The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet

Let me begin by saying that I have always been a healthy person--or at least that is what I thought. Since I was fourteen, I went to the gym almost every day and ate foods that I thought were good for me. Around the age of thirty I got super busy. Although I still worked out and ate foods that I had been told were healthy, I didn't sleep as much, stressed a whole lot more, and things began to go down hill. I developed a fairly good-sized tire around my midsection. The color of my skin was a little off. And, most importantly, I no longer felt super healthy. I tried everything I could thing of, which basically boiled down to eating less of the foods I had been told were healthy. I ate a ton of lean meats, and I combined them with a ton of carbs in the form of rice. I cut out every ounce of fat I possible could. And guess what? I started to feel (and look) even worse. In an attempt to correct the situation, I began working out even harder. Although I got stronger and gained more muscle, I still had that tire of fat around the midsection and had very little energy on most days. Was I just getting old? Were the good old days of being fit and healthy gone for good?

A friend of mine had been following Robb's teachings for some time, and he turned me on to the diet. As with most people who learned "nutrition" in college, I was highly resistant. I mean, why would they be teaching us the wrong nutrition in college. The professors seemed pretty smart, and I doubted that they had the goal of trying to kill me. But I was failing with the traditional way of thought, and so I decided it to give the thirty days. My friend told me that Robb preached the "give me 30 days" philosophy, and so that is what I decided to give this new and strange diet, which I still doubted would ever work. Well, thirty days later I had dropped TWENTY SIX POUNDS. Am I joking about that number--absolutely not. A part of it had to do with the fact that I was working out a whole lot more--but the only reason I could work out more is because I was feeling so GOOD. How good? Well, to be quite honest, I was feeling like I did back when I was eighteen (well, maybe not eighteen, but twenty one for sure.)

Now a year and a half later, I feel better than ever. That twenty six pounds of weight loss not only did not come back on, but it turned into thirty pounds of weight less (and yes, I needed to drop thirty pounds.) Just like Wolf's slogan, I LOOK, FEEL, AND PERFORM better than I ever thought imaginable. For someone who has always prided himself on being fit, healthy, and happy, I can honestly say I owe Wolf the world. His teachings have convinced me that getting older does not mean getting fatter, sicker, and less happy. Will you be eighteen for the rest of your life if you take Wolf's 30-day challenge and then adopt a Paleo lifestyle--no, probably not. But you most certainly won't be 40 or 50 or 60. You will look younger than you are, feel younger than you are, and be happy in your skin. Honestly, I don't see how you can put a price tag on that.

What about the sacrifices? This is the big one, right. Well, I have been on diets before, and this is not a diet. It is a lifestyle. And when you get that "diet" word out of your head, restricting certain foods becomes a lot less challenging. Trust me when I tell you that I was a guy who LOVED my bread and wheat beer. But you must also trust me when I tell you that I do not miss these delicious products in the slightest. . .Wolf's lifestyle plan puts you in much better contact with your body, and when you acquire that mindset, things that make your body feel, perform, and look better begin to taste better. Foods I used to despise now taste wonderful. And the foods that I once could not have lived without (bread, rice, pasta) are now the farthest thing from my mind. I've talked with other people on the Paleo diet, and many of them have told me that when they cheat, they can feel the negative effects immediately. Personally, I think I may have cheated on the diet twice in a over a year. Is it because I am super strong willed. Absolutely not. When it comes to will power, I don't think I have that much of it. The reason that I haven't cheated is because I simply don't want to cheat. When I smell the foods I once loved, I no longer have the urge to consume them. Did this take fun out of my life? Did this destroy the thrill of eating and socializing over a tasty meal? Actually, the opposite has happened. I actually enjoy eating a whole lot more because it makes me feel powerful, just like food should. It makes me feel strong, both mentally and physically. And despite what some people will believe, eating healthy does not destroy your social life. All it may do is add some interesting conversations into the mix.

In conclusion, try the Paleo Solution. it works. It works well. And it will change your life in ways you can not imagine. I know change is scary for a lot of people (it was for me), but when the changes you make break the barriers of what you thought life could be, you won't regret it!

About five months ago, I started doing CrossFit (an exercise program/gym). The coach explained the Paleo diet model and suggested this book. It took me almost five months before I read it, but prior to reading I had pretty much adopted a Paleo diet, which completely changed my life. I mean, really changed my whole experience. I used to be a vegan (six years ago for four years), but then my hair started thinning and that was the end of that, so I started incorporating fish and eggs, and a little dairy. But I was still almost always hungry, and it seemed no matter what exercise I did, or how much, it wasn't ever really getting me to where I wanted to be, even though I thought I was eating super healthy. I also drank a lot of wine, which interfered with my sleeping. All in all my digestion wasn't so good. I felt my health slowly and steadily declining. So, long story short, when I started CrossFit I decided to give this Paleo diet a try. Amazing results! Never felt better, my blood sugar is even and steady all day long, and my sleep is restorative not something to "get through"; not to mention, my body is rockin'! I don't crave sugar, which is a miracle, and I hardly drink anymore. Why? Because I feel so good, I have no desire to mess that up. Me, a wino, yes, giving up wine. For once in my life, I'm lean, I'm stronger than I've ever been, and I feel certain solidity to my being. I never thought it possible. So then I bought Paleo Solution, because I'm thinking, "I gotta learn why this diet works so well. What's up with this Paleo stuff? I want to tell the world about it!" I was skeptical about the read, despite my great results in trying out this lifestyle. Books on diet and health can sometimes be boring, daunting, and uninspiring. Right? How many books have you bought, hoping to find the thing you were looking for, only to quit reading it half way through? Robb Wolf has assembled an incredible amount of information into one book, and he's presented it in a simple way. He's also got a great voice -- a great sense of humor -- and it feels like he's talking directly to you. I liked this. It felt personable and it was engaging. Plus, I was understanding all this scientific information, (and I'm not scientifically oriented at all), which when all put together into the bigger picture was like "WHOA!". (It was more like a holy you know what). So here's the skinny: If you are suffering from diabetes, a heart condition, high blood pressure, an auto-immune disease, indigestion, cancer, a sugar or alcohol addiction, or pretty much any illness; or, you are an athlete seeking greater performance, or you're wanting to loose weight and look and feel fabulous and incredible, then you MUST read this book! It's quick, it's easy, informative, it's entertaining, and it will change your life like it did mine. That is, if you're willing to give it a try. And for those of you who are vegetarian, or concerned about industrialized farming and general slaughtering practices, I suggest you check out eatwild on the internet to find out where you can get grass-fed animal directly from sustainable farms in your local area. READ THIS BOOK, for your health, and for the health of your family. Thank you, Robb Wolf!

While I think the paleo diet is far, far better than what most Americans eat, this book is disappointing in several ways.

I have been studing alternative diets for a while - Weston Price and Paleo - although I was just as healthy as a vegetarian. As I've got older, though, I've put on weight, and radically reducing grain has been great for weight control.

However, this book, while it includes science, seems to dumb it down and is apologetic about it; and there's a general cutsey attitude that puts me off. I've gotten better information on the science by reading various blogs in and out of the paleo community.

The issue of grass-fed organic vs. commerically-raised grain-finished is treated as a minor point, which is odd when so many other issues are trumpeted. The book does recommend the grass-fed organic, but in other places it treats meat as meat, not as distinct food types. My understanding is that the fatty acid profiles of grainfed meat are a key problem with SAM.

Phytates in grains are treated as bad, without considering soaking or fermenting, but spinach is also high in phytates and oxaltes, and this is not mentioned at all. It leaves me unconvinced about the issues of eating grains vs. eating, for example, spinach. I am also rather suprised to see millet on the list of grains that include gluten, since I've always seen it listed as gluten free. Possibly one of the bibliographical citations include details, but there's no way to know which of the 65 citations for that chapter might be the one.

It also does not discuss the issues of other paleo-disapproved foods, such as potatoes, peanuts, and beans, or even dairy. I was hoping to find nutritional science behind not including these food items while including other food items.

And another complaint: there's no index!

These points and complaints are probably minor in the big picture, I think overall the book is pretty decent and it's kind of engaging, like an overethusiastic friend.

Been following this devoutly for one month now and have never felt better. Waking up each morning with a renewed fervour, an abundance of energy and optimism I've never possessed (well not since I was a child!). Can't recommend enough.

