Paleo?

[Indylady]

Does anyone here follow the Paleo diet? I'm trying to cut some refined carbs out of my diet, and have some friends that have adopted a Paleo diet. Basically, you eat meat, veggies, fruits, but no refined carbs like pasta or rice and avoid dairy as well. Does anyone follow a similar diet? Do you like it?

 

[Sky56]

We have a friend who has followed the Paleo diet for years and is happy with it. He appears healthy and energetic. I couldn't do it because I am a vegetarian who loves rice, pasta, cheese and yogurt.

 

[missy]

I don't follow a Paleo diet but I do eat mainly veggies and fruit and try to get enough vegan protein while avoiding dairy. It's not too difficult to maintain though I wish I could have dairy because I love ice cream, yogurt and cheese and miss them. I am still looking for a good substitute for dairy that I can add to smoothies and such.

I eat a ton of almonds/walnuts every day and I love avocados so I try to get that in every day as well. My main problem is getting enough protein for my activity level as I am very active and workout everyday as well as long distance cycle in the nice weather. So I am currently exploring vegan protein powders and will update my protein powder thread when I sample the various choices for anyone who is interested.

I don't find it all that difficult to maintain Indy but the key is adding foods you love so you won't miss the ones you are minimizing/eliminating in your diet.

 

[MarionC]

My daughter is on a strict Paleo and loves it. She is a yoga instructor/massage therapist/weight lifter/runner/belly dancer in excellent health. She keeps trying to turn me on to it, but I'm not disciplined enough [currently eating breakfast...caramel gelato with nuts ]

 

[OreoRosies86]

I am trying to grt back into it. For me going all in was a bad mistake. I ran back to cheese like a madwoman after 2 weeks. Really good paleo cookbooks help.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I guess that is pretty much my diet. I have cut out most processed foods except for an occasional indulgence. I feel better, and I sleep better. My next switch will be to all organic-range free-or grass fed meats. As soon as I can clean out my freezer. Pretty much the only bread I eat is Ezekiel bread for breakfast, and some brown rice.

I do find myself over doing it on fruit. We bought a lug of Blenheim apricots. Oh my gosh, I have eaten way too many. My tastes have really changed though, I enjoy veggies so much more. One thing that has made it so much easier for me though-my food processor died and I bought a new one. I got a Breville Sou chef. The chute is wide and I can stick veggies in for jullienne sticks. I do a whole bunch of zucchini and carrots and put them in a container in my fridge, and paper thin slice some cucumber and do the same. My salads are ready to go and I don't hardly have to think about it. If I haven't used the veggies up at the end of the week, I use them for stir fry.

Indy, I hope you don't mind if I add a recipe to this thread for you. My husband found it, I believe in a book on Paleo for athletes or cyclists.
I love this salad dressing so much, as well as does my whole family. I had previously not been a big salad fan at all but this dressing and the new food processor changed that a few months ago. So here it is.

Goddess Dressing

1/4 cup tahini
3 Tbl apple cider vinegar
2 Tbl tamari
1 Tbl lemon juice
1 small clove garlic minced
1/2 grapeseed oil (can use less if preferred, we do)
1 Tbl fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbl scallions, chopped.

Add all ingredients to a blender or processor and blend. We double this to fill a container.

We have tried this with other oils and it just didn't work as well. Luckily we found grapeseed oil for a great price at costco. My hubby usually makes it and I know he uses a bit less oil. I hope you love it as much as we do!

 

[momhappy]

I have a few friends who follow it. It's too restrictive for me, so I have no interest in trying it.

 

[Sky56]

Yum. I love any dressing with lemon and tahini. I also love avocados and almonds. I basically eat anything as long as it doesn't contain meat, fish or egg products or comes in a package with an ingredient list of chemicals. My diet sounds restrictive but I love it and thrive on it. The Paleo diet does have quite a bit in common with mine - it stresses natural, unprocessed foods.

 

[zoebartlett]

If I remember correctly, The Whole 30 follows a paleo diet (or it's very similar): http://whole30.com/

I have a few friends who follow it but it's too restrictive for me. My friends who do it say there's a ton of food prep involved but that once you get into it, it's not too bad. I think they allow themselves a cheat day once a week or maybe once every two weeks. Overall though, they're really happy eating paleo.

