French ex-paleo discovering RP

[Gascon]

Dear peatarians,

Little background about me : 25 years French guy working in Iraq (Erbil, Kurdistan region), interested in optimizing health and performance. No biology/nutrition background apart of two years of binge reading on Paleo, autoimmunity etc before I ended up on RP website.

The work of Ray Peat is quite unknown in France to say the least. People there have this strong attachment to food traditions, and apart some Paleo on gymrats and vegetarianism, very vew specific diets gain the visibility they seem to have in the U.S. Is it that bad ? I don't know. The more I dig into nutrition, the more I feel I know too little, and I wonder when I will be able to find a resilient and efficient equilibrium with diet choices. Many mistakes and time lost. Happy the ignorants ?

Looking at the symptoms I am very likely to be hypothyroid because of years of attemps to lose fat + one year on Paleo. Trying to find a way to order thyroid supplement, but no easy to get it shipped to France or Iraq. Advices are welcome.

Looking forward to learn and share.

Thanks for your time and bon appétit !

Gascon

 

[Matt1951]

Gascon, you definitely will do better moving away from paleo (low carb). People go through the unhappy cycle of dieting, which slows their metabolism. Over time people train their bodies to get by on fewer and fewer calories, with resulting less nutrition; and then they stop losing weight even with the lower calorie intake. Correcting diet comes first before thyroid supplementation.
Traditional French cooking does not use seed oils? So you probably are ahead in terms of avoiding polyunsaturated fat.

 

[nikotrope]

Hi Gascon. I am also French and France is clearly not where you can talk hormone and sugar without sounding like a crazy person.

Search for user haidut on the forum. He has a thyroid supplement and ships worldwide so you may be able to buy some.

post 118620Traditional French cooking does not use seed oils? So you probably are ahead in terms of avoiding polyunsaturated fat.

I have been raised with a mother using sunflower oil. Gov and doctors are pushing PUFA oil as healthier than butter (like in the US I think). I recently talked to my sister's boyfriend who just became a doctor and told me that margarine was healthier than butter... Yes traditional French cuisine is full of butter and dairy products, but decades of misinformation and fear changed what a lot of families are eating. Also, traditional southern French cuisine is full of olive oil.

 

[tara]

Welcome Gascon.

Happy the ignorants ?

One could do worse, and many do. :) Probably works better in France than US.

I second getting nutritional needs met before considering supplemetning thyroid.
And then if necessary checking with Haidut. And starting small, with slow little increments. Overdosing makes things more complicated.