New to this; health issues; and I want to heal! (Hello all)...

[sevenpoints]

Hello everyone,

I found this forum, oh I don't know, roughly a week ago; I'm not sure at this point what led me to it exactly, but I've been coming back to it again and again, because the more I read it, the more it makes sense.  So before delving into what I'd like to say and asking for advice I'd like to seek, I'll say, "hello!".  I'm glad to have found this place.

I'm a nearly twenty eight year old guy; I've dealt with health related issues for much of my life, despite being in a healthy home with caring, holistically minded parents, bottles of supplements everywhere, and with some obvious mistakes along the way, eating what most people would consider an above average, "healthy" diet.

I won't go into the full details of all the health problems I've been dealing with here.  I'll summarize them, though for anyone interested, I had recently started a thread on the famous (or infamous) Cure Zone website; I'm the original poster of the topic, going by the same username as I am here.

My issues, while varied, are from what I can gather, all related in the end to one another.  Possibly I'm dealing with:

-Adrenal fatigue or some imbalance
-Candida
-Food Sensitivities/Skin irritations upon eating many things/maybe leaky gut
-Environmental Sensitivities
-Anxiety
-Some depression

Actually, those sound like some of the issues that I've read of some of the people around here dealing with, too!
The Cure Zone thread can be found here, for those interested in greater detail:

http://www.curezone.com/forums/am.asp?i=1575140&s=1#i1



A few key points I'd like to mention here in case some respondents don't read the contents of the above link, a summary I suppose:

-I was likely born quite gluten sensitive; I didn't know, and ate it until 3-4 years ago; when I developed psoriasis (or flaky dermatitis?) on my elbows, I had a lab stool test; they found lots of gluten antibodies.  I cut it and all dairy except butter out entirely.  The psoriasis vanished - though damage to the gut may remain...?

-In my late teen years and early twenties, I abused numerous drugs: -Pot -Speed -Meth -MDMA -Mushrooms; if I had a time machine, I'd go back and whoop my butt, though it's in the past now, though not without some repercussions.  Later I developed a sporadic penchant for high quantities of caffeinated beverages.  None of this, nor my negative emotions I'm working on changing did my adrenal glands any good.

-I've often reacted to foods in one way or another; even gluten free grains - sometimes the highly "hypoallergenic" millet has given me headaches.  Beans have often made me feel yucky.  Seeds, too.  And some nuts, though I love eating them.  (I don't need anyone here to tell me that grains and legumes, and for the most part nuts and seeds aren't really the health-foods people make them out to be! - though I sure thought they were at the time).

-I used to be practically vegetarian; I did a bad job of it: lots of grains and breads and honey and beans, without much other protein, or actual vegetables.

-In the last few weeks, especially since catching a nasty 24 hour Noro-Virus puke-a-thon bug   - my symptoms have really flared up (that, I think, plus being under stress about many things has resulted in a culmination of health issues that have been brewing for years).  Anyone who clicks the Cure Zone link can see the lovely skin rashes that were flaring up after I showered, they developed after eating almost anything, and the water brought 'em to to surface.  Maybe old toxins coming though, or too much histamine from adrenals without enough cortisol to counteract it.  The things that gave me the worst rashes? Steamed broccoli and raw almonds.  And the almonds gave me gas that would clear a house, no joke.  Horrible.  Clearly, something's up in my guts, and my body's immune/glandular system has been in an overly responsive state.

__________________

Fast forward to now:
I've been monitoring how everything I eat makes me feel.  I've been eating mono-meals of one food at a time, with very little in the way of condiments (maybe a touch of black pepper, perhaps a dried herb, and sea salt).  I've already cut out all concentrated sugars (dried fruits, on which I've been known to gorge, as well as honey and maple syrup), all grains, gluten free or not, eggs (I ate four per day, scrambled, every morning for years, and now wonder if I was/became allergic to them).  No dairy at all.  And now, no nuts/seeds.  No vinegar.  No junk foods.  Only water to drink.

I seem to be slowly improving in the itchy skin department.  Unfortunately I've lost between 5 and 10 pounds in the last few weeks with all this going on, which sucks for me because I've always been thin and work hard to gain weight and muscle.

The foods I've noticed which have caused me the least reactions are:

-Wild Salmon, either canned or frozen and then cooked
-Fresh Fruit (organic apples, wild frozen blueberries), though more than a few pieces seem to make me itch, too

This makes me think (apart from the rationale presented through and through again on this forum by various posters) that, yes, there is something to this, 'specially since the two foods I am doing best with are: fruit and animal protein.
Oh, I should mention that I've taken large amounts of high quality coconut oil, too; I know this may not work for/be approved of by most here, but I wanted a different fat source for energy and to hopefully help kill candida.  I generally feel good when I eat it, though have gone through almost half a liter in about a week.