I always considered myself "healthy" - having been athletically active and with reasonably good blood-work and body weight markers all my life. But after I turned 30 years old 6 months ago, with 9 years of highly stressful desk-jockey jobs behind me; I realized I had slowly accumulated a number of afflictions that could be considered part of normal "aging":
- joint pain & arthritis (in my knee)
- hair loss
- muscle & strength loss
- slow build-up of spare-tire around my mid-section
- allergies (to something new every few years)
- canker sores
- disrupted sleep
- chronic tiredness, leading to increased caffeine consumption
- a growing sweet tooth
- gum pain

After doing some basic research on arthritis, I came across the concept of the ancestral diet, primarily through the internet. However, having trained with a scientific background, I was highly skeptical of many of the stunning claims despite all the testimonials.

Of all the different recognized experts in the arena, it was Robb Wolf's scientific explanations (through his website and his podcast) given freely (with no hidden financial agenda or sketchy corporate relationships) that convinced me to give the ancestral diet a try.

I have since never looked back.. all the above afflictions disappeared in a few months, and I now am healthier, fitter, stronger, leaner, sharper and more pain-free than I have been in 15 years.

I owe Robb and his compatriots in the field a huge debt.

However, I have struggled to explain the concepts to others. This is why I am excited about Robb's book!

The Paleo Solution brings the right amount of scientific background, complete with associated reference material, while maintaining a conversational, engaging tone. It covers all the right bases of a hugely complex subject (the key apocalyptic "horsemen" of the Standard American Diet) from the perspectives of anthropology (ancestral history), biochemistry, nutrition and actual clinical practice. It scares the reader, while at the same time providing the right solutions and motivation, with enough hope and optimism.

If asked to bring someone up to speed on the concept of the ancestral diet, I would absolutely recommend this book as the perfect start!!

So:
If you've ever been confused by "expert" dietary recommendations (This food is poison! No it's actually good for you! All fat is bad except fat is good from fish or avocados! Have whole grains! Don't have eggs! Have eggs! You need vitamins! Vitamins don't work! etc etc bla bla) and wanted EVERYTHING to just make sense for once - read this book. Even if it's just from a robust scientific perspective, and you don't enact the actual diet, you'll never look back.

I've read this book, Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint, and Cordain's Paleo Diet recently. Wolf's book was a good and accessible explanation of his overall approach, without the diet-book-y style of Cordain's effort.

With the growing popularity of paleo eating lately, I would have liked to see more discussion of some of the controversial issues within the field, such as "cheat meals" or the use of salt (Cordain is strongly anti-salt but Wolf's recipes often include it). Explaining how the Paleo Solution's prescriptions differ from those of others would strengthen the book.

I also would have liked to see an index. Not having an index is especially a problem if you're looking for a recipe. (I also would have run the entire meal plan, followed by all the recipes. When the meal plan calls for a recipe, just give the page number for the recipe.)

Finally, there are a couple of references to a "Gear List," which doesn't seem to appear as such anywhere in the book. The last section on resources seems to cover what the "Gear List" should have covered, but could have been more conveniently organized.

I know, you have tried every type of diet and nothing has worked, and it's been that way for years, and always you wonder why? What the Paleo people have done is taken everything we know about health, fitness, dieting, nutrition and turned it on its head. It's because they have gone back to the beginning of man's existence, looked at his surroundings and figured out exactly how we have been genetically programmed to live. Just think about it, our ancestors go back 7 million years, and most researchers believe that our genetic systems haven't changed in at least 200,000 of those years.


This means that if you took a child born 200,000 years ago and instantly brought him to our day and age, that child would grow up just like any other child. The reverse is also true. Geneticists have also found by studying bones and so forth that mankind 200,000 years ago did not suffer from heart attacks, diabetes, and certainly not obesity. A lion or other predator would have had an easy and quick meal of anyone who was overweight and could not run for his life.


Author Robb Wolf was a research biochemist who went on to become a strength coach and what this tells you is that the whole book is basically a guide written by a coach to tell his clients how to understand and institute a Paleo diet and lifestyle, and the job Wolf does is EXCELLENT. This is probably the best Paleo book on the market for everyday use as opposed to a theoretical exercise. In this book you will learn:


* Why INSULIN dysregulation is the key to everything!

* Why our body's system is CONFUSED and BROKEN in our modern world.

* Why the French, Spanish, and Greeks consume more fats then we do and yet are healthier.

* You need to control the CARBS to control the INSULIN.

* How to protect ourselves from Blood Sugar CRASHES.

* Grains (breads, pastas) raise our Insulin levels and wreak havoc on our systems.

* SLEEP, the most beautiful gift nature gives to us.

* Why we can handle ACUTE but not CHRONIC stress.

* Do you own your THINGS, or do your THINGS OWN YOU?


You need to think of this book as a manual for the Paleo lifestyle. It is that good. When Wolf talks about exercise, he gives you scores of pages about exercise with easy to follow photographs of the correct way to do them, because words cannot describe exercises in sufficient detail to replicate them. He gives you 40 pages of foods and the details for each recipe that he writes about. Nothing is left to chance. There is a 3 day meal plan, a 2 week meal plan, and a 30 day meal plan, all covered in detail.


He teaches you how to shop and what you should be buying in the stores including discussions about olive oil for salads versus cooking. You want fish; well Wolf tells you how to buy wild fish like shrimp, mussels, claims, sardines, mackerel, pacific salmon, and others. He tells us we are designed to eat meat, poultry, and seafood.


I was particularly pleased with his discussion of vitamins and supplements. The problem with most of them is that what it says on the bottle is not what is inside the bottle. The whole industry is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission and not the Food and Drug Administration. If you went out and bought 50 different bottles of vitamins by 50 different manufacturers, and tested the contents in the laboratory, only in a handful of bottles would you find that the contents of the bottle matches the label. In addition, nowhere in prehistoric times did the cave man have access to such concentrated vitamin sources so our systems are not used to them - be careful.


CONCLUSION


In The Paleo Solution, Wolf gives us 288 pages of interesting, no nonsense narrative, followed by 30 pages of references. There is no index. My recommendation to you is that you read this book with a pen in your hand. When you find something that is important to YOU, then annotate it, and write the reference and page number on a blank page in the back. In other words make up your own index. This book will change your life, and the way you think about your life. If you suffer from stress, diabetes, heart disease or any one of a dozen other maladies then Paleo may be for you. Since nothing else has seemed to work, maybe trying something different is the way to go. Good luck and thank you for reading this review.


Richard C. Stoyeck

What I like about this book:

1. It explains in a scientific way how the Paleo Diet works from the nutritional point of view.
2. The book is written "with an attitude" and is fun to read.
3. The author is passionate about his ideas and this rubs off on the reader getting the reader excited, fired up, and motivated


What I don't like about this book:

1. Paleo Diet is nothig new. Loren Cordain published a book of the same title some 8 years ago. If you happened to have read it or anything written by Mark Sisson, then you might as well skip reading this one. There is nothing new in this book. In fact jn my opinion The Primal Blueprint is a better read.
2. The author doesn't go beyond the basics, the book is very general in nature and lacks in specific how-to's
3. I am very uneasy about some of the most popular reviews of this book that seem to be "doctored". One reviewer goes on and on about how this book changed his life, only two days after the book has been published (!!!???)
4. Most importantly, this is yet another diet. We need to understand that unless we change our focus we will never fix the obesity problem. It is not only about what and how we eat, but mainly about living a healthy lifestyle that is in total agreement with nature. Read " Live 150 -- The Body Maintenance Handbook " to properly understand the problem and how to deal with it.

When Professor Loren Cordain released The Paleo Diet in December 2002 introducing Paleolithic low-carb nutrition and fitness concepts in a way that seemed to make sense to a lot of people for the first time in their lives, it was the proverbial first step forward in bringing about the necessary changes to effectively deal with the very real health problems of obesity and chronic disease. Little did Dr. Cordain know back then when his "caveman diet" (as the media dubbed it) was getting so much attention as a revolutionary concept taking us back to the days of our hunter-gatherer ancestors that he would be grooming a whole new generation of primal living enthusiasts who would take the baton from him and run with it like sprinter Michael Johnson did in his golden shoes during the Summer Olympics in the 1990s! But that's exactly what we're seeing happen from up-and-coming voices of reason like Cordain disciple Robb Wolf who has been doing his part both writing and podcasting about Paleo nutrition over the past few years and now he's ready to take up the mantle that Dr. Cordain started and take it to a whole new audience of people who are ready to change their lives with the highly-awaited release of The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet.

