milk, raw unsalted butter or cream how do I get the fat intake required. Should I buy more fatty meats and eat more avocado?
All suggestions are appreciated. Thanks very much.
Nov 4th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Ivan,
A good source of fat can also be suet. You can try to get that. Some people who cant tolerate dairy actually make it their main source of fat.
Nov 5th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Hey Mike,
DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) is a necessary component of the physiological adaptation which results from exposing your body to exercise stress. It refers to connective and contractile tissue disruption following exercise. Since it is an inflammatory response, muscle stiffness, local tenderness and a restricted range of motion are all common, particulalry when performing exercises which place a muscle under extreme load or stretch. DOMS usually begins within 24 hours, peaks at around 48 hours, then subsides within 72 hours.
Relieving DOMS acutely through nutrition is difficult or rather impossible. This is because the inflammatory response and subsequent healing of damaged tissue takes a certain amount of time to occur regardless of the nutritional principles involved. Good nutrition and adequate rest will ensure the process is as efficacious as possible, but won’t necessarily speed it up. In fact attempting to speed the process (by way of vaso-constriction or ice therapy) actually inhibits proper healing and leaves a trainee susceptible to further chronic injury.
My general advice would be to use DOMS to discover the rate of healing you posess, and use this information to tune your exercise frequency. Always allow adequate recovery, both short term and extended layoffs, and use good nutrition such as the Primal diet to provide the catalyst for recovery and growth. Use heat therapy such as hot tubs (or hot water bottles for localized pain) rather than ice, to relax muscles and increase circulation to damaged tissues.
Nov 5th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Ivan,
Whilst raw butter and cream are primary sources of fat, if you don’t have access to them, just increase your other sources. Eggs, avocados, coconut cream, stone pressed olive oil and meat fat(especially) are all good sources. To replace the fluid content of your diet depleted by the absence of raw milk, try increasing your consumption of green vegetable juices and/or add some coconut milk/water. Some bland fruits may also be usefull such as cucumber and tomatoes. Drink some water if you need to, a good naturally carbonated mineral water works best.
Nov 7th, 2009 at 5:49 am
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Nov 7th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Hi Scott,
Do you know anything about iridology? When I research on line I find hardly any positive and lots of hard negative proof where iridologists consistently fail to identify clearly observable conditions. There are even clear claims that the iris lines and colors don’t change through life but stay as they are from birth with some dots and glaucoma at much older age being the only observable changes.
Yes, I question the way those iridologists were put to test and comparing to medical diagnosis is nonsense. Yet, they did use conditions that are easily observable with no error.
It seems like there is nothing that proves on the positive end that it is real and reliable source of information about internal organs and condition in the body. Do you know anything about iridology or have sources that explain this diagnostic tool positively and convincingly?
I would appreciate the information.
Nov 8th, 2009 at 12:38 am
Another one of nature’s Gatorade is barely water. I like to drink it with lemon and honey.
Nov 8th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Hi Anita,
You’re absolutely right. I drink the juice of about 10 immature coconuts each week. I usually do this in place of green vegetable juices when I run out, and for convenience. The health benefits are great, particularly as you say for electrolyte balance. However I haven’t noted any observable benefit in fermenting the water first. I used to use water kefir grains often to reduce the sugar content, but found the sugar content to be usefull to maintain the hydrating properties, much like cane sugar juice. I just cut a hole through the husk with a sharp knife and drink. Anyhow, either way, it’s great stuff. Unfortunately, availability in some parts of the world is very limited, so not sure if Ivan has access or not.
Nov 8th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
AuthenticParent.com,
About iridology. I currently share your opinion regarding iridology, that is, I am very skeptical about it’s role as an objective diagnostic means. I have tried to consider the topic logically and rationally, and perused as much information as I can find, but I have been unable to find evidence to support the functionality of iridology. I have even sat in on and video recorded sessions between iridologists and their clients in order to establish some logic, but was unable to do so.
Perhaps my biggest concern, over and above the consistent failure of iridology to identify clearly observable conditions, is the transmitting of false positive conclusions by the practitioner to their patients.
That said, I also don’t believe there is any one diagnostic tool which holds prevalence over others as a stand alone measure. I think that many modes of investigative pathology could and should be used in order to build substantial evidence to support a conclusion. For example, a live blood analysis in conjunction with HTMA could provide evidence to support the posibilty of heavy metal toxicity in a patient. This information could then be used to match against clinical signs, symptoms and characteristics which may increase the probability of a certain conclusion.
I have seen iridologists completely dismiss all other conventionally derived markers of a patient’s health history in favor of just their observation of the iris, which I find irresponsible.
Since, as you correctly suggest, there is nothing to offer as evidence or proof that iridology is a reliable source of information pertaining to internal organs or systems (except maybe the eye itself), then I don’t support it’s use.
Interestingly, when I expressed to Aajonus my concerns over his use of iridology as a diagnostic means, he stated that he too held these concerns and that only after 20 years of observation was he able to allow iridology some credibility. He also suggested that Bernard Jensen knew much more about the benefits of iridology than he ever let out, since much of his information was supressed due to fear of being ridiculed by the conventional medical community.
Still, until this information is available to people like you and I to be used as evidence to support iridology, then I’ll have to assume it doesn’t exist.
Nov 8th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Anita / Scott,
I have not used coconut cream at this point because I do not have the proper juicer with the twin gears, such as the Green Star. Currently I am using the Breville for juicing my veggie juice which I have had for about 4 yrs.
Nov 10th, 2009 at 11:42 am
Hi Scott,
I have recently got my worm farm up and running (again!). However I am now using the Dendrobaena worm as opposed to the Red Wiggler (Tiger Worm) which I used in Australia. The Dendrobaena is very popular for fishing over here but from what I’ve read on the net they are also good composting worms also, the guy I bought them from also confirmed this. However when I first got them I ate 6 of them to see what kind of effect it would have. I woke that night about 2am to throw up and had a little diahrea in the morning. This was interesting because this was the first time I threw up in 2 years (the whole time I’ve been ill) and a little diahrea was more than welcome. I also felt fine in the morning. The red wigglers in Australia did not do this however, they brought on a sense of alertness and well being so I’m not sure whether this was real good detox or a little poisoning. Do you know much about the different breeds of worm and should any be avoided when it comes to human consumption?
cheers
Conor
Nov 10th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Hi Conor,
As far as I am aware, the worms themselves should all be fine for consumption regardless of the breed. The health status of the worms themselves including their recent living conditions and diet are the biggest consideration. This is the same consideration I would give to any animal or plant I intended to eat. I know of a local commercial supplier of composting worms who feeds his worms industrial waste (from a nearby paper mill). I would not eat these worms, they could easily cause the symptoms you describe as a result of the chemicals contained.
If the worms you ate were in fact free from toxins, then their particular microbial properties may have provided for a rapid detoxification, as you suggest.
Nov 10th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Hey Scott,
I’ve been enjoying eating high meats lately and the health benefits that come along with them, but what do you think about “high” vegetables/fruits? Like the fruit and vegetables that have been in the fridge for too long and turned moldy.
I know Aajonus has talked about the benefits of high/moldy berry juice but I haven’t heard much about fruit and vegetables. Thanks.
Nov 12th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Hey Paul,
Because of the fact that we do not digest plant cellulose well, fruits and vegetables should not form a large part of our diets whether fresh or fermented. Obviously, allowing bacteria and enzymes to act upon vegetation would improve their digestibilty, but since there is little fat or protein in these food sources, there is little value in doing so.
There is some value in molds which may act to break down old toxic stores of cooked vegetables or fruits, and also some value in the bacterial and enzymatic supplementation involved in consuming old vegetation. I’d still rather allow another animal which is better equiped to disassemble plant cellulose (such as a ruminant) to do this work for me. Bacteria and other microbes which are also adept at performing this task will break this matter down further and essentially recycle the nutrients. Throw your old, moldy fruits and vegetables onto your compost heap or worm farm and go back and eat them when they are transformed into microbe rich soil. Or, use this soil to propagate your new fruits and vegetables.
Nov 14th, 2009 at 4:30 am
Hi Conor,
My understanding is that throwing up is an immediate reaction to get rid of toxic matter from your stomach. In a way, it is a detox but you are simply detoxing something that you have eaten not long before throwing up since food doesn’t stay in your stomach for long time (part of it is absorbed by your body and other part is eliminated). I assume that when you say ‘real detox’ you mean getting rid of toxins that have been in your body for longer. I think that you cannot get rid of those ‘old’ toxins by vomiting or diahrea since they are not in your digestive system anymore. Those toxins are eliminated by other means such as sweating, skin eruptions, coughing up mucus, mucus discharge from eyes and nose…My father occasionally does quite long and extreme fasts (not eating anything for about a week or longer) to detox his body and he told me that he normally coughs up lot of mucus which gets quite dark and thick (sorry for being graphic) and one time after a long fast he actually coughed up hard black chewing gum-sized and -consistency matter. He reckons it must have been very old toxin. Lot of people swear by fasting as an effective way of detoxing. I don’t have much personal experience with proper fasting, but few months ago I did a mild form of fasting (i.e., I was still eating but only eating traditional fasting foods) and I did get some signs of detoxification (e.g., coughing up mucus and eliminating mucus through my eyes). I also believe that sometimes your body decides to fast or detox regardless of whether you want it or not; this happens when you get sick and cannot eat anything, or even when women get pregnant and they throw up food at the beginning of their pregnancy.
Nov 15th, 2009 at 4:02 am
I also heard great things about fasting and I understand that once a certain period passes (40 hours) the gene expression should start (this is where the body consumes week or dead cells first).
Aajonus seems to be against it because I remember him saying in a radio interview that if you go for 5 hours without eating the red blood cells get ‘cannibalistic’. I think he advocates eating at least some raw eggs which should help with rebuilding.
It would be interesting to see a comparative study between some people who ‘water fast’ and some who eat some eggs.
Nov 15th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
If old stored toxins are released from their holding sites and enter the bloodstream, then relative to their nature (i.e. the substances involved and their capacity to cause cellular damage) then rapid removal via the stomach is most definitely possible. In fact, in instances involving highly volotile toxins which have accumulated at high volumes, slow elimination through skin and mucus membranes would cause more harm than good, so the stomach would be the preferred elimination site. The problem is that certain chemicals such as mercury, formaldehyde, aluminium and detergents in particular tend to store in the stomach lining itself, gradual being displaced whenever food is eaten, causing further poisoning to the rest of the body. This problem can be contained somewhat by using AV’s cheese eating protocol. Eating a small amount of cheese 10 minutes prior to all meals contains much of these excretions and prevents further contamination since cheese acts like a sponge.
Vomit is natures most potent ‘rapid’ detoxification strategy, closely followed by diarrhea. Vomit is mainly mucus which contains poisons and digestive juices. Vomit and diarrhea are most often byproducts of detoxification that occur anywhere OTHER than in the digestive tract.
Nov 15th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Mike, the process of fasting takes too long, leaving healthy cells vulnerable to starvation as well as the weak diseased ones. Like you said, only after 40 hours does the body attempt to discard the weaker cells. Unfortunately by this time most cells are weak due to systemic toxicity resulting from healthy cells being forced to eat weaker ones. The body can’t easily recognize the original weak cells anymore, so cells are consumed randomly.
If you allow this process to occur gradually by consuming a healthy diet and allowing natural detoxification to occur, then healthy cells are spared. This is why ‘raw egg’ fasts are advocated by AV. The eggs require very little digestive effort, yet they feed and nurture healthy living cells, allowing for cellular regeneration.
Nov 16th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
I had a close friend die as a result of a fast gone wrong and she was a lady with alot of experience in fasting. I have done fasting in the past with varying results but since reading AV’s writtings would not do it again. After a few fasts and so-called cleanses I was really questioning it all anyway before hearing of AV. I think the body can only truely clean out when it has what it needs to build and repair. So the raw egg fast that Scott talks of above would be as close to a fast that I would like to get.
Nov 18th, 2009 at 8:02 pm
Hello all! I know that none of you are interested in playing a doctor over the Internet, so, I will not take anything you say as gospel. For the past three weeks I have been experiencing a gradually developing sense of vague dizziness. I sense a tendency to become tired sooner than I am used to. I had been eating raw meat for I guess about a month and a half prior to that time. Could I have parasites on the brain? If I do, what’s the answer? I am tempted to see a doctor, but no doctor, not even my off-beat doctor, would understand about eating raw meat as a path to health. So I’m going to have a lot of ’splainin’ to do. But I am so tired of noticing a funny sensation in my head. I guess I have no choice but to become worried about it. On a related note, if a primal dieter did have parasites on the brain, what would be the best approach?
Nov 18th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
A lack of carbs will give you a dizzy head and tiredness.
Nov 18th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
Hey Carl, there are plenty of reasons why you might be experiencing the symptoms you recall. I very much doubt that they are the result of parasitic activity on the brain, which isn’t to say that that is an impossible scenario, just highly unlikely. If you’re overly concerned, a doctor would probably be able to confirm or dimiss the presence of parasites, but as you say, you risk succumbing to the the panic driven medical system. If you have focused on the symptoms and allowed them to concern you greatly, it may be a simple anxiety issue.
The best approach for people harboring parasites anywhere in the body is to let them go and do their job. To reduce or eliminate the requirement for parasitic activity, choose a clean diet with a high regenerating potential. If you choose the healthiest plants and animals to become your food, then the passing of detox mediums will not be a concern. Your concern should be avoiding the real dangers in conventionally prepared foods, such as lacing with poisons, chemicals and synthetic byproducts.
Again, see a doctor if you remain doubtfull. No need to tell them what you’ve been up to, as like you say, they won’t understand your approach, but I’m pretty sure it will eliminate the brain parasite diagnosis.
Nov 19th, 2009 at 10:49 am
“Panic-driven medical system” — I love it! Great phrase! Yes, I doubt that I have little critters eating my brain. Just a panic-driven response, that I learned from the anti-raw-meat bias of today. Do you suppose my brain could be detoxing, from years of eating artificial sweeteners (neurotoxins) and coffee (which I haven’t given up, don’t hit me too hard)?
Nov 19th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Yes, the symptoms you describe could well be resulting from detoxification of the cranial portion of the skull, which of course contains the brain. This is a common site for degenerative material to collect since we bombard the scalp with all sorts of posions including those contained in shampoos and municipal water. You’ve probably also consumed many neurotoxins (including artificial sweeteners and coffee) which are likely to store in and around the brain due to it’s fatty composition. Detoxification of this area also tends to affect the teeth becasue of their close proximity, causing plaque to build quickly.
Obviously you still consider the stimulating benefits of coffee to be greater than it’s detrimental health propertiies. That’s fine, but I’m pretty sure this will change given a little more time.
Nov 20th, 2009 at 6:31 am
Hi Carl,
I think your problem is that you are not able to digest the food due to your constant fear of parasites. This results in ‘intestinal toxemia’, but I’m not going to elaborate on this because I have already done that in one of my earlier posts (292). Fear and other negative emotions block digestion, so even if you eat the healthiest food on the planted (whatever it is), it will end up rotting in your intestines producing toxins that are absorbed in your body. On the contrary, I know lot of people who don’t eat very healthy food but they eat happily so they are digesting what can be digested and eliminating what cannot be digested and they are energetic, happy, and don’t seem to have any health issues. This used to baffle me until I understood the effect of emotions and cognition on digestion. In addition to food there are other little things that will help you get healthy. You need fresh air (go to a park often), exercise a bit (both good to clean your lungs and help circulation), clean your body properly at night (so the toxins that you sweat out won’t reabsorb to your body), wear clean cloths every day (same reason), go to sleep early (your body recharges during sleep), and do something every day to encourage positive thoughts and emotions (e.g., spend time with people who make you feel good, or if you’re alone read, listen to music, meditate, etc. anything but DO NOT WORRY).
Nov 21st, 2009 at 8:21 pm
Hi All! Thanks for the feedback! (Go to sleep early? Oh No!) Here are my continuing thoughts. I have had numerous worries lately. It may be that I am overwhelming myself in that respect. Anyway: I called my doctor. I had recently given a sample of blood for analysis, and all the results except cholesterol have come back, and show no problems. AV warns that cholesterol can go up for a time on primal dieting, because the body uses it to ferry junk around. I have read another book, Politically Incorrect Nutrition, which explains that cholesterol is not to be regarded as a bad sign, because it does good works. My doctor is a firm believer in supplements, so I am taking a bevy of them now, including a fruit-vegetable tablet, mineral tablet, vitamins a-c-e, fish oil, garlic oil, and something derived from bees. The first day of this my head was magically improved, on the second and third days I have again noticed my head quite a bit though perhaps not as much. Still something is definitely amiss. I could be experiencing the results of emotional trauma on digestion. I’ll spare you the details since they are unimportant. I also recall that AV said that as he went primal, he needed to sleep more. A couple of times I have slept extra, and felt less head problems afterward. Maybe I am extremely tired. It may also be that my body has been using the energy from the good food to undertake some healing, which then requires even more energy. I increased my exercise right when my problems started, so maybe I was making too much demands on my body. Anyway I will keep experimenting. Maybe I should try increasing raw eggs. That’s all I can think of for now. Happy eating, everyone!
Nov 22nd, 2009 at 3:04 am
Hi Carl, just thought I’d mention Dr Mercola’s ‘Nutrional Typing’. This is his take on the ‘different diet for different people’ idea. This may have nothing to do with what you are experiencing but I thought I’d throw it in the mix. http://products.mercola.com/nutritional-typing/
Summary:
Which Type Are You?
Protein Types operate best on a low-carbohydrate, high-protein and relatively high-fat diet (healthy fat that is). These ratios are detailed for you in your Nutritional Typing™ profile to help you make the wisest food choices.
Carb Types normally feel best when most of their food is carbohydrate. Yet, there are major differences between classes of carbs such as vegetables and grains. With Nutritional Typing™ you will discover which carbs are best for your unique physiology.
Mixed Types require food combinations somewhere between carb and protein type groups. This type requires quite a bit of fine-tuning and listening to your own body, making it the most challenging type of the Nutritional Typing™
types.
Nov 22nd, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Amanda, I agree with you and Dr Mercola completely. No ONE diet is right for every person on the planet, whether it be due to ancestry or blood types or any other theory, we all have to find what works best for ourselves.