When I first found this place, I was like, "what? Raw meat? That's pretty extreme; I mean, good for them if they like it, but hell, I couldn't do that!".  Yet I came back.  And again, and again.  I kept reading, and the more I read and thought about it and how I feel, the less I was put off by it - and the more I seemed to understand that "healthy, vegetarian foods" (grains, beans, and some nuts/seeds) may not be so good for anyone, and perhaps downright bad for others - foods that I'd eaten in quantity for years.

So! Here I am, more and more interested in delving into this.  Health wise, I am taking a herbal liver and kidney flush; probiotics (I know not everyone here agrees with them), and will do a colon cleanse, 'cause God knows what's in there after all this time - that could be part of it, my body's just like "alright, somethin's gotta go, and I'll let you know by showing it through my skin".

I think I'd like to transition into a relatively low carb, omnivorous, raw paleo diet, carbs from fresh fruit, some vegetables - just about everything else from raw meat and animal fat.  I'm hoping it's possible to maintain a reasonably high intake of protein; I'm in my late twenties, and like to work out - since I've always been small framed, I enjoy whatever gains in strength and muscle I can get, but it has taken a fair bit of food to do that, and losing the weight I have recently shows me that I must burn through stuff fast.

So onto food ideas.  I think I can get into eating beef raw.  That seems to be most people's choice around here, anyway.  I know some use ground beef, but I think that to start with, I'm more comfortable with whole cuts.

I have some questions.  Please forgive me if some of these have been asked before - I've spent so much time reading that I've lost track of things a bit.  I should also mention that in the past when it came to meat, I was/still am a complete newbie, and whenever I cooked meat I was hyperparanoid about getting sick from it and always overcooked it - so I'm virtually clueless about how to handle meat.

1. If I don't use ground beef, are any solid cuts okay to use? Since I'm not planning to grill burgers or make steaks here, I'm assuming anything goes, but want to be sure.

2. I'm assuming that most of the meat I'd get will come frozen.  What's the best, safest way to thaw it - in the fridge, or covered on the counter? (And if it wasn't in the fridge, is it bad to thaw it in summery temperatures? I sometimes spend time on farms in my old trailer, and the climate in there is about the same as whatever the weather's doing outside.  It's got a propane fridge, but it's not large and can't hold tons of food - though the small freezer works excellently).

3. Do I need to rinse the meat off with water before eating? Would there be a problem doing so?

4. Fattier cuts are better - is that correct?

5. Will freezing really kill parasites? (I know what the general view about parasites is here, I just need some reassurance as a newbie).

6. I'm really interested in Lex's Beef Jerky; if I make the dryer and get the cuts of meat, I'd like to make some, as I always want to have food on hand in my backpack - though I guess that all those dried fruit Lara Bars and Vega bars can't be it anymore.  If I'm eating the jerky in a fair quantity, do I need to "supplement" it with another fat source? And (this is a daft question) as far as it's weight goes: If I made jerky using, say, four pounds of fresh meat, and it weighed X-amount when it was dried, I could still divide that weight by four, and that number would still be the equivalent of one pound of fresh meat, because all that'd be missing is water-weight, right? I mean, it would still have the same amount of fat and protein, correct?

6. b) How long will the jerky keep good for? Is it feasible to consider making enough to sit in jars and last a number of months without spoiling?

7. What about seafood? I really like fish, though don't have easy access to a fishmarket (and am more concerned about pathogens in fresh fish than beef) - can I get away with eating cooked (from frozen) fish sometimes, or is there any other way I can prepare it? If I get it fresh, can it dried/salted or something so it lasts longer and isn't quite raw?

8. Fat.  I keep reading about suet.  Is there anything else I can use, or should I just go for that - and how do you incorporate into your daily meat?

9. Marinading: I searched and couldn't really find much about this.  For the sake of reassuring myself about safety and also for flavor until getting used to raw, what are everyone's thoughts on using acidic marinade on cuts of raw meat (be it fresh, or thawed out from frozen)? I'm not using vinegar right now, nor dairy (so no whey), so I guess that leaves lemon or lime juice.  What'd be the best way to go about it, or is it just not worth it?

10. Transitioning: First, before going and buying a quarter of a cow or something, I'd like to make sure I do well with beef.  Like I said earlier, the least reaction-causing protein I've had (other than grains, beans, nuts or seeds) has been cooked fish, so that makes me think I'll be good with meat if I don't combine it with the wrong things - but I don't know if I can immediately jump into it raw (though one never knows)...

...if I start by eating cooked beef, are there ways of heating/cooking it that are less damaging, still easy for the body to tolerate, and safe (ie, is it even safe to eat partly cooked meat, or should it either be totally cooked, or totally raw)? What about, say, boiling it instead of exposing it to the searingly hot heat of a frying pan?

11. Poultry: I'll admit it; the thought of eating raw poultry just makes me shudder.  I've helped kill and prepare turkeys and chickens before but that doesn't change my reaction to the thought of eating their meat raw.  Should I then just not consider it, or is there any other way of preparing their meat to make it more palatable without degrading it.

12.  Are there any special rules which apply to eating/preparing organs? (I already know that I think I don't want to eat: kidneys, brains, lungs, or testicles, and perhaps not tongue).