Wolf is a very well-respected and knowledgeable research-biochemist-turned-strength-trainer who has a real knack for making complex nutritional and fitness principles palatable for us common folks. There are no frills with Robb Wolf because he allows the results he has seen in his clients speak for themselves. He speaks authoritatively because he knows the truths of what he is sharing and is unwavering in his application of those basic principles. You'd never know he used to be a vegetarian in his former life that nearly ruined his health all in the name of being healthy the "right" way. All of that changed when Robb became exposed to the work of Art DeVany and then eventually Dr. Cordain and Drs. Mike & Mary Dan Eades who all made ancestral eating sound...well, normal. And despite a less-than-enthusiastic response from his doctor about Paleolithic eating (describing it as "pseudo science"), Wolf gave it a go and saw some pretty spectacular results-lower blood pressure, improved lipids, and a whole new perspective on what living healthy is really all about. The fire inside of Robb Wolf was lit and nothing was going to extinguish it!

That enthusiasm for this way of living has been shared with client after client for most of the past decade with equally impressive results. You get to meet some of these "success stories" throughout The Paleo Solution to show you that literally anyone and everyone can benefit from a Paleo lifestyle change. All it takes is a willingness to give it a go for at least 30 days to see how you do. And while it may be an easy transition for some and the most brutally difficult thing for others to do, Wolf provides all the necessary tools for you to be successful and thrive on what he calls "the original human diet." I love it when he shares that his only motivation for writing this book is this: "I'm trying to save your life." With integrity and sincerity in page after page of this book, you can tell he takes this mission seriously and has the right motivation for sharing with others all the information he has gathered over the years.

If you think a book about Paleo dieting is gonna be drab, dry, and completely boring, then you haven't encountered Robb Wolf yet. This guy could be a stand-up comedian if he wanted to be and that acerbic wit shines brightly throughout this book. You'll appreciate that he doesn't blame you for failing on your high-carb, low-fat diet either. The re-education process may take some time, but it will be well worth the effort when you are finished. Unfortunately, lipophobia still reigns supreme amongst the so-called health "experts" of our day but it's 100% dead wrong as a culprit in the obesity and disease crisis we now face in the 21st Century. And citations of the research that has been conducted on the nutrient-dense diet of HGs (hunter-gatherers) has proved as much and more-these people not only survived, but their health thrived on way of eating that is routinely mocked and scorned as "unhealthy" nowadays. How much more bassackwards nutritionally can we get pushing grains as "healthy" and scaring people half to death of eating a steak? If you believe that mumbo-jumbo from your "trusted" doctor, dietitian, or other health nincompoop, then you absolutely need to read The Paleo Solution!

The brilliance of Robb Wolf is in how he strips everything down to easy-to-understand chunks while still maintaining the context of the greater concepts. You can tell he takes great pains to keep from going over your head and yet he delves into this all-important information because it's stuff you need to know about. From defining commonly-used diet terms like protein, carbohydrates, and fats to explaining the purpose of hormones like insulin, glucagon, leptin, cortisol, and ghrelin, you'll feel like you earned a graduate degree in nutritional health without sitting through a semester of boring lectures and spending umpteen thousands of dollars on your education. You'll get it all in this book that costs about the same as a cheap-o meal for two at Ruby Tuesday! But the lasting impact it will make on your life will endure much longer than those Baby Back Ribs will!

My favorite chapter is Chapter 4 on "Digestion" because it shows you exactly what happens when you consume food. From the "Big Picture" which gives you a quick synopsis to what specifically happens to the protein, carbs, and fat consumed, this was a really cool word illustration for people who haven't got a clue about what that food is doing inside of them once it is swallowed. You get to follow a meal of salmon, avocado, and fruit salad as it travels from the mouth down to the stomach through the small intestines and then to poop. Yummy! Additionally, Wolf illuminates the differences between "Normal Eating," a "Fasted State," and an "Overfed State" so you can see the biochemical uniqueness of each situation on the body. And everyone likes a good rant every once in a while-don't miss the one about "essential carbohydrates" on page 66!

Various health issues like high cholesterol, heart disease, osteoporosis, cancer, infertility, and more are talked about candidly and the underlying issue that is driving these (again, it ain't the dietary fat people as you'll clearly find out in Chapter 7!). The anatomy of a grain and the toxicity of consuming them is explained as only Robb Wolf can. Discover why sleep is so important for regulating cortisol and the essential exercise you need to be doing (with illustrations in this book!) to be successful at this. In case you didn't quite understand everything through the first nine chapters, he shows you how to implement The Paleo Solution principles in Chapter 10 with practical advice for shopping for the highest-quality foods that are grass-fed, pastured, and the like and he answers your most pressing issues about switching to Paleo. You are encouraged to track your progress with specific measurements and blood tests to see exactly what kind of changes will happen to you when you do this. And in case you're wondering, there are some delicious meal plans and simple recipes to get you going in Chapter 12. Although he's not a big fan of taking supplements, Robb does believe there are benefits to targeting specific ones which he discusses in Chapter 13. Lest you think all of this Paleo stuff is just sugar-free pie in the sky, you'll see this book is well-referenced in the back with studies and papers from some of the top medical journals and researchers in the business.

The Paleo Solution ain't no fluff diet book that will promise you more than it can deliver. It's an honest-to-goodness lifestyle change that can make a real difference in your weight and health if you are willing to give it a chance to work for you. It took a while for Robb Wolf to make his foray into the publishing world, but I for one am glad he did because, like Dr. Cordain before him, he is now influencing a new generation of Paleo believers who will take the baton from him someday to carry on the message. But something tells me we're gonna be hearing a lot more from Robb Wolf in the years to come!

I was sold on this diet before I even got the book. I'd read Wolf's article on The Four Hour Workweek Blog and thought that it just made sense nutritionally to live this way. So when I picked up this book, I expected a thorough how-to manual on HOW to live this diet, what foods are great all the time, what foods are OK occasionally, and what foods are on the "no-fly" list.

So I wasn't prepared for what this book actually is - a very thorough treatise on the nutritional science behind WHY grains and dairy are so bad, why it's important to watch insulin resistance, the importance of sleep and exercise, etc. Wolf is hilariously funny and kept me enthused to read every page, even when discussing kind of complicated nutritional science and chemistry stuff, I felt entertained and like I could understand what he was saying. If I hadn't been convinced before, I am very convinced now of the wisdom of paleo eating and living.

The problem is, I bought the book looking for how-to, because I already knew I wanted to try this diet for 60 days and give it a fair shot, but Wolf is kind of glib and skips over the details of what is good on this diet and what is not. I had to kind of deduce which specific foods were OK from the sample menu in the back, but there were no charts of good, bad, and occasional foods, no listings of additives to avoid, no listings of brands of items that I could count on. Even in his online resources like his online shopping list, he's extremely vague. I just wanted more guidance about what specifically is OK and not.

Here are some of the questions I had prior to beginning this book, that I did not feel were satisfactorily answered:

Which nuts and seeds are OK to eat on this diet? Do I need to soak almonds before eating them? Are peanuts OK sometimes, or never? How important is it to get organic of each different kind of nut? Once I've reached my weightloss goal, how often can I eat nuts on this diet if I'm not doing any particularly hard training?

Can I eat sprouts? What kinds of sprouts are OK, if so?

What about corn? Carrots, bananas, potatoes, sweet potatoes? How often is it reasonable to eat these more starchy vegetables once weightloss goals are reached? How about dried fruit?

What about maple syrup, agave, coconut nectar and coconut granulated sugar? Palm sugar?

He mentions briefly that fake sugars are really bad, but I couldn't find the section where he discusses exactly what happens with them that makes them so awful. Is eating a maltitol or erythritol chocolate bar with no dairy OK occasionally, or would I be better off with a dark choco bar with a little bit of cane sugar in it? Or should I make my own chocolate bars for occasional eating with coconut oil and some other sweetener?

Are there any flours I can bake with? Is coconut flour OK to bake with in moderation with nut butter, mashed banana or applesauce?

I got the feeling online that salt wasn't especially paleo, but it's used in the menus (sea salt). Is salt on the occasional list or can I lightly sea salt every meal?

He addresses the importance of grass fed, organic beef in detail. But I was left with a lot of questions about what specific attributes to look for in chicken and pork. Is organic, no nitrates pork OK? Is vegetarian-fed preferable? How about chicken? Air-chilled, organic, vegetarian fed? I can't find any free-range chicken meat except from a local farmer who only sells seasonally. How important are each of these attributes when purchasing meat? I don't know what the different kinds of feed do to the pork and chicken meat/ fats and how that affects my health. I just don't have the information to select the smartest options available at my local stores.