Nov 22nd, 2009 at 9:35 pm
I’m a big fan of Dr Mercola in general, but his nutritional typing is flawed to say the least. It’s essentially just a questionnaire to determine your food preferences rather than any objective dietary estimate, and it assumes these preferences are the foods you will do best eating. If it is proposterous to suggest that there is no ONE diet that is right for everyone, why is it OK to say there are THREE?
There are examples of many tribes, groups, farming communities etc. whose members all have so called ‘unique physiology’, yet they co-exist happily and healthily consuming the same foods as one another for many generations.
We all have the same digestive system, the same biomechanical energetic systems and the same metabolic pathways, only the measurements of these things varies, meaning that total nutritional requirements may vary according to individualism.
Only the understanding of the principles of proper nourishment can serve to assist the prescription of diet to individuals. These principles can be observed in Primal Diet literature.
These food principles exist independent of consciousness, meaning that proper food is what it is, it posesses a specific nature or an identity. There is no mental process that can change the laws of nature or erase facts. There is no emotional consequence that can turn good food into poison, nor one that can provide nourishment from junk.
Granted, any stessfull state which detracts from the energy required for digestion will slow this process, but good food will not become harmfull by it’s nature. Observe that most wild animals eat under great stress, from the constant threat of predators to the fear of starvation and fatal injury. Even the rapid pursuit of food is a stessful experience, but the animal’s body is well equipped to handle this. In fact I can’t think of a single example of a wild animal who eats when not under stress.
However I do agree that a positive outlook and the pursuit of happiness are exlusively human traits, and these things should be acquired for optimal health.
Nov 25th, 2009 at 4:13 am
Hello Scott, and greetings from Scandinavia..
Interesting and informative discussion here. I have been on PD for about 1,5 yrs.
What kind of standards you have in organic agriculture (esp. milk production) ?
I`m a bit worried, because use of antibiotics isn`t denied here. They use them only when it`s so called emergency situation, which happens approximately 1-2 time in a half year. Warning times are ridiculous, it`s about 5 days. USDA requires 12kk months after using. What`s your opinion: is this kind of milk harmful? I`ll ask this from Aajonus, too.
Luckily, I have possibility to drink 100% antibiotic free, organic goat milk.
Nov 25th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I think the basic organic model has it’s flaws in every country. If I know the source and origin of a particular food then I don’t bother about organic certification since it is a commercial estimate of food production. However, I do choose organic products if I don’t know the source very well. Consequently, alot of my food is certified organic, since the producers maintain high standards they might as well label as such. In all instances (including milk) my aim is to source the best quality food available without the addition of chemicals or synthetic treatments. The milk I currently drink is not certified but I know the farmer and his protocols well, so I’m happy with this. If he used antibiotics I would have to weigh my options and determine the one of best value. I think for the most part I would consider that milk from animals treated occasionally with antibiotics would still be better than no milk at all. This holds true of most other produce as well, including meat and conventional fruit and vegetables. If you have the 100% antibiotic free goats milk option I would take that one.
Nov 25th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Hello All! Happy Eating! I think I may be having an inner ear problem, that happens to be worsening. Consider: I have had tinnitus for years. Boom cars are horrid to me, but seem less bothersome to other people. For airplane travel I plug AND cover my ears, to avoid extreme ear sensitivity after a flight. And now my sensations are vaguely to do with dizziness and balance. I am not dizzy or falling over, but I have the very slightest sensation that my head feels funny. It could be an inner ear problem. But, the odd thing is that this set in about 6 weeks after adopting aspects of PD. So, can you think of any associations between PD and inner ear symptoms? The vitamins, food supplements, and coffee reduction have had no apparent effects.
Nov 25th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Hey Carl, most likely mobilisation of the lymphatic system is the culprit here. The ears are outlets for waxy lymphatic excretions, and although they are self cleaning, this process sometimes gets backed up, espacially when lots of cleaning is going on, such as when on the PD. I have a similar problem with excess wax pressing on the eardrum causing symptoms from fluid on the ear to tinnitus. To help solve it, here’s what I do.
Prior to a detox/lymphatic bath, I put 1 drop of stone pressed olive oil (which is a good cerumenolytic agent) in one ear and lie with that ear up, covered with a hot water bottle for about 10 minutes. Roll over and do the other ear. Then, whilst in the hot bath, submerge the ears below surface level to continue to soften the wax. I then take an ear syringe (rubber bulb type available from the drug store) and pump the bath water into the ears to flush out any loosened debris. Squeeze quite hard to get some decent pressure and continue until the ears feel clear. When this happens you will notice that your ears will drain much drier than normal. Prior to performing this task every 2 weeks or so, my ears would often feel water logged for days after they got wet.
Nov 25th, 2009 at 10:07 pm
Thanks Scott for the lead! Are you pointing me in the direction of what AV says on page 286 of WWTL? He addresses a need to dissolve hardened lymphatic congestion. It would be nice if my ears were simply plugged up. Unfortunately I have to admit that to some extent I am engaging in wishful thinking when I say I am not dizzy. I actually must acknowledge that I am slightly dizzy, especially if I happen to need to walk in a circuitous path. I am better when seated. It is, thankfully, a very mild case of dizziness, but I don’t think I can ignore it. Could wax theoretically build up back in the ear so that a person experiences symptoms like these? This is all theoretical, I’m not asking anyone to play doctor. In addition, may I clarify that you are saying that the bath water itself should be pushed into the ear? I have always avoided getting bathwater in the ear, on the grounds that it is uncomfortable. You would say that it will all shake out? I guess I should do this prior to any soaping. If a Q-tip doesn’t come out all that dirty, can it still be the case that there is a build-up of wax in the overall ear? Thanks for any further leads. I’m seeing my doctor on 3 December, and am hoping to have my facts straight before then. Happily I do have an ear bulb and a hot water bottle! Thanks again! And to all who try to assist!
Nov 26th, 2009 at 12:29 am
I’ve just had a twenty-minute bath @ 103 degrees F. I didn’t do the oil first. I used my ear bulb to direct some water right into my entirely submerged ears. Since our exchange, I have become unaware of what feels like an unnatural amount of ‘nasal drip’, which, post-bath, is even more noticeable. My guess is that this fits your suggested lead. So, maybe a few of these baths, perhaps longer in duration. I’m not sure what purpose the oil serves, though, because I’m not sure that the problem is impaction on the outer side of the drum. I think the effluent that forms benefits from some heating in the general vicinity. Getting warm water up the ear canal brings that warmth to what may be the congealed effluent AV discusses. My doc, by the way, is an osteopath from Japan, whose approaches are very conservative. However it strikes me that I may then try a naturopath, who will also be conservative, as well as being sympathetic to raw food.
Nov 26th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
I am currently waiting to see an m.e. specialist, seen him once already but he was useless telling me standard things like eat often and keep a routine. Basically I used to be very active training lots in the gym etc then suddenly I got really tired, suffering fatigue, at first I thought it was overtraining but it carried on, also around the same time I started to get lymph pain in my inguinal area, my joints hurt etc.
The standard doctors tests in the UK which are very general say I am fine but I know I’m not and if nothing changes it’s looking like they’ll just give me some painkillers, antidepressants and tell me to try graded exercise.
I am 22 and have been like this for 2 years and am unable to work and it’s very frustrating, I’m researching into this subject thanks to seeing you on youtube and am intending on getting Aajonus’ two books and was wondering what other literature you suggest and if a diet similar to yours shown above would be aprropriate?
The doctors won’t even tell me why I have lymph pain, they say my blood tests are fine, I did one private test for free testosterone and found out that was low, yet the doctors who only check total testosterone etc said I’m fine. I don’t trust these dotors for many reasons.
One last point is on top of fatigue, sleep troubles, conbcentration problems, lymph, joint and muscle pain etc I have had very low libido post puberty even when I did feel better but the doctors again said I was fine, I’m 22 and since the inital surge at puberty it’s like I have no natural healthy urges and I thought perhaps a raw diet aswell as getting my health better would get me functioning like a young man should.
Long story short any help regarding diet and literature would help, I apologise if similar topic is mentioned above my concentration is bad and I used to be very active 2 years ago, I am also 198cm tall so assume I would need many more calories than the average person.
Nov 26th, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Carl, what do you need to be seeing a doctor for, or naturopath for that matter? The point of AV’s diet and literature is to do away with this need. The medical industry cannot help you, if you cannot determine yourself first what information, if any, might be of benefit ot you, and what could cause more harm. There is a wealth of information shared on this forum; coupled with AVs books piece together a very simple, yet profound self medicating solution.
BTW, I’ve had Tinnitus for as long as I can remember, and I learnt years ago, that Caffeine is one of the biggest aggrevators. It can stay in your system for several days, so drinking coffee everyday simply compounds the problem. Ditch the coffee altogether, and see if you can notice a difference.
I’ve also found that regular hot baths help my lymphatic circulation in general, plus release of toxins and therefore help relief congestion in the ears. I am yet to try Scott’s oil suggestion, but I find the heat of the bath alone melts my ear wax and has helped with other detox symptoms tremendously. (walking for an hour afterwards helps significantly as well.)
Nov 26th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Hello! I just had my second bath during which I circulated water into my ear canal. Again afterward I notice nasal drip. Unless you argue it otherwise, I will assume that the bath has triggered an increase of health-giving elimination of gunk, or of waste in gunk.
Sarah: You make most excellent points! Many thanks! As for seeing a doctor, I guess that I felt somewhat dizzy for such a time that it was worrying enough that I wanted someone to tell me what was going on. I had nightmare thoughts about brain tumors, and am relieved to see that it may be nothing more than lymphatic congestion, a hypothesis which fits perfectly with PD! Wonderful! Thanks for writing!
Nov 26th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
It is also possible that the dizziness is related to your Tinnitus, as an inner ear imbalance, also labelled as Meniere’s can often create feelings of dizziness. If you can eliminate toxins that could be contributing to your Tinnitus, quite possibly you could reduce your associated symptoms also.
Nov 29th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Hi Martin,
Others with symptoms similar to which you describe have suffered from lymphatic congestion. This can cause the soreness and fatigue which you are experiencing. Conventional medicine has little understanding and no recommendation for this ailment since no drugs (other than pain killers) can be justified as treatments. You are right to research this topic for yourself. Please read everything you can on this blog as well as AV’s books in order to fully understand the principles at hand. If I were you I would most certainly be following a diet similar to mine, as well as adjusting some of your lifestyle components. Exercise is very usefull but much overrated when your body requires healing. Refrain from intense exercise until you feel better able to cope. You won’t make any progress unless you address recovery.
Not sure exactly where you live, but frequent, prudent sun exposure in order to raise vitamin D levels would most likely improve many of your symptoms, including the testosterone deficiency. I have witnessed a 20% increase in testosterone levels when any skin is exposed to the sun, and much more when the genitals themselves are exposed. In fact, since you live in the UK and are therfore statistically very likely to be Vitamin D deficient, I would get a blood spot test for 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and assuming your levels are low, work on elevating them to around 50-60 ng/ml. I have done this myself over the past 3-4 years and the results are fantastic.
Please feel free to continue to ask as many questions as you like as I’m sure your case will be of great interest to many who are active on this blog.
Nov 30th, 2009 at 7:37 am
“Refrain from intense exercise until you feel better able to cope. You won’t make any progress unless you address recovery.
Not sure exactly where you live, but frequent, prudent sun exposure in order to raise vitamin D levels would most likely improve many of your symptoms, including the testosterone deficiency.”
My current problems began precisely when I began to exercise on a bike this fall. Also I have hardly been outside at all. I didn’t think of taking a full sun bath though. Hm! Mostly I think of sunning on the closed eyelids as a good idea.
Nov 30th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Scott
I have also struggled with low D levels. I live in NYC so sun exposure at this time of the year is difficult. What else can I do? Have been 100% Primal for 2 years and am progressing well but, right now experience sleep difficulties - often awake in the middle of the night for hours at a time for no apparent reason.
thx,
your blog is great, nice work
Harry
Nov 30th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Steady state activity such as that done on a bike will often cause a deep inroad into recovery ability since the volume is usually too high and the intensity low. If you are going to use a bike or any stationary cardiovascular training device, you will do best by using interval training. However, I thoroughly recommend you use resistance traing rather than any steady state exercise since there are a multitude of benefits to this type of exercise. I can ellaborate if you like.
Other than good nutrition, the very next best thing you can possibly do to improve your health no matter what the ailment is to improve your vitamin D status. This is best done via exposure to UV light from the sun. Read the book Dark Deception by Joseph Mercola to shed some light! It’s most likely that you, along with at least 85% of Americans are vitamin D deficient, yet no-one is willing to bring this up since there is no money to be made in telling people to go into the sun. In fact the opposite, which is cautioning on the dangers of sun exposure, is highly lucrative.
Dec 1st, 2009 at 12:14 am
Hi Scott
Luke and I are interested to understand more about what resistance training entails and what your typical program looks like.
Dec 1st, 2009 at 11:36 am
Martin,
I have similar problems to yourself and I also live in the UK (Northern Ireland). I also developed severe digestive disturbances and although it was never ‘medically diagnosed’ I would say I have ME. If you go back and read comment 116 you will see what happened when I started the primal diet. It hasn’t all been plain sailing and I still have bad days where I’m fatigued however it has put me in the right direction and through further experimentation and tweeking of my diet I will get there in the end. If your digestion is reasonably good and you don’t have any allergies etc I would imagine you will thrive on this diet and you can wave ME goodbye. I am also looking into worm therapy which involves taking human hookworms and/or whipworms which help modulate the immune system and resolve autoimmune conditions. Apparently the results can be phenomenal although it is quite expensive. If you want any more info just ask.
Conor
Dec 1st, 2009 at 11:46 am
Regarding the vitamin D issue can I recommend some good organic mushrooms, my favourite are Portabello chopped into small pieces and marinated in some stone pressed olive oil and Cayenne pepper. Nature didn’t forget about us in the winter!
Dec 1st, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Harry,
Since you are following the Primal Diet and consuming organ meats, dairy, eggs and animal fats (all natural sources of vitamin D as long as the animals were exposed to sunlight)) yet still show signs of vitamin D insufficiency, you have probably figured out that vitamin D is not easy to acquire in the diet. The reason for this is that we are supposed to synthesize it from contact with sunlight and if it were also present in high amounts in food, then toxicity would often prevail. So, the best way to elevate D levels is through exposing the skin to UV light. This is understandably difficult to do in NYC during winter in particular. Try finding a safe tanning bed in your area ( www.mercola/safetan ). This is far from ideal but is your only option for vitamin D synthesis through the skin. Alternatively you may need to look at more concentrated sources of vitamin D supplementation. If you can find a good quality cod liver oil, you may have to comprimise and use this type of supplement. Personally, I don’t use supplements (or tanning beds) since I have plenty of sun, but try looking up your local chapter of WAP to source some good quality cod liver oil if you can’t use the tanning bed option.
Dec 1st, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Hey Scott, speaking of the sun, have you tried AV’s sunscreen lotion recipe..? It consists of the raw ingredients - cream, butter, coconut cream, honey, royal jelly, ginger juice, lime juice .
If so how do you find it to be?
Dec 2nd, 2009 at 1:44 pm
Hi Sarah and Luke,
You’re brave to ask me about resistance training, once I get started you can’t shut me up.
I’m very passionate about finding ways to optimal health, and resistance training is the key to the functional ability of the musculo-skeletal system being optimized. Many ask “what about cardiovascular or aerobic training”, and the simple answer is, since the heart and lungs service the muscles (not the other way around), then mechanical (muscular) work is the only way to optimize the efficiency of the respiritory sysytem as well.
Basically, just as is the case with nutrition, it all comes down to intensity of effort. In nutrition we know that providing sustenance with as few contaminating ingredients as possible serves to provide us with the nourishment required at it’s most concentrated, and therefore beneficial level. The same is true for exercise. The element which we seek to concentrate in exercise is inroad. That is, the physiological point where the body is forced beyond it’s current potential and basically asked to adapt positively. In resistance training this is a point where a muscle reaches falure whereby no further work is possible.
In most other forms of exercise, other factors (contaminating ingredients) get in the way and basically dilute the key ingredient of inroad. For example, steady state activity such as running includes impact forces affecting joints and connective tissue and requires a very high volume at a low intensity. This means that it is necessary to inroad very deeply into recovery ability just to get a minimal response which is very inefficient. Resistance training which focuses primarily on intensity of work performed rather than volume is like eating a raw food diet. The essential elements are plentifull so you don’t need to consume much for best effect. It’s a concentrated supplement for preserving your most important biological function which is mobility.
So how do you do it? Unfortunately there is no simple answer since individualism is the governing principle of exercise science, everyones different. But if you’re starting as a novice the general rules are all the same. Get some good advice on technique. This is vital. Very soon I’ll have a product called the Flexsolate Gym In A Bag which I hope will help to bring effective resistance training to the masses. I’ll also be able to offer advice on it’s proper use….stay tuned.
Dec 2nd, 2009 at 1:52 pm
Hey Paul,
Yeah I use the Primal body cream all the time. Whilst it will stop you from burning by lubricating the skin, it obviously doesn’t block either UV A or B radiation so you can’t get hours of exposure. It will improve the skins ability to synthesize vitamin D since it contains additional cholesterols, so this is an advantage, and the sole reason I use it. It also feeds the skin and provides for a deep tan if that’s what you like. Whether you use it or not, prudent sun exposure is the key. Don’t allow your skin to get burned as this will essentially provide an additional burden thus negating some of the benefits of an elevated D level.
Dec 2nd, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Hello,
About the joints mobility.
I ate for several weeks now, on most meals, raw butter, with a little honey and lemon or one fruit and 1-2 yolks. My joints feel more loose and don’t twitch as much even though I stopped doing yoga or stretching for the last few months (I take a break).
I noticed a little strange thing though. When I wake up in the morning two or three fingers on my right hand are very stiff and I cant clench my fist easily even if I did not sleep on the side. This goes away for the most part after I start moving around, but the fingers on the right are more stiff compared to the left. Maybe it’s about the circulation or some other thing, but it’s weird that I feel all the other joints loose and the ones on that hand are getting more stiff.
Should I also try something else instead of this combination of food?
I ate like this because I want to see if I can get read of a few white hairs.
Dec 2nd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Hi Mike,
probably just a circulation issue. Alot of hand/wrist problems like carpal tunnel etc. are exacerbated nocturnally by certain sleeping positions. I don’t think it has much to do with your food.
Dec 2nd, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Speaking of resistance exercise, how about kettlebell? That looks like a good one to me.
