"Eat Like A Predator, Not Like Prey": Paleo In Six Easy Steps, A Motivational Guide

[DasBlunt]

Exactly. None of the plants that Paleolithic people ate are found in a supermarket, because no one would buy crabapples or ancestral bananas. And much of the meat we ate is from animals that we hunted to extinction.

That's why it's more about staying away from things we DEFINITELY didn't eat (cereal grains, legumes, seed oils) than trying to exactly recreate what we did eat.



That's not true AFAIK. Prevalence of lactose intolerance varies from <10% in Europeans to 100% in Native Americans. Prevalence of HLA-B8 and other HLAs related to celiac is also very unevenly distributed. And tests for a single gluten antibody give results from <0.5% to 15% of the population, depending on the population studied.

Anyone ever consider evolution of our dietary systems?

[Spats]

(Edit to add the article that started this thread, for reference.)

Why do you say corn has less issues than wheat? Haven't people been eating wheat much longer than corn, especially those of you with no ancestry in the Americas? Im pretty curious about this stuff but i like baking too much to cut my wheat significantly. Any suggestions, i suppose corn based bread can be done done and maybe dark ryes.

Wheat (and rye) has specific immune and endocrine disruptors in it: wheat germ agglutinin, gluten exorphins, and the awkward fact that gliadin increases intestinal permeability, which allows all sorts of crap to end up in your bloodstream that shouldn't. This is in addition to the anti-nutrients such as lectins and phytic acid that all grains share to some degree, and is the reason that wheat specifically is implicated by the China Study data in heart disease and weight gain, compared with rice:
http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/12/15/new...th-weight-gai/
http://rawfoodsos.com/2010/09/02/the...disease-oh-my/

Gluten exorphins are physically addictive. Yes, there are opiates in wheat, formed by the products of partial digestion of gluten. People have trouble dropping candy, but they get violent when you tell them to drop bread, and they can't resist the bread basket. There's a reason for that.

Corn isn't good for you either, but it's less bad than wheat. White rice is the least bad of the grains, containing the least anti-nutrients and metabolic disruptors.

Bad for you. Hand it over.

Moderate amounts of wine are, if anything, associated with longevity...and I'm not opposed to the occasional distilled alcohol. All I'm saying is there's a reason it's called a "beer gut".

Here's a suggestion that often seems to fall by the wayside but somehow always manages to come back in favor after a while: Moderation.

Moderate amounts of poison are a better idea than large amounts of poison -- but no poison is an ever better idea

[rather ripped]

My issue is this: When you start to talk with many people whom have gotten over the allure of crossfit (not saying you subscribe, just an example) you begin to hear the stories of aching shoulders and bla bla bla. I've worked out at a few crossfit gyms and in "globo-gyms" with people whom crossfit.

What I've found is that most in that category do not really understand the body and how it works. Many movements set people for injury and while crossfit coaches insist on proper form they lack the knowledge to understand and correct the reasons that there was a break in form. I've observed this in those whom are quasi-crossfit wannabe's and also in those who have crossfit coaching certifications.

I have eaten Paleo for a year and a half. Crossfit introduced the way of eating by way of a "challenge". 60 days, eat Paleo... before and after pictures to determine the winner. It was just for fun and wasn't meant to be scientific. The results were dramatic. People leaned out and one guy gained 15 lbs of pure muscle. I got second, but should have gotten first.

I have found Crossfit to be a great way to train. It is very difficult to find coached training with qualified trainers. The coaches at out affiliate are very high level - though not perfect. Doing what Crossfitters do can result in injury. Skiing is the same way.

Try looking for a personal trainer that can provide the atmosphere and challenge that Crossfit does all over the world. Personal trainers don't cut it, except for a few. High intensity training and heavy lifting - that's Crossfit. I personally believe that low intensity training ought to be included... wouldn't matter though, it's too boring for me.

I eat nuts and berries, fruits and vegetables, lean meat, fish and seafood. My supplement is Carlson Fish Oil - 8 tsp per day. I find I can eat as much as I like, as long as I am not abusive about it. I cheat once in a while, but try to avoid gluten. I don't eat: dairy, grains, legumes unless it's a cheat.

It works for me. My Crossfit eats Paleo/Zone, but I am not there yet.

[mrryde]

Spats,

After reading your post, this make alot of sense. Been doing it for almost a week now and already feel better.

One question. Whats your thoughts on Quinoa? I read an article a year ago and the called it a "super food". I've been eating it ever since. If I can keep that in my diet, I would be extremely happy.