 

[Indylady]

I don't follow a Paleo diet but I do eat mainly veggies and fruit and try to get enough vegan protein while avoiding dairy. It's not too difficult to maintain though I wish I could have dairy because I love ice cream, yogurt and cheese and miss them. I am still looking for a good substitute for dairy that I can add to smoothies and such.

I eat a ton of almonds/walnuts every day and I love avocados so I try to get that in every day as well. My main problem is getting enough protein for my activity level as I am very active and workout everyday as well as long distance cycle in the nice weather. So I am currently exploring vegan protein powders and will update my protein powder thread when I sample the various choices for anyone who is interested.

I don't find it all that difficult to maintain Indy but the key is adding foods you love so you won't miss the ones you are minimizing/eliminating in your diet.

Do you eat meat? Wow, long distance cycling sounds really cool. I've never tried it before. I'll definitely check in to your protein powder thread. I work out a few times a week on the elliptical or by taking classes at the gym, but if I miss a week or so, it throws me off the workout train and I have to work extra hard to get myself motivated to go back.

 

[Indylady]

I guess that is pretty much my diet. I have cut out most processed foods except for an occasional indulgence. I feel better, and I sleep better. My next switch will be to all organic-range free-or grass fed meats. As soon as I can clean out my freezer. Pretty much the only bread I eat is Ezekiel bread for breakfast, and some brown rice.

I do find myself over doing it on fruit. We bought a lug of Blenheim apricots. Oh my gosh, I have eaten way too many. My tastes have really changed though, I enjoy veggies so much more. One thing that has made it so much easier for me though-my food processor died and I bought a new one. I got a Breville Sou chef. The chute is wide and I can stick veggies in for jullienne sticks. I do a whole bunch of zucchini and carrots and put them in a container in my fridge, and paper thin slice some cucumber and do the same. My salads are ready to go and I don't hardly have to think about it. If I haven't used the veggies up at the end of the week, I use them for stir fry.

Indy, I hope you don't mind if I add a recipe to this thread for you. My husband found it, I believe in a book on Paleo for athletes or cyclists.
I love this salad dressing so much, as well as does my whole family. I had previously not been a big salad fan at all but this dressing and the new food processor changed that a few months ago. So here it is.

Goddess Dressing

1/4 cup tahini
3 Tbl apple cider vinegar
2 Tbl tamari
1 Tbl lemon juice
1 small clove garlic minced
1/2 grapeseed oil (can use less if preferred, we do)
1 Tbl fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbl scallions, chopped.

Add all ingredients to a blender or processor and blend. We double this to fill a container.

We have tried this with other oils and it just didn't work as well. Luckily we found grapeseed oil for a great price at costco. My hubby usually makes it and I know he uses a bit less oil. I hope you love it as much as we do!

Wow, thank you Luv! This is just perfect. I love tahini and lemon juice. I think I'm going for a bit of a modified paleo, with just a few whole grains once in a while. I do think its a healthier way of living, especially if you're getting a lot of veggies. I don't need to be absolutely black and white about it--I'm just looking for a healthier way to do things, and working with Paleo guidelines seems like a decent way to do it, and is pretty consistent with my doctor's recommendations too.

You are absolutely right--cutting out processed foods makes real good taste so much better. My senses were kind of clouded before, if that makes sense. Now that I'm eating more whole foods, I find I need less salt, seasoning, etc. to still find flavor in my food. I had eggs without any salt the other day. That was pretty unusual for me, but I really felt like it wasn't needed at all. Nice quality meats taste so much better too; I had an amazing grass-fed flank steak on its own (rather than in a fajita or stir fry) the other day; I'd never thought to eat flank steak that way, but it was just as good as other cuts that I would typically use for a steak.

 

[luv2sparkle]

That flank steak sound delicious. I love it sliced thin. Yum. The other funny thing that has made a difference for us is that the new food processor with super finely chop onions. I prefer the sweet variety like Maui's or Walla Wallas. When I add them to things that finely chopped you get the flavor but not the texture. I scramble eggs for my 17 year old with a little crumbled bacon (not healthy but then again he is 17) and the onions and he tells me I should open a restaurant based around that dish. The only thing different is how finely chopped the onions are and a little Kerrygold irish butter (from grass fed cows).