Dec 3rd, 2009 at 4:52 am
Incidentally I bought a neti pot. I thought that cleansing the sinus might afford benefits similar to those of ear rinsing, i.e., helping the lymphatic system along. It stings terribly. All the instructions I have found indicate salt, but the least amount of stinging comes from using plain water. I don’t know if it’s a matter of getting accustomed.
I have suspended PD, and my dizziness is greatly diminished. I now get only extremely subtle moments of very slight light-headedness–and indeed my friends all tell me that given my nature I could expect no less. Ha ha. But seriously, I hadn’t been eating raw meat to speak of, so basically this means that I suspended raw dairy, and my symptoms are virtually gone. Can I surmise that the internal cleansing has been suspended?
Dec 3rd, 2009 at 10:54 am
Hello Scott,
greetings from Germany. I am living for more than 6 years on PD now. Because of my cousin’s wedding I will be going to Melbourne in March 2010 and perhaps travel to Western Australia to have some nice diving experiences at Ningaloo Reef but I don’t know exactly yet.
I would like to ask you if you have some recommendations where to get high quality food which is suitable for this diet. I have been told that especially raw dairy is difficult to obtain. So all hints / information would be very much appreciated. Thanks.
-Jan
Dec 3rd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Carl,
Fistly, no I don’t beleive that kettlebell training is as good as it may appear. It has many issues which prevent me from being able to label it efficient exercise. The biggest problem is that, like all other forms of exercise labelled ‘functional training’, the principle of specificity is cleary misrepresented. The term basically refers to activity which serves to provide for physiological improvement to the body’s natural movement patterns. Basically lifting bending, balancing and twisting the way a person might do during normal activity, but adding resistance to strengthen these movements. Unfortunately the principle of specificity suggests otherwise. Without getting too technical, practicing a particular movement, say a torso twist with a kettlebell, will improve your ability to twist with a kettlebell, but NOT without. There is no crossover since both are unique and different movements. Specifity means just that, specific not kind of the same.
Practiscing general exercises which work an active range of motion and produce an overall increase in lean mass are most effective at improving functional ability.
As for the neti pot, I’ve never used one but I have kind of the same opinion with this as I would with colonics, although not quite as strong. The process may cause irritation and be a little too invasive, hence I would generally prefer to allow for the natural methods of excess mucus removal to occur without force. Let us know how it goes.
Yes you can surmise that the internal cleansing has been suspended if you have suspended the raw diet. If you are now consuming cooked foods then this will discourage continual detoxification of stored toxins. The method of consuming one cooked meal per week to ease detox symptoms is often utilized by elderly or convalescing primal dieters whose symptoms are too uncomfortable to tolerate.
Dec 3rd, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Hi Jan,
You should have no problems with good quality raw foods in Melbourne. You should be able to find organic versions of all your meat, eggs and produce requirements. Even raw milk, cream and butter should be quite easy to obtain through aphroditedairy.com who have plenty of stockists in Melbourne. I suggest you contact one of them before you leave to set it up.
The situation should be quite similar in WA although I don’t no too much specifically about the area. I do buy my raw honey from there, from a place called elixir raw honey.
Dec 4th, 2009 at 7:09 am
Hi Scott,
My sister gave birth to a little boy 6 weeks ago (Conall). She brest fed for the first two weeks but the baby could not be satisfied due to the fact she was not producing much and what she was producing was probably of bad quality due to poor diet and life style during and after gestation. She then switched to baby formula (much to my dismay) and although he is putting on weight it is obvoius to me that this is causing problems. He has a rash on his face and feeding seems to cause a great deal of distress, but people (including the health visitor) keep telling her this is normal, I’m telling her its not.
Anyway after educating my sister on the health benefits and safety of raw cows milk she is willing to give it a go. I have read that raw goats milk is much more suitable for infants as it is nearly identical to human brest milk and is very easy to digest, however I have not been able to source any yet. In the mean time what do you recommend?
Cheers, Conor
Dec 4th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Thx, Scott
Actually, I haven’t been tested since last winter so, perhaps after a summer of no sun block and continued PD, maybe I am not as deficient but, it is still a possibility - will try to get another test soon.
I have another question. I play tennis and often end up what seems to me to be, dehydrated after. Last night, I played in the evening (is my only option now that winter is here) and sweated a lot. I sipped mineral water and had juice with cream and milk and tomato when I got home and throughout the night because I could not sleep. I know I shouldn’t exercise in the evening but, this seemed to be a rather extreme reaction - heart pounding and almost no sleep. Perhaps, I was already in a slight deficit from the day. I have tried AV’s sports drink and it makes me feel heavy while playing. Any other suggestions? I have explained the difficulty sleepy and the feeling of electricity running through my veins that keeps me awake and AV thinks it is toxicity (not dehydration) and I should drink green juice with cream which sometimes helps, but, in this case, did no good and really seemed to be related to the intense exercise and sweating. I would love to play again tonight but fear another night like last…
thanks,
Harry
Dec 4th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Conor
For what it’s worth, we have a 9 mo old girl. She was given breast milk/raw cow milk 50/50 from day one until the 3rd month then only raw milk and she is thriving. We both were PD raw for about 1 1/2yrs prior to birth. We think she would have been even better off with only raw cow’s milk from the beginning. She is healthy, very strong and happy and never sick. In the beginning, it helped to slightly warm the milk with a couple drops of raw honey. She had some gas in the beginning and AV suggested a tsp of kefir (we mixed in a little honey to make a little more palatable) prior to every feeding - the problem went away almost immediately.
Good luck!
Harry
Dec 6th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Hi Conor,
Either milk (cow’s or goat’s) is fine. Choose the one where the animal is closest to optimal health, preferably grass fed, organic (certified or natural) and free ranging. See Harry’s post for some good suggestions from his experience.
Dec 6th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
Harry,
I am posed this question often during this time of year. This is generally a bio-cycle issue arrising from the fact that blood pressure is statistically higher in the early evening as well as in the month of December. Body temperature is also at it’s highest around 7pm. When you consider that on top of this, all of these factors are temporarilly elevated during exercise, then you have a situation whereby metabolic demands are much higher than normal. Conversely, this is also the time for peak cardio efficiency and optimum rate of breathing, so potentially you could work at a higher intensity than would normally be the case. This would obviously effect your metabolic rate and your recovery ability. Exercise in the evening can affect the body’s natural ability to wind down, since metabolism is increased for a few hours thereafter. This may have negatively influenced your circadian pattern. I don’t think that this is so much of a nutritional issue, although my preference for fluids during this type of activity would be young coconut water rather than the sports drink formula.
Dec 6th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Hi. I see that you had a bit of a discussion about sunscreen. I did quite a bit of a research on what is the best way of being exposed to sun light while avoiding being burned. I found a very old recipe which says to dissolve mastic gum in unripe olive oil. Then I did some more research about the science behind this recipe and I found that olives have phenolic compounds (unripe olives have more) that absorb UV (I guess unripe fruits need light more than ripe ones). Mastic gum and (some other waxes) have similar UV absorbing properties. Other natural uv absorbing substances that I came across are orange peel wax (better if made from unripe orange), rice bran oil (due to its high gamma oryzanol content), and white lupin (due to some specific alkaloids). Hope this helps. By the way, I’m still trying to find (in Sydney) olive oil that is made from unripe olives. If you know of a brand please let me know. (they don’t seem to say it on the bottle).
Dec 6th, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Thanks Bettina.
For the Olive Oil you are after try Glenlee Olives ( www.glenleeolives.com ) They are in Menangle, south west of Sydney (just up the road from me). They have a product called Olio Nuovo made with unripe olives but obviously it has a very short season so it’s quite hard to get….scott
Dec 7th, 2009 at 4:53 am
That is great. Thanks Scott. I visited their website, but unfortunately it seems that they are sold out of the olio nuovo.
Dec 7th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Scott,
I noticed you mentioned resistance training as a good general purpose fitness routine. Is this like the Static Contraction training type?
I remember static contraction was promoted by Tony Robbins a while back and it was about holding a heavy weight for a few seconds until the muscles collapse. Seems like a pretty good idea but I did not try this for more than a few times to know if it really works or not.
Dec 7th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Hello Scott,
thanks a lot for your references, thats very helpful. I found your elixir honey website and I also had a look at aphroditedairy.com. Suddenly a lot of cosmetical bathing activities appeared on my agenda for next year!
-Jan
Dec 7th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Thanks Scott (and the rest of you) for your input. I am currently researching and hope to go for it in January. I am waiting for Vit D blood spot test to arrive. In the meantime if anyone from the UK has any good sources of raw organic grass fed meat etc be it through websites that would be a help as in West Yorkshire where I live it isn’t too easy to find a good source so will likely need the internet.
A side note, I didn’t realise how intolerant people are in a supposedly tolerant society towards “alternative” diets, I believe people would be more supportive if I said I were gay rather than the strange looks etc I get for suggesting that I shall try a raw meat diet.
I will update when I have more info, thanks.
Dec 9th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Mike,
Proper resistance training includes all 3 facets of an exercise’ active range-of-motion. That is,
the Concentric (positive/lifting) phase, the Eccentric (negative/lowering) phase and the Static/Isometric (holding) phase. By definition, an isometric/static hold is not a contraction as such since the muscle involved does not actually shorten. This limits the developing strength to the ‘worked’ range of motion, which is very small considering it’s full anatomical range. Use all 3 repetition phases for optimal strength efficiency.
Dec 14th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Scott
Thx for your reply - I think ur right about that this is not a nutritional issue. The young coconut water idea is a good one and I am using it. I am wondering if my slow recovery time could be mitigated by better conditioning? Since the AV diet I am carrying 50lbs more weight and right now it is not all muscle. I am not working out in the gym the way I used to but hopefully will get back to that as now the detox symptoms I experienced in the first year and a half on the diet seemed to have subsided. Any ideas about reducing recovery time - from 6 to 10 hours of increased heart rate and inability to sleep would be greatly appreciated!
thx
Harry
Dec 15th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
Harry,
Better physical condition will definitely assist your recovery ability, at least indirectly. Physiologically, a persons ability to recover from the stress of exercise is governed by many extrinsic and intrinsic factors. The key factor however is how the stress is applied in order to allow for maximal progress yet minimal inroad into recovery ability since recovery resources are in finite proportions. The fact that you are performing the same exercise with an additional 50 pound load means that a deeper inroad is achieved, but also that recovery is prolonged. To address this issue by way of exercise prescription, you would need to reduce the frequency and/or volume of exercise to account for the additional intensity. Conversely, I would suggest that you begin the weight loss phase of the diet since you have held the additional bodyfat for a significant period. Like I said, this would assist your recovery ability indirectly by causing a reduction in exercise intensity. Since you already follow a diet which assists optimal cellular reproduction and regeneration, and owing to the fact that recovery cannot be rushed, this seems to me to be the only way to address your issue.
Dec 17th, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Hello :),
Thanks everyone for such a great forum, it has been exceptionally helpful - especially since starting this diet can be so intimidating.
I have been on the PD for a little over 6 months and have had wonderful success with improved digestion (I was in terrible pain after eating nearly anything cooked previously), but I have had a couple of struggles. I suffer quite heavily from brain fog ever since I started the PD.. previous to the brain fog I was constantly feeling frantic and sometimes that still occurs, but not nearly as much as it used to.
When thinking/functioning became noticeably difficult, about 2 months ago, I took out all sugars and most carbs (all fruits) from my diet, resulting in a mostly meat-only diet with some avocados. I also exercise every day and keep a food journal. This was successful at first, but recently the mental sluggishness has increased quite a bit and meat has become Extremely unappealing - all I seem to want now is fat and honey, but I haven’t eaten any because I don’t want the insulin spike from the honey.. and I want to reach my goals (low body fat, 8-10%) as soon as possible.. so I’m not sure what balance I should be looking for. I have also been really lethargic all my life (spending most of my time lying down, too tired to be as active as I want to be), and I’m only 20 yrs old… I have never been filled with energy and I really want to be able to live my life effectively and happily.
My biggest goal (next to improving mental function/energy flow) is that I want to break down to a base weight/low body fat to remove the accumulated fats from a previously fast-food focused diet, as well as for aesthetic purposes. Do you have any recommended diet/exercise combinations for this?
And one final question, though it is a little off topic.. I am constantly being eaten alive by fleas.. I literally have close to 50+ bites on my body. I can’t seem to get rid of them and I don’t really want to use conventional chemical focused options. My boyfriend, who has been on the primal diet for 2 1/2 yrs hasn’t been bitten even once… but me and the cat have been serious victims of these fleas. Perhaps this is a result of a low immune system? Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Kaylen
Dec 20th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Hi Kaylen,
I’m glad you’re having some success on the Primal Diet.
Since for most people who begin the diet, a huge reduction in carbohydrates naturally occurs, then the diet effectively takes on the characteristics of a low carb diet. As the body adapts to a primarily fat burning machine, there are a few issuses that arise, the main one being ketosis. This can make you feel sluggish and tired. I think when you eliminated fruit from your diet you may have compounded the problem, particularly if you are exercising as well. You now crave carbs which is a condition which frequently destroys the appetite for meat. I would add back in moderate amounts of fruit and more importantly green vegetable juices. If you’re eating unheated honey, forget about the insulin spike, particularly if your eating it with raw fat as this will be negligable.
I’m not sure about your particular somatotype but your goal bodyfat % is too low. Following a Primal diet will allow you to carry much more concealed bodyfat since the storage of raw fat calories is much more efficient and compact (raw fat molecules are smaller). For example, on a conventional diet I maintained a BF% of between 6 and 10 % yearround, yet on a Primal diet I can hold a healthy 15-18% and look even leaner and stronger than before. You need to first replace the accumulated toxic fats you speak of with healthy ones before you can attempt to eliminate them. Try gaining 5 pounds of healthy weight before you diet down.
As for the specific energy issue, this all revolves around digestion, specifically improving your microbial digestive environment. I would experiment with high meat and the other ‘probiotic’ supplements mentioned throughout this blog and in Primal diet literature for details on this.
Exercise is overrated!! Yes I am a Fitness Clinician, but I am prepared to say that most exercise efforts by well meaning people are futile, especially when trying to balance the caloric equation. Exercise is for the improvement, maintainence or slowed regression of functionally ability. It needs to be prescribed just as carefully as nutrition for optimal results, otherwise it produces negative results. Focus on your diet for now and think about improving your functional ability when you feel better placed to do so. Tip…resistance training is the key.
I don’t think there is any reason for you and the cat being singled out by fleas. Perhaps it just appears that way since you may have a more sensitive response to being bitten than your boyfriend. As for getting rid of them…I’m not sure…anyone else..?
Dec 21st, 2009 at 12:20 pm
Hi Kaylen,
For the fleas try Diatomaceous Earth, its an organic chemical free way to control fleas and other pests.
Conor
Jan 5th, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Hello and happy new 2010,
It’s winter here and I have a concern about vegetable juices. Especially from vegetables that are grown in a greenhouse and probably with added pesticides.
What is the best choice if only those types of vegetables are available? Switch to water or add a lot if clay to the juices? (raw milk is not available too)
Also Ajonus does not recommend drinking a lot of water but I see that carnivores in the wild are drinking plenty of water. If plain water is not that good, than if these animals would be actually healthier if they would drink vegetable juices? Although maybe, in the wild, they probably don’t have many health issues anyway.
Thanks.
Jan 5th, 2010 at 2:31 pm
Hi Mike, happy new year to you also.
If your access to organic produce is restricted for the whole of winter, then I think eating conventional produce is better than none at all. Just wash it and add a little clay to the juice (it isn’t necessary to add alot) and return to organic when it becomes available. From my experience with carnivores, they actually prefer not to drink too much water unless excess exertion or heat stress causes metabolic acidosis. In the wild the water drunk by animals is from creek beds, ponds, pools, rivers etc. which also contains many bioactive minerals as well as bacteria, which is a far cry from our municipal or even bottled water supply. On average, 90% of water consumed by most wild animals is from raw food sources. Some drink no water at all. If they had the choice, milk would be number one.
Jan 6th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Regarding the vegetables used.
What effects should I expect from juices containing mostly cabbage and a little parsley?
I also add a little cilantro, carrot or red beet roots because they sell only the roots. I understand that Aajonus does not recommend many vegetable roots because they contain too many carbs.
Also can you explain a little how exactly are the nutrients in these juices absorbed?
I was talking with someone who believes we need almost no carbs and I told him that vegetable juices can be absorbed better, but I could not explain to him how is that happening when asked for specifics.
Thanks.
Jan 9th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Hey scott,
Do you ever eat chicken wings or drumsticks? I can’t find any info on chicken skin. I heard that chickens are dipped in boiling water so they can remove the feathers. Do you know if Oaks does this? If so maybe the skin isn’t raw? Thanks.
Jan 10th, 2010 at 4:02 pm
Mike,
White cabbage juice helps to coagulate the blood which is good if you’re suffering from hemophilia or bleeding profusely. Red cabbage juice sometimes has the opposite affect. Parsley is one of the best alakalising juice ingredients. Cilantro is great for heavy metal chelation and root vegetables are necessary in small quantities in juices for their carbohydrate content so that the juice can be properly utilized.
The most important point regarding the digestion of raw juices as opposed to whole vegetables is that the plant cellulose has been removed. This allows all of the nutrients normally held within the cell wall of vegetable matter to be available for assimilation. Humans contain neither the enzymatic secretions nor the stomach volume to adequately break down plant tissue, therfore juice is preferable. It is true in general that humans require very few carbohydrates for optimal health. Those found in vegetable juices, whole fruits and other naturally occuring sugars (such as in milk) are more than adequate.
Jan 10th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Hey Paul,
Yes I eat chicken/turkey wings and drumsticks but not the skin. The skin of all animals is very difficult to digest because of the very tight collagen bonds. Boiling water is definately not used in the process of plucking the birds that I eat. They do use an ice bath during processing to limit bleeding, but no heat.
Jan 11th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
Hi Scott,
Would just like to know what type of juicer you use.
Jan 11th, 2010 at 9:20 pm
Lisa,
I use the Greenstar juicer by Tribest. It’s a strong twin gear juicer and produces great juice and coconut cream. I’ve tried 3 or 4 other brands but this one is by far the best.
Jan 12th, 2010 at 1:56 am
This is an absolute bargain for someone!! if you’re in Perth:(
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Greenpower-Juice-Extractor_W0QQitemZ280449862075QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Home_Appliances?hash=item414c1d49bb
They’re worth a few hundred $$.
