How many of you have tried the Paleo Diet?

[Stormys101]

I am new to this site. I am also a newer suspected Sjogrens diagnosis I have been struggling with the fatigue. I am gaining my strength back everyday.... I think it's BC I told the doctors NO MORE PREDNISONE and adding the Paleo diet into my life again!!! Prednisone was making me worse (it helped the swelling and tingling i.e.got rid of the issues it was SUPOSE to get rid of) but made me feel weak and sweat. I use to eat a strict Paleo Diet I did this for about a year and within the last six months or so I started eating crummy food again. I was disappointed about all the surgeries and being sick so I gave myself permission to eat candy, chocolate, pizza, food filled with gluten... Whatever I wanted when I wanted it. I gained weight. I still felt bad and I don't think it helped with the inflammatory issues I was/ am having! Point is I really think this diet might help with some of the issues people who have Sjogrens suffer from. I started eating Paleo again last week ... And started noticing more energy today.

Has anyone else given this diet or lifestyle a chance? Please if you have tried Paleo let me know about your experience with the Diet???

If you haven't tried it... And your struggling with weight gain and fatigue maybe give this a try for thirty days ... You might find what I have found...a way to feel a little better with one less pill or minus 5 pounds!

[Nomad]

I haven't done the diet exactly but something similar.
Meat, lots of veggies, reduced flour and dairy, lots of water, no soda, very little sugar.
When I stick to this, plus reduce overall calories, I lose weight and feel better.
I think if the Paleo diet works for you, you should go for it!!!
Hang in there!

[SabbraCadabra]

I've been doing some form of neo paleo for a while, and I feel a lot better...but after about a year or so, I started really craving sweets, so obviously my body is craving something that I'm lacking. I'm probably not getting enough fat, since everything these days is low-fat.

Cutting out gluten was pretty difficult though, until I started having bad allergic reactions to it =)

[WhatYouSjo]

I use use a flavor of autoimmune paleo: the Perfect Health Diet, minus dairy. The diet allows for fruit and sweet vegetables like carrots, which tends to satisfy my sugar cravings. I can tell when I don't stick with it and eat processed garbage, as I tend to feel achy and my sinuses get irritated.

Aside from avoiding dairy and gluten, the real key for me has been eating mostly unprocessed foods: fruit, vegetables, lean meats, rice, squash, and potatoes. I tend to avoid 'gluten-free' versions of food like bread, as the large ingredient list and overly processed nature tends to bother me. Occasionally I allow myself some corn in the form of Mexican food, which doesn't seem to really bother me. It can be a challenge when eating out, but making my own meals hasn't been a problem.

The diet has caused me to lose weight. Unfortunately, I was a bit skinny to begin with, so now I'm trying to add some pounds.

Edit: grammer

[trc1962]

I really don't believe in any diet that cuts out entire food groups like the paleo diet does. That said, I don't touch processed stuff, sugars or carbs that aren't complex and I try to keep my histamine levels down by eating as fresh as possible. I would think that anyone who cuts the junk out of their diet would feel better without all the sodium and stuff. Of course if you react to dairy then it is fine to cut it out. I do fine with it and drink milk because of the protein content. To each his own, but trying to eat as healthy and fresh as possible can only help our bodies out.

[Sooki]

I have seen a huge improvement in my health from my dietary changes.  For the last 3 years, I've been eating on the paleo diet (minus seeds, nuts, grains, beans as per the autoimmune version of the paleo diet).  I've been able to reduce the amount of cellcept I've been taking and, on most days, eliminate my joint pain.   I still struggle with fatigue and eye dryness, but not all the time. 

When I was transitioning, I found that eating enough fats made all the difference.  An avocado was a more satisfying snack than popcorn.  A strip of bacon was better than a sugary treat.   Paleo isn't a high-fat diet, but it is a moderate fat diet. And saturated fats are good again (although eating moderate fats without getting rid of the grains and other simple carbs will tend towards weight gain).  We've also found some starchy vegetables that help, especially on cold days - Japanese yams and green plantains are two that we've appreciated.

