Playing devil's advocate...

[ltlfroggie]

So for the first 4 days of my Whole30, I had stomach issues, was tired, cranky, etc.  I know that was all normal.

 

So...I've been told that was because my body is adjusting to what I'm eating differently, cleansing out the toxins, etc.

 

When I do the reintro (I'm only on day 10 here, but was dwelling on this last night) who is to say that when I eat cheese and I feel like crap, it is not just me readjusting like I did the first few days on Whole30?

 

I know that the book SAYS these foods are bad for you, but if I was going off how I feel, I would have told you the first 4 days of doing Whole30 that veggies/fat/meats were bad for me, right?

 

 

[Roz Griffiths]

Very true. You can readjust to cheese, gluten, other stuff.

Let me give you an example. I did my first whole30 in January, felt rough for a few days while i readjusted, but once that was over i felt good - like really good. After my 30 days was up, i reintroduced cheese & chocolate. I didn't get a strong reaction like some, but i did have a sensation of thick glue travelling slowly through my system for a few hours, which wasn't great. Anyway, i really like chocolate, so i kind of ignored all that & had some again the next day, & the next, & yes, after a few days I'd readjusted & no longer had the gluey feeling. Fast forward another few weeks & i realise, very clearly, that i don't feel as good. I don't sleep so well. I'm sad, moody & snappy. Plus i now have a vicious sugar addiction again. In June i started another whole30 , & after an initial readjustment period i feel good. Readjusted to chocolate again afterwards, felt bad. Can you see where I'm headed with this? Sorry if it's long winded, I'm on a day 10 downer myself & need reminding of this stuff!

[Tom Denham]

Your stomach develops a thick mucosal lining when you eat irritating foods like grains and legumes. When you avoid these irritating foods for a while, the extra padding of the lining sloughs off because you no longer need the protection. So, when you start eating irritating foods again, your stomach has less protection than it did before and your stomach does hurt more than it did before when you ate grains and beans. But don't worry. If you want to eat these foods, just keeping eating them and your mucosal lining will thicken again and you will stop feeling as much of the pain as you do at first. The irritation is still going on, but with a thicker lining, you feel little of it.

[ltlfroggie]

But I don't want that irritation, right?

 

[Physibeth]

I like to describe it to people like this: if I start poking you in the arm at a constant rate it will hurt for a while but eventually you will get used to it and not feel it anymore...but I'm still poking you in the arm and it will probably eventually cause a bruise. 

 

Plus the adjustment that makes you feel off when you switch to paleo is more about changing your primary fuel source which is different than adjusting to an irritant. 

[mydisciprin]

Your stomach develops a thick mucosal lining when you eat irritating foods like grains and legumes.

 

Is this a scientific fact or a w30 'fact'?

 

From http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1081754/human-digestive-system/242913/Gastric-mucosa:

 

The inner surface of the stomach is lined by a mucous membrane known as the gastric mucosa. The mucosa is always covered by a layer of thick mucus that is secreted by tall columnar epithelial cells.

 

(my bolding)

I'd appreciate a cited reference explaining the thicker lining that comes from eating grains, legumes etc.

[lexes42]

The whole9 founders and authors of It Starts With Food both have Masters Degrees in Nutritional Science.  One is also a physical therapist.  So they aren't (just) beautiful people who work out.  At the back of their book are scientific references for each section.  Chapters 6&7 deal with gut function and inflammation, with subsequent references.  I'm not saying that makes it all irrefutable fact....

 

Any science you find can be refuted as easily as a random statement by any ol' folk...  There are a few good bloggers who are scientists that discuss certain papers etc.  For example, here's a discussion of intestinal inflammation that 'might' be of interest: http://thatpaleoguy.com/2010/08/20/ibs-it-isnt-all-in-your-head-no-really-it-isnt/

 

Sometimes I use Google Scholar to find articles, but it can make me tired.  

 

Here are the honest reasons why I trust (but verify!) the Paleo thinkers like Robb Wolff, Mark Sisson, Cordain and the Hartwigs:

 

Paleo people 'look' healthy to me - fat or thin, young or old.  It's more than just muscles or thinness.  There is a certain vibrancy in skin, hair and eyes ... not to mention optimism and cheerfulness in their attitudes.  Wolff and Sisson are serious cynics and doubters too - they will happily quote any study you like if you ask and equally will reconsider things they have believed in the past.  

 

Paleo people say 'Ride Your Own Bike'.  Sure you can get into deep discussions over dairy or no dairy, legumes vs grains etc.  But most say - do the elimination diet, do a controlled re-introduction... and decide what works for YOU.  All agree, however, that giving any change only a few weeks is probably a fools errand.  

 

But most important - I think the corporate food industry is full of 1 million times more BS then any nutritionist on their broom. I also fully believe we are hard wired to OD on sugar in a way that we don't / won't do with meat and vegetables (barring serious OCD issues obviously simply from n=1 experimentation and observance.

 

even if you ONLY subscribe to the credo:  Eat REAL food, Not much, Mostly plants - and don't get all wrapped around the axel about gluten and casein  (although neither is generally found in 'real food') you will improve your health.

 

I don't think it's a question that your body will adjust to an all snickers diet or an all broccoli diet - and ultimately neither one will do you any favors over the long term, nor feel all that wonderful in the short term.  People have success as vegans, vegetarians, raw food eaters, whatever... and happily survive on grains and legumes.  But I personally believe the more processed the grains you eat, the more likely you are to fly head first into a plate of donuts.  For some people, wine truly enhances their life and their health.  Some people drink Nyquil and isopropyl alchohol to get a fix.  Some people can drink protein shakes all day... some people would rather chew glass (me).  I have NOT succeeded with other healthy routes because my craving / psyche takes over.  So if cutting out peanuts and black beans for a whle to see if that helps me eat in a way that makes be feel better (or keeps me from eating a loaf of bread after a bad day) , I'll do it... thick mucosal lining or not.

 

I think you just go with what resonates with you mentally and physically....