One meal a day

[technosmith]

I would be interested in people's experiences on Raw Paleo one meal a day?

Find it useful?

I would be especially interested to hear from anyone who has used this approach with adrenal fatigue?

Cheers

Phil

[ForTheHunt]

I usually eat 2 meals a day.

1 meal wont last me unless I over eat, so I prefer eating humbly in both meals. Feels better that way.

[TylerDurden]

I had adrenal burnout and still benefitted more from 1 large meal a day. I find, again and again, that when I have a whole-day fast, here and there, plus just 1 large meal a day when I do eat, that I feel more full of energy/concentration than otherwise.

[technosmith]

Hey Tyler,

Got some tongue the other day as you had suggested. When the butcher got it out it looked really fatty. however on sampling it it seems like the end bits are really fatty, but there is quite a substantial amount of lean meat on it as well. It was quite a bit tougher than muscle meat I found as well.

Are some tongues more fatty than others?

[TylerDurden]

All tongues are c. 50 to 60 percent fat, last I checked. Only raw brains, raw  suet or raw marrow are far higher in fat.

[lex_rooker]

I've been eating just one meal per day for several years now and have no desire to eat more often, (unless I'm doing heavy physical labor and my body just wants more fuel).  I eat a fairly large meal in the mid afternoon and then I'm just not hungry again until the next afternoon.

If I'm working unusually hard like digging ditches for sprinkler systems or digging and hacking out large trees and bushes from the garden, then I usually start to get hungry earlier in the day, and then I'm hungry again late in the afternoon.  At these times I eat my normal ration of food at my first meal and then eat just enough to feel well sated at the second meal.  When the more demanding work is over, I just seem to naturally return to the single afternoon meal.  I don't even think about it.  In fact, I seldom think about food or eating at all.  I just eat when I'm hungry, and since I eat the same food everyday, I don't have to spend time thinking about what to eat or what I feel for.  I just eat enough of my regular food to satisfy my hunger and then get back to whatever I was doing.  I sort of eat the way most people feed their pets - same food everyday, and usually at the same time everyday.

Lex

[technosmith]

Hehe Tyler,

I am not sure I have it in me to ask my butcher for some brain! I would love to though. Might have to build up to that somehow!

[Hannibal]

 I sort of eat the way most people feed their pets - same food everyday, and usually at the same time everyday.

Isn't it boring, Lex?

[yuli]

I have been having something thats close to one meal a day but not really (its more of one extended meal  ):
I get up I am never hungry I go about my day and I exercise (usually not always) and then by evening I get hungry...then I eat meat with some fat and/or organs and/or eggs, stop when I get full of that, wait about an hour usually more, then I have a pretty large salad, I use a little flax oil (I love the taste) and cod liver oil with the salad to add some good fat and the salad ends up being very very filling. This pattern is working pretty well for me (I digest the only meat meal pretty fast so by the time I eat the huge salad I have no problems) ...except...
once a day I get craving for fruits its always late late at night before I go to bed and I end up having an apple and/or another piece of fruit which screws me up for the night (sometimes I even eat some nuts after the fruit to counter balance the sugar and the hunger the fruit gives me, then thats not a good thing before bed  ), I may have to cut that out and try to delay having any fruit until I get up... but then I am not even hungry in the morning and if I eat the fruit early then I am not going to be fasting during the day which I like so far (I have a clear head and don't think of where/what to eat as I go about my business).
I am not sure how to solve that problem now...

[Hannibal]

once a day I get craving for fruits its always late late at night before I go to bed

That's because you need to boost serotonin.

I have a clear head

I feel exactly the same... till I'm too hungry to resist a food.

[yuli]

That's because you need to boost serotonin. I feel exactly the same... till I'm too hungry to resist a food.

Probably I do, I was sick for a few days a short while ago (never did find out if it was hepatitis or a parasite over-infestation but I feel like its gone now so whatever it was who cares), however during that time and only drank juices and ate no meat so perhaps that caused a deficiency  I might try taking some 5-HTP supplements that should boost it quick, then continued eating of the meat should hopefully keep it level.

[Hannibal]

then continued eating of the meat should hopefully keep it level.

Yeah, but I've got to have your insulin to be released

A high carbohydrate meal stimulates the release of insulin,  which helps clear from the bloodstream those amino acids that compete with tryptophan, allowing more of this natural sleep-inducing amino acid to enter the brain and manufacture sleep- inducing substances, such as serotonin and melatonin.  Eating a high-protein meal without accompanying carbohydrates may keep you awake, since protein-rich foods also contain the amino acid, tyrosine,  which perks up the brain.

To understand how tryptophan and carbohydrates work together to relax you, picture the various amino acids from protein foods as passengers on a bus. A busload containing tryptophan and tyrosine arrives at the brain cells. If more tyrosine "passengers" get off the bus and enter the brain cells, neuroactivity will rev up. If more tryptophan amino acids get off the bus, the brain will calm down. Along comes some insulin which has been stalking carbohydrates in the bloodstream. Insulin keeps the tyrosine amino acids on the bus, allowing the brain-calming tryptophan effect to be higher than the effect of the brain-revving tyrosine.