13. Dried Fruits: Are they absolutely, one hundred percent the devil? I admit that they're addictive; I've gone through considerable amounts of raisins, dates, apricots, you name it, all dried before, and no doubt that's a lot of sugar which sure didn't help my gut of the yeast situation.  But I am enjoying a bit of fresh fruit.  If it's not always around, would it be truly bad (later in the game when hopefully I'm doing better) to eat *small* quantities of dried berries or apple slices?

Wow, lucky number thirteen.  Okay, that's more than a few questions.  I do apologize for the length of this.  I'd like to go about things the right way, and sincerely hope that changing to a different way of eating will be of great help to me.  Thank you all so much for taking the time to read this, and for anyone who can help, and let me know if you think at this point in my health it's too much to jump into raw of if I should just go ahead.

Oh - before I forget: I have some meat in the freezer.  My dad picked up the last bits that a local biodynamic farmer had on hand (these wouldn't be regular fare since they're so expensive from that kind of farm!): I have: a bit of stewing beef (chunks, I imagine), and a decent sized Short Rib Roast.

Are either of these good candidates for trying raw (or cooked gently if anyone has ideas on how to try that)?

Again, many thanks.  I guess this is the right forum since it's my first post, but if anyone feels it's better moved to another one, please do.

Cheers!

[kurite]

1. Yes any cuts are fine but try to make sure its grass fed and also if possible get organ meats to.
2. Always try to thaw it in the fridge unless you are planning on eating it right away.
3. No need to rinse the meat
4. Yes depending on the beef you get always try for grass fed.
5. Ive tryed asking this question and researching it a million times over, if you are actually dedicated to this diet parasites will not harm you and there is no reason to freeze your meat unless you want long storage periods.
6. If your using a fatty cut to make jerky then there is no need for supplementing. And yes all the protein is still there.
6. b)If you keep it in the fridge it can last months.
7. This is up to you the less cooked you eat the better off you are.
8. Marrow is also great and delicious.
9. I dont know much about this topic.
10. Boiliing is better and you will probably go through a secondary detox naturally through diet.

[kurite]

11. You could try drying it and then each time dry it less and less until fresh.
12.  Nope chow down.
13. No but the fresher the better and if your gonna eat dried then make sure the only ingrediant is the fruit your eating and not sugars and preservatives.
Good luck

[William]

1. If I don't use ground beef, are any solid cuts okay to use? Since I'm not planning to grill burgers or make steaks here, I'm assuming anything goes, but want to be sure.

Solid cuts are best. Ground is Ok if you do it yourself.

2. I'm assuming that most of the meat I'd get will come frozen.  What's the best, safest way to thaw it - in the fridge, or covered on the counter? (And if it wasn't in the fridge, is it bad to thaw it in summery temperatures? I sometimes spend time on farms in my old trailer, and the climate in there is about the same as whatever the weather's doing outside.  It's got a propane fridge, but it's not large and can't hold tons of food - though the small freezer works excellently).

Does not matter. I usually thaw it in the frig because it takes so long.

3. Do I need to rinse the meat off with water before eating? Would there be a problem doing so?

No need. Suit yourself.

4. Fattier cuts are better - is that correct?

No. Fat is essential, and the meat, while necessary, is secondary. ~70%fat by calories is usually best to start. That's a quarter of the surface of a steak, just to look at.
Please keep in mind that we believe in organic grass fed grass finished beef, which has no fat in Canada.
If you find such fat please pm me.

5. Will freezing really kill parasites? (I know what the general view about parasites is here, I just need some reassurance as a newbie).

Yes, it does.

6. I'm really interested in Lex's Beef Jerky; if I make the dryer and get the cuts of meat, I'd like to make some, as I always want to have food on hand in my backpack - though I guess that all those dried fruit Lara Bars and Vega bars can't be it anymore.  If I'm eating the jerky in a fair quantity, do I need to "supplement" it with another fat source?

I don't know; I think it depends on the state of one's immune system. I supplement with a raw egg yolk.

And (this is a daft question) as far as it's weight goes: If I made jerky using, say, four pounds of fresh meat, and it weighed X-amount when it was dried, I could still divide that weight by four, and that number would still be the equivalent of one pound of fresh meat, because all that'd be missing is water-weight, right? I mean, it would still have the same amount of fat and protein, correct?

Yes.

6. b) How long will the jerky keep good for? Is it feasible to consider making enough to sit in jars and last a number of months without spoiling?

If the meat and tallow are dry and kept airtight as in a sealed Mason jar, it is supposed to keep good for longer than you can live.

7. What about seafood? I really like fish, though don't have easy access to a fishmarket (and am more concerned about pathogens in fresh fish than beef) - can I get away with eating cooked (from frozen) fish sometimes, or is there any other way I can prepare it? If I get it fresh, can it dried/salted or something so it lasts longer and isn't quite raw?

Have you tried ceviche? The juice kills critters. I don't buy any except for the very rare Malpeque oysters.