[DasBlunt]

Quinoa, Amaranth, Millet...

[hafilax]

Moderate amounts of poison are a better idea than large amounts of poison -- but no poison is an ever better idea

I'm sure that you're trying to cute but that statement really sums up my issues with strict Paleo or Paleo inspired diets. It ignores the fundamental fact that the poison is in the dose and that the body requires a balance of everything that makes it work but also that it will work with an incredible variety of diets. There are a lot of nutrients that the body needs that are toxic in excessive doses. The fact that the forbidden paleo foods have bad effects when eaten in excess does not immediately mean that small amounts are still toxic. The body often works more with thresholds and not in some linear sense where less of a bad thing is less bad. There must be a level where you can eat bread and cheese and still be fine. Why isn't there anyone who wants to define it. Elimination is dishonest and a cop out.

The current Paleo mindset involves zeroing in on a set of issues and instead of looking for a balance they immediately jump to the conclusion that elimination is best instead of searching for the balance. As a consequence, on the other end of the spectrum there is the fascination with super foods. Having to find the ideal specimens of each type of nutrient source. Some take it to bizarre extremes like drinking a 1/4c of olive oil to supplement their calories. There's making wise choices and then there's succumbing to obsessive behaviour. Just allowing sweet potatoes is a major chink in the arguments behind eliminating white potatoes. How is eating 2 or 3 sweet potatoes per day OK but one white potato is poisonous?

The scientific studies I have seen all take a group of people with major diet issues either with weight or some special dietary need, feed them paleo foods, see improvement and then conclude that this will be true for the healthy population. And comparing to the average American diet is a strawman. It is quite obvious that that is not a healthy lifestyle.

The language of eliminating corn because it is bad for you is a lie. Entire cultures have survived on corn for generations. It's quite obvious that it isn't bad for you. They may be eating too much for the ideal diet but pointing to one issue and then concluding that it is best to eliminate it from one's diet entirely is just crazy. The same goes for sunflower seeds. Sprinkling them on a salad is not going to somehow throw off your omega-3 to -6 ratio and send you onto your death bed.

Can you really tell me that the 4 tablespoons of milk that I put in my frittata this morning is really going to throw my body into some kind of distress? Or that a quarter cup of bread crumbs in a meat loaf is going to send me on some terrifying glycogen roller coaster ride complete with cold sweats, sleepless nights and poison my blood through the leaky gut?

Maybe I've been reading too much marksdailyapple which has some outrageous fear mongering rhetoric. The hyperbole is really too much.

My final complaint is the meat emphasis. The emphasis should be on vegetables IMO. They go so far out of their way with the meat arguments that the advice to eat large amounts of and a wide variety of vegetables gets lost in the wash. Eat lots of veggies and satisfy your protein and energy requirements with meat.

While I'm at it, the whole 'leaning out' thing really pisses me off too especially with crossfit. Part of what attracted me to crossfit was the whole, we don't care what you look like we just care that your fit. But a lot of the crossfitters I see are falling into the same old fitness traps of defined abs and low body fat, especially the women. Women shouldn't have defined abs IMO, it's unhealthy and unattractive. Training athletes should not be at the bottom end of the body fat scale. That is your source of energy especially if your pushing into the low carb regime.

I can't tell you how happy I am to be back to my regular moderation diet. Strict Paleo is an illogical extreme IMO.

[natty dread]

Maybe I missed it, but why are beans bad?
Also curious about quinoa, been eating a lot of that over the last few months...
Interesting stuff spats, thanks for taking the time.

[rather ripped]

You can learn more about Paleo from Robb Wolf.com.

[Rontele]

other good paleo resources

Robb Wolf
Lorain Cordain
marksdailyapple.com
Art De Vany
Everyday Paleo

[glademaster]

You people think entirely too much about the food you're eating. It's great if it works for you, but 99% of the population would say "fuck it" to this diet in a week.

I'm a fan of avoiding processed food as much as possible and consuming roughly the same number of calories I burn every day, beyond that, I don't really care where they come from. As long as you get off your ass and exercise regularly I think the number of calories you consume relative to the number burned is far more important than getting them predominantly from meat.

Of course, I'm 22 I'd probably feel fine on a diet of tortilla chips and beer, so maybe you shouldn't listen to me.

I will say that grass fed and finished beef is by far my favorite meat, and I'm a former chicken lover (no, not chicken fucker).