Jan 12th, 2010 at 3:01 am
Lisa,
Here’s some info. for you on the juicers-
http://www.discountjuicers.com/lowrpmjuicers.html
Jan 17th, 2010 at 8:12 pm
Thanks Anita and Scott. Could you also tell me where I can purchase “The Primal Diet” book here in Australia. Alot of the Australian online book shops don’t seem to have it. Didn’t really want to wait weeks for local book shop to order it in. After reading alot of the blogs I was cooking some organic chicken fillets for the family and thought I would try it raw (to my families horror) and was quite surprised at the taste, pretty good!.
Jan 17th, 2010 at 10:30 pm
Hi Lisa,
Mrs Flannery’s Health Shop, Easy T Centre, Robina is the only place I know that stocks the books. If you order online at www.wewant2live they only take a week or so to arrive.
Sounds like you’re a prime candidate for primal diet success. Most people have strong social ‘issues’ about raw chicken in particular. It’s my kids favouite as well!
Jan 24th, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Want to buy a twin-gear impeller press GreenPower Juicer in near new condition (just out of 12-month warranty)? $750 new, best offer. Call Gary on 0438 202 390
Jan 25th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Hi Scott
I’ve got a Greenpower Kempo Juice Extractor for sale. The revolutionary design incorporates a twin-gear impeller press system. Does wheat grass, vegetable and fruit juice, soy drinks, fruit sorbets, pasta/noodles.
Just one year old in mint condition. $750 new. Best offer. Phone Gary 0438 202 390
Jan 28th, 2010 at 1:19 am
Update:
Just had an appointment with my Naturopath (very good and has a 4 month waiting list!). She picked up that I had whipworms, e.coli and several other parasites. I confessed I’d had raw liver, fish and chicken (good quality). She said my body can’t handle raw meat yet. She confirmed that fermented meat is all good, but fresh raw meat was giving these parasites to me. So, just for all readers, don’t go raw meat unless you’ve had the fermented so you can handle the critters!
From here: Garlic, ‘Parex’ tablets and fermented meat (here goes!).
Can someone confirm the following for me please?
meat >glass container>air every few days> eat after..(?)..days - in my case. Don’t eat if….?
Jan 28th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Amanda,
If you have whipworm (Trichuris suis) then that is fantastic and I urge you to keep them for as long as they are necessary to complete their task which is to eliminate dead, weak and degenerative cells. They will consume these cells, breaking them down into substances which are much easier for your body to eliminate. The only other option your body has is to produce virus’ or bacterial infection to dissolve these cells, which are both more uncomfortable options. Parasites are the most efficient way for the body to cleanse. As you become less toxic, the requirement for parasites will fall since the conditions in which they thrive (toxic tissue masses) will decrease. This is why eating foods which don’t add to the toxic burden are important.
If you were unaware yourself that you had whipworm then I assume that your condition was asymptomatic. If this is the case I would not bother to remove them. Trichuris suis ova have proved very successful in treating a host of conditions including debilitating Crohn’s disease.
As for e.coli, I hope you have this since they are the key to optimal digestion and serve to ultimately feed and nourish the brain and nervous system. Interestingly, e.coli is the number 1 bacteria found in fermented (high) meat, so I’m puzzled as to why your naturopath would recommend this whilst suggesting that e.coli was problematic.
I would never recommend that anyone who has not eaten fresh raw meat and improved their microbial count go straight to high meat since the effects are often challenging. Sounds like your naturopath has no experience in this area. I’d do the opposite to what she suggests here.
Jan 28th, 2010 at 9:42 pm
Hi, I would just like to add that the decomposition of meat should not be called fermentation. Fermentation refers to the decomposition of carbohydrates. The decomposition of protein (such as meat) is putrefaction which is different to fermentation in many respects, but most importantly in the by-products that are produced. I have already written a post about ptomaines (toxic by-products of putrefaction) and expressed my concerns about eating high/putrefied meat so I won’t repeat myself. However, I would like to encourage those of you who have arrived to the conclusion that germs do not cause disease (like I have) to start asking what causes disease. And please don’t blame cooked food. (Yes cooked food can make you sick if you eat too much of it and it remains in your intestines undigested and starts to putrefy – intestinal toxaemia. But the same way, eating raw meat can lead to intestinal toxaemia if you eat more than what you can digest.). Without the germ theory, how can you explain contagious diseases, and how can you explain that antiseptics work? Have you heard of the story of Semmelweis (the ‘saviour of mothers’) who encouraged doctors to wash their hands after performing autopsies and before entering maternity wards. Handwashing did reduce mortality rates (childbed fever) drastically but the medical community only acknowledged the importance of it decades later after Pasteur postulated his germ theory. So if antiseptics don’t work by killing germs, how do they work? If it wasn’t the germ or bacteria, what were those doctors bringing on their hands after dealing with dead putrefying bodies that killed those women? I do not believe that germs cause disease but I think that those who fear germs are better off than those who think that germs can heal you. This is where I think no knowledge is better than partial knowledge. That so called ‘healing crisis’ after eating high/putrefied meat is your body’s reaction to the toxins that you took in with the decomposed matter. And if you happen to have an open cut on your hand while handling high/putrefied meat you could end up like some of the women in the ‘Semmelweis story’. Don’t fear bacteria but please do fear the by-products of putrefaction.
Jan 29th, 2010 at 12:00 am
hmmm.. My health care practioner picked up that my Vit. B12 was down and I wondered how that could be with someone who eats raw liver every few weeks. She theorised that some of the parasites might be eating it.
I’m in a dilemma Scott. The face is, I am not going to go 100% raw. I eat a relatively small percentage of food raw and I eat sugar/flour at people’s birthdays or when I’m being hosted by others (often). Does this mean I shouldn’t eat high or raw meat because of this?
Thanks for your info on whipworm : ) however, if I’m still eating a small amount of ‘crap’ every few days, then perhaps it is best I get rid of these critters so I don’t lose my nutrients to them?
What do you suggest for my situation?
Jan 30th, 2010 at 6:06 am
Scott, do you use Clay- calcium bentonite? (I think I remember reading you mentioned it before. )
Would you please tell me where you get it from, & which type? Thanks.
Jan 30th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Hi Scott
I’m wondering the same thing, is high meat still safe to consume if one isn’t eating a %100 raw food diet?
I’ve been eating it, a little here and there. When I first started it was really helping my digestion, probs I’d had for years (since Nina) even on an excellent wapf diet. I stopped the high meat for a month or so and just as slowly that it had all improved, it slowly went backwards again. I don’t think its a coincidence.
I’m just starting up again. I never feel sick when I eat it and strangley the flavor is fine, even though my meat is months old! I haven’t been sick in years.
I would like to know though if this is safe for me to do while still eating some cooked foods?
Are worms safe in children that aslo eat cooked foods?
Kindest regards Scott
Jan 31st, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Bettina, let’s not get bogged down in semantics, it’s the fundemental principles which are important. We also know your concerns about ptomaines, none of which have been founded by anyone actually eating high meat on this forum. I’m sorry to have to repeat but cooked/processed food and exposure to pollution causes disease. If anything else were true no species would ever have survived. However, you are right to suggest that the concept contagious cannot exist without the germ theory. The term contagious is a corollary of the germ theory used to manipulate and incite fear, and to disguise the fact that ALL NATURAL MICROBES ARE BENEFICIAL. AS AV puts it “…A person suffers bacterial and/or parasitical and/or viral infection because they have toxins in the body that need to be detoxified, not because someone has given him or her an unnecessary plague. Just as termites will not eat a healthy living tree, natural microbes will not eat healthy tissue.”
Antiseptics/antibacterials do kill germs. Not sure what your point is here.
..”I do not believe that germs cause disease but I do think that those who fear germs are better off than those who think that germs can heal you.” This is probably the second most irrational statement I have heard in ages. If germs have no potential to cause disease, why would you hold any fear at all?
“…..I think no knowledge is better than partial knowledge.” Hmmm, not knowing anything is better than knowing something. Ignorant people who evade all thought and logic will love your philosophy. Fortunately I’m not one of them. How does one go from no knowledge to full knowledge of a topic without first acquiring partial knowledge? That’s number one.
So to summarise, we shouldn’t fear bacteria but make sure to wash it all off your body with antiseptic so we don’t get contagious diseases, and do fear the dangerous by-products of bacteria which can cause disease as evidenced by……nothing. Strange argument for someone who insists that they don’t prescribe to the germ theory.
Jan 31st, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Hi Amanda,
I understand your dilemma. Through your action to discover the necessary requirements of optimal health, you will experience information overwhelm. As you continue to weed through all of the propoganda and misinformation you should also expect to feel battle fatigue. This will ultimately lead to complacency unless you keep your wits. The key is to have a sound epistemological approach which will allow you to discover the proper methods of validating what you learn. This is an enduring process which basically means checking the premises of all your sources and eliminating the ones which arrive at contradictions. This will lead you to the fundamental principles which have foundations exhibiting empirical evidence, and hence proof.
For your information, and from my experience, you may want to experiment with high meat to discover the effects. You may find this approach a little extreme since you will still be consuming a cooked processed food diet which encourages the proliferation of microbes, including parasites. They will not steal your nutrients, but rather they will thrive on the degenerative material. Since eating a raw diet prevents further accumulations of these materials, they will also discourage the parasites and/or microbes which are there to cleanse. This would be the optimal approach but not necessarily the one that best suits your individual lifestyle. Only experimenting and allowing your diet to evolve will achieve this.
Jan 31st, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Hi Anita,
Yes I currently use the Bentonite Clay from www.healingclay.com.au. I am currently trialling one which is not yet available on the website, but the regular bentonite ‘bath kits’ are good.
Jan 31st, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Hey Cathy,
All natural microbes and parasites are safe. The issue is how unhealthy is the body in which they live. No doubt they can be troublesome in highly toxic bodies, causing rapid and uncomfortable detox symptoms, which in some cases warrants their removal. If the host is capable, they should be left to run their course. Sounds like you’re pretty healthy, and since you have already experienced the benefits, high meat is fine for you. If a child has worms but is asymptomatic, just leave them there. They are doing more good than harm. Once again, if symptoms of infestation are uncomfortable, you may want to remove them at least temporarily. In children who eat cooked/processed foods, parasites are inevitable and necessary.
Feb 1st, 2010 at 3:23 am
Thank you Scott. This was how I’d come to understand it but I just needed to hear it one more time, so sorry.
Nina was the one who had worms. I’d not expected it could happen to her and when I saw them it freaked me out.
Her diet is incredibly healthy and largely raw except leading up to the worms I’d let Marook yogurt (past milk) and organic pasteurised cream back into her diet. And a few days ago she confessed to eating the chook grain most mornings when she feeds them (soaked BD wheat). She has big probs digesting bread grains. She said she can’t help it because she LOVES the chook grain which is now under LOCK & KEY.
Anyway, because of fear I bought a spice tincture mix from a naturopath with cloves and other spices I can’t recognise.
I’m sure her body was expelling them anyway and she was/is fine.
Also great post to B and I particularly loved this “How does one go from no knowledge to full knowledge of a topic without first acquiring partial knowledge? ”
Thanks again Scott.
Feb 1st, 2010 at 5:00 pm
Scott, thanks a lot for getting back to me. I really appreciate it.
I second Cathy in that sometimes information just needs to be heard again for it to be more completely comprehended, so thankyou for your persistance.
Feb 2nd, 2010 at 7:57 am
Hi Scott, I’m not just talking about semantics (I wouldn’t waste either my or your time on such empty argument). Fermentation and putrefaction are functionally different, but I won’t go into it. Let me however answer to your question (the one that Cathy particularly loved). “How does one go from no knowledge to full knowledge of a topic without first acquiring partial knowledge?” All I was trying to say is too keep researching and reading because there are so much ’hidden’ knowledge out there that may radically change the way you see things. Look I’m a bit of a freak when it comes to research and science. I love reading very old science books and matching old theories with recent empirical findings. I’m so much of a freak that once I even cried while I was reading a paragraph in a science book because it was so beautifully said. It was few months ago that I started reading Scott’s blog and I was fascinated with his knowledge and his ability to answer to questions using logical arguments without being detrimental to anybody. Scott’s argument of eating ‘high meat’ sounded very logical to me at that time but I always do a bit of research before I jump into anything. So I started reading hours and hours and I gained some new knowledge that not only has relevance to eating but other aspects of my life. For instance, I found out that ptomaines and other toxins do not only occur in decaying meat but also they occur naturally in your body when some of your tissues/cells die. This can happen irrespective of what you eat. For example, when you get cold “it is a law of physics that cold contracts a substance, and heat dilates; consequently, cold (according to that law) contracts the tissues of the body. Now, an auto-toxine must surely develop after a cold in any part of the body, if that cold sufficiently penetrated so as to contract the muscular fibres, which in turn press on the capillary vessels. The blood and lymph of that part is stagnated and soon decomposes, and we have the autotoxine and a poisonous ptomaine developed.” We eliminate lot of those toxins through perspiration. So it is important that we neutralise those toxins by cleaning our body and our cloths properly (otherwise we reabsorb the toxins). Few months ago when I had less knowledge I thought that cleaning is not that important because germs do not cause disease, and I thought that antiseptics/disinfectants are only for fools who believe in the germ theory. I even ridiculed a friend of mine who changed the water in the inflatable pool at a kid party when one of the child poohed in it and disinfected all the toys that were in the water. Now that I learned about ptomains I would do the same thing but not because I fear the germs. Hopefully by this example I could demonstrate what I meant by saying that people who have no knowledge are better off than people who have partial knowledge. I did not mean to offend anybody and sorry if it came out that way. Scott, can I ask if you have read that book that I recommended in one of my earlier posts? I actually think that you would really enjoy reading that book (it is an anti-germ theory book). Plus it is very short (more like an essay) and quick to read. Could you please read it. Even though I don’t accept some of your eating habits, I like the way your mind works and I’m really interested in your opinion. By the way, I did not suggest that the concept contagious cannot exist without the germ theory. It can, and the book covers that as well. Please please please read the book. I would like to have a discussion about that book with someone who have as much interest in the topic and as much analytical skills as you do (It is not easy to find people like that). Regards, Bettina
Feb 4th, 2010 at 5:40 am
Your an interesting humanoid Bettina…
If I pooed in a little kiddy pool would you swim in it? I’m sure I would exit it too. Poo and water, not a good combo.
No knowledge, partial knowledge, full knowledge…
Knowledge is only worth something if one uses it in a positive way to reach a desired result. I found when I finally let go and followed the diet 100% the few ideas I had that apposed it just fell away. I opened my mind up to a new way of being. No amount of reading will get oneself to where one wants to be. My partner and I have been living the diet (high meat and all) since we met AV and Scott when AV was here in Australia… our health and well being have improved immensely .
The world is full of intellectual people who like to flaunt their knowledge but rarely live it= intellectually stupid.
Scott lives it. I am sure everyone on this forum is grateful for that.
Feb 28th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
Hey Scott,
I have a question… Since I killed the conversation, I may as well help start it again :)
Do you have any suggestions on treating plantar fasciitis?
Mar 4th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Hey Luke,
I don’t think you necessarily killed the conversation, but something sure killed my computer. I haven’t had it for about 10 days but I’m back on the air.
Yes I do have some suggestions regarding the treatment of plantar faciitis. As usual, my suggestions will probably be somewhat controversial since they challenge mainstream social dogma, this time in the podiatry field.
My first recommendation is to go barefoot as much as possible. Probably seems simple to you and I (or anyone else who uses logic) but feet were designed to be used this way. Most shoes these days effectively splint the foot and prevent natural biomechanical movement, resulting in weakened collapsed arches and general atrophy of the foot muscles. Also, with the advent of so called modern ‘running shoes’, the addition of a huge amount of impact resistant cushioning has changed the gait of runners so that most heel strike (land heavily on their heels) since the cushioning in the shoe masks the tactile sense of the foot. As you can imagine, this is very bad for all of the joints involved in running or walking. When running or walking (particularly running) barefoot it is essential to use the ball of your foot, the arch (inclunding the plantar fascia) the ankle, the knee and the hip to absorb and redirect the energy created at impact. This action mantains the biomechanical function of the foot and thus prevents any inflamatory responses such as plantar fasciitis. You can notice these very obvious differences if you pay attention to how you move naturally with barefeet as opposed to shodfeet.
Conventional treatment (of plantar fasciitis) consists of treating the so called cause of the problem (which podiatrists insist is over pronation) by wearing orthotic insoles. Obviously adding more support and rigidity to foot muscles already weakened by underuse atrophy will never fix the problem. Once again we have been deceived by those with high commercial aspirations and low morals. You will experience many postural, muscoloskeletal and ortho-sensory benefits from not wearing conventional shoes, particulalry running shoes. However, understanding that shoes have to be worn for most occasions, I only wear Terra Plana shoes with Vivo Barefoot technology, www.terraplana.com.au. Another alterative is Vibram Fivefinger shoes with similar technology. ( You may have noticed Conor wearing a pair of these at the Gold Coast workshop). Either of these options are effectively the next best thing to going barefoot.
My second recommendation is to apply heat (in the form of a hot water bottle) to the foot to accelerate the flow of nutrients in and wastes out of the injured area. You could also try Av’s leek liniment to speed healing, and eat pineapple smoothies to help clear the cellular damage, but the main focus is to correct foot biomechanics.
Mar 8th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Hi Scott,
What is your opinion about whey protein concentrates and about creatine? Seems they are commonly used by people who go to the gym. I read on Mercola’s site that he is also pro-whey protein, but mostly for longevity reasons.
Wouldn’t it be better to actually drink whey instead of the concentrate? Or maybe the liquid quantity would be too much?
My experience with creatine is a temporary increase in size, due to water accumulation apparently, but this was on a normal diet so maybe on raw it could be something else. There are also claims that one cant eat enough meat to get even a serving size of it. The thing is, I still have half a kilo of creatine from last year trial and I’m not sure whether to throw it away or not.
Mar 8th, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Thanks Scott, I will pass it on. It will be interesting to see what she thinks… to earn the mighty illusory dollar, she plays the personal trainer role. Has been a keen runner since a young age. Very cool seemingly open-minded being though.
I invested in a pair of Vibram Fivefinger shoes after seeing Conor’s gloved feet. I was amazed at how nice they feel to wear and how much more balanced I feel wearing them as opposed to conventional runners. Will have to check out the Terra Plana shoes with Vivo BF technology you mentioned. If one has to wear shoes, would be good if there functional.