8. Fat.  I keep reading about suet.  Is there anything else I can use, or should I just go for that

It's OK if you can eat it without unpleasant results. I can't so I eat tallow, which is practically pure EFAs instead.
I'm about to try ghee. Lard is said to be good, but you'd have to find an organic grassfed pig. These apparently do not exist.

- and how do you incorporate into your daily meat?

I eat a gob of tallow, chase it with pemmican or meat, and chase that with a raw egg yolk.

9. Marinading: I searched and couldn't really find much about this.  For the sake of reassuring myself about safety and also for flavor until getting used to raw, what are everyone's thoughts on using acidic marinade on cuts of raw meat (be it fresh, or thawed out from frozen)? I'm not using vinegar right now, nor dairy (so no whey), so I guess that leaves lemon or lime juice.  What'd be the best way to go about it, or is it just not worth it?

I tried ceviche with fish, it was OK.  Try it and see for yourself.

10. Transitioning: First, before going and buying a quarter of a cow or something, I'd like to make sure I do well with beef.  Like I said earlier, the least reaction-causing protein I've had (other than grains, beans, nuts or seeds) has been cooked fish, so that makes me think I'll be good with meat if I don't combine it with the wrong things - but I don't know if I can immediately jump into it raw (though one never knows)...

You are made of raw fat and meat, so the chance of a bad reaction depends on purity - Note Well - the fat proportion does make a difference.

...if I start by eating cooked beef, are there ways of heating/cooking it that are less damaging, still easy for the body to tolerate, and safe (ie, is it even safe to eat partly cooked meat, or should it either be totally cooked, or totally raw)? What about, say, boiling it instead of exposing it to the searingly hot heat of a frying pan?

Most who cheat sear the outside quickly. Boiling would be a bad idea, as some of us have noted really bad reactions to thoroughly cooked meat.

11. Poultry: I'll admit it; the thought of eating raw poultry just makes me shudder.  I've helped kill and prepare turkeys and chickens before but that doesn't change my reaction to the thought of eating their meat raw.  Should I then just not consider it, or is there any other way of preparing their meat to make it more palatable without degrading it.

Few eat it; I tried it and tasted OK, but hated the mushy texture.

12.  Are there any special rules which apply to eating/preparing organs? (I already know that I think I don't want to eat: kidneys, brains, lungs, or testicles, and perhaps not tongue).

Not that I know of.

13. Dried Fruits: Are they absolutely, one hundred percent the devil?

Yes. They are sugar bombs.

But I am enjoying a bit of fresh fruit.  If it's not always around, would it be truly bad (later in the game when hopefully I'm doing better) to eat *small* quantities of dried berries or apple slices?

*small* quantities of dried berries would be OK if you could control yourself.

Oh - before I forget: I have some meat in the freezer.  My dad picked up the last bits that a local biodynamic farmer had on hand (these wouldn't be regular fare since they're so expensive from that kind of farm!): I have: a bit of stewing beef (chunks, I imagine), and a decent sized Short Rib Roast.
Are either of these good candidates for trying raw (or cooked gently if anyone has ideas on how to try that)?

Any grassfed meat is OK for a trial, better with enough fat.

You might find this interesting: http://activenocarber.myfreeforum.org/about1646.html&highlight=bears+words+wisdom
Longer version here:http://activenocarber.myfreeforum.org/about22.html

[Nation]

If you don't have access to extra fat, just eat lots of medium ground beef, tongues, brains and yolk. That's what i'm doing, i believe my fat intake is 65-70%, i wish it was a bit higher than that but it's reasonable. Don't dismiss organs, you'd be surprised how good they taste andhow easy they are to get used to.

[PaleoPhil]

Welcome sevenpoints.

The foods I've noticed which have caused me the least reactions are:

-Wild Salmon, either canned or frozen and then cooked
-Fresh Fruit (organic apples, wild frozen blueberries), though more than a few pieces seem to make me itch, too

Your symptoms suggest an out-of-control immune system, as was mine, and wild salmon was also one of the foods I found I did well on when I started Paleo. Fruit was also one of the less problematic foods for me, as compared to grains, legumes and milk, but fruit turned out to be the source of some problems too, though I didn't suspect it for another 4 years or so. The first time I ate wild salmon, I ate a big serving and I got one of the biggest highs of my life, which suggests to me that I was particularly lacking in something the salmon contained--maybe the healthy fat that wild salmon is known for.

...the two foods I am doing best with are: fruit and animal protein.

I have found in my case that animal fat is even more important than the protein.

Oh, I should mention that I've taken large amounts of high quality coconut oil, too; ...I generally feel good when I eat it, though have gone through almost half a liter in about a week.

That suggests to me that you were in need of more fat and it is healing for you.

"healthy, vegetarian foods" (grains, beans, and some nuts/seeds) may not be so good for anyone, and perhaps downright bad for others - foods that I'd eaten in quantity for years.