It seems like with Paleo, or just generally healthy cooking it is the littlest things that make a big difference. Like you said your tastebuds register things better, I guess.

 

[ame]

I just started working into this about two weeks ago and last week was my first 90% week. This week I am trying to get more like 95%. I don't know if Ill ever be 100% but I am trying. I have had at least three massive, truly epic meltdowns over wanting sugary things. I've asked my husband to try to play bad cop when we're out at restaurants unless I specifically say before we get there it will be a splurgy meal. Because I didn't give those instructions Saturday, I had a f@cking fit over dessert like a child.

Today is the first day that I haven't wanted to gnaw my arm off, though I probably ate too much almond butter.

 

[star sparkle]

Not Paleo, but my DH and I follow The Zone diet, which is very similar. We've been eating this way for over 3 years now and we're both healthier, more energetic, and just overall in a better physical state. Didn't hurt that I've lost and kept off 40 pounds, too!

They all seem too restrictive and complicated at first but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy. And we allow ourselves cheat days, so it all works out.

 

[distracts]

NO rice or pasta?

I'd probably starve to death...

 

[missy]

I don't follow a Paleo diet but I do eat mainly veggies and fruit and try to get enough vegan protein while avoiding dairy. It's not too difficult to maintain though I wish I could have dairy because I love ice cream, yogurt and cheese and miss them. I am still looking for a good substitute for dairy that I can add to smoothies and such.

I eat a ton of almonds/walnuts every day and I love avocados so I try to get that in every day as well. My main problem is getting enough protein for my activity level as I am very active and workout everyday as well as long distance cycle in the nice weather. So I am currently exploring vegan protein powders and will update my protein powder thread when I sample the various choices for anyone who is interested.

I don't find it all that difficult to maintain Indy but the key is adding foods you love so you won't miss the ones you are minimizing/eliminating in your diet.

Do you eat meat? Wow, long distance cycling sounds really cool. I've never tried it before. I'll definitely check in to your protein powder thread. I work out a few times a week on the elliptical or by taking classes at the gym, but if I miss a week or so, it throws me off the workout train and I have to work extra hard to get myself motivated to go back.

The only meat I eat is fish and that is not very often at all. For protein it's mainly beans-black beans and chic peas are the 2 types I make most often.
I really love cycling and highly recommend it if it is something you are considering. I can't explain it but to say you get lost in it and just enjoy each moment you are cycling. The hours fly by when we are tandeming. Of course it helps that we are doing it by the ocean as it would be a different experience in an urban environment.

 

[Indylady]

Not Paleo, but my DH and I follow The Zone diet, which is very similar. We've been eating this way for over 3 years now and we're both healthier, more energetic, and just overall in a better physical state. Didn't hurt that I've lost and kept off 40 pounds, too!

They all seem too restrictive and complicated at first but once you get the hang of it, it's really easy. And we allow ourselves cheat days, so it all works out.

I'd actually never heard of it; I just looked it up and it seems like the difference is the intake of fish oil or other healthy fats. What made you chose that diet over Paleo? And congrats on your weightloss!

 

[shimmer]

I don't follow a Paleo diet but I do eat mainly veggies and fruit and try to get enough vegan protein while avoiding dairy. It's not too difficult to maintain though I wish I could have dairy because I love ice cream, yogurt and cheese and miss them. I am still looking for a good substitute for dairy that I can add to smoothies and such.

I eat a ton of almonds/walnuts every day and I love avocados so I try to get that in every day as well. My main problem is getting enough protein for my activity level as I am very active and workout everyday as well as long distance cycle in the nice weather. So I am currently exploring vegan protein powders and will update my protein powder thread when I sample the various choices for anyone who is interested.

I don't find it all that difficult to maintain Indy but the key is adding foods you love so you won't miss the ones you are minimizing/eliminating in your diet.

Missy, you might want to try vegan cashew ice cream, I use the recipe from chocolate-covered katie and it's amazing. I can eat high-fat dairy but still love and prefer this!

I have followed the ketogenic diet (high fat, very low carb, low-moderate protein--not Atkins) for over a year now and it is life-changing. The movie Fat Head has a pretty good (albeit sarcastic) explanation on how it works without destroying your arteries lol.