Is taro starch OK?

Are there any milk substitutes that are OK? Most seem to have some manner of starch or gum, and I have no idea which of those additives are OK.

Is casein OK? It's in an otherwise OK-looking almond cheese product.

I understand that the point of the diet is to eat as fresh as possible, in as close to the food's natural form as is possible, and I've been loving how great I feel on this diet already after only a week. I'm not looking to fill up on coconut flour cookies and fake milk all day, nor am I looking to become some kind of food zealot. I do understand moderation is key with even the more natural processed foods. I also know that after the first 60 days or so, other people seem to have great results while only following it about 80-90%, so knowing every last detail may not be so critical in later stages of the diet.

I just really thought the book would give me some guidelines that would help me ease out of things like milk in my morning tea, or the occasional comfort food that performs a bit like the old foods I used to eat. I know there is a cookbook coming out with recipes, but I don't think I should need to deduce which items are OK to eat from the recipes he provides. I really expected some kind of a chart, list, or at least a full chapter comparing options like these.

So - I'd say as a manifesto and explanation on how this diet works in a nutritional, scientific way, this book gets 5 stars plus. It's funny, Wolf's got attitude and is fun to read, and he made some chemical processes less intimidating to read about and understand. He's a fantastic ambassador for this way of living.

But if you're looking for the specific how-to's or to have the questions answered that I asked above, then this is not your book. Read this one first to understand the basics of the diet and get fired up to be on it, and then you'll have to find some other resources to get specific on how to make this a lifestyle.

EDIT: I also bought the wrong supplement at the health food store because Wolf refers to N-Acetyl L-Carnitine as NAC. Well, I asked for NAC and brought home N-Acetyl Cysteine. A search on Amazon for NAC also brought up the wrong one. These two supplements don't seem to do the same thing (?), so I wasted $20 on something I can't return, because I didn't realize my mistake until after I'd opened the bottle. If you're trying to take the supplements recommended, be careful not to make the same mistake I did - get the Carnitine one, not the Cysteine one that is usually referred to as NAC.

I have been on this for 12 days and my energy level is through the roof. I have not had this kind of energy since my twenties, and I am 53. Dropped 6 pounds so far and I feel fantastic. Dan Adkins

Robb Wolf's "The Paleo Solution" is a wonderful resource for both the current Paleo eater and someone new to the arena of ancestral eating. Wolf breaks the book down into both the scientific "why" and the everyday "how" so that the reader can decide just how far down the scientific rabbit hole s/he wants to go. "The Paleo Solution" is a fun, light-hearted but educational adventure into ancestral nutrition and exercise that anyone can follow but it doesn't stop there. Wolf explains how diet, activity, sleep and lifestyle stress can radically effect one's well-being. I've followed Wolf's blog and podcast for years and I'm excited to have all of that information in one place -- an easy to read and understand text, to give to friends and family who are interested in improving their lives through diet and exercise.

I was introduced to the Paleo Solution by a trainer and good friend of mine after I had my second baby this year. I had always complained in the past about being so tired all the time. I could never get enough sleep, never mind stay focused for a full day at work. Suddenly, being a full time mom and working full time were starting to burn me out. I worked out regularly using kettlebells and jogging, but plateaued from exhaustion all the time. Since I have always been active, I didn't need to lose a ton of weight (maybe 15 pounds), but let's just say my comfort clothes were no longer very flattering and I still kept all my skinny clothes from back in the day hoping that I would fit back into them at some point.

She suggested that I try the Paleo Solution. I was VERY skeptical at first because I love candy. No, really, I do and having to give it up was just silly.....out of the question! She challenged me to 30 days and I love challenges so I agreed. Was I 100% Paleo for the first 30 days? No.... probably 90%, but that 90% helped me gain back the energy that I had lost. I never thought I would ever blame complex carbs/gluten for it, but I know now that cutting it all out has made a gigantic difference in my life and if I cheat and have that Twix bar, boy do I feel the exhaustion set in-and you know what? It doesn't taste nearly as good as it used to. I would much rather pig out on bacon or coconut now!

And about that 15 pounds, not necessarily gone... I only probably lost 7-8, but I have gone down four sizes with the muscle tone that I have built up over the last 2 months of being on this diet (Excuse me, not diet, lifestyle change). And its not bulky muscle either; its lean, toned, beautiful muscle that I plan on strutting around on the beach next Summer. I look better now that I did in my early 20s and yes, that was a while ago! Now even my skinny clothes are flattering. I have never looked or felt better. I am NEVER going back! I recommend the Paleo Solution to anyone that wants to feel good and look their best! Thank you Robb!

This is the second of four low-carb books I've read this month.

Here are the pros:
The information is solid
It's presented in an interesting and humorous way
It's realistic in addressing alcohol usage (though I think I'll still stick to the occasional vodka instead of tequila)
The coverage on the dangers of agricultural grains and sugars to the digestive system is impressive and deeply convincing

Here are my cons:
The chapter and subject headings are written to be amusing instead of informative, making it nearly impossible to reference topics
The reason and science behind the exclusion of dairy is practically excluded
The diet itself is never laid out in very clear, black and white terms, so to speak. If you want more of an Eat This, Not That, for low carbs, you'd be better off looking at an old version of Atkins (the newer ones since his death get a little off-kilter) or Protein Power, which Robb Wolf refers to in this book.

As an aside, for women, I'd be confident in recommending How I Gave Up My Low-Fat Diet and Lost 40 Pounds, by Dana Carpender. It's written with a light and amusing touch, making it as easy a read as any chick magazine, and her surprisingly colorful way of presenting the science backing the assembled conclusions made it by far the easiest to understand. I can only assume that's her own layman background that's helping. It presents a summary of a range of different low-carb diets, including Paleo, and makes for an easy reference to differentiate between them and pick your favorite.

I definitely didn't expect it to be this enjoyable! Loved all the humor and the geeked-out info as well.

The information is very concise - with a lot covered in few pages. As someone who already follows a paleo life style, I know it works but wasn't very clear on all the reasoning behind the results. Robb pretty much cleared up every question I could have asked plus I have lots of new recipes to try!

I've been studying nutrition for about 18 years. I thought I knew what all the organs did and what effect eating had on our bodies. Years ago I remember saying to one of my friends "Why doesn't someone just write a damn book that tells us how the human digestive system is designed to eat?! Why is it soooo hard?"

Well it appears we finally have that. Even as much as I thought I "knew" I now know why a lot of that was false information. As a side-note, if you read "Good Calories, Bad Calories" you will find out exactly WHY Americans believe the things we do about nutrition, diet, and health, and how much of it is completely and utterly wrong. That book is as startling as this one, and compliments it in many ways, so I strongly recommend reading both. Armed with that knowledge, I promise you, you will think differently about your diet afterword.

A month ago I thought that this lifestyle, and every one like it, was complete nonsense, and downright unhealthy. I thought it was just another "fad" diet, and that I'd read the book just to see what all the hype was about. After I was 30 or 40 pages into the book, I knew that I would probably never eat a complex (or simple) carb again in my life. That's how shocking the information is. It's like a slap in the face.

Since Robb starts at the very beginning, the very foundations of human (Paleolithic) diet, and combines that with anthropological data, he gets back to the TRUTH about digestion and metabolism. These statements he's making aren't based on faulty, misinterpreted, and sometimes outright sloppy studies done 70 years ago, upon which most of the American nutrition knowledge was based. He trims away all the BS and gives you some rock-solid, sound information. This coming from a biochemist, folks, so he knows a thing or two about this. Some of the highlights of the book, for me, were:

*The effects excess glucose has in the body when it combines with proteins to form damaging compounds.

*How high insulin levels can effect various hormone levels, including estrogen. (My mom has breast cancer, so this hit home for me, breast cancer being a hormone dependent cancer)

*Exactly what "complex carbs" do to your colon, pancreas, liver, etc. and how they destabilize your whole hormonal and metabolic systems.

*The degree he goes into information on the various kinds of fats and exactly how the body handles them.

I could go on, but you get the point. So why am I not giving the book a 5 star review? Well, just to be clear, the information in the book is 5 star material. The only reason I'm taking away a star is for little things, that some of the other reviews have noted, mainly on presentation or things I wish he'd talked about a little more.

If you are skeptical, if you are unhealthy, or even just curious, get this book and I challenge you to remain unconvinced.