As you may know, all those foods are relatively high in lectins and other antigenic plant proteins with similar molecular structures to bacteria and influenza viruses, which can trigger a sensitive immune system and cause it to attack proteins in itself (such as in the skin) via the pathological process known as molecular mimicry.

I'm hoping it's possible to maintain a reasonably high intake of protein

I would be more concerned about getting sufficient healthy animal/seafood fats, preferably from wild or 100% pasture-fed sources, for the highest-quality, nutrient-rich animal/seafood fats.

losing the weight I have recently shows me that I must burn through stuff fast.

In my case I had to greatly increase my intake of fats to reverse emaciation. YMMV

whenever I cooked meat I was hyperparanoid about getting sick from it and always overcooked it

I used to cook my meats rather thoroughly too, and preferred the leanest cuts, and the advice from the "experts" reinforced this behavior. I'd always been amazed at how people from more traditional nations could easily eat fatty cuts of meat that I found indigestible and thought were unhealthy--yet they always tended to be healthier people than the avg American when they first arrived in this country (though they later often succumbed to the American diet and its related health problems). I've noticed that it seems like the people who are most addicted to modern foods like grains and have the most health problems with them tend to prefer meats that are more cooked and leaner. Once I learned that this was an UNhealthy way of eating, instead of healthy, I gradually acclimated myself to rarer and fattier meats. Now I can bite into the fatty edge of a pork chop without trimming it, which would have disgusted me as a youth.

1. Ribeye is supposed to have a sufficient amount of fat and its a steak cut that I liked fairly well early on. If you wish to avoid steaks, then the wild salmon and other fatty wild ocean fish like herring are good. Some folks eat raw pork belly. I tend to add air-dried suet (beef kidney fat) to my meats and seafood. Sometimes I dip my seafood in liquid fish oil (like the Arctic peoples do with fish oil or seal oil or whale oil). I sometimes buy bone marrow for the fat, but I only have grain-finished sources for this. If you have animal/fish fats you can eat leaner cuts of meat/fish with them.

I've been eating raw 100% grassfed ground meat purchased at my local healthfood market for months with no problems. I don't worry much about bacteria and actually hope I am populating my gut with probiotic meat bacteria.

2. If I want meat to stay partially frozen, so I can eat it that way (like the Nenets of Siberia, BTW), then I defrost it in the fridge. If I want it to thaw the whole way I put it out on the counter and so far have left it there for 1-3 days. I welcome meat bacteria instead of fearing them (I consider most of them healthy in the pro-biotic sense), so I'm not worried about bacteria, other than anaerobic bacteria (bacteria that thrive in oxygen-poor environs) that tend to come from sealing foods in plastic.

Most cultures favor storing meats in cool temperatures, but traditional peoples in tropical climates hang their meats in the open air, generally just shaded by a roof or scraggly tree branches, which is still pretty hot.

3. No--just focus on buying good quality meats. A world-famous gourmet French chef with a TV cooking show told Julia Child he never rinses his meats and he looked at her like she was crazy for asking if he did.

4. It's a bit more complicated, IMHO. Fattier cuts of wild/grassfed are better, yes, but there's disagreement over whether fattier cuts of grainfed meats are healthier than leaner. Grainfed meats accumulate fat intramuscularly (which is called marbling). Heavy marbling is rare to nonexistent among wild animals and thus is not part of the Paleo template (though while intramuscular fat is much reduced in wild animals, my guess is that wild/grassfed intramuscular fat is healthy to eat). Wild animals do, however, accumulate rich stores of fat in other areas: the perinephric depot (suet, aka kidney fat), bone marrow, the back fat/hump, the brain, the buttocks and thighs, and under the skin (subcutaneous).

5. Supposedly two weeks of sufficiently low temp. freezing will kill most parasites, yes.

6. In my case I do "supplement" jerky with fat. I found that if I ate too much jerky and not enough fat and hydrated meat, my stools became drier, less digested, and harder to pass. I air-dry most of my meats now by just leaving them out, but they don't get as dry as jerky and I drink more water now too, which is something that heavy eaters of meat (including wolves and wild dogs) need to do.

Yes, the protein and fat is still in jerky.

Plastic traps moisture and thus quickly worsen the taste and hastens mold. I find the fridge also promotes mold. So I store my jerky in paper bags in the pantry and it lasts at least a week without mold except for the most humid days of summer.

Jerky preservation requires it staying dry, which depends on how dry the climate is where you live and how dry your home is in the various seasons. If you want jerky to last for months you're odds will be much improved by making it into pemmican or at least sealing it in tallow.

New England is relatively humid year-round as compared to arid climates, though indoors in the winter with a heater on high it can get very dry and dry your skin as well as keep the jerky dry. I keep my heater at only 62-64 degrees, because I don't need high heat now that I eat lots of animal fat.

7. Ability to handle cooked fish varies by the individual. I and others occasionally eat cooked fish or meats without problems, but others report problems with any cooking of foods.

