“Friends, Family, and Customers All Noticed the Difference” – Josh’s Paleo Story

The second installment of our testimonial series comes from UPG reader Josh. Before going Paleo, Josh thought he ate well – even though he often suffered from digestive issues and low energy.

After trying different dietary approaches with no success, he was eventually diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. This was a turning point for him.

An acquaintance recommended the Paleo diet and Josh ran with it. It wasn’t long until he started seeing the results he had been seeking for so long.

Here’s Josh’s story in his own words:

“I Thought I Had A Good Diet…”

“Before I decided to go paleo, I was overweight. I thought I ate well and had a good diet. I was quite unhealthy and often unwell, would suffer from bouts of diarrhea and had little energy, so I drank lots of coffee to get me through the day. I had tried to go dairy, gluten and caffeine free although this did not seem to help. I couldn’t understand because I really thought I ate a healthy balanced diet with lots of fresh salads and juices but the “balance” wasn’t agreeing with my bowels.

Paleo for Crohn’s Disease

When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, this all made sense. I told my wife, who works for a community nursing company and her boss said to go paleo. She had heard it had helped one of their clients. So instantly, I did.

First Step – Heal The Gut

At first I combined Paleo with other Crohn’s dietary recommendations so my diet was really restrictive. I’m a Chef so I love cooking which makes going paleo easier.

I started with a low fibre diet with lots of nutrients and prebiotic vegetables like sweet potato. I wanted to first off heal my gut so bone broths played a large part of my diet initially. I luckily have a friend who wholesales organic meat so had a ready supply of organic, grass fed meat, offal and bones. My main goal was to eliminate any inflammatory foods.

I own and run a very busy cafe and realised that only the salads I served were paleo. So I had to bring my own food from home which was really strange at first. My family didn’t like some of the offal dishes I cooked but I really loved them. I included a lot of organic eggs into my diet and so we got chickens. I also started an organic vegetable patch which helps with the cost of produce.

Paleo Favorites – Australian Edition

Being in Australia we have Kangaroo readily available which is naturally organic high in protein and low in fat. The mince at the supermarket is really cheap. Great for bolognese.

My favourite breakfast is fried eggs with sautéed mushrooms and spinach and although I try to stay away from nightshades, blistered grape tomatoes. All in coconut oil of course.

Favourite lunch is crispy skin wild salmon with grilled asparagus, dukkah and mango coriander salsa. And dinner, Kangaroo fillet on turmeric sweet potato mash, buttered broccolini and thyme jus.

Eventually – The 80/20 Rule

The hardest thing about the transition is eating out or visiting friends. There really is a lot of vegetable oils, sugar and grains in the foods we eat.

Over time I started introducing foods back into my diet and the 80/20 rule that some people use helped when you don’t want hurt someone’s feelings because you know they put a lot of effort in to entertain.

No Meds, Clearer Skin, More Energy, and Weight Loss!

The change in me was noticeable in the first few weeks. I took myself off Crohn’s medication and everything was fine.

Friends, family and customers all noticed the change. I had lots of comments about how my skin looks clearer or how I’ve lost weight, my energy levels picked up and I could think clearer. I didn’t exercise as much as I should but just going for a ride or run with dog helped. I ate more than I ever have in my life but the weight kept dropping. I have now lost over 15 kg.

I now practice Qi Gong which is a form of Chinese exercise combining breathing, stretching and meditation in slow Tai Chi style movements. It’s been around for thousands of years and I find it the best exercise for me.

Paleo As A Lifestyle

I started studying nutrition at University level and quickly realised that we are all different and what we were studying is not good enough for people with health problems. I have now helped a few people with health problems including thyroid, diabetes, cardiovascular, cholesterol and other autoimmune diseases. My first advice is usually to look at the paleo lifestyle. I cannot express enough the damage our modern diet is doing.”

For us at UPG, Josh’s story shows just how powerful Paleo can be when it is adapted to your lifestyle. Josh made it work for him, and has continued to stick with it over time. He can even manage his Crohn’s without medication and helps others do the same. We hope Josh’s story inspires you as much as it did for us!