Rating: 
Summary: Weight Loss with Bonuses!
Review: am an RN who has had an interest in nutrition for many years, and have eaten similar to the "Paleo" way for some time and have felt great for years (and look younger than my age!). The big excitement for me is the improvement in my family's health since converting to Paleo. My sister (who has been on chemo for 6 years),found this book(and told us all about it), has lost 35 pounds in 6 months, and has improving lab values with her thyroid, cholesterol. She has increased energy, no indigestion, and glows in a way she never did before. My husband, recently diagnosed with Type II diabetes, has lost 20 pounds in 3 months, and his blood sugars are totally controlled by this diet alone, and his blood pressure is now within normal limits. My daughter, having stopped the dairy products and wheat, is not longer suffering from severe reflux. She never has to take medication for that now. Ever. My mother has lost 33 pounds, has increased mobility and strength, easily controlled blood sugars (may go off meds soon, with md's supervision), and is never hungry. Along with all these benefits, you don't ever have to go hungry again.
Since I have been on this diet, all the cravings for junk food have gone. I was someone who lived for sugar and now I do not want any of it. I use to crave coffee in the morning as well but realized I didn't want that wired up feeling & acid stomach. I switched over to a caffeine-free coffee substitute made from soyabeans I found on the net at www. S o y c o f f e e.c om. It so easy for someone to tell you to eat less, but if you are craving bad foods, eventually you will fail. In the first five days I was on this diet all the craving ceased and I was already 8 lbs down. If you were like me and cannot wait for your next slice of cake and at the same time really want to change your lifestyle, Try this.
Rating: 
Summary: At least one of the 'editorial' reviewers didn't read it
Review: ... 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.
Rating:
Summary: At least one of the 'editorial' reviewers didn't read it
Review: ... 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.
Rating: 
Summary: hokum for the credulous
Review: After all the praise fans heap on Cordain, I was expecting a convincing scientific case for his ideas. Instead what he offers is a collection of anecdotes, fallacies and just-so claims.
The opening proclamation is that the Paleo diet is the diet humans are designed to eat, because humans evolved on this diet. Thus an ad antiquitatem fallacy is the basis of the entire concept. His evidence for our alleged adaptation to the diet is changes in gut morphology, but a single fact cannot be the basis of a scientific theory. Cordain follows these fallacies by claiming that humans are not adapted to modern diets. That's fair enough, but doesn't support his own fantasy.
The real null hypothesis to be refuted is not adaptation to modern diets, but adaptation to a natural high plant food based diet - the logical opposite of his claim. Of course, he never refutes the null hypothesis in any reasonable way, instead he makes biased remarks about problems on contemporary vegetarian diets.
When concern turns to constipation on such a high meat diet, Cordain drags up some research that completely contradicts his diet. Firstly we have an anecdote about Vilhjalmur Stefansson an artic explorer whos party were cured of constipation eating the "Eskimo" diet. No surprise, because the diet is full of oils and fats that are excellent lubricants. However, Cordain wisely advises removing fat from modern meats, to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, with his version of the diet. Ironically his second piece of supporting evidence proves his concerns over constipation wrong. When Vilhjalmur Stefansson and a friend try the diet, supervised by doctors, they report gastric problems if they consumed an all meat diet without all the fat. It seems the Paleo dieter must choose between constipation or cardiovascular risk? Ironically the Innu peoples have a god they call Matshishkapeu ("fart man"), a god capable of delivering a deadly bout of constipation. How did the Innu peoples ever know of the existence of deadly constipation, and make it a centrepiece of their mythology? The existence of constipation on a high meat diet is proof that humans are not adpated to such a diet.
Where is the evidence that the stone age diet is healthy? Again, it's not in this book. Contemporary stone age populations may not get cardiovascular disease or cancer like modern people, but they are far from healthy, with traditional remedies for common ailments from the cold to constipation. Worse, stone age peoples had terrible childhood mortality rates, and poor longevity by modern standards. Are we really to believe that bad diet has nothing to do with this? Cordain wants us to believe this, but he has once again no supporting science.
Nothing in this book is anything like science, the claims are not even annotated with their respective references.