Some people (who are on LC) benefit from eating carbs at the end of the day.
But I don't. I prefer eating carbs (fruits) at the beginning and in the late afternoon/ evening only meat and fat.

[yuli]

Hmm...I am having a hard time finding the right time to eat fruit, dam...maybe if I eat the meat meal not so late I wont need the carbs late at night to get me to sleep. I notice the later I eat the meat the more I want to stay up all night, then I have some black chai in the evening as well and yikes, I'll never sleep....
The salad I have after the meat does not provide lots of carbs for me (mostly fiber) so I know that not affecting me in any way...I can try and eat some fruit before I eat the meat...
So instead of nightly eating of meat/fat >> salad/fat >> fruit
Maybe I can try fruit >> meat/fat >> salad/fat and hopefully the carbs I ate earlier will help me go to sleep

[Michael]

I would be especially interested to hear from anyone who has used this approach with adrenal fatigue?

I've suffered with adrenal problems for many years Phil.  There was even a point when I was prescribed hydrocortisone in addition to Thyroid hormones!!  (I took myself off of those quickly and many years ago).  It was this diet that healed me and allowed me to have a normal life back.

Over the last year or so, I've experimented with eating a single meal per day and have found it to be very beneficial.  This has also been VLC/LC, mainly consisting of meat and fat.  Generally, I've found that my energy levels have improved and are very stable.  Like Lex, unless engaging in particularly physical exercise I do not find I experience hunger or the need to eat further.

[miles]

nothing in the day -> lower fat meat in the evening before sleep
plants in the day -> higher fat meat in the evening before sleep

seems to work well.

Craving for fruits after meat/fat in the evening could be because you ate too much fat. So either eat leaner meat in the evening before sleep after a day of fasting, or eat plants during the day and continue to eat high-fat meat in the evening before sleep.

[raw]

interesting! i feel to eat some fruits like yuli late at night too (right before i go to bed). i realize that, it's hard for me to eat one meal a day. the way it works,  i try to listen my body 1st. probably some organs in day and muscles at night and fats are in between.

[lex_rooker]

Isn't it boring, Lex?

Actually, no.  Just as your dog gets excited at every meal even though you feed him/her the same thing everyday, I find that I really look forward to my meal in much the same way (less the slobbering and drooling).  You see, I'm really hungry when it's time to eat and just about everything tastes good when you are hungry.  When you spend time trying to figure out what you feel like eating it is a sure sign that you aren't really hungry and probably shouldn't be eating at all.    

Lex

[Michael]

...When you spend time trying to figure out what you feel like eating it is a sure sign that you aren't really hungry and probably shouldn't be eating at all.

That's actually a very good point that I hadn't considered before.

I concur with Lex entirely.  I would've previously considered the idea of eating the same thing every day, often at the same time just once per day, to be incredibly boring!  But, the reality is that it just isn't like that at all.  Like Lex, I look forward with relish to my next meal and don't think about food during the fasting period.

The other point to consider, of course, is that the incredible health and stable energy which is often the consequence of such an eating plan liberates us from the chains of food obsession (always thinking about, planning, preparing and eating food) in a way which creates much greater opportunity for real excitement in our lives!  Personally, I'd love to be able to exist in the style of Hira Ratan Manek on solar energy, air and water alone.  But, we don't get enough sun here in the UK to even realistically attempt serious sungazing so a 1 meal per day LC/VLC raw paleo regime is, in my opinion, the next best thing!   

[technosmith]

Wow Michael, your situation somewhat mirrors mine (I have done the hydrocortisone and thyroid medication as well!!)
Thankfully, like yourself, I am off them and have been for a number of years.

Its very interesting to read that you advocate the one meal a day, and concur with Tyler. This is something that I might play around with.

So do you believe that your body can heal better when it is not digesting food all the time?

Do you eat your big meal in the morning? When you do have a small amount of carbs do you eat them away from your meat/fat, and what type of carbs do you have?

I have been eating Raw Paleo for about 6-8 weeks now I think, but cooked paleo prior to that. I am in a situation though where I cannot go 100% RP, which is a shame, but I keep my percentage as high as possible.

I have been LC-VLC over the last few days, eating plenty of raw meat and fat. However I find when I do this I have a tendency to feel cold, and believe it could be due to the LC intake.

I am considering increasing my carb intake somewhat, but am not 100% sure on the best way to do this.

Any thoughts on this (Anyone is welcome to comment on the above)?

Also Michael, I have been thinking about bringing in high meat? Do you use this, and has it been useful to you?

Any other interesting adrenal related tips?

Thanks,

Phil

[raw]

I've been eating just one meal per day for several years now and have no desire to eat more often, (unless I'm doing heavy physical labor and my body just wants more fuel).  I eat a fairly large meal in the mid afternoon and then I'm just not hungry again until the next afternoon.  I sort of eat the way most people feed their pets - same food everyday, and usually at the same time everyday.

