Ramblings of a madman...

[MrBBQ]

One wonders if the body prioritises certain hard tissues for mineralising - my bite feels stronger and my teeth feel more firmly rooted, although the cavities and sensitivites in my teeth still rage, prob'ly on account of a poor blood sugar control dynamic (I can't do RZC with major problems).

[djr_81]

Just a guess, but either your sense of taste has become keener (heat-created toxins!) or the ribs were not really grass-finished.

Slanker's ribs. I ate 3 ribs the day before with no discernible reaction so they were definitely 100% grass-fed/finished.
My sense of taste has definitely become more pronounced over time eating RAF. The fattier areas of the ribs were much more off-putting than the leaner pieces but all were unappetizing.

I guess it would depend on how one dresses as well. The latter ones are more business-like but are still hybrids of such as far as style so might even seem moire awkward with certain types of casual clothing or rigid formal clothing. If you dress more casual, I would probably go for the other models. They all seem to be a bit pricey, but if your other vibrams are wearing down too, maybe consider getting both and testing the waters with the vibrams from time to time. Maybe mixing it up it wouldn't be as 'strange'.

I'm a jeans and a T-shirt guy outside of work but that's not the issue.
I need to wear business casual at a bare minimum for my job (i.e. sweater, button-up long sleeve shirt, or polo style T-shirt as well as slacks) but will occasionally wear a full suit.
My other Vibrams don't have much wear to them yet (~100 miles) but they're always dirty (and oftentimes soaked from running in water) so I don't want to use them as my regular shoes.
I think I'm going to give the Pankas a shot as they're cheaper. If they don't fit right maybe I'll give one of the more expensive shoes a shot.

[actionhero]

I posted pics of how my jaw and chin looked when I was a fruitarian and how it looks now on raw paleo. It's in the Before & After section.

[KD]

I need to wear business casual at a bare minimum for my job (i.e. sweater, button-up long sleeve shirt, or polo style T-shirt as well as slacks) but will occasionally wear a full suit.

yeah that is what I meant, that while they wouldn't work well with a suit of course, that the first few would be more versatile for casual and more dressy work attire. I have these strange cleat-ed black formal shoes that I got at a fancy consignment store in Soho years ago. I got compliments on them the 1-2 times I ever found a place/outfit where they didn't look out of place

[Josh]

I posted pics of how my jaw and chin looked when I was a fruitarian and how it looks now on raw paleo. It's in the Before & After section.

Wow that's some difference mate. In my opinion you must be right about hormonal change, as your jaw clearly becomes dramatically more square.

I'd like to think I could change that dramatically, but suspect since I'm coming from a fairly meat oriented diet anyway that I don't have that much physical change available.

[djr_81]

I've seen a number of people here on the forum mention using clay, particularly french green clay, and I'm beginning to think I'd like to try some. Frankly, even if there is no healing that happens, the thought of having some clay is beginning to sound kind of tasty. For those of you in the US where do you get your clay from?

[Paleo Donk]

I got the one pound bag here - http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/clay/clay.html  I have no idea whether its a good product.

I've only tried it a few times and haven't noticed anything. I think my poo was slightly green after one of the drinks but nothing else. I also have this urge to eat dirt, not necessarily clay. Dirt like potting soil sounds good now for some reason. Maybe with some bugs too, like rollie pollies.

[TylerDurden]

I've seen a number of people here on the forum mention using clay, particularly french green clay, and I'm beginning to think I'd like to try some. Frankly, even if there is no healing that happens, the thought of having some clay is beginning to sound kind of tasty. For those of you in the US where do you get your clay from?

  Err, clay is certainly not tasty, it doesn't taste of anything really. I get sun-dried edible french green clay(though obviously from a UK company). When I did it I would have 2-3 tablespoonfuls of clay once a day at most(they usually recommend just 1).

[djr_81]

I also have this urge to eat dirt, not necessarily clay. Dirt like potting soil sounds good now for some reason. Maybe with some bugs too, like rollie pollies.

It's funny, we were doing a bunch of gardening a couple weeks ago and bought this bag of organic top soil. Beautiful moist & healthy soil; it did actually get me thinking about eating dirt. It's just such a far step from where I'm comfortable with that I'd like ot take a step with clay first and maybe give dirt a try eventually.

  Err, clay is certainly not tasty, it doesn't taste of anything really.

That sucks. I was hoping it'd be really earthy tasting (pun intended I guess). Maybe I need to locate it fresh rather than outsource it from a company.

[djr_81]

Since I cleaned up my diet I've upped my fat intake, cut my lean meat intake, and increased my meal frequency to 3 meals most days. I hadn't realized the benefit this had to my sleep (between the lower protein load and less food in my stomach at bedtime) until last night.
I bought some "Old Bull" from my supplier yesterday which is ground muscle meat from old bulls; real cheap but real lean. I ate a pack of this last night at 8ish and didn't bother adding fat. I was passing out on the couch by 9PM and had to go to bed early. I slept soundly all night long (over 10 hours) and felt exhausted when I got up. I felt hung-over this morning until I ate breakfast with a higher fat content than normal which made me feel better).
FWIW eating how I am now I usually go to sleep at 10PM and I'm up between 5:30 and 6:30 felling rested, full of energy, and ready to take on the world.

