We’ve eagerly anticipated videoing a conversation with Nora Gedgaudas during the past few months while Robyn and I read aloud her book Primal Body, Primal Mind: Beyond the Paleo Diet for Total Health and a Longer Life. We flagged dozens of passages that spoke to us. Nora didn’t disappoint!
Nora is a fount of information about health and nutrition. Our great long conversation touched on only a few of her important messages.
What’s in the primal diet? Writes Nora:
“Once upon a time, literally everything we ate was free-range, fully grass-fed, and organic.” In addition to land animals and eggs, enjoy “wild-caught seafood, organic vegetables and greens, seeds, fresh nuts, berries and some (just some) fruits….”
“Nutrient-dense quality meats, fats and vegetables are readily satisfying, and smaller amounts of food are far more filling. Naturally occurring fat, which our ancestors would have sought out as much as possible, is inherently satisfying to the appetite.”
We’ve found that to be true. Quality natural fats (butter, coconut, animal fats, nut butters) soothe the body with a calming satiety. Satisfaction. Maybe we ought to call it satis-fat-tion.
Nora says it straight up: the only macro nutrients the body needs are protein and fats. We don’t we need dietary carbohydrates (sugars and starches).
You heard that right. None. Nada. The body can make all the glucose (sugar) it needs from the other two. And grains are harmful — inflammatory.
Our experience eating basically the primal diet over the past two years confirms what she’s saying: we’re off grains (including flour), sweeteners, and fruits except a few berries (not too sweet, and high in antioxidants.) We’ve lost weight, feel more vital, and have more endurance. (See Celebrating a Lighter, Leaner Janaia and Whaddya Mean, Eat Fat to Lose Fat?).
We’d asked Nora to join us for dinner after videoing. We figured that if anybody in Portland would know of a restaurant serving food we could eat, it would be her! She and partner Lisa joined us for dinner at Meriwether’s, in a beautiful outdoors setting and divine food. Meriwether’s Restaurant and Skyline Farm emphasizes local, and their own (local) farm provides many of the ingredients. Totally gluten-free dishes are marked on the menu. Highly recommended. (She also mentioned Departures modern Asian food. A future treat).
Watch A Primal Diet for Modern Times, part 1 (260) and part 2 (261), and What About Veganism?
You can find videos of Nora’s engaging presentations on YouTube, and many resources on her blog primalbody-primalmind.com.
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