[.ca] The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating ... (ISBN 0471267554)

From Amazon.com:
According to author Loren Cordain, modern health and diet problems didn't start with the advent of packaged snack food, but much earlier--back at the dawn of the agricultural age many thousands of years ago. As humans became less nomadic and more dependent on high-carbohydrate diets, we left behind the diet we had evolved with, which is based on low-fat proteins and plenty of fruits and vegetables. Sugars, fats, and carbs were rare, if they were present at all, and survival required a steady, if low-key, level of activity. Cordain's book The Paleo Diet blends medical research with a healthy sprinkle of individual anecdotes, practical tips, and recipes designed to make his suggestions into a sustainable lifestyle, rather than a simple month-long diet; he even includes cooking recommendations and nationwide sources for wild game. Claims of improving diseases from diabetes to acne to polycystic ovary disease may be a little overstated, but in general the advice seems sound. Can any of us really go wrong by adding lots more vegetables and fruits to our daily regimen? One recommendation on safe tanning with a gradual reduction in sunscreen is surprising and not much detail is provided for safety issues that can accompany increased sun exposure. Still, Cordain's assertions have helped many people, and could provide exactly the changes you've been looking for to improve your health. --Jill Lightner

It works:
Since I'm not a nutritional anthropologist, I can't swear that the author's theories are solid science. However, I can say for certain that the Paleo Diet works. In the beginning, it's difficult to banish bread and pasta and dairy and potatoes from your diet ... and it seems like there's high-fructose corn syrup in everything. However, it's worth the effort. Six months later, I've shed almost 40 lbs and have taken on the lean and fit look mentioned in the book. I'm in the best shape of my life, and I feel good all the time. I neither need nor miss caffeine, anymore. As a skeptic who is now a believer, I really can't recommend the Paleo Diet strongly enough.

horribly misguided, error-filled, and toxic:
Cordain's book is long on speculation and error and very short on data. He would have you eat protein at levels just a hair short of toxicity for your entire life! Don't do this if you value your health. Cordain suggests that no vegetarian diet could come close to the nutrient levels he provides in his sample diet plan. This is spectacularly wrong--any plant-based diet that centers on dark leafy greens rather than whole grains will provide more of everything (except B12) with fewer calories, more fiber, more good carbohydrate, and less saturated fat, in a way that is more health-promoting, and will result in much better blood lipid profiles and is far more likely to reduce incidence of certain types of cancers. Cordain would also have you cook with flax oil. This is also spectacularly wrong. The idea of reducing grains is not bad--simply because they are not as nutrient dense as vegetables and fruits, but the idea of jacking up animal flesh to ridiculously toxic levels to take their place is a very very bad one--not only for one's health, but also for the planet. If you want to try something health-promoting, consider a 10% animal, 90% plant diet--center your calorie needs around dark leafy greens and purples, non-starchy non-leafy vegetables and fungi, starchy roots and tubers, raw fruit, and raw nuts and seeds in descending order, lightly supplemented with lean and fatty fish, other lean seafood, and perhaps some cultured nonfat dairy and modest quantities of sprouted grains and legumes. Emphasize genetic diversity with a wide variety of bright colors on the plate. This is a much healthier option to follow.

At least one of the 'editorial' reviewers didn't read it:
... or maybe s/he simply didn't understand what s/he read. I'm talking about the one that made the stupid statement about the lifespan of paleo humans being only 30 years. Cordain's research shows that if the paleo human was able to avoid childhood mortality and accident, he or she was typically a healthy and productive member of the tribe well into the 60's or 70's, and that the agricultural 'revolution' substantially shortened the human lifespan. Skeletal remains of elderly paleo humans are common -- plus they don't usually show signs of degenerative diseases (or even crooked teeth). Both Cordain and Audette make this observation, so I'm assuming the reviewer simply relied on what somebody else said about the book when writing the 'review'. Cordain's diet recommendations have two big plusses: 1) they make sense, and 2) they are simple enough for anybody (except maybe the 'reviewer' in question) to understand and implement. In addition to this book, I recommend Ray Audette's NeanderThin.

Another miracle diet, sigh:
I'm very interested in natural nutrition, but I was a bit disappointed with this book. There are so many "musts" in it. It's not true that everything invented after the stone age is not healthy for us. I live in Sweden and we drink lots of milk and digest it well. Some low fat milk promotes a good health, I think. The author also says "Absolutely no peanuts". Well, I read in the paper today that a substance found in grapes, peanuts and other vegetables is likely to extend your life span and slow down aging. And in Asia they do well on eating lots of soy bean products. How old did they get back then? I've heard they had an average life span of 40 years. Was that only because they had no doctors or could their diet have been less than perfect after all? And I wonder why the Japanese, who eat a lot of rice, and Swedes, who eat a lot of milk and rye bread, become twice as old in average. Italians get old too, and they eat a lot of pasta. But I've learned at least one thing from the book: Eat more protein. I've started to eat more fresh fish and vegetables and I feel really fine. I already seem to need less sleep. I've tried to cut down on pasta, white bread and sugar for a long time, but the book encourages me to go on doing so. (My teeth like the new diet too. If you are strict with it you could almost skip tooth brushing!) I agree that wheat, corn etc and products thereof are not nutritious. Too much energy, too little nutrients. But you don't have to skip it altogether! Read the book, it has some good points. But please don't forget to use common sense. We can of course use some farm products and still be perfectly healthy and have long lives. We can have the best of both worlds. Why not listen to your stomach? Only your stomach can tell you what foods you digest well. No book can do that. Your stomach is a good, personal guide.

A Major Milestone in Nutrition:
This book is about the diet of man from 2 million years ago until modern hunter gatherers today, and is the diet we evolved with. It's easy to read and gets great results. It is excellent for weight loss and for most health problems. It teaches many important things about food, to know forever. Hunter gatherers don't get most of the diseases of modern civilisation, mainly because of their diet. Virtually all topics in nutrition are covered in the one package! The author is the world's leading authority on the topic and has a down to earth no-nonsense approach. ...