If you want to feel good about eating a lot of meat, this is a must read. If you want a credible case for the stone age diet, you will be completely disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: The Stone Age Diet brought up to date
Review: Before I found this book, I'd heard of the Stone Age diet and wished I could adopt it. The restrictions--no grains, legumes, dairy products, or processed foods--sounded formidable, as did the requirements--fresh meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, the wilder/more organic the better. But my health problems have recently goaded me into adopting a rough form of this diet, and I've needed a diet manual to focus and refine my new food choices. Voila! I found The Paleo Diet just yesterday and am already convinced it's the right diet book for me. I do feel better since I started eating more animal protein and no starch a few weeks ago, but I've been having trouble with fatty meats, and Loren Cordain's book explains why. The reviewers here who argue that saturated fat has been getting a bum rap, that our Stone Age ancestors undoubtedly ate the whole bird and not just the breast, etc., appear to have read the book cursorily, if at all. Cordain clearly explains that the animal protein prehistoric people thrived on had nowhere near the amount of saturated fat found in today's domestic meats, poultry, and dairy products. Quoting from the book, "Paleolithic people couldn't eat fatty meats if they tried--they had nothing like the tubby grain-fed animals that produce our steaks today." Readers who want more science may consult the 20-page bibliography in the back of the book. The Paleo Diet is primarily a diet manual, a nutritional primer, and a cookbook, loaded with practical information (e.g. "How to Be a Savvy Shopper for Fish," "Dining Out, Travel, and Peer Pressure," etc.) for readers who want to adapt the Stone Age diet to the 21st century. What's more, the book is engagingly written and extremely readable. Above all, Cordain makes the Stone Age diet seem simple. If I could give his book an extra five stars, I would!
Rating:
Summary: horribly misguided, error-filled, and toxic
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Don't be stupid, read this book
Review: I grew up believing that all the things I was eating are good for me. Surely white flour products like bread, bagels, cereals (especially coco puffs) are good for me. All the advertisers told me so. But reading this book and others by (Melissa Diane Smith, Burton Berkson, Jack Challem etc...) my paradigm changed. This and the other authors give you just the facts, it's well documented, meaning it is the truth. On April 28 (my weight was 173) my doctor told me my cholesterol was almost 300. He suggested "Crestor" to lower it. Thank god to never took the drugs. You next questions should be "well what is you cholesterol and weight now". Well, after about two months, July 1, my cholesterol was 137 (actually this is to low, but I didn't think it would work so fast) my weight was 153. My fasting glucose is 79; my Blood pressure is 110/120 over 60/70. I'm 48 and feel like 28.
When I read other comments stating that this author is wrong, misguided and just plain wrong, I just had to write. Just look at the facts, they speak for them selves.
I had the misfortune of telling my friends who are on medication that they to can be drug free, feel better, never be hunger, live longer, etc.... they just ignore it and go on doing the same thing.
Don't be stupid, read this book, follow it for just 3 months, even if you don't believe it to be true. After the 3 months you will know who telling the true.
shakercuda@yahoo.com
Rating:
Summary: Not a panacea for fatigue
Review: I had been highly optimistic of feeling better after reading the many reviews here that praised this diet. Unfortunately, it has not been the panacea that I had been hoping for. It has been three months that I have been following this diet very closely (except for cooking with flax oil which will destroy this outrageously expensive food). It has had positive effects for sure: less "hollow stomach" feeling without being hungry, less bloating and flatulence, need 7 1/2 hours sleep instead of 8 1/2 hours, and less need for naps. But my desire for high "energy" that I have been dreaming of all my life (42 yrs old) has not materialized. My dreams and desires are many and would require more "energy" to accomplish. I do get high energy during prolonged periods of intense physical exercise such as mountaineering, and mountain biking expeditions (See http://www.geocities.com/chris_goulet ), but as soon as I return, the old lethargy comes back and I am reduced to reading about a wide variety of subjects (ex: science, geography, computers), but I do not have the drive to get involved socially and practice an activity in depth.
Three months may be too soon for the full effects to develop, and some sources state that as much as two years may be necessary, so I will practice it much longer. This diet is much more expensive than my previous diet. For example, I used to have oatmeal for breakfast (150g, $0.30), and now have melon (400g, $1.30); Potatoes (400g, $0.30) replaced to apples (400g, $1.20), peanuts (100g, $0.40) to walnuts (100g, $1.10). This adds up to over $1500 more per year. However, this is likely to be offset with lower medical costs, and healthier life.
I have always been slim (6'2", 160 lbs), and my weight has not changed on this diet. I'm still often hungry, so I eat two big snacks in addition to the three meals. In the first few weeks, I had slight nausea during intense exersion, occasional irritability, and cravings for pastries and cookies, which I successfully resisted. These side effects have largely subsided.
Just needed to warn those that expect to turn into superman overnight on this diet; the effects can be subtle and take years to develop. However, this diet is guaranteed to be way ahead of the "Standard American Diet" and even ahead of the vegetarian diets for long term health.
chris_goulet at yahoo dot ca
Rating:
Summary: horribly misguided, error-filled, and toxic
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: The Paleo Diet Made Simple
Review: If you're new to the Paleo Diet concept, I suggest you pick up this book first. It is a straight forward, easy to understand book that does a good job of showing that the Paleo diet is not a fad diet, but the politically correct diet of this age (high carb, low fat) IS.
For those who are familiar with the Paleolithic style of eating, I might want to give it a star or two less. Why? Well, Dr. Cordain is THE leading expert in the anthropological aspect of the Paleo diet, and quite frankly I was expecting more in depth discussion, research...and a lot more numbers. For the frustrated dieter who simply wants a diet THAT WORKS though, this is probably not a concern.
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