[djr_81]

I found cherries on Saturday.
They were not the be-all and end-all I was craving. It really seems the longer I eat carnivorously the more I build up these occasional cravings in my mind and the more lackluster they are when I finally get them. I'm not going to even bother with figs at this point as I feel fantastic eating meat/fat/organs and always regret straying when I do.

Now, onto the nitty-gritty.
I ate the cherries with quite a bit of suet and a bit of brisket (1/4 pound). They went down surprisingly well with the suet and seemed to do better than some other carbs have. I did not get any indigestion nor overt issues (runny nose, sore throat, tickle in the ear). I did get my typical brain fog, which I attribute to the Candida, which is still with me, albeit lessened, right now.
I also, surprisingly, got tremendous soreness in exercised muscle as a result of the cherries. Even my forearms are sore still (I was wrenching on my Jeep on Saturday) whereas I dug a hole at least 12'x8'x4' for the 3,000 gallon pond I built this spring in one day with just about no soreness the next day (I was eating straight raw-carnivore). I know this appears to be a benefit to raw-carnivore but I'm second-guessing this "boon" and wondering if perhaps there's a deficiency eating this way wherein we can't feel the muscle soreness signifying the need to rest and will instead overexert muscles?

On a slightly related note I had a bit of my aqueous electrolytes last night as I figured my body would dehydrate a bit dealing with the Candida (typical for me). BAD move. I felt a bit nauseous the rest of the night and had to get up after lying down for sleep so I could shit my brains out. I felt hungover this morning and had more violent shits. Obviously I do not need this supplement anymore.

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I think I might grow my beard back. It was itchy but it just feels right now in my life. Maybe it's the increased testosterone but the beard feels like a more manly outward appearance.

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I started cycling again this weekend. Saturday, before the cherries, I went for my typical loop around around town. It's 13 miles with lots of aggressive inclines. I did better than I expected and I'm really looking forward to the next ride.

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It's funny the change in confidence that comes with a healthy diet. I used to be so shy I avoided eye contact with people for more than a split-second. I now find myself having to consciously break eye contact with "superiors" so that they do not feel threatened causing my issues with my job. Talk about a change.

[pioneer]

I once read a book called "lights out", I forget the authors name but it was all about sleep and melatonin. She stated that it is our innate desire to crave sugar in the summer while the fruit is in season as we simultaneously increase our insulin resistance to store fat. The problem is with the invention of the lightbulb, humans are not going to sleep when it gets dark out so we always think its summer. Apparently we should be sleeping all through the night, even during those long 14-16 hour winter nights. Our bodies are conditioned to sleeping 7-8 hours or less like the length of darkness on summer night: so we always have insulin sensitivity and crave sugars because we think its summer. It seems like a far fetched theory to me but could be plausible. Sweetness however, is associated nutrition in nature. A prime example is sweet fruits provide many nutrients and vitamin c that prevent scurvy. Inuit and indigenous tribes that solely eat meat and no fruit get their vitamin c from adrenal glands (which happen to be the richest known source of vitamin c) and disperse individual portions to their tribe members. C can also be found in stomach lining I think. I'm getting off topic, but does anyone think the sleep-crave theory has any validity?

[djr_81]

Not too much to post about with my progress hence the lack of posts.
Continuing to eat 2-3 small/medium meals a day with fairly high amounts of fat in each meal. My body seems to be doing best on this, at least for now, so I will continue to eat this way.
I have had an odd occurrence the past week where I've been having heavy post-nasal drip as the day wears on and I wasn't sure why; I figured maybe I was getting sick. Yesterday I was fine until I left my job in the evening when it started up again. Looks like I still have a bit of my allergies to something this time of year.
That's about it.

[djr_81]

I pushed myself much harder this morning during my run since I didn't get to run Monday or Tuesday. Really got my heart racing and my lungs bursting. Felt fantastic for the rest of the day with a noticeable boost in both confidence & focus. Just another confirmation that I need seriously vigorous exercise daily to feel my best.
I wish I had a sparring partner. I have no training in any fighting styles or martial arts but my brother and I would grapple when younger and frankly throw down harder than most fights I've seen with everyday people. I'm kind of missing that and wish I had something around here like Fight Club.

[Paleo Donk]

Vigorous endurance exercising seems to really boost my energy and confidence as well. Probably the flight-or-fight mechanism coming alive making sure we do not die. Ask TD about fighting, hes apparently done lots of it.

[KD]

I hear he sleeps only one hour a night. and had huge legs.

[Paleo Donk]

Also, of high importance is that if you are an identical twin. Do not tell him this. He will think you are a figment of someones wild, science-fiction imagination and destroy you.