Also, my younger brother who had a consult with AV is finally making headway health-wise after 25+ yrs of ill health. He struggled with the diet for awhile there but is now putting on weight, gaining in strength and is alot more positive these days.
Mar 8th, 2010 at 8:28 pm
Hey Scott
I was at the Gold Coast AV meeting with my sister Sarah and it was a great experience.
Over the past 6 months i have gradually come around to the idea of eating raw including meat (buffalo at the moment), at some stages it is hard to access everything but i believe it is definately the way to go, i particularly love unpast milk i have gained access to a source locally who has cream aswell.
My question relates to the fitness side of things, as a keen sports person i was wondering what would be the best training and eating methods to bulking up.
I am a relatively slim bloke and have struggled to put on weight (i guess i have a high metabolism).
Leading up to exercise what do you eat before and after?
any tips would be great thanks Scott.
Mar 8th, 2010 at 10:47 pm
Hi Mike,
Whey protein (Isolate or concentrate) is chemically processed whey, a by- product of the cheese making indusrtry which would historically have been fed to pigs until some young gun at Nestle during the 70’s decided that this raw commodity could be processed and ‘value added’ and then sold for significant profit to easily persuaded consumers. It is worthless as a food, don’t beleive any of the marketing hype.
You’re right, the nutritional properties of whey (the plasma portion of milk) exist in perfect balance and in naturally utilizable form within dairy products themselves. There is no need to seperate and concentrate them unless in an an attempt to commercialize them for profit. Anything that is dehydrated into powder form (including so called raw supplements) has a severely compromised nutritional value and becomes virtually impossible to digest. This obviously includes creatine as well. Creatine should only be thought of supplementaly if you suffer from a deficiency. Even then, the synthetically processed form is largely useless. Once again, since it is around 70% cellullarly un-utilizable, at least this much goes straight down the toilet, but not before causing a few problems, including the impedance of your body’s natural creatine producing capabilities. Much like testosterone supplementation, the arrival of synthetic creatine into your skeletal muscles will switch off your natural supply. Think about this paradox when considering that more creatine exists in a single serve of powder than in a few pounds of raw wild meat. Incidently, the cell volumizing effect of creatine has no health benefits what so ever.
So, yes throw it away, and also consider that Joe Mercola is pro whey protein because he sells the stuff.
Mar 8th, 2010 at 10:56 pm
Hey Luke,
I hope your personal trainer friend finds sole-less solace! I must admit it took me a little time and research, not to mention experience, to move away from convention as well since I am in a similar occupation.
I’m very glad that your brother is doing well and I sincerley hope he continues to do so.
Mar 8th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
Hey Ben,
I remember you from the Gold Coast function. I’m glad you took something positive away.
At this stage if you are psychologically convinced then it is only a matter of time before the logistics become practical.
I remember you asking some fitness related questions when we met also. Here’s how I fit a general Primal eating schedule around good quality intense resistance training:
Upon waking I drink about 400mls of green vegetable juice, then I exercise for about 45 minutes. Immediately following exercise I eat about 300-400gms of meat chased with half of one lubrication formula (for me, 4 eggs, six tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice). Eat slowly!
About 45 mins to one hour later I drink a milkshake consisting of 3 eggs, milk, cream and honey. I sip this over half an hour or so.
A couple of hours later I drink another juice or a young coconut, followed by a fruit meal. I tend to eat slightly more fruit than most Pdieters on account of my exercsie habits.
I have another meat meal later in the day with the other half of the lubrication formula, and I may eat eggs every 30-40 minutes until bed if I am still hungry. I also keep a cup of milk or an egg beside the bed for a meal later in the night to prevent catabolism ( i don’t like to fast for longer than 4-5 hours).
This works pretty well for most of the time but I do cycle exercise demands regularly so my diet changes at that stage also. You should be able to follow something pretty similar accounting for your specific nutritional recommendations and preferences.
Of course your exercise prescription is just as vital as your nutritional one. To provide for hypertrophy (bulking up) you need to be performing brief, infrequent and intense resistance training in a safe and economical manner and with a sound methodology. Feel free to ask as many questions as you like about any of these matters. Great to hear from you.
Mar 10th, 2010 at 9:19 pm
Cheers for the feedback Scott much appreciated ill implement those things .. i did have one other question at the moment prior to a sporting match eg football what would be the best fuelling food or combination that would sustain energy levels for the 2hr duration (usually between 1pm and 2pm start)? cheers
Mar 11th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Fat!! Free Fatty Acids (FFA) and Intramuscular Triglycerides (IMT) provide most of the energy to fuel metabolism during rest and exercise. Blood sugars such as glucose and glycogen are less important (although still necessary) but are more appropriately sourced from meat (as pyruvate) which results in low sugar metabolic by-products, or basically a cleaner burning fuel.
In the 12-20 hour pre exercise window, consume raw meat (any muscle meat but also some liver if possible), to build pyruvate/glycogen stores. Some carbohydrate, such as a vegatable juice would also be good here.
5-10 hours pre exercise consume lots of fat. Traditionally, swiss villagers used raw dairy cream for this purpose.
I prefer butter, as in a lubrication formula.
1 hour pre exercise, something like a fruit and egg smoothie would work well. This will digest quickly and replenish or top up macronutrient stores.
During exercise, sip on AV’s sports drink formula, milk or young coconut water to maintain hydration. Water is Ok but go for a naturally sparkling mineral water which is more oxygenating.
Basically, on a Primal diet, since all the foods consumed are both nutrient dense and energy yielding, just adjust and time your nutrient intake to best suit your activity. This is also true for post exercise since all the foods consumed will be adding regenerative and building properties to your recovery cycle.
Mar 13th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Hi Scott
I’d like to take u up on the offer of exercise advice. I am out of shape - many months of little sleep and no exercise, except some tennis up until a few months ago, due to a new child. I have been AV primal for over 2 years and have gained the requisite weight but, as spring is almost here in NY want to drop about 15lbs and get back in shape. Probably, my best bet for now is a home workout - looked at some on line offers (getinsanity.com - because it only utilizes bodyweight). What do you think? A short, 30min workout i can follow on a dvd seems appealing for now. Any ideas? I want to get back in shape for tennis, etc.
Thx
Harry
Mar 14th, 2010 at 3:09 pm
Hi Harry,
Over the past six months or so I have tested a prototype for US company Flexsolate called ‘Gym In A Bag’, a resistance band kit with unique grip free cuffs. I thoroughly recommend this product and encourage you to purchase one for the purposes you describe. You can check it out at www.flexsolate.com. They come with full instructions including an instructional DVD featuring Kim Lions, but I’d be happy to instruct you personally and further individualize your routine once you have the kit.
Mar 16th, 2010 at 11:10 pm
Hi Scott,
I’m sure you are well mate :)
The ‘Gym In A Bag’, do you use it yourself for your resistance workouts? Or do you use weights?
Cheers, Wes
Mar 17th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Hi Wes,
very well thanks mate.
I most definitely do use the Gym In A Bag myself, albeit not exclusively. Since my own facility gives me access to a whole range of resistance equipment, I take the opportunity to add lots of variation to my workouts, from free weights, pulley and cable machines etc. My favourite type of resistance however is ‘dynamic’ resistance which is achieved with elastic type tools such as the Gym In A Bag and certain commercial equipment such as Bowflex. The main reason for this is that the dynamic nature of the elastic resistance more accurately matches the force curve of human skeletal muscles. For example, as a muscle contracts it moves into a position of greater strength on account of higher muscle fiber recruitment and greater leverage advantage. Elastic resistance compensates for this by applying more resistance as the band stretches, thus allowing a higher force output by the worked muscle and consequently a more efficient workout.
This is the main advantage of GIAB, others also incude it’s simplicity, portability and cost.
The more I use it, the more I prefer the GIAB to most of my other equipment. With this particular kit, the other important feature is the grip free cuff, which allows a high degree of isolation to be achieved on most exercises, further improving exercise efficiency.
Mar 21st, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Hey Scott,
Regarding shoe wear, i have been wearing orthotics for a few years as my feet would roll in when i ran causing me to get shin pain etc.
Since i have started using orthotics it hasnt been too bad….. but the topic raised on the benefits of Terra Plans shoes got me thinking.
I think i will get myself a pair but would i still require orthotics in them? and also do you know of a football boot on the market which has legitimate benefits like the terra plans does.
Finally regarding resistance training, what are your thoughts on Pyramid training?
Cheers Ben
Mar 21st, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Hey Ben,
Most people who wear orthotics do so because of over pronation. Pronation, or the foot rolling inwards is part of the body’s natural suspension mechanism which is compromised when wearing conventional running shoes. Over pronation is never a problem for people who don’t wear shoes since the foot muscles, ankle, knee and hip are trained to handle the impact forces of runnung and walking. If you wear Vivo Barefoot’s by Terra Plana, most definitely DO NOT use orthotics as this will defeat the purpose. It may take a while to retrain the muscles in the foot to adequately do their job since they have received artificial support for so long.
As for football boots, this is a bit more difficult. Part of the functionality of barefoot shoe technology is an ultra thin flexible sole which allows you to use the tactile sense of the foot. It would be virtually impossible to apply the same principle to studded or cleated boots since they require a rigid attachment. There are however some boots which are generally more flexible than others, and also retain some other properties of barefoot technology such as little arch support, wider lasts and minimalist heel structures. Look for these.
Pyramid training or Descending/ascending sets are not an exercise methodology as such but rather one of hundreds of set variables used to add variation and thus inroad into advanced trainees programs. Use this and many other set variables sparingly to shock muscles into further growth.
Mar 24th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
Hey Scott
Just some observations i have been making from my body recently, first thing in the morning i have been having the celery, parsley and carrot juice and then waiting some time before eating meat, butter, eggs, honey and sometimes a tomato together.
I have tried buffalo, venison and most recently beef from P&A organics. I have noticed i feel a tad tired not really energetic, even run down after eating the mixture rather than having a spark, after the meat meal i then do the mixture u said after about 1-2 hours (milk, cream eggs honey etc) then wait a little while and have a few cucumbers peeled then have another meat meal and so on.
Any structural advice would be great
Cheers Ben
Mar 24th, 2010 at 10:35 pm
Hi Ben,
You shouldn’t necessarily be expecting any energy surpluses at this early stage. Some people do experience this immediately on account of the enyzyme sparing effect or easy digestibility of raw foods. Most however, on account of poor physical conditioning and/or high toxin levels, will experience lethargy at various times throughout the day as their bodies prefer to spend energy on cleansing and rebuilding functions, and therefore slow or rest most other metabolic functions. This is the basis of detoxification.
So it is not unusual to crave rest and sleep at this stage since this is where healing occurs. It’s unlikely to be related specifically to your meal timing, and also shouldn’t affect your ability to gain general vitality.
That said, I have personally had alot of success elevating energy levels by consuming a small amount of high meat once a day for 7-10 consecutive days as the last meal of the day, the effects of which have lasted for up to 5 months!
Mar 25th, 2010 at 8:11 am
Hi Scott,
I skimmed through some of the comments here and I have to say I am very intrigued by what I have read.
What do you suggest I do to get started on this way of life asap? Is it better to go cold turkey or slowly transitioning into eating raw meat? I have been a vegetarian for many many years and mostly have no clue what you guys are talking about here, like high meat and stuff. It seems I am out of the loop meat-wise speaking.
Also, how do you eat raw meat? Sorry if the question sounds dump but I have no idea. Do you buy a steak and chew on it or do you chop it or what? Do you eat just as is or do you marinate it in lemon or lime juice? Do you use spices, sauces? I imagine eating raw fat (fatty parts on steaks or cutlets) is very hard to chew or am I wrong?
Last question for now: the lubrication formula, what does it do and how do you prepare it? Just mix the ingredients with a spoon or do you use a blender?
Sorry for all the questions :-(
J.
Mar 25th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
Hi J.
It’s fairly impractical, if not impossible to implement all of the principles of this lifestyle immediately. Since you are a vegetarian, at least you are accustomed to allowing awareness and logic to dictate your choices. Adding raw animal protein to your diet will most likely require some psychological adjustment and a further commitment. This is probably best done by experimentation and consequently a slower transition.
You can eat raw meat any way you like. You may find that certain methods create certain textures which make the transition easier, such as thinly slicing or mincing beef, or chopping and marinating chicken or fish. The addition of raw spices or sauces also helps palatability and assisits with the transition phase. I suggest you invest in the book The Recipe For Living Without Disease available at www.wewant2live.com. This has hundreds of recipe ideas which make things much easier to understand. This book will also answer your questions regarding necessary equipment required for preparation of raw food dishes.
The lubrication/moisturization formula you mention is designed to rush healthy fats to the lymphatic and circulatiory systems since these systems are often delipidated. Because most other glands and organs are also fat deprived, they often steal dietary fats before they arrive further down the line. Consequently,other systems fed by the blood and lymphatic pathways, such as the skin and conective tissue cells, remain dry unless the more dominant organs are bypassed. The lubrication/moisturization formula achieves this by being assimilated so rapidly that dominant organs cannot consume it all, thus creating a sparing affect.
Almost everbody will benefit from consuming this formula daily or at least every other day. The ingredients, 2-4 eggs, 4-6 tablespoons of raw butter (or coconut cream), 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of raw honey need to be blended, preferrably directly into a small glass jar such as with the Tribest Mason jar blender so that not much air is allowed to mix which oxidises many of the nutrients. The formula is best consumed with or immediately following a meat meal.
I hope this answers at least some of your questions. Feel free to ask as many as you like and peruse this blog for more information.
Mar 25th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Hey Scott
I have had a bit of trouble making the lubricating formula because my blender isnt the best, what would you reccomend as a good blender to buy and where would i best get it? because i find the lubricator i make doesnt work at all, furthermore what type of juicer would you reccomend i have one but think its time for an upgrade.
Cheers Scott
Ben
Mar 26th, 2010 at 8:27 am
Hi Scott,
About the lubrication formula.
Is it absolutely necessary to blend all of them together like you just said?
I usually drink the eggs first and than take a teaspoon of butter, a pinch of holey and little lemon, than mix those in my mouth until the butter melts and combines with saliva. I understand the saliva is also important for fat digestion because it contains some special enzymes.
If a blender is really necessary, I would use a hand blender because it would be faster to use or wash. I assume the oxidation is not an issue if it’s eaten right away.
Mar 26th, 2010 at 10:35 am
Dear Scott,
Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate it.
I am sure I will be back with more questions.
In actual fact I just remembered something I wanted to ask in the first place. Should I track calories or just eat to satiety? If tracking is recommended how much do you suggest I eat? Lean body mass in pounds x 12 or what’s the formula? I am not sure I should trust all those online calculators, or should I?
Or does all that calories in - calories out not matter cause we eat raw and not cooked?
Also, should I worry about eating too much protein > glucogenesis? I’d like to stay close to zero carb as possible.
Thanks Scott
J.
Mar 28th, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Hi Ben,
I use and recommend Tribest products for both blending and juicing. For blending I use the Mason Jar Personal Blender because I can select various size glass jars and blend straight into them. It’s also easy to get additional jars and lids. For juicing I use the Greenstar twin gear juicer. I’ve had mine for about 6 years after trying 3 or 4 other brands and I find this one the best. I currently have a wholesale arrangement so that I can ship both of these products to you if you wish, at the cheapest prices in Australia.
The blender is $185 and the juicer is $995. Plus $10 flat rate for shipping. Send me an email at flexrx@bigpond.com if you’re interested…scott.
Mar 28th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Hi Mike,
Blending the lubrication formula makes it much more convenient to consume. I make one each morning then carry it with me to work, taking 1/3 of it with each of my meat meals throughout the day. I couldn’t do this if it wasn’t blended.
You needn’t worry about salivary lipase (or salivary amylase for that matter) if you eat raw foods as it is unlikely that you will produce any. Like humans, when dogs and cats are fed their natural, raw, carnivorous diet, there are no enzymes in the saliva. However, when fed a commercial cooked diet, enzymes show up in the saliva after about one week. The law of adaptive secretion of enzymes states that only those enzymes which are necessary will be produced. Raw food, including fat, has all the enzymes it needs for digestion, hence lipase production is spared.
Oxidization is an issue as soon as air is sucked into food, especially during blending. That’s why I use a jar which is the appropriate size for the volume of food I am blending, leaving very little air space. The Tribest Mason Jar blender works well for this purpose. It is also convenient to use and wash since you eat straight from the blending jar.
Mar 28th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Hi J.,
How you observe your caloric equation really is relative to what your objective is. Since you are conscious of avoiding a caloric surplus, I’m guessing you are wanting to lose some bodyfat, or at least to prevent any excess from accumulating. In general, as you state, raw calories should not be treated the same as cooked calories, so that the caloric equation is rather superfluous on a raw food diet. If you focus on nutrient density then your satiety trigger (ghrelin levels) will indeed dictate the volume of food consumed, and consequently your total caloric intake. Most people who begin a raw food diet find that they consume a much lower total food volume since their nutritive and energy requirements are more easily satisfied. Simply put, the body’s nutrient requirements are what dictates how much food is required, not stomach volume. Ever noticed how if you consume foods which lack nutrients and are difficilt to assimilate, i.e. all junk foods and heat treated foods, then the only sign received to stop eating (apart from thinking) is a painful, distended stomach. Nutrient dense foods, including those sometimes referred to as overly rich, sweet or fatty foods can only be eaten in relatively small quantities until one feels satisfied. You needn’t worry about over eating high quality raw foods.
As long as you eat enough fat, protein toxicity will not be an issue. In fact it is regulated by the same mechanism as described above. Since eating too much lean meat can theoretically cause protein toxicity, the ghrelin/leptin hormonal balance signals that enough protein has been consumed, long before illness occurs, and sends a signal for fat consumption to alleviate the potential for toxicity. This is demonstrated when wild animals are observed eating whole carcasses. They stop when there is not enough fat left to balance the protein, or, as in the case of the Austrailian aborigines, they don’t even bother to hunt animals with lean carcasses (kangaroos) unless the season is right and the animal is expected to have a high degree of back fat.
A low carb approach is fairly easy to maintain on a raw diet with animal protein. Since all the cabohydrates are raw and minimally processed, you can’t eat many anyway. My carbs are confined to green vegatable juices, a small amount of whole fruits (usually unripe) and sugars from raw milk and raw honey. Usually less than 100grams raw carbs per day, but much like other raw calories as opposed to cooked ones, far more utilizable and far less likely to affect insulin levels or fat storage.