8. The way I found I could make raw suet tasty for me was buying only 100% grassfed suet that is kept well dry (generally by vacuum-sealing) and then taking it out of the packages as soon as I get it home and air-drying it on the counter or in paper bags in my pantry (mainly so as not to shock visitors). Otherwise I have to render it into tallow to enjoy it. Dried and rendered suet also seems more highly digestible to me than suet straight from the market (which is stored in plastic). Some people report having trouble digesting tallow, however. I also like air-deodorized marrow (the soft type from the larger marrow bones).

9. I find acidic marinades like vinegar and citric juices to be a bit harsh on my stomach (history of gastritis) and mucous-forming (probably my body's way of protecting itself from the acids). I've never liked the taste of vinegar anyway, and it supposedly promotes candidiasis. YMMV

Most folks marinade their meats/fish overnight, covered in the fridge, in the citric juice. Using a marinade is a mild form of denaturing of the meat/fish protein that's probably not as harmful as high-heat cooking.

10. Don't get bogged down in details or let your fears run you. Try to relax a bit, start out simply and you can experiment with various details as you go along. The less cooking the better, but plenty of people (such as Ray Audette, author of Neanderthin) sear the outside of their meats with no reported problems. However, Tyler has said in the past that even light searing is extremely bad for your health and he reports problems, so you'll need to find out for yourself. Boiling apparently produces fewer carcinogens and Maillard products, but also reduces nutrient content and some people here report reactions to it.

11. Poultry is generally too lean and bland for me to bother with, and I'm not a fan yet of raw poultry skin. If you really like poultry you can eat it with added fat or fruit.

12. For some reason, traditional peoples eat liver super fresh (generally right at the kill site), though I don't know why. Maybe to avoid nutrient depletion? If you've seen Dances with Wolves, you know what I mean.

13. I didn't believe it at first (probably because I didn't want to give them up and I thought they might help me add weight), but yes, for me dried fruits turned out to be the devil--along with fruit juices. Other people report that they can handle them.

I admit that they're addictive;

Yes, for me too.

I've gone through considerable amounts of raisins, dates, apricots, you name it, all dried before, and no doubt that's a lot of sugar which sure didn't help my gut of the yeast situation.

Same here, I would eat a huge bag of no-sugar-added dried mango or dates in one sitting, sometimes to the point of getting a stomache ache. I found it hard to stop eating them once I started. I thought that mixing nuts would be healthier while still enabling me to get needed calories, but I found that cutting out all dried fruits and nuts improved my health and I actually was able to gain more weight by improving my digestion instead of eating sugary or nutty calories.

But I am enjoying a bit of fresh fruit.  If it's not always around, would it be truly bad (later in the game when hopefully I'm doing better) to eat *small* quantities of dried berries or apple slices?

I would start out by avoiding them and then testing later to see if you can handle them. Every individual is different. Fresh is preferable to dried, because drying concentrates the sugars by removing the water.

let me know if you think at this point in my health it's too much to jump into raw of if I should just go ahead.

Start out with whatever raw foods appeal to you.

I have: a bit of stewing beef (chunks, I imagine), and a decent sized Short Rib Roast.

Are either of these good candidates for trying raw (or cooked gently if anyone has ideas on how to try that)?

Stew beef is a less tender cut, and therefore more chewy than other cuts. I tend to cut such meat in small chunks so I'm not spending the whole night eating, but I believe Tyler reported that he doesn't have any difficulty eating less tender cuts raw without cutting them up. My teeth have been firming and my jaw strengthening on my raw facultative carnivore diet, so my ability to bite and chew has been improving.

[djr_81]

Welcome Sevenpoints.
Our health issues mirror each other remarkably. I'm thriving in my quest fighting the Candida and other ancillary problems. We will try to help heal you if you're up for eating raw paleo.

So many people have answered your questions in their own ways but it's hard to read all the responses and make sure they've given you advice pertinent to a Candida sufferer so I'll re-answer all of them.

1. If I don't use ground beef, are any solid cuts okay to use? Since I'm not planning to grill burgers or make steaks here, I'm assuming anything goes, but want to be sure.

Solid cuts are preferable. A lot of butchers adulterate their grinds with unlisted ingredients for multiple purposes (filler, preservatives, flavor) which can elicit reactions. I also personally find ground meat does not feel as nourishing but this of course is just is just my observation.

2. I'm assuming that most of the meat I'd get will come frozen.  What's the best, safest way to thaw it - in the fridge, or covered on the counter? (And if it wasn't in the fridge, is it bad to thaw it in summery temperatures? I sometimes spend time on farms in my old trailer, and the climate in there is about the same as whatever the weather's doing outside.  It's got a propane fridge, but it's not large and can't hold tons of food - though the small freezer works excellently).

I always thaw on my counter. Even if if the bag of food is to last me for days I'll thaw on the counter. I do this for convenience.

3. Do I need to rinse the meat off with water before eating? Would there be a problem doing so?

There is no need but it will not hurt the meat to do so. If you do make sure the water is no more than lukewarm.