[Spats]

There are a lot of nutrients that the body needs that are toxic in excessive doses. The fact that the forbidden paleo foods have bad effects when eaten in excess does not immediately mean that small amounts are still toxic.

Yes, it does, and you really need to stop talking right now because you absolutely have no idea what you're talking about.

-Wheat germ agglutinin is not a nutrient at any dose. It is a metabolic poison.
-Gluten exorphins have no beneficial effect at any dose. They are endocrine disruptors. Look up the connections between celiac and schizophrenia sometime, or the correlation between diabetes and gluten antibodies, or...
http://drbganimalpharm.blogspot.com/...ids-crack.html
http://www.nleducation.co.uk/resourc...rain-problems/
-Phytic acid bonds to minerals in the flour and in your digestive tract, and actually decreases the nutritive content of foods you eat with it! This is why all flour must be enriched by law in the US...otherwise we get deficiency diseases from our grain-heavy diet.
-Trypsin inhibitors...ah, trypsin inhibitors.

There may be a dose at which you don't notice the effects, just like there is a dose of lead or arsenic at which you don't notice the effects...but that doesn't mean it's ever good to eat lead or arsenic.

Just allowing sweet potatoes is a major chink in the arguments behind eliminating white potatoes. How is eating 2 or 3 sweet potatoes per day OK but one white potato is poisonous?

Because sweet potatoes aren't potatoes at all, and don't contain poisonous glycoalkaloids like solanine. (Which concentrates just under the skin, btw: peel your potatoes, kids, and always store them in the dark.)

People didn't just pull this stuff out of their butts. Quite a few Ph.Ds, M.D.s, and very smart people have spent a long time researching these issues.

The language of eliminating corn because it is bad for you is a lie. Entire cultures have survived on corn for generations. It's quite obvious that it isn't bad for you.

Now you're just being ignorant.

-Talk to me about the protein profile of zein, and which amino acids it's deficient in.
-Talk to me about pellagra, which killed hundreds of thousands just in America until we started 'fortifying' food with niacin.
-Talk to me about why anyone who eats a corn-based diet dies -- unless they also cultivate beans and squash to make up for corn's nutritional deficiencies.
-Talk to me about lectins, phytic acid, and trypsin inhibitors.
-Talk to me about why every culture that takes up agriculture, absolutely without exception, becomes shorter, sicker, and dies sooner.

Sure, if you eat a bunch of other things along with it, you can eat corn and not die...but why, when you have the choice?

If grains were nutritious, the government wouldn't have to 'fortify' them with vitamins and minerals in order to keep us all from suffering from rickets, pellagra, anemia, beriberi, birth defects, and other deficiencies.

The same goes for sunflower seeds. Sprinkling them on a salad is not going to somehow throw off your omega-3 to -6 ratio and send you onto your death bed.

No, it won't...but why eat them, when you have a choice of so many better foods? Even within the nut family you've got many better choices.

Can you really tell me that the 4 tablespoons of milk that I put in my frittata this morning is really going to throw my body into some kind of distress?

Depends on whether the cow is A1 or A2, whether you're susceptible to partial products of casein digestion, and whether you can digest lactose.

I eat milk products myself, being mostly European...but most non-white ethnic groups are majority lactose-intolerant.

Or that a quarter cup of bread crumbs in a meat loaf is going to send me on some terrifying glycogen roller coaster ride complete with cold sweats, sleepless nights and poison my blood through the leaky gut?

Probably not. Cheating is fine: I cheat regularly. But there's a difference between cheating and telling yourself it's good for you.

My final complaint is the meat emphasis. The emphasis should be on vegetables IMO.

Please provide evidence for this breathtaking assertion.

-How many calories are in vegetables? Not enough to live. The only way raw vegans stay alive is by eating huge quantities of bananas -- and they're still all deficient in B12, K2, folate, DHA, and a raft of other nutrients found solely or primarily in meat. Read some raw vegan message boards sometimes if you want to see a bunch of dying people claiming they're "detoxifying".

-What benefit does eating vegetables have? It's not protective against cancer, despite all the yammering, and it jams you full of fructose.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/fo...on-expert.html

-Vegetables are tasty, and break up the monotony. But meat is a far superior food source, containing all the essential nutrients you need to live.

I can't tell you how happy I am to be back to my regular moderation diet. Strict Paleo is an illogical extreme IMO.

Hey, if it works for you, great! I'm certainly not telling anyone how they must live their life. But don't spout a bunch of factually incorrect bullshit to justify it.