Apr 11th, 2010 at 3:11 am
Hey Scott i was keen to purchase a blender from you i sent an email to the address you posted in point 481 not sure if it came through or not.
Cheers Scott
Apr 11th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
Hey Ben, got it!
Apr 23rd, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Hi Scott,
First time blogger, long time follower. First off, I’d just like to say thank you for the world of information you provide on here. It’s invaluable. I feel like I’ve learnt so much from this blog, so thank you and everyone else who’s contributed.
Anyway, I have a question that relates more to the social aspects of this diet. I’ve been primal for almost four months now. I would be on it 100% 24/7 if I could but I have this problem. I go out for tea at least once a week with my friends. No one knows that I eat raw meat and I don’t exactly feel comfortable ordering a raw steak for dinner. I always have this problem of not knowing what to order. I usually just go for the salad or just do my best with what’s available. I was just wondering If you ever had this problem when first starting out on this diet? For example when you go to social occasions like birthdays etc…. do you just refuse to eat what’s on offer? Most of the time I’ll just eat out of politeness but I’m getting to the point now where I just know its wrong and I get annoyed with myself that I cant be stronger and just refuse. Does anyone else have this problem?
Thanks again for all the advice :)
Lucy
Apr 25th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Hi Lucy,
Thanks and welcome.
Social conditioning and the consequential implications derived from it are the most difficult part of any alternative or non conventional health approach. Because this particular one is so unconventional, it does feel quite anti-social, particularly since most of our modern day socializing revolves around food and drink.
You need to take a quite thorough philosophical approach and really understand and trust your objectives involved here. Firstly, it’s much easier if your friends and family are at least aware of your nutritional preferences. You will probably find that at least some of them (the more important ones) will support your decision or even develop a genuine interest. Granted, others will still try to ridicule, fail to understand, and ultimately attempt to sabotage your efforts. They will do this out of lack of their own self-esteem. It’s not your job to preach to these people, you can’t have a rational discussion with an irrational person. Whilst most of your friends and family will opt not to join your health crusade, that is not to say that they can’t be of value to yourself and your personal efforts. Try to view each on their merits and sort into some sort of hierachical order those which are of most value to you and of similar interest. Spend most of your time with these people.
The bottom line here is, since you choose to spend most of your time with certain friends and family, this is where you should focus most of your effort. It’s not your business what other people think of you anyway. Whilst people are free to judge you, don’t concern yourself with influencing their decision. Just be you.
Admittedly, I still struggle with this one, but there is no way that I will outsource my nutrition to any restaraunt, food outlet or even friend who doesn’t know at least as much as I do about nutrition. I hold my own interests and values above all others, including sparing someone feelings despite their intentions.
As you ‘evolve’ through the process you will find, as I did, that it becomes impossible to comply with everyone else’s standards anyway. I never refuse an invitation to socialize with my friends, I just need to prepare a little differently and ensure that no one is offended by my refusal to eat or drink certain things. Some of my friends will cater for me, some won’t as it becomes a little awkward to expect individual attention. That’s fine, I feel that it is perfectly reasonable to spend time with people without eating or drinking at all, after all thats the whole point of it. Even before following a stict diet, I never quite understood why I needed to drink something I didn’t like when I wasn’t even thirsty when I met with friends. I’m sure you can see the philosophical error here.
Stick with it and pose as many questions as you like on this blog. I’m happy to answer as best I can.
BTW, great name…
Apr 27th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Thanks Scott… I was named after Lucy in Scooby Doo… yeah I know, random.
Thank you for your response. I’ll definitely be taking that on board. It’s nice to know that someone has been in the same boat. I’m a pretty shy person as it is, so something like this is obviously a big deal for me. I just know I could never go back now. If I did I’d just feel like I was cheating myself. I’m guessing it’s just a case of taking baby steps as far as letting my friends and family know. Sometimes I just get this overwhelming feeling of wanting to tell people about this, particularly those that are suffering from some kind ailment. I just feel morally obligated to help them! I’ve had to hold myself back a few times.
Over the last four months I’ve almost managed to completely cease my consumption of alcohol. I don’t enjoy it at all. I use to drink quite heavily on the weekends. It’s only the peer pressure of after work knock off drinks that weakens me these days (again something I have to work on). When I drink now I really notice the effects. Even if it’s just one pint of beer, I really feel it! I use to be able to have 3-4 drinks and not have any problems at all, but now I’m quite sensitive to it.
Anyway thank you once again for your response. I look forward to posting many more questions with you… and also hearing of other peoples experiences with this diet.
Take care,
Lucy :)
May 11th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Hi Scott,
I have recently engaged in a conversation about the digestability of raw meat as opposed to cooked. Could you write about the difference and mention the effects of our bodies trying to convert denatured or broken down protein in cooked food?
This is one impressive blog, and for those who questioned Aajonus finding nutrient rich food close to the hospital, being from the Cincinnati Area, as in most of America, at least the populated areas, there are hospitals everywhere, most people even in America, forget that we rank 17th in the world in health and 1st in the world in money spent on pharmaceuticals and care for our sick nation. That being said the Cincinnati area is still rich in farming, and there are a few farmers out there who still care about the environment too as well as nutrient rich foods. So nutrients close to hospital is the truth.
May 11th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Hi Scott,
Can you comment on the digestability of Raw Meat versus cooked? I have entered into a discussion with a biology teacher, who wants to know about how protein is denatured in cooking, thus making it burdensome nutrition for the body.
Thanks
Also, we met with Aajonus yesterday for a family consult experience, which was awesome, 3 hours of personal question time and his expert advice, priceless!!
May 11th, 2010 at 5:08 pm
jason,
are you in cincinnati? i am - and just wanted to connect with like minded people. i had a consult with aajonus last year but didn’t think it was worth the money i paid for it. did you do the iridology?
May 11th, 2010 at 6:18 pm
Hi Jason,
The digestability of protein foods such as meat are severely compromised by cooking. Fundamentally, this is due to the loss of enzymes which tolerate little to no heat at all, differing from vitamins in this respect. Raw meat is amply provided with cathespin, which when consumed becomes an exogenous enzyme which acts specifically within the pH range of 3 to 4, precisely that which exists in the part of the human stomach in which preliminary digestion occurs, the cardic portion. This pre-digestion relieves the heavy digestive burden which would ensue, pending the destruction of these enzymes by cooking. Observe, in nature, when a lion consumes a zebra or when a large snake eats a small mammal, a large distention in the stomach is evident. Cathepsin from within the prey itself now become food enzymes for the host’s benefit. The prey’s own digestive enzymes are also utilized by it’s new owner to further relieve the digestive burden. Imagine the excessive digestive enzyme secretions which the pancreas and salivary glands would be required to produce in the absence of enyzmes from the prey. Enzyme deficiencies would utimately result, followed by malnutrition and finally disease.
The second, and arguably equally important point you raise is the effects that attempting to digest proteins which have been denatured by cooking present to the body.
Firstly, cooking meat creates three main toxic elements:
1. Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) are produced by the burning of lipids (fats) within the meat, the smoke from which infiltrates the meat and is a known carcinogen.
2. Heterocyclic Amines (HCAs) are formed in the blackened portoins of cooked (particularly grilled) meats and is a known carcinogen, and
3. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) Usually reserved for cooked carbohydrate discussions, these are also present in cooked meats relative to the amount of glycogen within muscle meats and liver. They store in a healthy body at a rate of 70% (more in an unhealthy body) and are known to cause accumulative toxic effects.
In order to combat the degenerative effects of consuming these substances along with our cooked meals, the body expends and leaches massive amounts of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, proteins, hormones and cells. To compound the effect, these nutrients themselves are already compromised since the cooking process has altered their shape, size and chemistry, causing biochemical confusion and producing many residues and debris.
All this unneccesary work leaves the body vulnerable to cellular weakness. Normal functions decline as toxins continue to accumulate, leading to deterioration and disease.
Of course, the final stages of digestion and assimilation are performed by bacteria, specifically E.coli. which further dismantle food particles for their ultimate utilization by the body, particulalry the brain and nervous system. The bacteria which feeds on cooked meat mutates and becomes diseased, excreting volatile toxins and upsetting intestinal flora balance. Despite all I have said of enzymes and digestive secretions, these are never enough to fully fractionate food molecules into utilizable substances. Therefore, the eating of meat raw as opposed to cooked, with all of it’s natural bacteria present also serves to facilitate digestion since most would be destroyed at high cooking temperatures.
I hope this provides some evidence for your argument.
May 12th, 2010 at 7:03 am
Scott, thanks for your reply, I hope we can continue to educate, while living the dream of optimal health!!
Hyesun, I live about 2 hours north of Cincinnati, I lived there about 9 years ago, while playing football for the College of Mount St. Joseph. If you would like to meet up, that would be neat, as there isn’t too many people from Ohio, who are as progressive about health as I. We have been following the Primal Diet for going on 4 years now, and we do the Iridology exam each time, noticing remarkable improvement each year on the PD.
Thanks again Scott.
May 12th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Hi Scott and all,
Excellent to see this most valuable site. I have been on the PM diet for almost 3 years now, and eat a lot of raw fish and raw chicken, as well as non heated butter, creme fraiche and honey. In addition I drink raw vegetable drinks twice per day. I must admit that I still from time to time eat cooked foods, as I get cravings and normally try to listen to my body. I also, use a home made infrared lamp sauna which is just excellent for extraction of toxins. I have had a problem with fear and anxiety since I was little (probably was born with it), this has caused me a lot of stress and no doubt been punishing my body (as well as mentally). I have had chronic fatigue (about 3 years ago) for almost one year, and it was first when I had two root canal filled teeth removed, when I started to improve on the PM diet (started the PM diet 6 months before the teeth were removed).
I have a few questions for you:
1. Eventhough, I have probably improved about 40% since I commenced on the PM diet, I am still very lethargic, sluggish and feel “worn out” e.g. have limited energy. Some time ago, I went for some acupuncture and was informed that I have plenty of energy within me, but it seems to be blocked. I do think that my lymphatic system is clogged up, I tend to cough up a fair bit of gunk (since last 6 months or so) any suggestions on how to improve?
2. I get frequent headaches, and know from hair sample tests that I am high in copper and mercury (fillings I guess). I add on occasions parsley and coriander to my vegetable drinks and it has good effect in releasing the metals, but the headaches can be horrendous and long lasting (also add GB3 to remove metals quicker from my body)and I am well aware that my body gets very stressed if too much is brought up. The release of metals also causes fear and anxiety, welcome your suggestions.
Anders
May 12th, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Do you think it makes a big difference if one is 80% PD (not PM as mentioned in previous comment) vs 100%? I should add that being on the PD for almost 3 years, I have seen excellent improvements in my digestive system, dry skin has disappeared, am a bit calmer and collected, and I laugh a lot more than before. I have also noted some other developments, I have gained probably 10 kilos, despite eating less now than before, could this be because of toxins in my body? Seems to be impossible to shake off the kilos. Any suggestions on what to do? I frequently get periods of exhaustion and lethargy as well, the difference is that is not permanent as before.
May 13th, 2010 at 6:46 am
Hi Scott,
Firstly can i commend you on your commitment to this blog and to your diet, i have just spent the last 2 hours reading it, mainly out of curiosity and interest, i don’t think i am at a point where i feel eating raw meat is for me or my family, but you never know in the future! Can i please ask you a few questions:
Firstly, i am thinking about preparing green smoothies for myself and 3 kids for breakfast, i have a 7yo, 6yo and 3yo, what combinations would you recommend for me and them? also i have a 1yo that i still breastfeed, when can he start on green smoothies? i have a standard breville blender not a supersonic twin engine like thing, will this do the job?
Secondly, i think i may have a candida problem that began sometime in my last pregnancy and feel concerned that my baby may have it too as he has had a white mouth on two occasions. I seriously don’t think i feel comfortable feeding him worms or soil (sorry if that sounds offensive, but i just find it so full on!!) but have read about ‘clay’ on this blog, can you elaborate on this and where i can purchase it? I am in Melbourne.
Thankyou for your advice, the whole food thing is so oermwhelming and stressful especially when responsible of feeding a household of 6 and i am just trying to sift through all the information and taking things one step at a time. You are so good for supporting all the people that follow this blog, i feel like i have come to know many of you tonight in my readings, best wishes, Jo
May 13th, 2010 at 7:10 am
Hi Scott,
Firstly can i commend you on your commitment to this blog and to your diet, i have just spent the last 2 hours reading it, mainly out of curiosity and interest, i don’t think i am at a point where i feel eating raw meat is for me or my family, but you never know in the future! Can i please ask you a few questions:
Firstly, i am thinking about preparing green smoothies for myself and 3 kids for breakfast, i have a 7yo, 6yo and 3yo, what combinations would you recommend for me and them? also i have a 1yo that i still breastfeed, when can he start on green smoothies? i have a standard breville blender not a supersonic twin engine like thing, will this do the job?
Secondly, i think i may have a candida problem that began sometime in my last pregnancy and feel concerned that my baby may have it too as he has had a white mouth on two occasions. I seriously don’t think i feel comfortable feeding him worms or soil (sorry if that sounds offensive, but i just find it so full on!!) but have read about ‘clay’ on this blog, can you elaborate on this and where i can purchase it? I am in Melbourne.
Thankyou for your advice, the whole food thing is so overmwhelming and stressful especially when responsible of feeding a household of 6 and i am just trying to sift through all the information and taking things one step at a time. Thanks for your advice, Jo
May 13th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Hi Anders,
The reason that nutrition is still considered by many as an alternative health modality is that it is essentially a preventative approach with subtle results considered to be long range. Symptoms are considered to be evidence for certain underlying ailments and the wholistic treatment of the body is paramount to healing. This is as opposed to the conventional medical approach which is focused on the remedial sabotaging of symptoms so that instant relief is experienced yet the underlying problems are never addressed.
It takes a long time to turn an unhealthy body into a healthy one, sometimes many years, and the symptoms of ill health will persist during this time to allow us to discover the root causes. Whilst you can expect to feel a certain progression towards optimal health in the short to medium term, (in your case you say 40% after 3 years) it will take many more to achieve your ultimate goal. Think about how long you have eaten poorly and been unhealthy and consider that reversal will take at least the same length of time. It takes at least 7-10 years for the body to regenerate most cellular structures, longer for bones.
Eating only about 80% Primal is fine if you decide to go that way, however your progression will reflect this choice. Most people who consider themselves to be Primal Dieters are somewhere within this category.
One of the advantages of the fact that detoxification is a lengthy process is that it’s much easier for the body to deal with in small doses and far less damaging and invasive on bodily tissues and syptoms. I don’t reccomend any action be taken to instigate the detoxification process (other than sound nutrition) but you can do certain things to assist the process. For your lymphatic congestion I suggest taking at least 2 hot baths weekly in order to soften hardened lymph, followed by some mildly intense activity to get the lymph flowing.
For the metal toxicity, what you are doing is fine, just steer clear of chelation therapies which are far too invasive and damaging. Obviously, try to avoid any further heavy metal exposure. For the toxic blood stream headaches which accompany this process, try drinking 1 cup of freshly squeezed orange juice mixed with 2 or 3 tablespoons of honey.
The excess bodyfat you have gained is ideal. I would not be attempting to lose it at this point since it will be required to bind with the toxins released during detox so that they are not reabsorbed.
Overall, remain confident in the knowledge that you are doing the right thing and don’t be discouraged by the length of the process.
May 13th, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Hi Jo,
I’m glad you found some of the information here useful. It sounds like you may well be the logical type who may persue this type of approach in the future…no pressure!
At the risk of confusing you a little more, here is my view on feeding yourself and your children green vegetable juices or smoothies.
For you, this would be fine. In fact, in my opinion this would be the perfect meal to start your day. I have a preferrence for juice as opposed to smoothies since plant cellulose is difficult to digest, but to start with either would be fine. Use predominantly green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale and add mint or small amounts of sweet fruit and cucumber (peeled) for consistency. Some raw honey would also be beneficial. Your Breville will be fine for this purpose. If you progress to a more Primal approach, juicing is preferred, predominanly celery with parsley, corriander, carrot and maybe some pureed cucumber.
The reason that this meal is suited to start the day is that adults have a tendancy to awaken in a slightly overly acidic state and the vegetables provide an alkaline environment to balance this effect. However, in general, as an acidic digestive environment is preferred to digest cellular reproducing and regenerating foods such as meat, eggs and dairy, the alkalizing effects of the juice/smoothies are subtle enough so as not to disrupt this effort as these foods are consumed later in the day.
For children, particularly those under 13 or 14 years of age, the story is quite different. Children in this age group have a tendancy to be overly alkaline, mainly because of the myriad of hormones floating around and also because of their immature digestive systems. Therefore, an alkalizing meal is not ideal, in fact, barring the odd peice of fruit and/or vegetable a childs focus should be on the cellular generating foods mentioned earlier, being meat, eggs and dairy which provide for growth and vitality. Breastfeed your one year old for as long as you think he is thriving, and then focus again on protein building foods.
So what do you feed the children? For breakfast, I feed my 6 and 8 year old a raw ‘custard’ mixture consisting of 1 raw egg, 3-4 tablespoons of raw butter and/or coconut cream, 1 teaspoon of honey and a few tablespoons of papaya. This blended mixture is roughly neutral in terms of pH, and delicious. They also have a glass of raw milk which suits a more acidic digestive environment.
The clay I use is Bentonite clay available online from www.healingclay.com.au. Rather than being overly concerned about eliminating the syptoms of candida, focus on creating an environment where it cannot thrive. Nutrition, and specifically digestion is the key here. You need not be eating worms or dirt to achieve this although these can be useful strategies.
I hope this helps. If I’ve skimmed over something or missed something entirely , please feel free to ask as many questions as you like!
May 13th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
Hi Scott
Thanks for your prompt reply. I love the idea of the green juice in the morning, i have so little time and that sounds so quick, easy and healthy, will definitely try it soon. I remembered that i do also have a juicer, in saying that the cellulose is difficult to digest, is that why you prefer juicing because it removes the fibrous content? Can you please give me an idea of portions of the vegies/fruits? Also, is silverbeet ok too? and what about beetroot? or does it have too much sugar? In regards to the kids, is there a subsitute for papaya that you recommend, ie banana, mango when in season? i don’t know if papaya is available here in Melbourne in the cooler months. Thanks again!