My husband lost 40 lbs on the keto diet, with no restrictions on food amounts. I didn't need to lose anything so I haven't (130-135 5'8"), but before to maintain my weight when I was on a high carb vegan diet, I could eat only 1200 cal/day + working out and was starving all the time. I am never hungry on this diet and absolutely love eating full fat cheese, cream, butter and eggs without restraint.

 

[MMtwo]

I'm a type 2 diabetic. I follow a diet very close to the paleo, except I enjoy cheese and unflavored greek yogurt and sometimes corn based carbs when I "cheat". In the last year I have lost 45 lbs (I have plenty to go) and my sugar stays in good control. For anyone with sugar regulation problems, carbs in a high glycemic form are a terrible idea.

This past year after diagnosis I have learned to eat bright and colorful plant based foods and learned to eat fat. I always thought fat made me fat but after that 45 lb loss, I see it wasn't the bacon, it was the bread. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, I will always have to eat a healthy low carb diet to keep this disease under control. I test my blood sugar after every meal to learn what the foods I eat do to my blood sugar. That has been the other key to good control.

I firmly believe the surge in type 2 diabetes is partially because of the high frucose, high glycemic crap we eat as a "normal" diet, our body wears out it's ability to deal with the excess weight (that comes from poor diet) and the constant blood sugar spikes caused by an almost all white food diet.

I lived and learned.

 

[missy]

I don't follow a Paleo diet but I do eat mainly veggies and fruit and try to get enough vegan protein while avoiding dairy. It's not too difficult to maintain though I wish I could have dairy because I love ice cream, yogurt and cheese and miss them. I am still looking for a good substitute for dairy that I can add to smoothies and such.

I eat a ton of almonds/walnuts every day and I love avocados so I try to get that in every day as well. My main problem is getting enough protein for my activity level as I am very active and workout everyday as well as long distance cycle in the nice weather. So I am currently exploring vegan protein powders and will update my protein powder thread when I sample the various choices for anyone who is interested.

I don't find it all that difficult to maintain Indy but the key is adding foods you love so you won't miss the ones you are minimizing/eliminating in your diet.

Missy, you might want to try vegan cashew ice cream, I use the recipe from chocolate-covered katie and it's amazing. I can eat high-fat dairy but still love and prefer this!

I have followed the ketogenic diet (high fat, very low carb, low-moderate protein--not Atkins) for over a year now and it is life-changing. The movie Fat Head has a pretty good (albeit sarcastic) explanation on how it works without destroying your arteries lol.

My husband lost 40 lbs on the keto diet, with no restrictions on food amounts. I didn't need to lose anything so I haven't (130-135 5'8"), but before to maintain my weight when I was on a high carb vegan diet, I could eat only 1200 cal/day + working out and was starving all the time. I am never hungry on this diet and absolutely love eating full fat cheese, cream, butter and eggs without restraint.

Thank you so much for that recommendation Shimmer! It sounds delicious and I am excited to try it! I never heard of this before. Would this be only in a specialty grocery store I wonder or is it mainstream? Thanks again.

When I bought the Vitamixes I think the salespeople told me I would be able to make ice cream with it without using dairy and I am going to have to check out the recipe book that came with it because wouldn't that be awesome. So far I am loving our 2 Vitamixes and I recommend everyone getting something like it if they want to make a change to their diet. You can make very delicious foods/drinks with it. It's still new to me so I have barely scratched the surface but when I really get going with it maybe I will start a thread sharing some of my recipes and reviews.

 

[ame]

From what I understand you can use almond milk and coconut milk in place of dairy for ice creams but they freeze harder.

This diet/"lifestyle" pushes seafood as do most, but I will rarely do tuna salad, only after picking out anything that looks "red" or "gross", and the very rare piece of tilapia or orange roughy. Or "crab rangood" which really isn't seafood but just creamcheese with fake something in it. But otherwise I don't touch seafood in any form.

Giving up everything I love (because I pretty much have to to do paleo)...I have no idea if or how I'll maintain it.

 

[ame]

Also here is my life lesson from starting this transition. Don't try to increase your "compliance" to the program when you're PMSing.

 

[missy]

Also here is my life lesson from starting this transition. Don't try to increase your "compliance" to the program when you're PMSing.

Ame, I feel for you. Do you have to do a strict Paleo or can you do a variation of it making it easier for you to maintain?

