Seeds in a RPD

[Fermenter Zym]

What is the role of seeds in a Raw Paleo Diet?

I've read around the forum, but couldn't find many answers. I know about sprouting them to deactivate some of the anti-nutrients, and I know you can even ferment them using kefir grains.

Right now I basically live on meat, fat, and a little fermented vegetables and I'm thinking I should probably add some more fiber into my diet. Not much, but I find I become constipated without more vegetables or fiber.

Any thoughts?

[TylerDurden]

I only recommend raw pumpkin seeds for those who eat a lot of raw dairy.  Fibre is not needed, imo. The science behind it is  bogus. All you get from fibre is much larger stools.

[Fermenter Zym]

I only recommend raw pumpkin seeds for those who eat a lot of raw dairy.  Fibre is not needed, imo. The science behind it is  bogus. All you get from fibre is much larger stools.

Tyler, I have also read some writings on fiber and tend to agree, but why would I have much easier bowel movements eating vegetables and seeds than when I eat zero carb meat if fiber did not play some role in bowel evacuation?

[TylerDurden]

Tyler, I have also read some writings on fiber and tend to agree, but why would I have much easier bowel movements eating vegetables and seeds than when I eat zero carb meat if fiber did not play some role in bowel evacuation?

Lex says that there is a period of adjustment when switching to raw, zero carb, where constipation happens and the bowel starts reducing in size over time, until things normalise.

Fibre has never worked for me, merely increasing the size of my stools.

[jessica]

sprouted and roasted works for me, sunflower seed sprout/greens (little one inch green cotyledon) are amazing

[Löwenherz]

Tyler, I have also read some writings on fiber and tend to agree, but why would I have much easier bowel movements eating vegetables and seeds than when I eat zero carb meat if fiber did not play some role in bowel evacuation?

There are very different opinions and scientific conclusions about fiber and bowel health. For my body the harsh fiber in salads and raw vegetables is very detrimental. It causes always constipation. Whereas others report better digestion with raw vegetables.

Here is an article about the possibly protective role of fiber in the colon and different results from studies:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1773945/

Löwenherz

[HIT_it_RAW]

What is the role of seeds in a Raw Paleo Diet?

I've read around the forum, but couldn't find many answers. I know about sprouting them to deactivate some of the anti-nutrients, and I know you can even ferment them using kefir grains.

Right now I basically live on meat, fat, and a little fermented vegetables and I'm thinking I should probably add some more fiber into my diet. Not much, but I find I become constipated without more vegetables or fiber.

Any thoughts?

Is it possible that you eat too little fat? I have a long history of constipation which stopped when i went rpd. When I eat too little fat i get somewhat constipated. Fibre combined with lots of water does relieve/prevent constipation but, as tyler noted, increases my stools to uncomfortable size/frequency. Lots of fibre without lots of water is disastrous to me causing big time contipation. Very little fibre serves me best.

I must place a sidenote on this though. I do eat a fibre meal occasionally. A large bowl homemade pasta (one of my few cheats on the diet) as pre workout meal to my weight training. I need some carbs to keep exercise intensity high. Usually I eat lots of low fibre/high sugar fruits pre workout(just on weigh training days). However I always drink lots of water during/after my workouts so this never gets me into trouble. I do feel better not eating the pasta and sticking to fruits but every ones in a while my cooking genes(I used to love cooking as a hobby) surface.

[Dorothy]

I guess it depends if you want to make the full transition to zero carb/high fat or not and wait it out and see if it happens for you like it did Lex. Remember though, as he himself says in his journal, he eats the whole animal and a very high percentage of it is fat.

My thoughts have been running towards a theory lately..... thinking that maybe.......... if you aren't eating anything at all that creates toxins for the bile to clear then fiber isn't necessary, but if you are eating things that create toxins that your bile must clear, then the body is going to need some fiber to dump those toxins into, to get the toxins out of the body.

Nuts and seeds do me well as long as they are soaked, dehydrated and crushed - maybe because my jaw/digestion isn't strong enough? Otherwise, I can and want to only eat a few. Maybe I could get what I need from a different place, but eating the the nutbutters/creams works so well with fruit for me that I find no reason to change it. It over time makes me feel better more consistently than just about any other food and tastes spot on. It keeps my bowels moving exactly the amount that is the most comfortable and feels the best for me.

How do nuts/seeds taste to you and how do they make you feel Zym?

[Fermenter Zym]

Wonderful suggestions everyone. I have to give it all some thought.

How do nuts/seeds taste to you and how do they make you feel Zym?

I haven't eaten any for a while, I've just been thinking about re-introducing them. I'm kind of turned off by them a bit because I ate so many pumpkin and sunflower seeds for a long period of my life and it has left a stain haha, but otherwise the idea of making sunflower seed pancakes from the GAPS Diet recipes sound appealing. I loved those.

[Dorothy]

Sunflower seeds do often feel the best to eat in the highest quantity to me. I sometimes think though that it is because those particular seeds are easy to shell and are almost always raw and grow easily. Some of the other nuts/seeds are damaged in the processing and although a little feels good a lot doesn't. It's really hard to find good nuts and seeds these days in general.

I now have to try to grow all the seeds/nuts to see if they are still raw and viable. I didn't used to have to do that. 

[goodsamaritan]

I'm thinking of giving my 10 year old boy raw sunflower seeds.
I'm thinking of the vitamin E content in sunflower seeds.
How much sunflower seeds is safe to eat in a day?
For how many days?

Or maybe just go instincto and feed him until he gets sick of it?

[cherimoya_kid]

Instincto.

[Wattlebird]

Hi Goodsamaratin
providing a wide range of nutritious foods are available, it is debateable whether it is even possible for children to 'overeat' raw seeds, in a manner similar to say, chocolate biscuits or cake or chips.
I would be surprised - if there are plenty of other seeds, fruits, vegies, seafood, animal foods, nuts, etc, available, if your son would 'go nuts' just on sunflower seeds.
And for what its worth, if he did, that to can be very telling about his nutritional needs.
At some point the enjoyment of sunflower seeds will wane in intensity.
But this is advice from an instinctive eater, so make of it what you will,
Kind wishes, J

[Löwenherz]

I'm thinking of giving my 10 year old boy raw sunflower seeds.

Very high PUFA + very high Omega 6. Not a good idea. In other words: A recipe for disaster. But try it yourself..

Löwenherz

[goodsamaritan]

I got a bag of raw sunflower seeds and we ate some last night.
being raw and uncondimented, you can't eat a lot of that stuff.
Instincto works.

[Dorothy]

I never eat just plain raw sunflower seeds GS. I always soak them and grow them a little to rid them of the enzyme inhibitors. They taste better and feel better to me that way.

I personally think that kids especially if just given raw foods will choose exactly the right amounts for them naturally.

[goodsamaritan]

I will try soaking them. Thanks!

[Joy2012]

Soggy soaked seeds do not taste good to me; while after being dehydrated (in a dehydrator) they taste very good.

[Dorothy]

Yes, they do taste better after being dehydrated, but I also use soaked seed, but I usually crush them into a paste or use them in something else when still wet.

GS - you could also try just setting them out in the sun a bit where you are and they would probably dry some and the taste will change.

My favorite kind of sunflowers though are ones that are grown into little greens. Yum. Most nutrients increase when growing slightly - but I'm not sure about the zinc. Pumpkin seeds are also very high in zinc and I like eating them the same way.s