I'm a Robb Wolf fan, so this review is colored by that. I've listened to his podcast since it was in the low single-digits, I've read his blog and I'm a Facebook fan. You can dismiss the 5 star rating as that of a fan-boy if you like. But there's a reason that I'm such a big fan: Robb knows his stuff. He's got the science background to understand the biochemistry of how this all works, but he's not just a lab nerd. He owns one of the top-ranked gyms in the country and has helped thousands of clients put the theory into practice. Since I started listening to Robb in February of 2010 I've lost 80 pounds while gaining strength. I have literally never felt better in my life.

For some people, Robb's sense of humor may be over the top. I think it comes through better on the podcast than in the book. But don't let that distract you from the great information contained in this book.

I'll be honest, I've been a fan of Robb's work for a while so I'm somewhat biased but even considering this I was impressed. He lays out not only why a change in diet, and more importantly lifestyle, is scientifically validated but it also gives you a jumping-off point in a 30 day, meal by meal guide. It doesn't get easier than this folks. Buy it. Now.

I don't feel comfortable writing in detail on amazon about all the ways that Robb Wolf (through his podcast and this book) have changed my life for the better. Suffice it to say, I'm so thankful that I stumbled upon Robb Wolf, because he really changed my life. After going 100% paleo, within weeks my health had changed dramatically. Prior to starting paleo, I was already lean, but had a bunch of random issues that I never seemed to be able to fix. Paleo fixed them. I used to mock paleo as being silly "pseudo science" and unnecessary, but the changes I've experienced have been dramatic.

My advice: order this book. But don't wait until it arrives before you start listening to the podcast. Start with episode 1, and listen sequentially. (The podcast is available free on iTunes or from Robb Wolf's website). Listening to all 50 hours of the podcast will convince you that paleo is legit, convince you that Robb Wolf really knows his stuff, and motivate you to actually commit yourself to paleo. I think that if I had only read the book, without listening to the podcast, I wouldn't be convinced. The podcast sealed the deal, and the book provides all the necessary details for implementing paleo.

Once you're done with Robb's book, read "Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival." It will also help motivate you to stay on paleo, and improve your life in other ways.

Paleo, as I've implemented it, is really expensive. I'm spending a lot of money on food now. But my improved health is worth it. And the food that I'm eating on paleo is FANTASTIC. Seriously, I've never eaten this well in my life. I have so little desire to "cheat," because I'm so looking forward to my next paleo meal. The food I eat for lunch and dinner always looks and tastes better than what my coworkers, friends, and family are eating. The food is just great.

I spend a lot more time cooking now. It's a bitch, to be honest. I'm always cooking. I'm doing the autoimmune variant of paleo, which means no eggs or nuts. Eggs and nuts are easy/quick foods to eat. So, I'm left cooking all the time. But the improved health is worth the extra time, and the food I'm eating is fantastic.

I'm a 28 year old male. Prior to paleo I was probably 10% body fat, now I'm 9%. I'm not doing paleo to lose weight. I'm doing it for improved health, performance, and longevity. My post-paleo blood tests are awesome, I feel great, and my performance is improving at the gym and in general.

Note: Paleo is comprised of three components, each very important. (1) Diet, (2) Sleep, and (3) Exercise. People focus on the diet, but sleep and exercise (especially sleep) are very important to paleo. Exercise is the loosest component, but Robb Wolf's prescriptions for sleep are pretty strict, and the diet is somewhat strict (some variability in carb intake, depending on the person).

I've been studying carb restriction diets for over 15 years. I've read the Paleo Diet, multiple Zone Diet books, much of the Eades' work, Dr. Atkin's books, read and re-read Gary Taubes' "Good Calories Bad Calories," hundreds of studies, and digested blog posts and podcasts while doing a fair amount of writing and coaching on the topic ([...]). Robb's work is a mixture of the rants of a guy who's too smart for his own good, a clinician who's been tested by working with real clients for over ten years, and a serious competitor in a variety of physical arenas. I know of other approaches that will work, but don't know of any single source with a more dense store of knowledge or a more accessible plan for health, fitness and competitive performance. I by no means agree with all of Robb's editorial temper tantrums outside of this book, but I've competed against him, listened to every podcast, and read most of his entire blog before reading this book. If you want a book that cuts to the chase giving you the yellow brick road for health, performance, longevity and with a detour around the diseases of the West, this is your book. I've been looking for a book that does not cheat on the science, is not too hard to read, and therefore makes the truly common sense of the paleolithic diet accessible to everyone with an IQ of room temperature or better - Robb, thanks for writing that book.

Humorous, logical, and full of science, "The Paleo Solution" is a surprisingly entertaining educational book. Wolf (a former research chemist, now gym owner/trainer) relates his own story of how he became extremely sick on a supposedly healthy vegetarian diet and how he regained his health after he learned that he had a family history of celiac disease - a condition caused by exposure to gluten and exacerbated by grains, legumes, and dairy - and took steps to eliminate these problematic foods from his diet.

Wolf lays out the anthropological evidence for how our modern life is truly out of step with our genetics, which haven't changed much in millions of years. The products of agriculture (a recent development in the course of human history), while great for culture and civilization, are terrible for the health of the individuals who eat them. Grains, legumes, and dairy were introduced into our diet so recently that they are incompatible with our (essentially hunter gatherer) bodies.

Wolf obviously knows a lot about physiology and what can go wrong at the chemical level when we are exposed to stressors that are basically poisons (if not immediately fatal ones). Modern lifestyles and neolithic food are implicated in the development of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, infertility, and cancer. Wolf thoroughly describes the mechanisms through which grains cause disease while also reassuring the reader that one can successfully implement the paleo solution laid out in later chapters of the book without fully understanding the scientific details.

Also of high interest are the chapters on sleep deprivation, chronic versus acute stress, and how the wrong kind of exercise (excessive, insufficient, or too unvaried) also contributes to our collective failure to thrive.

Wolf's arguments seem scientifically sound, and he does a good job of trying to keep things humorous. Some of the science-heavy chapters may be a bit much to get through in one sitting, but he does tell readers up front that they CAN go straight to the chapters on implementation, with their recommendations for before and after blood tests, sleep hygiene, exercises, and 30 days of recipes. Most impressive is his challenge to remain skeptical, even of everything he says. He asks that readers take the 30 day plunge and discover if they truly do look, feel, and perform better. If so, they have found the lifestyle that suits them and their genetics. If not - it's time to ask more questions.

I read this book and also Why We Get Fat - they complement each other well by exploring different aspects of the same subject. I changed my diet and have now been eating the Paleo way for 3 weeks. I've lost 8 pounds, but more than that, have seen my shape reaappear. I'm a female "apple" type - always slim until I turned 40. Since then I've gained 30 pounds, had many stomach issues and watched my middle balloon. I often have trouble sleeping due to digestive problems. I'm very physically active - use a trainer twice a week, do spin class, etc., but have not been able to lose the weight. Since I've been eating the Paleo way - no grains or legumes and staying under 60 gms of carbs a day - I've slimmed quite noticeably through the middle. I'm not having digestive problems any more - I feel great and sleep much better. I feel like I've got my body back!! Try it and see what it does for you!

Wolf's book along with Mark Sission's book will save peoples lives. Slowly the correct way to live is starting to gain more traction as the word on paleo spreads. I have lost 40 lbs eating this way and exercising without chronic cardio. My only regret is that I didn't have this information 30 years ago.

Bought this book when it first came out after getting tuned into Robb Wolfs's philosophy via his Paleo podcast and realizing that though I had lost 80lbs since 2007, I did not feel healthy and had started to gain weight back despite exercising like crazy and eating what I thought was healthy. After reading just a third of the book, I saw all of the issues I had and started to apply the principles in mid-October 2010. Well since then I have lost nearly 30lbs and feel unbelievable. Have endless supply of energy, sleep well, feel healthy and happier. Have been able to cut down to 1-2 cups of coffee (I still love it, but down from 5-6 a day). Plenty of good food to choose from and I don't miss a lot of the stuff I used to eat whole wheat tortilla, rice, pasta, etc. I am almost always full and never feel cheated. There are plenty of Paleo friendly websites out there with recipes so you ju As the poster below says, this is not a diet but a lifestyle change that you will most likely stay on. Please don't confuse this with Atkins as it is not even close. Way more flexible and real world in my opinion. Paleo has it's maximum benefits if you follow it extremely close for the first 30 days. After, that it appears to be an 80/20 type situation. Follow it strict 80% of the time and the other 20% enjoy yourself (within reason). I find myself sticking to it 90-95% of the time now, but that is just because I don't feel it is that restrictive and have plenty of choices for food. I still have 30 more lbs to go before I go on maintenance mode and then you really get to enjoy even more food. I feel as though this book changed/saved my life.