 

[ame]

Since this is a combination of medical requirement and personal choice of trying to cut as much sugar addiction as I can (I really live for carbs!) I can adapt as need be. I don't do much dairy straight up anyway, because of intolerance, but the occasional ice cream/frozen custard was something I really love to get (usually a cone or a sundae, and that's been so far a big problem since I live by both Ted Drewes locations and near another local favorite that just opened another location DANGEROUSLY near my house. I can handle Greek Yogurt and most yogurts really as well. I've been still having plain green yogurt with honey (since apparently that's legal). I didn't realize Almond Milk was a no no though til yesterday unless you make it yourself which I ain't got time for! (Ain't nobody got time for that!) Woops.

My biggest struggle is going to be finding time to make stuff on my own. I used to have time to make dinner 4x a week. But lately I've barely been able to make it happen 1 or 2 nights a week.

 

[partgypsy]

No bread rice, pasta, dairy products (yogurt, cheese, milk) OMG all my favorite things It would be easier for me to get rid of meat in my diet than get rid of dairy. Same with carbs. I am in awe of people who can follow such diets.

Strangely enough I started a crossfit class in May. Ever since I started it, I lost my strong cravings for sweets/desserts. I basically don't eat desserts at home anymore, and at work just have either healthy fig newtons, or dark chocolate with some dried fruits/nuts.
This is someone who always had a stash of little debbies as well as other chocolates in her office drawer.

Everything tastes better, and I am naturally gravitating to healthier food. But the paleo diet, that is too big of a leap for me. Basically my diet is a mix of standard american and Mediterranean, with whole grains being used in breads.

 

[partgypsy]

From what I understand you can use almond milk and coconut milk in place of dairy for ice creams but they freeze harder.

This diet/"lifestyle" pushes seafood as do most, but I will rarely do tuna salad, only after picking out anything that looks "red" or "gross", and the very rare piece of tilapia or orange roughy. Or "crab rangood" which really isn't seafood but just creamcheese with fake something in it. But otherwise I don't touch seafood in any form.

Giving up everything I love (because I pretty much have to to do paleo)...I have no idea if or how I'll maintain it.

Unless there is a strict medical necessity to cutting out these things from your diet, I would re-evaluate. There is more than one diet that is healthy. You need to find something that you can live with (diets don't work, dietary changes work). If you cut out all your favorites, it's not going to work. I would encourage looking into the Mediterranean diet (there is some evidence that women on this diet lose more than on a paleo diet) which does not cut out any food groups, just that you eat less of some (dairy, meat) and more of others (vegetables, whole grains).

good luck!

 

[shimmer]

Missy--I make it at home! I copied the recipe since I'm pretty sure we aren't supposed to link here. Credit to Chocolate Covered Katie. I make the caramel version with a Vitamix. Takes some planning ahead but totally worth it!


Healthy “Haagen Dazs” Ice Cream Recipe
1 cup raw cashew or macadamia halves (120g)
1 1/3 cups milk of choice (320g)
3 tbsp xylitol or sugar of choice (30g)
1/8 tsp plus 1/16 tsp salt
1/16 tsp pure stevia, or 2 extra tbsp sugar of choice
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
In a cereal bowl, cover the nuts with water and let sit 4-8 hours. Drain, and pat dry very well with a paper towel. Combine all ingredients in a blender, and blend until all cashew bits have disappeared and mixture is completely smooth. If you have a Vita-Mix: Pour blended mixture into two ice-cube trays, and freeze until solid. Once frozen, pop out the ice cubes into your Vita-Mix by pushing a knife down one side of each section. Blend on high, using the tamper, until completely smooth with a soft-serve texture. Scoop out into individual bowls, using an ice-cream scoop for authentic presentation. Eat immediately, or freeze each bowl up to an hour for the perfect ice-cream consistency and texture. The best texture is achieved with a Vita-Mix, but if you don’t have one you can still get a pretty good result with an ice cream maker. (If you don’t have an ice cream maker either, just turn the blended mixture into really delicious popsicles! Also, a reader had success with a food processor by thawing the ice cubes a little extra, and it turned out like soft-serve.) Ice-cream-maker method: Pour the blended mixture into a large container, and freeze 30 minutes or refrigerate at least 4 hours. Pour chilled mixture into your ice cream maker, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Once a smooth texture has been reached, scoop out into individual bowls, using an ice-cream scoop for authentic presentation. Eat immediately, or freeze each bowl up to an hour for a firmer texture.