May 14th, 2010 at 12:17 am
hey scott, was just thinking, are there vegies or fruits that you would most definitely exclude from juicing??
May 14th, 2010 at 6:12 am
Anybody experience sleepiness after eating meat? What to do about it?
It seems that sometimes, when I eat meat, I get sleepy. This usually happens after the mid day meal (which usually is meat & butter). I feel less sleepy if I eat less. I suspect it’s about hyper or hypoglycemia. The feeling was probably 3 times more intense when consuming a cooked meat meal, but even with raw it’s still there sometimes.
Also red meat seems to trigger this more than white meat.
The meat is usually from supermarket and at room temperature(if that counts).
May 14th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Hey Mike,
Meats are more difficult to digest for some, are you eating your meat sometime say an hour after consuming vegetable juice? The vegetable juice floods your system with enzymes for assisting breaking down the meat so you can fully utilize it.
You should feel sleepy after eating a cooked meal, it requires so much more energy to digest. I normally eat 2 large meat meals, in the morning and in the early evening, and while drinking vegetable juice at a minimum 45 minutes before eating. In the afternoon, if I begin to feel sleepy, usually what works best for me, is eating an egg or two with a little honey or drinking some naturally sparkling mineral water with lots of honey and lemon or lime juice.
Eating eggs seems to be the best for me, they completely digest in 11 minutes, my kind of fast food!!
May 15th, 2010 at 2:12 am
Hi Mike, have you heard of Metabolic Typing? It sounds like you’re perhaps a Carbohydrate Type. Carb types don’t gain optimal energy from eating protein dominant meals, especially red meat. It makes them suglish and sleepy. A protein type is the opposite and thrives on dense meats as it gives them longer sustained energy and enables them to feel satisfied for longer periods. I think there is a website exclusive to Metabolic Typing, otherwise you could google it.
May 15th, 2010 at 7:10 am
Mike G,
Do you tend to have a slower metabolism or have glycemic problems?
Do you normally drink vegetable juice before you eat your meat meals?
It does take considerable more energy to digest meat, compared to eggs, especially when the meat is cooked as Scott noted above in Post 492. If I get tired in the afternoon hours, I find it best to start eating eggs, with a little honey in between, usually after 1 or 2 raw eggs, my energy comes back as eggs are digested within 11 minutes (the ultimate fast food!)
Depending on where I am at or who I am with socially speaking, I may prepare a mix of naturally sparkling mineral water with 5 tbs of unheated honey and 3 or 4 tbs of lemon or lime juice, to avoid tiredness midday. I generally only notice times of tiredness heading into a detox, but what is great is after the detox, I have so much energy I want to seize the day!
May 16th, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Hi Jo,
yes I juice to remove the fibrous content of vegetation. I start with about 80% celery then add things such as parsley, coriander, carrot or beetroot (no more than 10%) and peeled pureed cucumber. If you use predominantly celery you can add whatever you like, just avoid too many high sugar vegetables. Exclude fruits (other than bland ones such as cucumber, zucchini etc.) altogether since concentrating these sugars would be detrimental. Eat fruits whole. You should be able to find papaya/paw paw year round, if not, use bananas, mangos and avocados for the children.
May 16th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
Hi Mike,
I think it’s coinicidental ! It’s not uncommon to experience tiredness in the early afternoon regardless of what you eat. It happens to me occasionally, relative to my activity levels in general as well as specific physiological circumstances I may be encountering. My suggestion, if you feel tired, is to sleep. A midday or afternoon nap is always beneficial.
May 17th, 2010 at 2:52 am
Hi and thanks for the responses.
Indeed, I found that eggs are best for the midday meal as they don’t tend to get me so sleepy.
I only drink vegetable juice in the morning, but lately I have neglected doing it.
About the metabolic typing, I tried eating just apples with butter and it was the same effect.
Btw, the only way to completely eliminate the sleepy midday, for me, is to eat only once a day. I don’t do that anymore because I want to gain more weight now. Another way is to engage in some physical activity. For example, one day I worded at a standing desk and inevitably I moved a lot more, so I did not feel tired at all (except in my legs a little bit). Maybe part of the problem is that these office chairs are getting way to comfortable and the body thinks it’s time for a nap.
May 17th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Mike,
Again, don’t mistake sleepiness as a negative phenomenon. Sleep is used by the body not just to correct energy deficiencies, but also to provide the metabolic environment for recovery and healing. Usually, when one is following a sound diet, being tired during the day is an indication that the body is routing excess nutrients and energies towards healing tasks (and away from activities of daily living) and the optimal state for this process is a restfull one. Regardless of how sound and construct your diet is, you should always expect to go through periods (sometimes quite long ones) whereby your body prefers to allow more recuperation than at other times.
The Primal diet is geared to assist these phases in general terms by allowing for minimal digestive effort and maximal nutrient density and regenerative capabilities at all times. So it’s generally unnecessary to adjust nutrient timing when you feel specific periods of tiredness. Once again, what your body craves when it is tired is sleep, not more nutrients. Once the stimulus for recovery (food) has been provided you also need to provide the right environment for any physiological adaptations to occur.
If your lifestyle allows it, sleep when you’re tired and be physically productive when you’re not. Don’t allow social timing to interfere with your health as this amounts to fighting against your body’s instinct to act for it’s own survival and maitainence. Sleeping during the day is normal for all animals.
Using exercise as an analogy, food is the equivalent of the activity demand. Both provide the stimulus for further physiological adaptation, but without adequate recovery time, or sleep, the effects of the stimulus will not be realized and diminishing returns will result.
This is not to say that you won’t experience a progressing level of vitality and improved energy utilization on the Primal diet, just that sleep is always going to be a prerequisite for optimal healing, so don’t fear it. As the years go by you will most likely require less sleep relative to your health status.
May 18th, 2010 at 4:22 am
Everything you said makes perfect sense, its so unfortunate that my lifestyle, or at least my means for making a living here in the US require me to stay awake through periods of tiredness. Do they still take “Ciesta’s” in Mexico? You know the naps after lunch, that would be sweet!
Vendors are always trying to sell energy drinks or shots of “5 hour energy” because Americans are so tired midday ( there are teenagers walking around at the school I teach with energy drinks in hand- because they are so tired )trying to keep up with the rat race. Eggs get me through. It is amusing to me how people who know I am on the diet, are expecting me not to be tired, now I have some more to share with them other than I need a nap — so nice response about napping and the Primal Diet!
May 20th, 2010 at 5:38 am
Scott,
There is no way you are 25 percent body fat! I trimmed down to 27 percent and look nothing like you. How do you direct all your fat to your muscles?
As for J-reps, when not lifting for bulk, do you tone with High Repetition J-reps?
Thanks
May 20th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Jason,
No I’m not 25% BF but I’d like to be at least 20%. (although I was at one point). Currently I hover around 15% yearround although I haven’t checked recently. I view my bodyfat percentage only from a health perspective and not an aesthetic one, so my aim is to increase it propotionately as a protective health measure.
Interestingly, what I have found with Aajonus is that it is possible on a raw food diet to have a much higher bodyfat percentage than physical appearance would suggest. It’s Aajonus who is 25-27% bodyfat regularly (I’ve checked!) although he appears visually to me to be no more than 15-17%. This is because, as you know, raw fat calories behave much differently to cooked ones and are chemically much smaller molecules since they expand with heat.
So it’s not so much directing fat to muscle, but rather removing old un-utilizable fat stores and replacing it with physically smaller more compact fat stores, since a too low bodyfat level would not allow for optimal health.
I use the J-Rep method because it allows an ecclectic, freestyle approach in which I am able to combine a higher volume of exercise and maintain a high intensity, rather than lifting heavy or light on different occasions. Repetitions are always in the high end (about 60 seconds of tension time per set) but I always approach or reach momentary muscular failure.
May 21st, 2010 at 4:35 am
Scott,
In your experience what has been the safest way to kickstart removing ‘those old un-utilizeable fat stores?
Also as my body has began immense healing, the toxins are jamming up my lymph nodes and I am noticing more and more hard nodes through out my body? is the only answer to take hot baths with the pineapple drink?
Thanks
May 21st, 2010 at 7:29 am
Jason,
You can also try to stimulate lymph circulation with energy medicine techniques (like massaging the neuro-lymphatic reflex point).
Check out Donna Eded’s book.
I’m not sure if it’s better than hot baths because I usually do showers.
May 23rd, 2010 at 8:35 pm
Jason,
Raw fruits and vegetables, including juices and puress, as well as raw apple cider vinegar, gradually disassemble and release old stores of cooked fats. Replacing them with raw fats serves to complete the process, as well as to bind with the released cooked fat and toxins to escort them to the bowel for elimination. Raw eggs and avocados are particularly good for this process, preventing released toxins from restoring in the body during elimination.
Exercise is also beneficial in many instances of stubborn fat removal since it has the effect of heightening metabolism and circulation.
As for the lymphatic congestion, the things that posess lymphokinetic actions are smooth muscle contractions, breathing (specifically deep inhalation), arterial pulsations, postural changes and passive compression such as massage. I like to combine at least 4 of these by using specific exercises which trace the lymphatic vascular sysytem and synchronizing with deep breathing. I also enjoy a very light lymphatic massage occasionally.
HOWEVER, if the lymph is in fact hardened and consequently not able to flow easily, then the hot baths are the only way to soften lymph, and this should be a precursor to the exercise. The pineapple formula acts to prevent or at least slow the re-hardening of the lymph after the bath.
Hard or swollen lymph nodes don’t really confirm lymphatic congestion since they may result from intense proliferation of lymphocytes at various times, but most people do suffer from some degree of congestion anyway.
May 24th, 2010 at 12:05 pm
Hello, and thanks for the responses, I checked the book out on Amazon for 3.95, so that was easy. Scott, I eat plenty of veg juice with cuccumber puree, how do you incorporate raw apple cider vinegar, do you add it to drinks in certain amounts?
I have begun some light barefoot running to stimulate nerves and loosen up before beginning my split routine J-reps workout, which doesn’t take very long, but the results have come quick.
Could you describe more of the arterial pulsations, and postural changes, I hope I am not wrong in assuming the breathing comes with the J-reps. The lumps I am refering to may be lymph nodes and they may be fatty deposits that are beginning to harden. I do know that from my last check up from Aajonus that lymph is getting jammed, and after that I began noticing the hardened lumps.
Its hard not to wonder what they are, and the curiousity to get them taken out, I ran out of high meat, so I began brewing some more, wondering if that may help break them down.
May 24th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Jason,
Yes, I just put about 1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar into my first green vegetable juice of the day. If you are drinking 3 juices in a day, skip the vinegar in the second one and use it again in the last juice of the day.
Some light barefoot running sounds great. The lymphokinetic actions I spoke of (arterial pulsations, postural changes, muscle contraction, inspiration and passive compression) are all achieved by efficient exercise, even the passive compression is performed by smooth muscles pressing against the lymphatics, resulting in the central flow of lymph. Yes you are already practicing synchronizing breath and movement during J-reps. Obviously, when you take a lymphatic bath, your exercise intensity is limited by the fatiguing effects of the preceeding bath. I am working on putting together a Youtube video instructing how to perform efficient lymphokinetic exercise.
May 24th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
For those of you who might be interested there is great dairy available at the Manly West Market, Hill Street (off Sydney Road) Manly, every Saturday 8am to 1 pm. Also at St Georges Height, Mosman, Middle Head Road (turn at the sign for Shot Cafe and then follow the organic market signs) every Thursday 9am to 3pm.
The products sold include: jersey butter, creme fraiche, buttermilk, goat milk yoghurt, fresh goat curd, surface ripened cheeses (both cow and goat). You can also find fresh quality organic fruit and veg, oil, condiments as well as cleaning materials.
Regards
Anders
May 24th, 2010 at 6:04 pm
Hi Scott, have you had any experience with people who have had (or presently have) chronic fatigue and the impact of eating raw dairy? I have heard some people say that eating raw dairy could have an adverse effect. I personally had chronic fatigue a couple of years ago, and still have the same feeling on occasions, e.g. listlessness, lethargy, brain fog, and an ability not to think straight. Also, could you outline the benefits of eating animal intestines e.g. liver, kidney and so forth and the benefits, as well as the amounts to eat and frequency.
Thanks
Anders
May 25th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
Scott, the apple cider vinegar made my juice tase really good this morning!
I am looking forward to your videos!
May 25th, 2010 at 4:23 pm
Hi Anders,
Thanks for posting your market reference.
I have only personally witnessed and heard about the positive affects attributed to the addition of raw dairy to the diet of Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia sufferers. In fact, I believe that raw dairy, particularly butter and cream are essential to the reversal of these conditions, along with a 100% raw diet including plenty of raw meat.
Eating animal intestines specifically is usefull for it’s microbial/parasitic content particulalry in cases of digestive disturbances.
Other offal, from healthy organic grass fed animals is usefull for it’s high vitamin, mineral and fat content. I eat these (especially liver) according to availability and preferrence, usually once a week. If you have specific ailments requiring a more supplemental approach, you can consume them more often. Check out Aajonus’ liver drinks, gland boosters and power drink recipes in the book ‘The Recipe For Living Without Disease’.
May 25th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
Jason, I enjoy the taste of vinegar in my juice as well. Many however don’t, (including Aajonus). In this case, just tip a small amount of juice into a seperate jar, add vinegar and drink this ’shot’ seperately to the rest of your juice.
May 27th, 2010 at 5:50 am
Hey Scot,
Have you seen this write-up about Aajonus, by Matt Stone.
There’s some discussion going on over there:)
May 27th, 2010 at 5:51 am
It’s this one- http://180degreehealth.blogspot.com/
May 27th, 2010 at 7:40 am
Hi Scott,
What kind of vinegar do you use for the juice? Is it ok to use vinegar that from whey?
May 27th, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Hi Mike,
I use organic raw-unfiltered apple cider vinegar. Whey could be a reasonable substitute though.
Jul 7th, 2010 at 10:40 pm
Anyone interested (I know there are quite a few) in acquiring either organic, raw, grass fed cows or goats milk in the greater Sydney area should contact me very soon. I’m in the process of establishing a co-op with limited memberships available. Stay tuned!!
Jul 20th, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Hi Scott,
I am interested in your experience in dealing with people suffering with adrenal burnout or adrenal exhaustion. Apparently this is a fairly common ailment today. I have been diagnosed with adrenal burnout and have had it for many years. I have previously been adviced to take supplements to assist with this. However, since I started on a raw diet I have not taken any supplements anymore (except some to deal with copper elimination). I have real problems in getting any traction and suffer from strong feelings of fear, anxiety and listlessness. Are there in your view any specific raw foods which are particularly beneficial for ab/ae? Do you have any success stories to share with us?
Jul 20th, 2010 at 11:40 pm
Hi Anders,
Easily the most significant person that I have managed through an adrenal exhaustion/anxiety crisis is myself.
I suffered for about 6 years with what is, as you suggest, far too common an ailment these days, and one which from personal experience can be quite debilitating.
It took me quite a few years before I discovered the nutrtional link to my emotional state, which previously I had thought was caused predominantly by an incorrect philosophy leading to irrational thought. Whilst this aspect did require addressing, the nutritional cause is clearly the primary issue.
I learned by experimentation that certain foods would allow the physiological precursors to emotional feedback (secretory glands and organs) to rest and ultimately heal to the extent that their functions would normalize and/or be controlled. I repeat, these issues are clearly physiological rather than psychological. Healing begins at the cellular level, and any attempt to mask the symptoms with pharmaceuticals is a mistake.
The total healing (complete cellular replacement) of glands and organs takes approximately 12.5 years to achieve on an optimal diet, although enough healing to alleviate most symptoms of adrenal exhaustion and anxiety can occur in about 2.5 years. Since a massive amount of bioavailable nutrients are required to achieve this task, a raw food diet which contains alot of animal fats and proteins is the only diet which can provide the necessary units for cellular regeneration and reproduction within this timeframe.
Alkalizing foods such as whole fruits, vegetable juices and honey are also necessary for proper healing.
Eating 1-2 nut formulas per week, ( 1/3 cup of raw nuts, 6 tablespoons of raw butter or coconut cream, 1 raw egg and 2 tablespoons of honey, blend nuts first then add all other ingredients) will provide starch to bind with excess hormones to alleviate symptoms of anxiety. Drinking naturally sparkling mineral water also dilutes excess hormones. To maintain constant blood sugar during panic attacks, eat raw honey and butter or fresh dates and butter. If no relief is experienced within 12 hours of consuming the nut formula (you have not been able to digest it), you may need to try eating a cooked starch to provide starches and/or glutens to arrest hormone toxicity. I have found that air popped corn with lots of butter is the most useful for this purpose (watch a cheery movie at the same time!). Simple pastas and breads and potatoes are also useful at this time. After 2 years of predominantly raw eating, this should become unnecessary. I think from memory you are a little behind this schedule since you have been predominantly raw for about 3 years.
Overall, trust that you are doing the right thing as the evidence and proof of those that proceed you (including myself) is strong.
Jul 21st, 2010 at 4:33 am
Hi Scott,
What do you think about going “zero carb” (only meat and fat) in the long term? What are the positeive or negative implications?
Some people in the raw paleo forum started this experiment and the results vary from person to person. The general belief is that the body goes through a transition period and adapts to digesting fat better. In this period they report some degree of lethargy and some of them can not even continue, while others have no problems for years.
Also, If you know any more tips for sunburns let me know.
I tried egg white, kefir, coconut cream+butter+honey on the skin and they don’t seem to work that fast (the skin is still read). I did not apply them immediately, but after about 24 hours, so that may also count.
Jul 21st, 2010 at 5:19 pm
Hi Mike,
I think that humans are inherently more like carnivores than they are omnivores or herbivores. If you observe the empirical evidence, including that of tribes such as eskimo and masai, it’s quite clear that humans thrive on carnivorous diets. However, this is relative to the health of the individuals involved. Every other lifestyle aspect of these tribes was in harmony with nature also. No, pollution, no chemically adulterated foods, no industrial by-products and hence, no requirement for the cleansing and supplemental properties of carbohydrates such as vegetation products and sugars. A small amount of carbohydrate is also necessary for the proper utilization of fats and proteins, such quantities can be found in animal tissue itself ( including the liver and skeletal muscle which holds glycogen) and stomach contents, and also in the animals milk in the form of lactose. I don’t believe any carnivorous animals or human tribes live “zero carb” since they eat whole carcasses including these elements.