Robb Wolf details the reasons why the paleo diet works. It really helps to have a thorough understanding of how other diets that I've tried don't work and this one does. He discusses the insulin response and the interactions of various other hormones in response to what we eat. He gives a great fitness plan. I didn't much care for his 30 day eating plan, but it gives you an idea of what you should be eating. The book is pretty technical, but it is written with humor so it is very approachable.

The Paleo Solution is a no-brainer for me, after all I have been called a "caveman" at different times in my life. I also had to write a 1,000 word essay when I was 10 years old because my mother said I ate like a neanderthal. And my mother still likes to break out that essay around holiday time when she has a large audience. But I am getting off topic here, the point of this book is we evolved a certain way, so we need to live a life that is similar to the way we evolved.

I have always believed we need to eat the way we evolved. Eat the way your ancestors ate and you should be fine, right? So I was looking for some guidance, and found this book. I also came across Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss by Dr Joel Fuhrman. I read both books together and they worked very well for me explaining why my current diet was bad for my health. Dr Furhman talks more along the lines of extreme protection and reversing heart disease, and Robb Wolf talks more along the lines of the diet and exercise program you should follow if you are not "one cheeseburger away from a heart attack"

Both of these books explain why a wheat and grain based diet will cause problems for your health. Both encourage the eating of veggies and fruits, and get you to avoid sugar, rice, and processed food. Imagine that, processed food is bad for us? That certainly can explain all the overweight and unhealthy people I come across every day. Basically the plan is to eat lean meats, lots of veggies, some fruit, nuts, and exercise regularly. The exercise program is more based on how we evolved, lots of relaxing down-time peppered with bouts of sprinting and weight-bearing exercises. That is how the cavemen did it, and that sounds good to me because running on pavement for hours at a time does not even remotely sound like fun to me. Plus when is the last time you saw a marathoner that actually looked healthy? Is it just me or do those people look like they just stepped out of a cancer ward?

The two books compliment each other very well. If you are having major challenges in the heart disease area, get both books. Eat Dr Furhmans diet and do the Paleo exercises. Once you get to a more stable place use both books for food recommendations. Both books together is the way to go for me, because they explained similar things from different angles and I was able to understand them much better.

Ok, now for the results portion. I followed the diets of both books and cut out all processed sugar, wheat products, and everything processed. let me tell you the first three days were brutal. I had headaches and I never get headaches. I felt tired and just overall felt very run-down. I guess my body was adjusting to not having those foods in it anymore. Then the morning of the fourth day I woke up feeling fantastic! I was exploding with energy. This went on for about two weeks. It was great, I was getting plenty of exercise and even sleeping much better. Then I got very busy at work, was out of town for a few days and slipped back to my old diet. I could notice a difference, I did not feel as good and had less energy.

Currently I am sometimes eating wheat products. But for the most part I eat a lot of veggies and lean meats. I have been exercising a lot and I really feel good. The diets are not restrictive, and once you get used to it they are pretty easy to follow.

Of all the books about paleo nutrition I've read (and that's quite a few) Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution is by far the most complete in terms of practical application AND scientific validation: Robb not only gives you the tools to start living paleo instantly, but also the arguments why to do it.

I especially loved the chapter about grains.
People always mock me about not eating grains and for some reason I could never tell them exactly why they are bad for you. (except for the well known argument of the agricultural revolution being a drop in the ocean on the timeline compared to human evolution)
Robbs thorough explaination about reproduction and predation of plants (as well as his comparison of proteins with LEGO) has been a complete eye opener to me. It even gave me the tools to convince a good friend of mine, who is suffering from a disease similair to colitis, to try give up grains despite the conventional wisdom: He started seeing improvements imediately!

So thank you Robb and to all potential buyers: Purchase the book, give the plan a go for 30 days and I'll bet you'll probably never look back.

Run, do not walk, to get this because Robb Wolf has written an amazing book. I laughed out loud many times while reading this book and could not put it down. Robb is down to earth and writes so that you can actually understand what he is talking about. The 30 day meal plan and recipes are easy to make with simple ingredients (so easy a caveman could do it - insert joke). On the Paleo Diet, you will look and perform better then you ever have. This book is funny and contains everything you need to change your life. A must read/must have book. Thank you Robb Wolf!

I was lucky enough to attend Robb's Paleolithic Solution Seminar in Atlanta on 9/11/10 and I received a copy of this book at the end of the seminar, before it was released to the general public. I wanted to read it cover to cover before adding my review here - I just finished it last night. It was an excellent read and a book full of knowledge and advice that will truly change your life if you have an open mind and are willing to try it out for yourself.

I love how Robb's personality and wit come through in his writing. I am not a science geek and I don't like reading through too many minute details of science, but I didn't have a problem getting through this book. He explains the science to just enough detail for one to understand it without getting overwhelmed. He also uses plenty of analogies and humor to make the concepts stick once you read about them. That being said, there is a TON of information in this book and I will be keeping it handy to use as a reference as my understanding of the Paleo lifestyle increases.

I can say that I have experimented with Robb's advice over the last 9 months and it has made a tremendous difference in not only my life, but in my body composition. I easily lost over 25 lbs and decreased 3 to 4 pant sizes in the process and I am stronger now and have more energy than ever before. People have actually told me that I look like a completely different person than I did a year ago. The transformation is truly incredible. The bottom line - this stuff works, folks! This book explains how you can get those same results and experience life in a whole new way. I have so much more energy now and I love my new, slender body.

The hardest part about learning about Paleo is not spouting it off to every single person that you know in your life that could benefit from this information. It's hard to keep my mouth shut when people complain and whine about their issues managing their weight or chronic health issues. It's hard not to sound like a "know it all" once you've been enlightened to this way of life.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to have an open mind when reading this book. It challenges everything we've been told by the traditional medical community and even our own government. Keep an open mind, try it for yourself and you'll see the results. For many, implementing these changes will ultimately result in a total lifestyle change. This may take time and some adaptation, but the benefits are worth it. Believe it or not, you will get over not having bread and pasta - the cravings disappear soon after you begin implementing Robb's advice. I feel so much better living within the Paleo lifestyle guidelines. Every aspect of my life has improved. I just wish more people would be open-minded and TRY it!

Robb is the real deal, folks. He is not looking to get rich quick by selling you some silly supplement or magic potion. This is truly his passion and he is doing everything he can to spread the knowledge he's gained while trying to live an ultimately healthy life. He not only gives this advice, but he lives his life according to what he preaches. How many other authors of "diet" books can say the same thing? If you want living proof that this works, there are plenty of case studies.

Robb also answers many of the traditional questions that come up when people first hear of this way of life like "What about Fiber?", "Aren't whole grains healthy?" and "This is too hard". He responds to these questions, doubts and whining with tough love, truthful advice. He doesn't sugar coat anything and deals with these doubts by first backing it up with the science to support his case and finally by asking readers to try it for 30 days and see if they look, feel and perform better. He also addresses some realistic situations in the book - for example, the question of drinking alcohol. Instead of ignoring the subject or saying "you should never drink alcohol", he gives you realistic advice on how to have a drink or two without completely falling off the wagon. It's tidbits like this - along with Robb's humor, and tough love personality that make this book not only worth reading, but enjoyable to read.

This was a great book. I got it on Kindle because most nutrition books I read and then I never look at them again. However this one I am considering buying a hard copy so I can lend it to friends and family. I want my whole family to read this.

I actually have been diagnosed with Celiac disease and multiple food allergies (dairy included), so I was already gluten and dairy free but continued to have chronic health problems including thyroid disease, multiple allergies, stomachaches and fibromyalgia. I already knew that when I ate more starches, grains and sugar I didn't feel as good, but I loved them so much, so I never had enough motivation to actually cut them out and see how I felt. I have some friends who do Crossfit and mentioned Paleo to me, and after one of them read this book and told me about how gall bladder problems can actually be a problem with grains (My gall bladder was removed at age 21), I decided to read it. This book convinced me! My story is very similar to Rob's, and I actually went mostly vegan for several years, feeling awful the whole time.