Lex

lex, i realize that my toddler needs more than one meal a day. i give him all types of blended organs and fats in the morning like 10 am. than he asks me for another meal after 5 hours later or so. than i feed him blended muscle meat with raw butter. he satisfies than. i give him almost same combination every day. just like you.

[lex_rooker]

lex, i realize that my toddler needs more than one meal a day. i give him all types of blended organs and fats in the morning like 10 am. than he asks me for another meal after 5 hours later or so. than i feed him blended muscle meat with raw butter. he satisfies than. i give him almost same combination every day. just like you.

Interesting that he seems satisfied with 2 meals.  Certainly seems reasonable for a rapidly growing child.  The energy requirements for growth are astronomical.  I expect many would be concerned with the limited menu for your toddler, but of course your toddler just wants to satisfy his hunger and could care less about variety in his food. Of course  I have no idea if this protocol is good or bad, only that it seems to be working well for me at this time.  Just keep an eye on the little one to make sure no unexpected issues develop.  Food that seems to be meeting my needs at age 60 may not be adequate for a rapidly growing toddler.  My guess is that he’ll do great, but let’s face it, you’re breaking new ground.

What you are doing is how I would choose to raise my child if I had one of the same age.  But just as I will change what I’m doing if there is any indication that problems develop, be prepared to do the same for your child.  Do what works, not what someone else thinks is proper, and be prepared to make changes if conditions warrant.

Lex

[raw]

  I expect many would be concerned with the limited menu for your toddler, but of course your toddler just wants to satisfy his hunger and could care less about variety in his food. Of course  I have no idea if this protocol is good or bad, only that it seems to be working well for me at this time.  Just keep an eye on the little one to make sure.    But just as I will change what I’m doing if there is any indication that problems develop, be prepared to do the same for your child.  Do what works, not what someone else thinks is proper, and be prepared to make changes if conditions warrant.

Lex

i agree. but the thing is, in the morning after eating raw animals' organs and fats, he doesn't want anything to eat unless he sees some oranges. he can eat two whole oranges if he gets hungry. he loves oranges. he also loves wild grapes and home grown one king of seeded grapes (those are not very sweet). if he sees bananas or other fruits, he gives a bite on it, but doesn't like them. he hates green juices. i don't find any good source of wild fish here. once i ate and also gave that to him, we both got sick (raw wild salmon). i give him raw soft shell turtle blended with muscle meat and he eats that too without any bad signs. i do want to know what else i can give him or how i can help him even more probably i can check his blood if he has any deficiencies. he's still a small baby and i hate to make him cry to draw his blood for test.

[miles]

urgh, how often do you take his blood? That sounds horrible.

[raw]

when my child was just a small baby (around 8/9 months old), i have done his 1st blood work. i was raw vegan and running enormous deficiencies. he was a solely breast feeded baby. he was severely anemic. than i have done again when he was 1 yr old and 2 yrs old (3 to 4 times). after giving him raw chicken liver, when i get his last blood test , there's no anemia exists on him. dr. stanely buss's advice and mother's instinct work for his raw meat diet. i never knew the paleolithic diet than. 

[lex_rooker]

i agree. but the thing is, in the morning after eating raw animals' organs and fats, he doesn't want anything to eat unless he sees some oranges. he can eat two whole oranges if he gets hungry. he loves oranges. he also loves wild grapes and home grown one king of seeded grapes (those are not very sweet). if he sees bananas or other fruits, he gives a bite on it, but doesn't like them. he hates green juices. i don't find any good source of wild fish here. once i ate and also gave that to him, we both got sick (raw wild salmon). i give him raw soft shell turtle blended with muscle meat and he eats that too without any bad signs. i do want to know what else i can give him or how i can help him even more probably i can check his blood if he has any deficiencies. he's still a small baby and i hate to make him cry to draw his blood for test.

I wouldn’t get overly technical about things.  It is easy to see if a child is thriving or having problems.  Save the blood tests for when there is an obvious problem.

If he likes fruits then why not let him have a small amount as a daily snack.  Just don’t over do it.  I wouldn’t allow my child to eat as many cookies or candy bars as he/she wanted just because they liked them.  Same goes for fruit in a paleo diet.

I’d try to make sure that 90% - 95% of what my child ate was quality RED meat and fat (cooked as little as possible and containing some organ meats) and the other 5% - 10% would be a piece of fresh non starchy fruit, melon, or berry that is in season, or maybe a vegetable like a raw carrot as daily snack or treat.

I did the green juice thing myself for 20 years.  Knowing what I know today, I wouldn’t force that on my worst enemy.  In fact, I no longer think fruit juices are good as they are nothing but concentrated sugar water with a little flavor added.  Our ancestors wouldn’t have drunk juices, they would have eaten the whole fruit – and only when the fruit was in season.  Water should be our beverage.

I’ve come to believe that our needs are very simple.  We don’t need a large variety of different foods in our diet. Fish, poultry, eggs, turtle & etc are not really needed and I only eat them on rare occasions.  Grass fed red meat from beef, bison, deer, elk, etc would form the basis of my child’s diet and any one of these animals would be fine as all have a very similar nutritional profile.

Keep things as simple as possible and I think you’ll be pleased with the results.

Lex