[geomorph]

Sweet, I'd love to see all 7 billion humans on this planet eating nothing but meat. I'm sure that would work out real well. Not like we've got food shortages already or anything.

[Spats]

Maybe I missed it, but why are beans bad?
Also curious about quinoa, been eating a lot of that over the last few months...
Interesting stuff spats, thanks for taking the time.

No problem! This is basically the endpoint of years of off-and-on dietary research for me. I enjoy putting everything together into a coherent picture. And if you want to learn more, I highly recommend reading the blogs of some of the people I linked to at the end of the article. (I think Dr. Kurt Harris' approach is the closest to mine: http://www.paleonu.com)

Returning to the food: Beans tend to contain the same sorts of anti-nutrients that grains do. In general, the concept is that seeds do not want to be eaten, because that's how the plant reproduces. But since they can't run away, they produce poisons so that they won't be eaten.

Note that we have to soak and cook beans in order to make them non-poisonous, let alone nutritious. That's a clue.

That being said, most beans are in the 'less bad' category compared to wheat. Going gluten-free is much of the benefit. If I had to pick the short list, it would be:
-Go gluten-free. Replace those calories with grass-fed beef and fatty fish.
-Supplement vitamin D and EPA/DHA.
-Try removing milk and cheese to see if it makes a difference for you: some find it's huge for them, some find no obvious difference. (Butter is OK.)
http://www.gnolls.org/1141/eat-like-...ational-guide/

AFAIK quinoa falls in the category with rice: "if you don't want to be strict about paleo, this is one of the better things to cheat on." But make sure to wash it well to get the saponins off...and sprout it if you can, because that makes it much more nutritious.

Really after you get the actively nasty stuff out (gluten grains, milk if you react to it), most of 'paleo' is an incremental process of replacing less-nutritious foods with more nutritious ones. I didn't 'go paleo' all of a sudden: I sort of backed into it over a period of years as a result of my own dietary research and figuring out what was ACTUALLY good for you -- vs. what we are told is good for you, which is "what the government pays Monsanto/Cargill/ADM billions of dollars to grow".

There's a reason we're told to eat 7-11 servings of corn, soy, and wheat per day -- it's because agribusiness subsidies create giant mountains of corn, soy, and wheat that need to be eaten.
http://farm.ewg.org/summary.php

[Spats]

Sweet, I'd love to see all 7 billion humans on this planet eating nothing but meat. I'm sure that would work out real well. Not like we've got food shortages already or anything.

We can't feed 7 billion humans as is...that's entirely based on strip-mining the ocean for fish and the land for topsoil. Most of the "statistics" about how meat is worse for the environment are vegan propaganda: very little land is actually suitable for growing crops vs. the amount of land ruminants can graze on. And did you know that rice paddies are the #1 source of human-generated methane emissions?

Read "The Vegetarian Myth" (written by a 20-year vegan) if you want to really get your head turned around.
Amazon.com: The Vegetarian Myth: Food, Justice, and Sustainability (9781604860801): Lierre Keith: Books

Or if that's too radical for you, try "Meat: A Benign Extravagance", the book that converted George Monbiot from a vegan to an omnivore!
Amazon.com: Meat: A Benign Extravagance (9781603583244): Simon Fairlie: Books

[iceman]

Yeah I won't spout any scientific bullshit but I do know one thing for a fact: zealots and true believers are always wrong. [edit: or if they are right it is purely by chance] That's all I got, that and a belief in moderation in all things as the only sane choice because so much remains unknown. Nobody knows enough about almost anything to know that they are correct. We don't even have any idea, no conception at all, none, of what remains to be known. Only zealots and true believers and sheep have the belief system necessary to take what the Jesuits used to tell us was "the leap of faith".

Wanna Oreo?

[Spats]

You people think entirely too much about the food you're eating. It's great if it works for you, but 99% of the population would say "fuck it" to this diet in a week.

Which is why I preface it with "Make progress at whatever pace you can. Don’t stress about perfect adherence, or obsess about making it all the way down the list: any progress you make will most likely improve your health, mood, and physical fitness."

As long as you get off your ass and exercise regularly I think the number of calories you consume relative to the number burned is far more important than getting them predominantly from meat.

Don't knock it until you've tried it There is a very real metabolic shift that occurs when you eat high fatty meat, no grains, low carb for a while: your body really does get better at burning fat. The other day I ate nothing all day and did a hard bike ride in the late afternoon, on zero calories. Normally I would have bonked hard.