My husband and I both switched to paleo - me for my health and him for weight loss. We also limit our salt intake. He lost 50 pounds the first year.  He's had trouble losing more, but has successfully maintained that weight.  It's made a huge improvement in his energy, knees, and health.

I admire you for being proactive about your health.  People react in individual ways to foods.  The only way to find a diet that helps you is to try various things.  The paleo diet is a good model to try.  I feel fortunate that I found a way in which I can partially control how I feel.  I hope you find a good fit as well.  Hang in there - feeling good is better than any unhealthy snack you might be tempted by!

[SabbraCadabra]

When I was transitioning, I found that eating enough fats made all the difference.  An avocado was a more satisfying snack than popcorn.

I should look into that. I've never had avocado that wasn't mashed into guac, and even that is only on occasion.

[Gorn]

I am just trying this diet now.  I am newly diagnosed and honestly somewhat desperate to do something to try and feel better. 

I'm doing paleo minus all nightshade plants.  I'm finding it difficult to adjust to the lack of starches, and what the heck do you eat for breakfast besides bacon?  I'm eating squash and plantain and even tapioca just for some kind of carbs.  I heard bone broth is a good thing to try and heal the gut, so I will probably give that a try as well.

I do feel somewhat better even after a short time, but my symptoms do seem to come in waves or flares, so it's hard to know if feeling better is necessarily attributable to the diet.  I will report back here after I've been on it for a month or so. 

My first post by the way.   

[Sooki]

Another starch we like is Japanese yam.  On a cold day, we peel and cube the yam and boil until tender.  Then cook up onion, garlic, and bacon.  Drain the yams and mash them with the bacon mixture. Add some of the cooking broth back to make the texture like mashed potatoes.  It's starchy and greasy and filling - it really fills a need.   It's also good as baked "fries".

We also cook roasts with a lot of root veggies - carrots, turnips, parsnips, beets (golden, especially), yams.  That's pretty filling too.

Our usual breakfast is  onions, ground beef, and greens (kale, spinach, and chard these days).  After awhile, you can get used to being full without starches (it's a mind thing).  And breakfasts like that keep the sugars in your bloodstream pretty constant.  Ideally, when it's lunch time, you just feel hungry, not low-blood-sugar desperate.

Sometimes, an avocado will help with snacking needs - the oils in it help you feel less hungry.

Good luck to you!  Find a paleo or autoimmune paleo blog you like to get more suggestions.

[Sooki]

Also, during the times you're not feeling good, see if you're eating something unusual.  For instance, I have troubles with coconut and plantains.  There are other foods I've found over time, that I can add back in. See if you can get to a good baseline before trying to add back.

[bluegardenia]

the most dificult for me is breakfast. i cannot think of eating something different from green tea or a camomile and toasts.i could try to avoid pasta even if for an italian its terrible but breakfast...

[kmhcpt]

For pasta use squash and make spaghetti squash.  There is a tool you can buy to make the squash noodle like.  Top with you favorite sauce and meat!!    I am italian and do not miss it all that much.   Went AIP when I first got diagnosed a little over a year ago and it calmed my symptoms down big time.  But then again I was diagnosed quickly and given plaquenil on the first visit.  I took the plaquenil two months later.  So the AIP worked initially.

[Sooki]

And spaghetti noodles can also be spiraled from Japanese yam, sweet potato, parsnips, rutabagas,carrots, kohlrabi....  Check out the inspiralized blog for ideas.

[SabbraCadabra]

the most dificult for me is breakfast. i cannot think of eating something different from green tea or a camomile and toasts.i could try to avoid pasta even if for an italian its terrible but breakfast...

I usually just have cereal or oatmeal for breakfast, sometimes I'll have rice cakes with peanut butter (sometimes also jam or honey).
Obviously, a traditional breakfast like eggs/sausage/bacon would be a lot more paleo, but who has the time? Sometimes we'll do up a big batch of hard-boiled eggs, but I get sick of eggs very easily.

[ppk]

Sjogren's for me is mostly about avoiding foods that I know will cause inflammation, like gluten, nightshades, refined carbs, etc. I find that the autoimmune paleo diet is a very good general guide towards eating for those with autoimmune disease. thepaleomom.com has more information if you want it.