I devoured this book in 3 days and immediately decided to try the Paleo lifestyle. My family thought I was crazy. I have been paleo for 4 weeks now and I feel better than I have in a long time. It was difficult at first because I really wanted starches and sugar, but now that I'm past that I have more energy, I still have some body/joint pain but not nearly as much as before, my head isn't so foggy and I can concentrate better, I don't get bloated after meals, I don't wake up feeling "puffy" and I just overall feel better. My husband (who was extremely skeptical about me cutting out grains) even commented that I seem happier and more confident lately. I feel like I'm actually doing something about how I feel instead of just surviving every day. I was not really overweight so my goal was not necessarily to lose weight, but I have lost 10 lbs so far without feeling hungry and I'm 4 lbs away from my high school weight (which is my ideal). I don't get the munchies like I did before, I'm not ravenously hungry when I get home from work, my appetite slowly works up so I have time to find something good to eat before I'm starving, and I LIKE vegetables! When I was eating lots of grains and sugar, vegetables didn't even sound appealing to me. However now that I've broken my sugar addiction they sound good and make me full! I even find myself not wanting dressing on my salads. I actually taste and enjoy my food instead of inhaling it!

I recommend reading this book and at least trying the Paleo lifestyle. I'm still not totally convinced that everyone has a significant problem with grains and beans, but I certainly do and I feel better off them. I think it's definitely worth a read and worth a try. This book was pretty easy to read and I am a science-y kind of person so I actually wanted more detail on the science of it, but it was convincing and interesting. I saw at least one review mention his corny jokes and vegan bashing - yeah there is a lot of that. Personally, I like corny jokes though. I could do without the warnings that he was going to talk about science, but it was still a pleasant read. I recommend it!

The best book on the Paleo Diet! It is extremely informative and like most of the reviewers I enjoyed Robb's light, sarcastic, humorous style of writing. Don't get me wrong-he is not a polished professional writer, but he is a biochemist with a story to tell that will help everyone. It truly was eye-opening for me. I have also read both of Gary Taubes' excellent books which are very consistent with Robb's message. The number one villain for both is gluten, namely, avoid all grains which contain gluten. Of course, as in most diets, sugar and sugar substitutes are out as well. The key factor for both is regulating insulin. Before I read Robb I thought if I just lowered my carbs that was enough for a healthy diet. Wrong! I quickly became educated about the issue of inflammation caused by our diet. This led me to conclude, as Robb suggests, that you don't merely restrict carbs, you eliminate most of them, and totally eliminate grains. There are variations of the Paleo/Primal Diet with some (not Robb) permitting Whole Milk (preferably raw) and some (Tim Ferriss-"slow carb diet) adding beans/legumes. But all agree on the elimination of grains. Strong recommendation!

P.S. I know I might be called a ("healthy" I think :) skeptic but I also appreciate the fact that Robb does not sell any vitamins or supplements. With his following he could move a lot of them and make a lot of $. Everyone is entitled to make money, don't get me wrong, but it is a breath of fresh air that he does not follow that route. At least for me.

This book details the way we were intended to eat and why.
Mainstream medicine is locked into drugs. They prescribe to alleviate your symptoms not to make you well. Humans did not always farm. Before agriculture there was virtually no heart disease. Read the book and get well, get healthy.

I finished the Paleo Solution book and was really impressed by it. Having an enormous stack of "diet" books I was reluctant to purchase given the typical uniform format: are you ready to change your life? Here's examples of who did! Here's why you should change your life! NOW LET'S GET STARTED.

Ugh.

So I thought about this one for a long time before I purchased it, and listened to 7 or 8 of his podcasts to make sure he wasn't a douche and that he had something interesting to say. I read his blog. I googled reviews (work is still slow) and read up on them. I asked Skwigg. I googled comparisons between his book and Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint.

I know that I felt best when I was eating meat, veg and fat ala Atkins. But I wanted to know why. Specifically, I wanted to learn the science behind my specific hormone response to foods. I read Mark Hyman's Ultrametabolism book, which was seriously amazing and eye-opening, but at the time I thought no dairy? No gluten? No sugar? Are you insane? Now that I can't eat dairy, and have noticed how I feel when I eat bread and sugar, well it's not so far out there.

So Robb Wolf is hilarious. And really, really smart. Really smart. He's not dogmatic and his book doesn't proselytize; he asks you to prove him wrong. Eat Paleo (meat, veg, fat, fruit) for 30 days and see how you feel. He's self-deprecating but not in an obnoxious way.

I learned about the origins of gluten and grains, and why they cause inflammation, and well, I think most people know inflammation = bad, right? I learned specifically why. The Mark Hyman book was great in educating me as to to the general inflammation = bad, but this book went much further into detail. Robb's approach is very thorough but still understandable. I read the Precision Nutrition blogs and always skip the methodology and go straight to the bottom line. So I was thankful Robb doesn't go into methodology -- PHEW.

The only bad: I counted four mispellings/typos in the book. Ouch. Venders, gall-stones, and two others I can't remember off the top of my head. My background in editing makes these things stick out and erodes just the tiniest bit of credibility. Also, Robb likes to use the word fanny, which I find annoying. But he also uses the phrase Buttercup a lot in addressing the reader, which I find totally charming.

The book also talks about the importance of getting 8-9 hours of sleep. I'll be eager to see if he addresses just exactly how to do that when you have kids (he doesn't) in podcasts -- I'm scanning the archives. There's a book he cites often called Sleep, Sugar and Survival, about it. I'm pretty sure it tells you that sleep is awesome, but way better for you than getting up early to work out and the role cortisol plays in all of it. Robb also goes into that quite a bit.

I finished the book last night (started it Monday, so it's an easy read). The thing that I noticed is that with this book, I don't feel like This! Is! It! My new life starts RIGHT NOW. I feel like, yep. That about sums up why I feel so great not eating the things that well, make me feel bad. Grainy things. Tons of fruit. Here's the science to back up what I've known about my body for a long time. Given the things I've learned about gluten and inflammation, I am going to cut it from my diet for 30 days to see what happens -- I've been cutting back, but not completely. While I do not think I'm gluten intolerant, I do believe the research and Robb's thoughts on why gluten should not be a part of our diets. I'm giving myself permission on Thanksgiving to consider some stuffing and pie. I'm also going to increase the amount of fish oil I'm taking. He also recommends if you're looking to lose fat, to cut way back on fruit (and only berries/melon then) and choose vegetables that are lower carb. On his website is a quick start guide and a food matrix, which helps you plan meals but also has official lists of what to eat. I printed it, but looked at it and had flashbacks from Weight Watchers Core or Simply Filling list, so meh.

Overall, I recommend this book and look forward to the results of my 30 days without gluten.

I've already read lots of books and web sites about eating and living primal. But this one fills the niche of being a fun read without being preachy or too technical. I plan to loan it to everyone who asks me about my primal lifestyle. I've never felt or looked better. I started my primal lifestyle almost 2 years ago. It has cleared up all my health and weight issues. - Just do it (in spite of your doctor). Doctors don't study nutrition at all in medical school. And when you get healthy so you don't need their drugs, they refuse to believe it was by changing your diet. How sad.

Robb Wolf is a very intelligent person who knows alot about food and the human body. This book gives you the information that you need in order to make smarter food choices. He is a biochemist that has done hands on research on how your body reacts to food. With a sense of humor he shares his knowledge that is based on his own experiments and experiences. The word diet tends to make me run in the other direction but I understand it for marketing purposes. This really is a book about how you should live a well balanced life and how eating the right foods can effect your life in the most positive way. Kuddos to Robb, well done on a very important life altering book!! If you don't want to end up with heart dz., diabetes, over weight, cancer, etc. then you have to read the Paleo Solution.

Because there is never a magic bullet for weight loss and increditalbe performance. Robb found a way to explaine the reasons and science behind our genitics (all of us) that will shock you and also make you smile. I have been about 90% paleo for almost three weeks and my everything has inproved and in ways I just would have never thought could happen. I have of chourse lost some weight around the mid section, but big surprizes came with the change in mood and how I see my little world, it is a calm that has just made my life soooo much better. (who needs drugs now?). Some would say that diet can not be responcible for all that, and I agree however, nutrition in the way and type that our bodys need can and will (IMHO) make your bodys from fat tissue, to cell repair, to hormone control all work together. and nurtion is the key to great progress. and now that I read the book and checked out blogs and tools and stuff on the web page. I can not recomend this highly enuff. I took the chance and bought it because nothing other than military hard core PT and starving myself would keep the weight under some control, but I always felt like I was right on the edge of doing some permanate damage. Now I know why... You shaould get this book and be one of us, someone with total power over our systems and our life stop hopping for a cure and just eat right and exerzise smartly and the world will be yours.

