Nuts! Oh...and Root Veggies.

[CaveKaters]

So I've been a happy Cavegirl for about a month now, and have lost about 16 pounds (which I will admit was a *very* nice surprise!) not to mention the increase in energy and general better feeling.  But I've been wondering about a couple things...

I dig snacking on nuts, walnuts and almonds mostly, during the day.  However, I was wondering about cashews.  Specifically Raw cashews...unsalted, unroasted, etc. just to maybe get some more variety, and I'll be honest...I LOVE the cashew.

Also, I must confess I am not a big fan of root veggies, other than potatoes (which I am missing slightly).  So I was wondering if anyone had suggestions on how to prepare root veggies in  way that would convince my tastebuds that I wasn't eating something that tasted like dirt.

[Lilnicki]

I dont know about cashews..... but as for the root veggies....... simply chop into cubes whatever you want (include courgettes/onions/butternutsquash/carrotts/sweet potatoes)....put in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle lightly with olive oil then toss them about....... add a little garlic/herbs/sea salt/pepper, then bake in the oven at about 180* C for 40 ish minutes........ tastes yummy.

Nicki

[ajcurly]

Cashews are lentils, not nuts and not recommended. I love them (and other lentils like beans) also, but gave them up because of the antinutrients. Google "antinutrients" and you won't want to eat them either. I am not a super strict caveman, however I won't regularly consume foods that cause more harm than good.

[CaveKaters]

Thank you guys for your help!  I ended up taking a small break from the diet for a bit,  but am ready to dive back in again.  So...armed with new info, I'm eager to give it another shot!  Thanks again for your help and advice!

[nero]

About the cashew...

The cashew is the seed of the cashew apple--a fruit tree of tropical origin. 

From Wikipedia under Cashew:

The true fruit of the cashew tree is a kidney or boxing-glove shaped drupe that grows at the end of the accessory fruit. The drupe develops first on the tree, and then the peduncle expands into the cashew apple. Within the true fruit is a single seed, the cashew nut. Although a nut in the culinary sense, in the botanical sense the nut of the cashew is a seed. The seed is surrounded by a double shell containing a dermatogenic phenolic resin, anacardic acid, a potent skin irritant chemically related to the more well known allergenic oil urushiol which is also a toxin found in the related poison ivy. Some people are allergic to cashew nuts, but cashews are a less frequent allergen than nuts or peanuts.

Not to worry though, the seed is heat-treated to remove the resins and irritants before being sold.  Dried cashew apples themselves can be obtained thru the internet.  They are not much different from prunes in basic taste (to me) but far larger. 

Thus being nothing but a seed (true, heat-processed) it should be allowed to be eaten in my opinion.

[MrWinchell]

Cashews, known scientifically as Anacardium occidentale, belong to the same family as the mango and pistachio nut.

[clam61]

i thought sweet potatoes are a no no

I dont know about cashews..... but as for the root veggies....... simply chop into cubes whatever you want (include courgettes/onions/butternutsquash/carrotts/sweet potatoes)....put in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle lightly with olive oil then toss them about....... add a little garlic/herbs/sea salt/pepper, then bake in the oven at about 180* C for 40 ish minutes........ tastes yummy.

Nicki

[Lilnicki]

I had a look on many different web-sites about sweet potatoes, because i do love the taste!!......... some said yes, and some said no....... i decided to have them now and again........ i also have brown rice from time to time. I'm doing this diet because i have digestion problems, rather than to stick strickly to what cavemen ate!!..... i am feeling much better on it

Nicki

[taimenz]

Sweet Potatoes are in the gray area. There not a true paleo food but they do break down slowly without blood sugar spikes and there cheap filling and delicious. In the winter for energy I roast a bunch and put them in the fridge in foil and keep them in my truck while im out working all day. There a good boost.

The root vegtables, try roasting them cut them on a long bias so there not to thick and about bite size slow roast them it brings out there sugars. if you like sweetness try putting a little raw honey or 100% maple syrup on them before you roast but not much.

[Tony Bondioli]

True yams are a mainstay in the diets of many tribal African peoples who still live as hunter-gatherers, and it doesn't seem to be hurting them at all.  What we call "sweet potatoes" are actually just a distant cousin to the "yam," but both are loaded with good nutrition.  The simple sugars in the sweet potato are compensated for by tons of complex carbs, fiber, and lots of vitamins and minerals.  They're on my "yes" list.

[Catrina]

We also liked potatoes - and it was a hard adjustment.

I have made mashed cauliflower with either nutmeg or garlic/herbs. It was not perfectly like mashed potatoes, but close and i was surprised because I have not been a huge cauliflower fan.