4. Fattier cuts are better - is that correct?

That is correct. Raw animal fat is a wonderfully healthy energy source and most of us who eat raw paleo depend on it for a majority of our caloric intake. Fatty cuts are best but supplemental fat is often necessary as well due to the leanness of grass-finished meat.
Of note for you raw animal fat is a very powerful tool against Candida.

5. Will freezing really kill parasites? (I know what the general view about parasites is here, I just need some reassurance as a newbie).

I have read this and assume it's true. Most sources I've read list it at 2 weeks of freezing. As you allude to most of us view most parasites as benign if not outright helpful so do not fear them. There are some, such as liver flukes, which I still feel are harmful so I won't tell you all parasites are good.

6. I'm really interested in Lex's Beef Jerky; if I make the dryer and get the cuts of meat, I'd like to make some, as I always want to have food on hand in my backpack - though I guess that all those dried fruit Lara Bars and Vega bars can't be it anymore.  If I'm eating the jerky in a fair quantity, do I need to "supplement" it with another fat source? And (this is a daft question) as far as it's weight goes: If I made jerky using, say, four pounds of fresh meat, and it weighed X-amount when it was dried, I could still divide that weight by four, and that number would still be the equivalent of one pound of fresh meat, because all that'd be missing is water-weight, right? I mean, it would still have the same amount of fat and protein, correct?

Real jerky is made with lean meat. The dried lean stores well but the fat in the meat does not. If you were using jerky as a travel food you do need to supplement with additional fat.
Your math sounds right on the nutritional value of the jerky.

6. b) How long will the jerky keep good for? Is it feasible to consider making enough to sit in jars and last a number of months without spoiling?

If made in the traditional way with lean meat it stores great. I don't see any problem storing it for months if you keep it in a lower moisture manner (such as a mason jar).

7. What about seafood? I really like fish, though don't have easy access to a fishmarket (and am more concerned about pathogens in fresh fish than beef) - can I get away with eating cooked (from frozen) fish sometimes, or is there any other way I can prepare it? If I get it fresh, can it dried/salted or something so it lasts longer and isn't quite raw?

Seafood is a great addition to a raw paleo diet. It's loaded with different quantities of nutrients than terrestrial animals. You can eat traditionally cooked seafood but as you transition you'll undoubtedly gravitate by instinct towards less and less cooking until raw. While you still have concerns I recommend making the food ceviche style.
FWIW I've begun eating raw fish myself after a couple years where all cooked fish bothered my body. I've had thawed previously frozen fish without issues so don't let that scare you away from what you can eat raw. It might not be quite as good as fresh but in my experience it was still a viable food.
Last point on fish is make sure whatever you eat is wild. The farmed stuff is eating a horrible diet loaded with possible allergens and if you're anything like me you'll have a reaction to it (even if you can't tell at the moment).

8. Fat.  I keep reading about suet.  Is there anything else I can use, or should I just go for that - and how do you incorporate into your daily meat?

Many feel suet is a sub-par fat. I personally do well on it (I find is slower to break down therefore more sustaining over time) but do not think it's an optimum fuel to begin a transition to RAF with. Right now your body is used to smaller amounts of fat so it'll take some time for you to ramp up your bile production. If you can get it bone marrow is the softest animal fat and is the easiest to break down. This would be the easiest to transition with followed by your regular bodyfat.

9. Marinading: I searched and couldn't really find much about this.  For the sake of reassuring myself about safety and also for flavor until getting used to raw, what are everyone's thoughts on using acidic marinade on cuts of raw meat (be it fresh, or thawed out from frozen)? I'm not using vinegar right now, nor dairy (so no whey), so I guess that leaves lemon or lime juice.  What'd be the best way to go about it, or is it just not worth it?

Again, this would be a ceviche. It's a great way for someone to transition from cooked to raw foods as it sterilizes the outside of the food but leaves the inside raw to very lightly cooked. Citrus juices are a traditional way to prepare ceviches along with vinegars, any acids work really.
The best way is to squeeze a lemon or two over the food in a glass bowl, maybe add some julienned herbs or diced fruits/vegetables (be careful with these and the Candida), and lightly toss. Let it sit a bit and it's ready to eat. Very light and refreshing.

10. Transitioning: First, before going and buying a quarter of a cow or something, I'd like to make sure I do well with beef.  Like I said earlier, the least reaction-causing protein I've had (other than grains, beans, nuts or seeds) has been cooked fish, so that makes me think I'll be good with meat if I don't combine it with the wrong things - but I don't know if I can immediately jump into it raw (though one never knows)...

...if I start by eating cooked beef, are there ways of heating/cooking it that are less damaging, still easy for the body to tolerate, and safe (ie, is it even safe to eat partly cooked meat, or should it either be totally cooked, or totally raw)? What about, say, boiling it instead of exposing it to the searingly hot heat of a frying pan?

