Hitssquad:

That quote is correct AFAIK -- but apo B isn't part of a standard "cholesterol screening".  And it turns out that triglycerides/HDL basically tells you the same thing, which is how much large/fluffy vs. small/dense LDL you have.  The 3.8 ratio is a relatively sharp dividing line between the two, which is why it's used as a metric.

As I said, I'm working on a full-length article about this, which will be fully referenced and linked as always.

JS

Jonathan:

I bet I could make a delicious pate out of a fruitarian's fatty liver!

As far as compassion, you might note the following sentences I wrote: "You will have compassion for the herd as it moos and bleats, for you were so recently one of them yourself. And you will share your knowledge, because you understand that our real enemies are the predators who hoard this knowledge for themselves…"

I have no interest in giving love or compassion to those who don't deserve it, nor those who would use it as a weapon to enslave me.  Lierre Keith: "The left in this country has come completely unhitched from any notion of actually being effective. Activism has turned into one big group therapy session. It doesn't matter what we accomplish–what matters is how we feel about it. The goal of the action isn't to change the material balance of power, it's to feel "empowered". For fuck's sake, who gives a

shit how I feel?"

JS

Trudy:

Vegetables and spices are great!  (Yes, I know that tomatoes are technically a fruit.)  I don't stress their intake because once you're not eating lots of starch, you'll naturally want to jazz up your food.  I eat more veggies now than I did when I was vegetarian.

I discourage heavy fruit consumption, and any fruit juice consumption, due to minimizing fructose intake.  Some berries or an orange (or pomegranate, or whatever) for dessert is delicious and encouraged…but snacking on fruit just puts you on the same blood sugar rollercoaster as candy, and fruit juice is basically Coca-Cola with a couple vitamins in it.

JL:

Thank you for sharing your experiences!  I'm glad that I've been able to contribute to your quality of life in some way, though the credit is yours: all I can do is open a door.  You must walk through it yourself — and you have.

And yes, I absolutely look at "paleo" as far more than just a diet and exercise plan.  You'll see much more on that subject as this site progresses — and in my novel, from which I took much of the inspiration for this essay.  (Available outside the US here.)

Like you, I've also found that lots of niggling little issues and irritations, which never rose to the status of illness and I had always counted as "just part of life", went away on a paleo diet.  It's great, isn't it?  And just as I talk about here, I refuse to believe that our taste for fatty red meat is an accident, or that we've evolved to enjoy only foods that kill us and dislike the foods that keep us alive.

Out of curiosity, where do you live that you've got such a problem getting meat and coconut oil?

And don't stress about "repairing a lifetime of damage"…I too wish I hadn't spent so many years eating birdseed.  As the gnolls say, hazrah nachti.  You've figured it out, and you are here now, and you'll enjoy decades of health and vigor you wouldn't have otherwise.

As far as cholesterol levels, I'm working on an article about that which I'll post eventually…but there's a lot of science I need to get right.  And just like you did, people need to walk through the door under their own power.  All you can do is be happy and healthy and hope they get the message.  Remember that you're new to it, and the media treats 'paleo' as just a fad diet: all diets work, for a little while.  I suspect the skepticism will slowly melt as you continue to enjoy good health and not backslide into your old habits.

Please continue to share your progress as time permits!

JS

Sara:

Sorry for missing this one for a few days...I've been slammed with newfound popularity and the dialogue on my latest post.

Anyway, as far as breakfast, it's basically a mental trap that we have to eat "breakfast foods"...most of which are huge refined sugar bombs (cereal, pancakes, bagels, toast, English muffins, etc.).  Eat whatever food you like at any other time of day!  

As far as learning to enjoy eggs: I like them as part of what I call a "paleo scramble".  Make sure to check out all the variants at the bottom of the recipe!  Also note that using white rice instead of potatoes is a delicious and relatively harmless cheat.  Finally, keep in mind you can start out with only one egg instead of three. 

If that works out for you, you can try omelets with lots of meat, veggies, and cheese to break up the egg texture.  Also try putting a fried egg on top of other things, like a steak or some vegetables.  One thing I do is to cook a single egg sunny side up, but break the yolk and flip it so I have a nice round disc of fully cooked egg to put on top of food.  Sunny side up looks great, but then the yolk breaks and runs over everything.

Finally, are you cooking your eggs too hard?  How are you cooking them?  One mistake beginners make is not using enough cooking fat, and "working" the eggs too hard by moving them around too much, making them tough and rubbery.  Even "scrambled" eggs should just sit on the pan until they're cooked mostly through...then flipping and chopping them once should finish the job.

Congratulations to your husband and you!  Let me know how it works out.

JS