Hunter Gatherer Diet

Diet this, diet that. What diet is best? Who knows!

Personally, I think it's different for everyone and their bodies situation. I watch people down ice cream bars, chocolate treats and top it off with candy and their health is fine (let's not talk about the repercussions of that down the road) but my point is - if I were to do that, I'd be dead.

Remember last year when we did the GAPS diet? We had some amazing results! My son's eczema still has never returned. He gets little flare ups with it but it's never been even close to as severe as it used to be.

Yet, we still have some other things to clear up. I've had Candida overgrowth ever since I was 14 or so (thanks to a dermatologist who had me on antibiotics for MONTHS for acne). This issue, the issue of having not enough good bacteria in the gut, allows Candida to get out of control, causing leaky gut and a host of other problems - not to mention the overall weakening of one's foundation and overall constitution.

When one has Candida overgrowth it's easily "transferred" to their own children. Dr. McBride explains that babies digestive systems are completely sterile. They get their first dose of good bacteria, from their mother, as they're born. When mom has an imbalance - babies easily get this imbalance as well.

Well, my kids have this imbalance. I've always guessed this. It manifests itself differently in each one of them. I've always treated it - to an extent. Hoping little things in our diet will help.

Yes, it's helped. Yes, it's kept it under control. I can't even imagine what my children's side effects would be if we ate a normal SAD diet.

Well, just recently, I took the kids to the doc. We're having them tested for Lyme disease (just to be safe) and they needed a regular check up for that. The doc's conclusion was that they all have Candida overgrowth. Didn't surprise me.

Okay, so what do we do? She recommended a hunter-gatherer diet (aka "Paleo Diet") along with an anti-yeast medication and high doses of probiotics.

Bring it on! I say. But, wow, I'm surprised to find myself feeling a bit overwhelmed with it.

Many of our staples are going to have to be pulled. No gluten free pancakes? No soaked spelt tortillas? No raw yogurt? No raw or lactose free cheese? No sourdough breads?

It's interesting because these things all seem SO good! I mean, what percentage of Americans go through the work of making or buying food like that? Well, I do.

But, it isn't enough.

Healing the gut requires some serious sacrifices. I know I'm supposed to be taking this journey, with my family, for many reasons.

So what is the hunter-gatherer diet? It's basically the way nomadic people, from 1000's of years ago, ate: free range meats, eggs, nuts, berries, seeds, many vegetables, some fruits. We are including lentils. And I was excited to remember that quinoa is not a grain but a seed which totally qualifies it for our diet. Yay! I wonder if sorghum would work ...

Anyhow - I've heard and read many good things about this diet. Dr. Wahl overcome a serious case of MS with the hunter gatherer diet. I've studied many people's cases with Lyme disease and many Lyme sufferers say they do best on this diet. So many people are regaining their health and stamina through this diet and so many more are losing all the weight they wanted to lose on it as well.

It seems to be an incredibly healing diet. It takes out all foods that would/could cause inflammation, digestive stress and foods containing a lack of nutrients.

So onward and upward we go! I'm going to have many new recipes coming.

And, quite honestly, I'm excited - this "diet" will allow nothing but healing.