Yes, there's a limit: I still eat simple sugars when I'm pushing myself really hard. But I can ski lift-served all day without eating breakfast. In fact, I can't remember the last time I ate "breakfast"...I haven't eaten yet today and have no urge to.

I will say that grass fed and finished beef is by far my favorite meat, and I'm a former chicken lover (no, not chicken fucker).

I agree! There's a definite difference with grass-fed. The fat is less greasy on my hands...I can feel it when I'm handling it.

[Spats]

Spats,

After reading your post, this make alot of sense. Been doing it for almost a week now and already feel better.

One question. Whats your thoughts on Quinoa? I read an article a year ago and the called it a "super food". I've been eating it ever since. If I can keep that in my diet, I would be extremely happy.

Glad it's working for you!

Like I said to natty: AFAIK quinoa is in the 'less bad cheat' category, along with rice. It's important to note that the more physically active you are, the more sugar ("carbs") you can eat.

Robb Wolf
Lorain Cordain
marksdailyapple.com
Art De Vany
Everyday Paleo

I agree that Robb Wolf and Mark Sisson are both strong sources. I think they're the best of 'mainstream' paleo (i.e. people with published diet books).

I'm not as big a fan of Cordain because he's still at least partially stuck on the disproven "saturated fat is bad" bandwagon, though he's done excellent research. So is DeVany to some extent, though his conditioning stuff appears to be spot-on. Low-fat "paleo" = epic fail. See this article:
http://www.gnolls.org/715/when-the-c...initely-paleo/

I tend to like the more hard-science blogs. Here's a partial list of those:

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com
http://healthcorrelator.blogspot.com
http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com
http://www.paleonu.com (probably have the most in common with his approach)
http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com (disagree on some stuff, but does great posts on gluten)
http://thatpaleoguy.blogspot.com/

[Ted Striker]

In general, the concept is that seeds do not want to be eaten, because that's how the plant reproduces. But since they can't run away, they produce poisons so that they won't be eaten.

Or they're indigestible. An animal eats a seed, but its digestive tract doesn't have what it takes to dissolve it, passes the seed, and a plant grows.

[Spats]

Or they're indigestible. An animal eats a seed, but its digestive tract doesn't have what it takes to dissolve it, passes the seed, and a plant grows.

Yes! That's how fruits work: bribery. "Eat this delicious, nutritious fruit [and crap my seeds out somewhere else so I can grow another tree]."

Avocados, mangos, and Osage oranges work on that principle too: they were eaten by mega-herbivores like giant ground sloths and mastodons (which the Paleoindians killed off).

The problem with seeds, like grains and beans, is that there is no fruit to provide the animal with nutrition: their strategy is to be poisonous, and to disperse immediately upon maturity, as all wild grains do. One of the first things that happened when grains (grasses) were domesticated is that the mutants which DIDN'T drop their seeds immediately on maturity were selected for, so they could be harvested.

iceman: the truth is out there. Yes, 99% of what you see in the major media is bullshit: eat this, now eat that, now don't eat this, whatever. But I've been researching this stuff for years, and trust me: I love bread. If I felt I could keep eating it in quantity I would, because it's a PITA to avoid it. But the research has piled up...

...and most importantly, I know how I feel when I'm eating well vs. eating grains. I just ate a big meal and I'm typing this right now. No food coma, no falling asleep. Will I continue to cheat? Sure. But I don't fool myself that it's good for me, just that I want it more than I don't want the consequences.

[hafilax]

Spats, I never said that corn is good for you, I said it isn't bad for you. It's a subtle difference but an important one IMO.

Ok, I read these links
http://drbganimalpharm.blogspot.com/...ids-crack.html
http://www.nleducation.co.uk/resourc...rain-problems/
but I have a few major questions. They both cite complications associated with people with celiac disease which, as I understand it, is a allergy or sensitivity to gluten. Celiac disease affects about 1% of the population but lets say that the estimate is off by a factor of 10 since it is agreed that it is under-diagnosed. That's 1 in 9 people. Can studies on a group of people with an abnormal sensitivity to a substance be used as an argument for eliminating that substance for the remaining population? Should we also stop eating shellfish? What am I missing in the logic here? The reasonable move to me would be to get tested for celiac disease.

The arguments I agree with in the Paleo literature are the ones where they point to a healthy population and pick out the good aspects of their diet. The ones I have trouble with are where they take a small portion of the population that have food sensitivities and extrapolate the results back to people who don't have these issues. Especially diseases with a genetic component.