I don’t however find that there is any requirement what so ever for conventionally recognized ‘carbs’, such as grains or refined grain products, other than for it’s remedial properties in unhealthy bodies.
It’s true that the body will undergo a stage of metabolic ketosis as a result of eliminating carbs and switching to fat only for fuel. I believe this is a beneficial process and that fat is the preferred and much cleaner fuel source for all humans since it eliminates the production of Advanced glycation End Products. Long term however, most people will require at least 5% of there calories be in the form of carbohydrates in order to achieve optimal health. Vegetable juices, whole fruits and purees, honey and milk will adequately provide this.
The best way to deal with sunburn is to avoid being burnt. Do this safely by applying coconut oil (the only one I use and recommend is Thai Organic Life VCO). The skin may still appear red, but no damage will occur.
The same oil is also a useful for remedy for any type of burn when used topically and ingested.
Jul 21st, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Scott,
Thanks much for your reply. I have a couple of follow-on questions if you do not mind. You can respond to my email anders780@hotmail.com if you like as these questions are more of a personal nature, but I do not mind if you publish it on the website.
1. Through some conversation with people on the raw paleo diet, I have been informed that there appears to be a strong correlation between adrenal exhaustion and raw dairy e.g. this in a negative way. I used to eat a lot of raw dairy incl raw butter, raw cream, raw cheese and raw milk. However, I got very bloated and also had some dizziness as well. Since cutting out raw dairy (4 weeks ago) my bloating is severly reduced and the dizziness is gone. However, to complicate matters further, I also cut out raw vegetable juices as well. So not sure which of the two is the culprit. To make matters more confusing, you have stated that personally you have had great success in eliminating adrenal exhaustion by including raw dairy. Have you come across any problems in relation to raw dairy and elimination of adrenal exhaustion? I understand that raw butter is the prefered fat, can I substitute it for raw coconut? What is the problem in your view of excluding raw dairy in total?
2. Did you ever use any adrenal supplements to support the adrenal glands e.g. either eating raw adrenal glands from an animal and/or taking adrenal supplements? Did you take any other supplements for support e.g. vitamin c, vitamin e, selenium, vitamin b6 and b12 etc. all recommneded to support the adrenal glands?
3. What specific symptoms did you have before and after in relation to the adrenal exhaustion. I have issues in regards to anxiety and fear, mind racing, difficulty to focus my mind in conversations etc.?
4. Are you claiming that adrenal exhaustion issues mainly is a result of physical nature rather than psychological and can therefore be cured simply by eating the right foods e.g. a raw diet?
5. Were you during the time of correction of the adrenal exhaustion on a 100% raw diet or only partly? I must admit that if I am completely honest my diet is not close to 100% raw. I frequently eat cooked foods during almost every week-end, and then raw during the weekdays. Do you think this can be a problem in correcting adrenal exhaustion?
6. How did you come to the conclusion that you had adrenal exhaustion? In my case I did a hair sample test through a reputable laboratory in the USA and the four electrolytes (potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium) were all low indicating a state of abnormal stress and exhaustion of the adrenal glands.
I am sorry for asking so many questions but I have suffered from this for such a long time. I guess since my early 20s and I am now in my early 50s, so for over 30 years. I did have a very severe accident when I was 21, and I understand that the accident could be part of the problem, but am still keen to get this addressed properly.
Much thanks and regards
Anders
Jul 22nd, 2010 at 4:34 pm
I’d prefer to answer here since I think others may find the conversation interesting.
To answer your questions in point form;
1) I am unaware of any negative consequences relating to the consumption of raw milk products and the incidence of adrenal exhaustion. I find the suggestion hard to comprehend since all mammals use milk as their primary food source during their developmental years, when hormonal sercretion is extremetly high, the function of which is supported wholly by milk. Any potential for milk to cause adrenal dysfunction would be a severe contradiction to survival.
As far as consuming the milk of another species, the hypothesis that certain milk proteins (a2 casein) can ellicit a hallucinogenic effect in certain individuals (such as autism sufferers) has no empirical evidence to support the claim. In order to improve the digestibility of milk in general, I suggest drinking milk/cream at room temperature with the addition of 1 tablespoon per liter of raw honey.
Yes, raw coconut cream is a useful sustitute for raw butter in most instances. A very high quality coconut oil (such as Thai Organic life VCO) is also extremely useful. However eliminating dairy altogether is a mistake since it is the most functional food available. Not only do the health promoting benefits of consuming raw dairy exceed it’s simple nutritional purpose, it has the ability to alter it’s properties as it’s form changes. For example raw butter has the ability to perform a separate fuction to either cream or milk. Compared to raw dairy, most other nutriment substitutes are nutritional lightweights, therefore sometimes adjusting to some digestive difficulty or bloating is a worthwhile compromise.
2) I never used either synthetic or natural supplements to affect adrenal regeneration. I relied 100% on the wholistic dietary approach which proved successful. All of the recommended vitamin/mineral/enzymes are present in the most bioavailable forms in whole raw foods. However, I have seen improvement in certain individuals who have been able to source and consume raw, organic glands and organs.
3) I personally experienced all the symptoms you describe, plus muscle weakness, extreme lethargy, weight loss and social phobias.
4) Yes, this is a physical issue, controllable and completely reversible by proper nutrition, although a correct philosophy is also very useful to elevate mental focus.
5) I was only able to completely heal on a 100% raw diet, with lots of animal fats and meat. Your ability and rate of healing will be compromised by the addition of cooked foods to your diet.
6) I have used various diagnostic methods including HTMA as well as conventional blood testing and symptom evaluation procedures to gather evidence to support a conclusion. Objectively, I think the approach needs to be quite broad in order to establish proof. It’s unlikely that you will reach a point of proof as such, but rather probability as opposed to possibility. The retrospective proof however is indisputable.
A single severe acute injury does have the potential to cause major endocrine disruption and is possibly a factor in your case, but this is a moot point since the treatment would be the same regardless.
Consume lots of foods which have the potential to create cellular regeneration and reproduction (raw milk products, meat, eggs, etc.)
Aviod foods and situations which do not offer such support and likely act against your efforts (synthetic chemical foods, pollution such as houshold chemicals, industrial chemicals etc.)
Optimize your viatamin D levels by getting adequate sun exposure.
Please do not apologize for asking questions. Ask as many as you like and build your evidence to support your actions based on the evaluation of the quality of your responses. I’m more than happy to help where ever I can.
Scott.
Jul 23rd, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Hello All,
To add to the discussion, I have found that simply adding a few drops of fresh papaya juice to raw milk also helps aid in digestion along with the unheated honey at room temperature. We learned this raising our twins on Raw Cow’s milk, per Aajonus a few drops of papaya did the trick.
Also for Sun Burn and or protection from it, I have found that by rubbing raw milk into the skin, once the sun begins to feel like it may be burning you, has prolonged my enjoyment in the sun without fear of burning, it almost feel like the suns heat is being reflected off of you once you do it. Raw foods have amazing properties!!
Jul 24th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Hi Jason,
Thanks for your input as usual.
You’re right, papaya juice will do the trick, particularly when unripe since it contains lots of papain enzyme.
Whole raw milk is also good for sunburn treatment/prevention, it’s only limitation being that since it is not particulaly oily, it doesn’t stick to the skin very well, requiring frequent applications, particularly for spot application. Since I have begun using the best coconut oil in the world (Thai Organic Life VCO) my opinion of coconut oil for this purpose, and many others including ingestion, has been reinvigorated. Conventionally produced, expeller pressed or cold centrifuged oil (all heated at some stage of production) do not work any where near as well.
Jul 25th, 2010 at 6:48 am
I have noticed that with the milk, and frequent applications, I need to get some of that coconut oil. The raw milk works nice when you have no other options, so I guess the idea is when in doubt, error on the side of raw fat.
I wonder if anyone has heard of oil-pulling, we started going to a holistic dentist about 6 months ago, and she suggested swishing coconut oil around in your mouth for about a minute and then spitting it out, the first thing of the day. It pulls toxins out of the gums, and I have noticed a noticeable difference in the health of my teeth and gums in the short time I have practiced it(not that my gums were in peril to begin with), just thought I would add that to the list.
Jul 25th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
I thoroughly recommend that you get some of that oil. I know Aajonus buys directly from Thailand, but for most the shipping cost is fairly prohibitive. I will have it available over here in about 8 weeks time, as I am ordering a bulk shipment to reduce the shipping costs. I think there is a guy in New York who is bringing bulk quantities into the US.
As well as all of it’s other attributes, this oil is perfect for oil pulling. Luke once posted here about oil pulling which sparked my further interest. I like the concept, although I have tried it, I have not personally done so for long enough for the perceived benefits to occur. I have seen others achieve good results.
Just like anything else, the quality of the substance used is of vital importance. I predict that results from oil pulling would be greatly improved if a very high quality oil is used, either stone milled organic virgin olive oil or fermented (no heat) virgin coconut oil.
Jul 25th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
Hi Scott,
How is Thai Organic Life coconut oil different to this brand?- http://www.naturepacific.com/contents/en-us/d132_how-banaban-virgin-coconut-oil-is-made.html
Jul 25th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Hi Anita,
The oil you mention, along with all other so called raw cold pressed virgin coconut oils , is produced by first cooking the fresh coconut meat using a furnace fuelled by the coconut husks. They call this ‘drying’ the meat, but as temperatures reach or exceed 60 degrees celsius (140 degrees F) all enzymes and therefore healing properties of the oil are destroyed. This cooked meat is then either expeller pressed and/or centrifuged to seperate the oil from the remaining moisture which produces friction and therefore further heat exposure. Ideally, to maintain it’s full nutritional integrity, no oil should be artificially heated above 96 degrees F, or 36 degrees C.
Traditionally, the best method for oil extraction has been fermentation, where the fresh meat and water are left to ferment and seperate over 24-36 hours. The oil could then be skimmed and filtered off the top.
Unfortunately, since the fermentation method is slow and far less productive and efficient than the newer expeller pressing or centrifuging methods, it has now almost ceased to be used commercially. Even those who do continue with it (some Fillipino oil is still produced this way) have altered their technique by heating the final product in order to remove more water so as to yield more oil. Obviously this also results in a much poorer nutritional quality.
Basically, like every other food which has become a highly tradable commodity, the quality of coconut oil has suffered significant damage as producers are forced to compete with ever reducing margins.
According to my research, the only oil which now exists which is truly raw (never heated or chemical treated) is Thai Organic Life VCO, which is hand made in Koh Samui using fresh, organic, wild harvested coconuts.
Their process is as follows,
Fresh coconut meat is hand pressed to yield ‘coconut cream’, then placed into glass cylinders.
A bacterial starter is added (much like that used in cheese making). This allows a faster fermenting period (8 hours as opposed to 24+) wherby the coconut cream seperates into portions much like curds and whey.
The layers form with a protien head on the top, the oil in the middle and water below that.
The white protein head is scooped off allowing access to the oil which is then filtered through pure cotton filters until the desired clarity is achieved.
Because this process is slow and commercially inefficient, the cost to the end user is higher than the other oils mentioned. Not all coconut oil is created equally. Thai Organic Life VCO is the best quality oil produced anywhere in the world currently, and it’s demand in certain markets reflects this. It is for consumers looking for the absolute best quality VCO available.
Jul 26th, 2010 at 1:18 am
Do they sell Thai Organic oil in Europe somewhere? I used one that had cold pressed on the label and it seems to work somehow. Probably not as good as the Thai one would.
I recently got something looking like a ganglion cyst (or bible cyst) on the back of my wrist. I think it’s from over stretching and it shows when I bend my wrist inward. There is no mention in WWTL book about that so I tried massaging/pushing it, but that did not work. Do you have any suggestions on how to deal with it?
Thanks.
Jul 26th, 2010 at 8:49 am
Scott, I researched a product that is purchased by a local whole food supplier, called Wilderness Natural. They claim the meat is dried at temperatures never above 103 degrees F. I know that drying causes a nutrient loss as well as the heat. I wish I could order in bulk, can you put me in touch with the fellow from New York. Until I can buy some of the good stuff in a bulk order, I will use the nutrient deficient one, unless you would be willing to part with a jar and ship it to america in a refrigerated cooler, lets see what that may cost? what do you think
Jul 26th, 2010 at 4:14 pm
Hi Mike, I’m not sure if there are any distributors of Thai Organic Life VCO in Europe.
They all claim to be ‘cold pressed’ since there are no raw food labeling laws anywhere in the world. If you check with the manufacturer you will find it has been heated prior to or after extraction, and will also have had heat applied as friction during the extraction process relative to the method used, all of which damages the attributes of the oil.
The only suggestion I have regarding your ganglion cyst is to break the capsule containing the fluid so that it is reabsorbed into surrounding tissue. I have used this method successfully many times. If you pierce and drain it, it will recur. This doesn’t necessarily mean striking it with force (such as the implication with ‘bible cyst’) but rather manipulating with enough pressure to break the subcutaneous capsule. This should be simple enought to do as long as the lump isn’t painful. It will become soft and squishy and eventually disappear.
Jul 26th, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Jason,
I know about a product distributed by Wilderness Family Naturals in the US. I assume this is the same product you are referring to. Up until about 12 months ago, they offered a product which was produced by fermentation in the Phillipines, the quality of which was very good, equal to that of Thai Organic Life VCO.
However, they have now discontinued this product, presumably for financial viability reasons, in favour of a centrifuged oil which is cheaper to produce and most likely the one you are getting. Big business claims another victim!
The information I have on the NY importer of Thai Organic Life VCO is this;
Lee G./Tone Enterprises LTD.
36 McDuirk Street
West Hampton, NY 10936 USA
Tel. 501-241-3701
Let me know if you have any success contacting them. If not I’ll do my best to help you out. I can sure send you some from this end ( I have a very big bulk order arriving soon) and I’m happy to get you a shipping quote if you wish. A refrigerated cooler won’t be necessary since the oil is very stable.
Jul 26th, 2010 at 9:34 pm
Hi Scott,
How much is the Thai VCO per litre?
Jul 26th, 2010 at 9:55 pm
Anita,
Since I decided to import it fully packaged into glass bottles (since their process never involves the use of plastic or steel containers, both of which leach chemicals, I didn’t want to lose this benefit by shipping in steel or plastic drums) the cost will now be around $50 per litre, or $25 per 500ml bottle as packaged. Those prices are ex Australia and in Australian dollars. To order 1 litre directly from Thailand and shipped to Australia costs about $100 Australian dollars shipped in glass bottles, so I am able to offer a 50% discount on this price.
Jul 26th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
They responded by email that there is a 50% cost reduction if ordered in 200 liter barrel (probably made of metal) of VCO sent by sea/ land. Wow, that’s a lot of oil.
Meanwhile, if I want just a bottle, it will cost me up to 4 times the price listed on their website.
By the way, the brand I recently used was from Now Foods (the only one I could find here).
PS: The cyst does not hurt unless I apply too much pressure or I bend my wrist too much. It probably takes more time that a 10 seconds massage to get read of it.
Jul 26th, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Hey Mike, email me your address and i’ll see if I can do better for a small order.
flexrx@bigpond.com
BTW, it’s not how long you apply pressure to your wrist for but rather with what intensity.
Jul 27th, 2010 at 7:27 am
It’s actually not that hard to make raw coconut oil yourself. Make coconut cream, and let it sit out on the counter on a hot summer day. When the oil splits from the ‘curds’, transfer it to the fridge very carefully, without shaking. When refrigerated, the oil is very hard, while the curds are much softer. It’s easy to then separate the oil from the curds. I discovered this by accident when I forgot to refrigerate coconut cream on a hot summer day.
If the coconut cream doesn’t separate after a day or two, then it’s not warm enough. You can try putting it in the oven or on a heating mat, but be very careful not to overheat it!
Jul 27th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
You’re right Michael. That’s exactly the process that Thai Organic Life use except that they add an innoculant to hasten the fermentation process so that it takes 8 hours rather than 24+. They also skim and filter rather than refrigerating. They also have the advantage of a tropical environment so they always maintain the optimal temperature for fermentation to occur.
It’s not difficult for sure, but it is hugely time consuming and requires LOTS of coconuts to produce decent quantities. I inadvertantly also make oil each time I make coconut cream, but I could never make useable quantities this way.
Jul 28th, 2010 at 5:10 am
Hi Scott,
As a huge fan of coconut oil I had no idea that it was processed this way. I am very interested in your Thai coconut oil. Are you selling this and if so how can we purchase it. We also drink raw milk but can’t get a hold of raw cream or butter. You mentioned you were starting a co-op. How does this work and are there any spots left to join?
Jul 28th, 2010 at 5:42 am
Thanks people… enjoyed the conversation on adrenal exhaustion/anxiety. I have been meaning to ask about this.
With the sunburn issue, I have experimented with different things over the years as I am a fair skinned freckle covered being. I agree with Scott but I have also used with very good results applying fresh urine. It does not work while swimming though. Urine is also good for assisting in healing after being sunburnt or even cuts and abrasions. After an operation on my ankle I applied only urine to it regularly and it healed amazingly quickly.
Jul 28th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Hi Lisa,
I will be able to offer you the Thai Organic Life oil in about 8 weeks time. I’ll set up a link from this blog to let you know when it’s available.
As for the co-op, more spots will probably be available soon. At the moment mostly milk is being distributed with small quantities of cream and butter. Some participants buy a large quantity of milk and process their own cream and butter products. Feel free to contact me via email for more info.
flexrx@bigpond.com
Jul 28th, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Hey Luke,
Great to hear from you. I see you’re still extolling the virtues of urine!
Of course you are correct. The healing properties of urine are significant. I’ve never used it as a sun lotion but it is fundementally the same as coconut oil and milk in the sense that we are not attempting to block UV rays but rather nourish the skin in order to prevent damage from occuring. Since urine is essentially blood plasma minus the red blood cells (not that different to milk really) then it’s nutritional attributes are quite high. Add to that the fact that it contains proteins with user specificity (assuming you are using your own!) then it’s probably a good option.
Jul 29th, 2010 at 1:19 am
Here’s some others who think so, too! http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/urine_therapy.html
Jul 29th, 2010 at 1:46 am
Anybody knows a more natural way to get read of dandruff? I mean really get read of it, not over time, slow things.
This stuff is the only thing that keeps me from dropping the shampoo. Ideally, I would use something that I can also eat.
So far, I tried egg, egg yolk, coconut cream, but they don’t seem to work to get read of it.