The biggest thing I need to stress right now is the importance that you source out grassfed & grass-finished meat. I have issues with both corn and grains due to my Candida/leaky gut and these come through very clearly in grain-finished meats. You very well find a very similar experience. The single best thing I've done for my healing was to find and switch to all grass-finished or wild meats.
Boiling is viewed as the least damaging cooking method. While it's least damaging it horribly unappealing IMO. I know it's not the best method due to carcinogens, etc., but searing the outside of the meat is much tastier and will make it easier to transition. Start by cooking to your desired doneness and slowly move to a rawer piece of meat at each meal. Don't worry about this either; you'll develop a desire for it, we all have AFAIK.

11. Poultry: I'll admit it; the thought of eating raw poultry just makes me shudder.  I've helped kill and prepare turkeys and chickens before but that doesn't change my reaction to the thought of eating their meat raw.  Should I then just not consider it, or is there any other way of preparing their meat to make it more palatable without degrading it.

Again, if the grains bother you through the meat, as they bother me, then it'll be hard to find chicken which sits well. There are some who let the chickens run wild and eat their natural omnivorous diets but they're few and far between. Wild turkeys should be ok.
If you still want to eat poultry though and you're afraid of salmonella, etc. you can ceviche it as well.

12.  Are there any special rules which apply to eating/preparing organs? (I already know that I think I don't want to eat: kidneys, brains, lungs, or testicles, and perhaps not tongue).

Nope. You can tear right into them, slice them up, dry them, whatever you want.
A word of caution from one Candida sufferer to another; go light on the liver.
While some organs sound disgusting to you now you very well may find yourself craving them at some point.
Tongue is also glorious IMO so definitely try it at some point.

13. Dried Fruits: Are they absolutely, one hundred percent the devil? I admit that they're addictive; I've gone through considerable amounts of raisins, dates, apricots, you name it, all dried before, and no doubt that's a lot of sugar which sure didn't help my gut of the yeast situation.  But I am enjoying a bit of fresh fruit.  If it's not always around, would it be truly bad (later in the game when hopefully I'm doing better) to eat *small* quantities of dried berries or apple slices?

Dried fruits are a bad idea all around. They're addictive, they're damaging to the teeth, they're a high-glycemic sugar rush. On top of all of that they're Miracle Grow for your Candida. I too used to eat them by the bagful, figs especially, but you really need to stop them cold if you want to heal up.

It's at your discretion whether you go full carnivore or omnivorous (as you seem intent on going). In my experience you will not heal on an omnivorous diet (I have not eaten a raw omnivorous diet though so maybe the raw fat will be enough to counter the steady intake of carbs) but will need to go full carnivorous to really beat the Candida. After 6 months I feel tons better than I have felt for years but I do get many of the Candida symptoms (albeit reduced) from something as innocuous as too much liver. I sincerely hope that after a couple years I'll be able to add back in some berries to my diet but if not I still have my health and I'm content.
No matter what you do don't do long fasts and try to eat two or three times a day at first. Your body, especially your adrenals, is too taxed and fasting is not what you need right now.
I also didn't see where I read about the VCO but be wary of it. My permeable gut resulted in developing a clear allergy to coconuts. If I did a VCO flush as directed I'd believe I was flushing the hell out of my body just like others say except I'd practically kill my immune system. Without a doubt I'd cause irreparable harm to myself due to my body's heightened allergic reaction for three days straight. Just be careful if you do attempt it.

[sevenpoints]

Everyone; thank you so much for your thorough replies! I'm so glad to be on a forum where people are willing to help each other.

Regarding Grass Fed *and* finished vs. Grain Finished (or worse, Grain Fed and Finished!), no worries; since deciding to give this a try, I set in my mind that I'd not try with anything except completely grass-fed/finished meat unless absolutely not available and I was starving.

The beef I have in the freezer now comes from a very good Biodynamic farm a few hours away from here and absolutely contains no grain; I trust the farmer, and I've seen the cows in person - they were content and calm looking, eating grass (or hay if inside during the cold).

Thanks for the thoughts on boiling vs. searing and ceviche and and the jerky and all that.  Everything, really!

Yes, regarding the symptoms, my MD (she's not a naturopath, but is more holistically minded than most MDs) had me in for a physical yesterday, took some blood, too, just to see if anything could be found beyond the first basic blood test she did, said what was said in this thread: it sounds to her like my endocrine and immune systems are in a state of high reactivity, a sort of overvigilance - which would make sense if my adrenals are fatigued, or there are gut and candida issues.  She even said, "this is subjective, but even the tissues in your body feel tight and tense to me".

You know, my tongue was looking good and clear for a few days - now it's gotten whiter and blotchier again; if it's not yeast flaring up, maybe it's yeast or something else dying off.  It's always been a good indicator to me that something is happening in my guts.  Perhaps healing comes in stages; I think what I'm experiencing has been a long time in the making, emotionally and otherwise, so I'm not expecting to wake up in 2 days and be perfect; but I hope I can get there!

Thanks again for all your help folks, when I get to having eaten my first raw meat, I'll be letting you know.

Cheers,

sevenpoints