The vegetarian argument is a strawman. Meat only has all of the vitamins necessary if you eat organs and fat. Eating only muscle meat will lead to rabbit starvation/ protein poisoning/ caribou starvation. Vegetables fill out the mineral and vitamin content of your diet especially if you only eat muscle meats which most people do. When I'm talking about a vegetable emphasis, I'm talking about the area of my plate. I don't count calories, I don't measure macro nutrient ratios and I don't know anyone who does. My salad and vegetables take up more area on my plate than my steak. That is all. I don't think that most people eat enough vegetables given the heavy dependence on lean muscle meats. I know you stress that people should eat organs and fat but also doubt that people will follow that tidbit. Again, pointing out that vegetables don't prevent cancer or heart disease is not an argument against eating vegetables. We are omnivores after all.

The argument that all poisons should be cut out from the diet is ridiculous. I've said it a few times but I'll repeat it again; apples contain cyanide yet apples are good for you. All nightshades have nicotine. Have you cut out bell peppers, tomatoes and eggplants from your diet as well? Wouldn't want to get arthritis.

I'm convinced that grains and beans contain substances that are bad for you but I have yet to see an honest discussion of where the line is drawn. Especially for beans which the body obviously can use otherwise there would be a lot of dead vegetarians. Show me that small (whatever that may be) amounts cause excess inflammation and leaky gut. Your body can obviously use these foods if only as fuel. Why does everything have to be nutrient dense?

For the record, I think that Paleo is on the right track and better than just about any other dietary recommendation out there but that strict adherence isn't necessary and that people shouldn't beat themselves up over 'cheating'. It's not cheating, it's living life and enjoying eating. Don't eat pasta, bread and cake every day but eat conscientiously and intelligently but not dogmatically. The last part is pure semantics and not really even worth arguing about.

I know I am quite ignorant on the subject but I'm not an idiot and this is how I learn.

[Eastside]

Don't knock it until you've tried it There is a very real metabolic shift that occurs when you eat high fatty meat, no grains, low carb for a while: your body really does get better at burning fat.

This is true. My eating habits in the last year attest to that.

[Rontele]

I agree with you, Spats about Cordain in the "lean meat" myth. However, Paleo for Athletes is a great resource and would be helpful for a lot of folks on this board, especially those that like to backcountry ski or mountain bike long distances. Knowing when and what types of carbs to eat is important.

I also added you to my Google Reader.

iceman believes in moderation in jeans

[Kevo]

I agree with you, Spats about Cordain in the "lean meat" myth. However, Paleo for Athletes is a great resource and would be helpful for a lot of folks on this board, especially those that like to backcountry ski or mountain bike long distances. Knowing when and what types of carbs to eat is important.

I also added you to my Google Reader.

iceman believes in moderation in jeans

Can you please give me the cliff notes version of what carbs are best to eat for said purposes?

Recently started crossfit. I'm sure I'll soon be indoctrinated with Paleo this and that...lots of people at the gym buying large amounts of buffalo, etc.

The thing I wonder about though- in my personal experience, I've performed much, much better at high altitudes (>14k Ft) when I've loaded up on carbs in advance. I'm climbing Denali in May, and would be interested to try out different types of carbs now to find out what works best for me.

[farmer]

other than bacon and eggs (and various variations thereof, ie omlets), what would your suggestion for breakfasts be? I've been a cereal eater for 20 years. Its fast, its easy, and its cheap (poor college student here)

I do like the "more veggies, more red meat" ideas though.

I think for most people, just starting to exercise in some way shape or form would be a major benefit. I'll admit I was pretty sedimentary this fall. I was also living in the dorms, which means eating the cafeteria food regularly. (ie, deep-fried everything) I was turning into a fat ass.

This semester, I'm out on my own, going to the gym / pool 5 mornings a week, and mining practice a couple days a week (which is probably a lot closer to the type of exercises that you're recommending than most other types)

Its only been a week of this full routine, but I'm already noticing the differences.

Once the rest of the pasta is out of the house, I'm going to try out this paleo thing. Sounds delicious (although I may have to cheat with perogies. Those things are delicious, and a great reason to eat bacon)

[iceman]

iceman believes in moderation in jeans

Actually, iceman believes in eating like the omnivore he is and that we have both canine teeth and molars for a reason. But he's not trying to sell it to anybody.