[djr_81]

An interesting thing seems to be occurring. I pushed myself much harder on a couple of my runs during the last week. I also did two days of bodyweight exercising (push-ups, a couple dips, and some pull-ups) which I've honestly been neglecting doing in earnest since last fall (an odd day here or there but no regular routine). I weighed myself yesterday and I went from 171 to 175 over the last week. It's possible some of the weight is waste (although both were taken in the morning after BMs) but I'd say without a doubt I put on at least 2 pounds of muscle in one week. I'll make sure to keep this updated while I keep pushing myself with the runs and bodyweight stuff.

[djr_81]

I was playing some Badminton tonight with my brothers and wrenched my ankle. It's not even like I was playing hard; just turned around for a shot over my head and rolled it in a divot in the ground. Hurts a lot right now but I can walk on it so I'm hoping it feeling better tomorrow. Sucks as tomorrow morning I was going to do some sprinting but it looks like I'm going to pass on the jogging/running for the next few days as I recuperate.

[Paleo Donk]

What kind of shoes were you wearing?

[djr_81]

An old pair of Teva slip-on shoes kind of like these. They're what I'm still wearing to work so were still on my feet when I saw they were playing and joined in.
I don't think I can blame shoes on this as I'd still have rolled my ankle in something else. It was solely a lack of attention to my surroundings.

[Paleo Donk]

Those look pretty bad for anything athletic (I have no idea as Im not a shoe expert just going on looks) - like your foot would be sliding all over the place and not secure at all to the shoe. Did your brothers blame the injury on the shoes? Might as well get a pair of vibrams if you're going to wear those things.

[djr_81]

Those look pretty bad for anything athletic (I have no idea as Im not a shoe expert just going on looks) - like your foot would be sliding all over the place and not secure at all to the shoe. Did your brothers blame the injury on the shoes? Might as well get a pair of vibrams if you're going to wear those things.

They're surprisingly secure with how they hold my foot. Not as good as my Vibrams (yes, I already have a pair) but still adequate for moderate footwork and wearing for work like I've been doing the last year.
No blame on the shoes; mostly just blame on me being a jackass and not watching where my feet were. 

[djr_81]

I cut sea salt out of my diet again.
Last year when I began a carnivorous diet I cut salt with everything else. I did notice I received a couple of benefits that others have noted (diminished sweat most prominent in my mind but there were others I don't recall at this time).
After a couple months I began lightly seasoning my meat/fat with seal salt as I had a recurrence of my pre-RPD hypostatic orthotentsion and it seemed to keep it at bay.
Lately I've had inklings that it might be having a more negative effect on me than positive so decided to cut it out again for a trial.
Basically I'd been experiencing increasingly common muscle cramps particularly of the foot and lower leg. These would occur both in the middle of the night and while relaxing on the couch. I also seemed to be having issues with tensing muscles starting to lock up if in awkward positions. I thought this might be salt related from an unhealthy sodium ratio.

I cut salt out Monday morning.
Since Monday I've noticed I feel more energetic after my meals and also require less fat to feel satiated (i.e. brisket alone was fine, no suet needed).
I've also noticed the remission of my cold-intolerance (I'd had to move up to 3 meals a day to try and warm up when workign in the AC at the office) the past 3 days.
I did have a cramp in my leg last night but will track these.
I have not had any recurrence of my hypostatic orthotension yet.
I have experienced two negatives so far. I have had disturbed sleep each night since Monday. I have also had a couple bouts of diarrhea (I'm inclined to believe these were actually detox even though I don't believe in most "detox").

I'll keep everyone posted.

[miles]

I know this appears to be a benefit to raw-carnivore but I'm second-guessing this "boon" and wondering if perhaps there's a deficiency eating this way wherein we can't feel the muscle soreness signifying the need to rest and will instead overexert muscles?

I think it's more that without carbs, your exertion will be balanced with your ability to recover, whereas carbs you can over-exert, and under-repair at the same time.


Being barefoot is also about the sense of touch, not just the shape, and the lack of cushioning... You may be surprised at how much of a difference it makes to be able to feel... It is a lot faster than seeing, or waiting for the shock... the moment a tiniest part of your foot touches the ground, you instantly feel it and can react... Without shoes it's unlikely you would roll your ankle. You said it was because you weren't paying attention at where you feet were.. if you can feel the ground, you don't need to see or think about it. When I've tried running in my fivefingers, mechanically it looks the same, but it feels horrible. It's much less efficient, it's tiring on both my calves and my mind(from having to think consciously about my feet), and makes running un-enjoyable. I'd still sooner run in them than normal running shoes of course. But they're still like shoe-running how you have to think about it, barefoot I don't think about individual aspects, I just think like go faster, go slower...

Only time I ever hurt myself with anything is when I allow myself to get self-conscious. =/

By the way, how old are you? I wondered when you were talking about joining a fight-club.