Any of the following milks works in the ice cream recipe: Silk Almondmilk, canned full-fat coconut milk, homemade cashew cream (the milk version), Earth Balance soymilk, Alpro soy cream… many others will surely work; I just haven’t tried them all. (It’s probably best to use a milk with some fat in it.) Due to the lack of preservatives and stabilizers in this all-natural ice cream, it tastes best the day you make it. However, you definitely can freeze for up to a month. It is best to portion out the ice cream into individual bowls before freezing. Then remove a bowl from the freezer 15-20 minutes before eating. It will thaw back into a smooth ice cream.

Caramel Ice Cream Recipe: Add 1/4 tsp caramel extract (JR Watkins brand is vegan.)
Peppermint Patty Ice Cream Recipe: Add 1/2 tsp pure peppermint extract and Cosmic Peppermint Patties.
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream Recipe: Do add the 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract. Also add 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste.
Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Recipe: Add 1/4 cup chocolate chips before blending the first time.

 

[missy]

Thanks so much Shimmer! It looks delicious. Looking forward to experimenting!

 

[ame]

From what I understand you can use almond milk and coconut milk in place of dairy for ice creams but they freeze harder.

This diet/"lifestyle" pushes seafood as do most, but I will rarely do tuna salad, only after picking out anything that looks "red" or "gross", and the very rare piece of tilapia or orange roughy. Or "crab rangood" which really isn't seafood but just creamcheese with fake something in it. But otherwise I don't touch seafood in any form.

Giving up everything I love (because I pretty much have to to do paleo)...I have no idea if or how I'll maintain it.

Unless there is a strict medical necessity to cutting out these things from your diet, I would re-evaluate. There is more than one diet that is healthy. You need to find something that you can live with (diets don't work, dietary changes work). If you cut out all your favorites, it's not going to work. I would encourage looking into the Mediterranean diet (there is some evidence that women on this diet lose more than on a paleo diet) which does not cut out any food groups, just that you eat less of some (dairy, meat) and more of others (vegetables, whole grains).

good luck!

I wasn't really given an option of what I can choose other than "eliminate sugar and do something paleo/atkins/super low carb." The bigger hit for me about Paleo than just sugar was the lack of beans and legumes. That one sucks. If I had my drothers I'd just have my jaw wired shut.

I was put on Medifast last year, but another doctor conversed with the original prescriber about it after my thyroid meds were no longer absorbing, and they took me back off. All 40lbs I lost came back in just over TWO MONTHS despite doing weight watchers, because real food healthy or not vs just that fakey soy crap, has a serious impact.

I don't eat a lot of dairy anyway, I've been intolerant my whole life. So I usually have almond milk and save dairy for cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and the rare frozen custard item. I have paid attention though since getting off Medifast as to what gives me worse reflux and I have noticed carbs are something that does--especially bready stuff. I don't think I am particularly intolerant to gluten though I just can't have a lot of it. And I will only rarely eat brown rice and risottos, otherwise I don't like rice at all.

I've found a few things that are paleoish in the grocery that will help with the sweet tooth issues, some coconut oil and avocado based chocolate treats (ganaches made with either as a base) and found some super low sugar dark chocolate which is pretty much cacao and a little bit of vanilla and a tiny bit of sugar. But my biggest dietary fix lately is getting meals from a local spot (they do delivery all over) called Athlete Eats. I get the smaller portion sizes, the 3/3 plan and those are my lunches for the weekdays, and either the last one is a dinner or a weekend lunch. I eat a "birdie ball" for breakfast with the lowest sugar plain greek yogurt with organic raw honey on top and a cup of almond milk or coconut milk.

 

[Sky56]

I find it interesting also that the body's sensitivities to food can change with time. The past year or so, I noticed a new problem - I seem to have developed a new sensitivity to spicy food. My face has gotten very red when I eat spicy food or balsamic vinegar. I always knew I had a tendency towards rosacea, but these are full-blown episodes coming with increased frequency. I have begun to ~avoid~ spicy food, but it is hard to do as oftentimes restaurant food is spicier than I thought it would be.