This book is the "missing link" in the current problem of obesity and its attending health problems (diabetes, etc.). Read it and get the biochemical facts on nutrition and metabolism. Good people have been getting bad information and hopeless diets for too long. The author is a former biochemical researcher, yet he makes it easy to read and understand for the lay person. I am a biotechnological researcher, and I found his information to be factual and sound. You will NOT get these facts from the government-approved "food pyramid." Government agencies are influenced by lobbyists from the dairy, grain, and processed food industries (check their subsidies for yourself on the internet). Stop eating their junk and filler foods; start eating naturally: meats, fowl, fish, shellfish, fats, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. You won't find any coupons for them! This book can spell it all out for you. Over my lifetime I have seen the obesity problem go from very few obese people during the '70's to an explosion of obesity in the '80's after the implementation of the "food pyramid." You can look for yourself at Government-reported US obesity statistics on the internet. I followed this books' advice strictly for 1 month and lost fat, not muscle, from my waist by 2 inches and dropped 2 pant sizes. Lose the carbs and the processed food, please, and get rid of that fat deposited by insulin-resistance! This might be the most important book in 30 years. Worth every penny and so much more!

Before I get into my review of Robb Wolf's new book, "The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet," you should know that I've now attended Robb's "The Paleolithic Solution Seminar" twice and can honestly say that this guy is the real deal. He's extremely passionate about his work and, more importantly, about only presenting ideas and information that will help people. He has no interest in promoting information or action plans that are contrary to getting people looking, feeling and performing better. What good would that serve? Regardless of the information he presents in his seminar or in the book I'm about to review, Robb maintains that he does not want his message to become gospel and never face a contrarian view. He wants those of us who may think he doesn't know what he's talking about to prove him wrong, badly. Because, up until now, he's yet to see someone fail to thrive when they really follow the plan he sets forth for us in his teachings.

In "The Paleo Solution," Wolf offers up his take on what is known amongst the nutritional and archeological science circles as a hunter-gatherer diet and lifestyle. As a former biochemist working in cancer research, Wolf's transition into studying and then promoting Paleolithic nutrition as an ideal human diet was rooted firmly in a personal history of dietary manipulations and an ever declining state of health. He covers the historical and evolutionary developments in diets of various societies/tribes and discusses the implications of these dietary changes on their health. Wolf highlights the one major historical change (the agricultural or Neolithic revolution) that has taken place across nearly all human diets and the results that the change has had on the development of disease and an overall, ubiquitous state of un-wellness in human beings. It's Wolf's belief that there are very specific foods, namely grains, legumes and dairy, that are at the root of most modern-day problems of diseases and ailment. Such problems include but are not limited to "cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, autoimmunity and infertility." (p. 47) The notion of a hunter-gatherer or "original human diet" really clicked with me. For a while I had been thinking that we need to STOP eating like Americans and START eating like human beings. It makes sense that there is a name for this diet, since we seem to like to label everything in this society. With that label comes a large community of people who are living this way and enjoying optimal health. With that label will also come the naysayers, and to them I say, read the book and just try it for yourself before you poo-poo the concept entirely. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it, right?

Overall, I found "The Paleo Solution" to be informative, entertaining, accessible and well presented. Wolf takes us through a historical approach to his modern-day living recommendations and provides information along the way of why they work. In a sometimes quite sarcastic tone and conversational writing style, he explains physiological implications of foods he suggests are deleterious to our health and exactly how and why negative things happen in our bodies as a result of consuming those foods. He goes on to dispel common myths that circulate about nutrition and lifestyle (including the notion that consuming saturated fat causes high cholesterol and that running on a treadmill for hours will unlock the ultimate key to health and longevity) and then presents a practical application of how to make this what-once-was-old-is-new-again primal approach on how to feed, water and move yourself.

While I did expect to learn, or re-learn I should say, a lot about the concept of why grains, legumes and dairy are at the root of the health problems many suffer from in today's world, I did not expect to be laughing along the way. Wolf has a great ability to keep the reader engaged and recognize when he's gotten in pretty deep with scientific jargon just in time to pull back to a more basic level of explaining the concepts through analogies and anecdotal examples. Repeatedly throughout the book, he challenges you to NOT believe what he says, but to DO the work and either prove him wrong or see how it works for you. He repeats several times throughout the book that "Paleo works, but only if you do it." (p. 200)

It is Wolf's proposition that people will all look, feel and perform better if they adopt a Paleo diet and adhere to some basic lifestyle principles such as getting optimal amounts of sleep and keeping stress levels to a minimum. He presents several case studies of men and women in different situations and with different problems, all resolved using his recommendations. He builds a very solid case and I'm apt to believe it largely because I don't think he has any motivation to present false information. Wolf isn't selling us anything other than the notion that if we make some changes in our lives, we will experience improved health. Period. He's not proposing that there's any magic pill, potion or bar that will be able to better supply nutrition to us than real, actual food we can go out and buy ourselves. Imagine that?! In fact, the healthier we are, the LESS he may profit since fewer of us will step into his gym (Wolf co-owns the Men's Health Top 30-Ranked NORCAL Strength & Conditioning in Chico, CA). All that said, the one perspective I would like to have seen in this book was one of an elderly person who possibly grew up eating mainly Paleolithic foods (since that's what likely was available when they were young) but transitioned to a Neolithic diet that was similar to what we see in most modern-day Americans and has experienced good health (with the medical records, or lack thereof, to prove it) into his or her golden years. Granted, it would be Wolf's proposition that this person likely doesn't exist, but still I'd like to see one of those centenarians to whom Willard Scott wishes a Happy Birthday on the Today show take a stand for bread, pasta and milk. Just for argument's sake. I won't hold my breath.

The goal Wolf sets out to accomplish with "The Paleo Solution" is to simply have you try this way of eating and living for 30 days. If you really do what he recommends, he's confident that your results will be compelling enough that you'll likely stick to the Paleo way of life. While he presents information from countless scientific studies (cited extensively in the References section of the book), he follows them up with highlights of real-life stories from the hundreds of clients he's helped at his gym and testimonials from the thousands more he's helped from afar with his website/blog,podcast and seminars.

Wolf gives you the tools you need to make this lifestyle a reality for yourself in what he calls "Your Paleo Solution" by offering up a 30-Day Meal plan with recipes. While many people tend to think broadly about "this way of eating" and say "but I don't know how to shop this way" or "I don't know how to cook this way," Wolf responds with the following questions:

"Have you ever eaten some eggs and bacon for breakfast?"
"Have you ever eaten a salad with some chicken or grilled fish for lunch?"
"Have you ever had some meat or seafood with veggies for dinner?"

If you answered yes to those questions, which it's likely you have, Wolf says "Well, kiddo, you have, on separate days, already eaten several weeks, if not months, of "Paleo meals." You simply have not strung them together to the exclusion of crap food. You do know how to do this. You can do this. It's simply a question ofwill you do it." (p. 214)

While some of the science in "The Paleo Solution" may be enough to put you into a fetal position (Wolf's words, not mine) for a good hour (that is, if you haven't already zoned out and started daydreaming about the pasta, pie and ice cream he's asking you to forego), most of what Wolf presents is easy to read and understand for anyone interested in improving his or her health. He lets us know right up front that if we don't care about the "whys" of it all, we can jump right into the practical application chapters (I'd say from Chapter 8 on) and read up on just how and what to do. If you already know something about a Paleo diet, well the science that Wolf presents is enough to not only make your head spin with terms like gluconeogenesis, advanced glycation end products and non-insulin mediated glucose transport, it's also what you need to know in order to explain your newly caveman-like ways to friends and family. Though I'll say from experience that unless you think someone really wants to know why you're eating what you're eating, it's best to just stick to the basics in explaining your approach if at all possible, then throw a copy of Wolf's book at them. (Hi, Mom! I hope you enjoy the book I'm sending to you shortly.)

Clearly Wolf believes wholeheartedly that the recommendations he makes will improve your health, and he's willing to "throw himself in front of a bus," as he said on one of his recent interviews, to keep you from eatinggluten. That said, he understands that there will be times when people will want to "kick up their heels" and enjoy something a bit indulgent. To this he responds, "Let's not turn this into a religion, OK?" and maintains that the notion of something not being "Paleo" therefore we should never consume it (in this case he's talking about alcohol and his infamous NorCal Margarita recipe) represents exactly the type of group-think mentality that he's trying to avoid. (p.139) He wants us to think for ourselves and question and debate his ideas, but not without really doing it first in order to accurately prove him wrong. I appreciate this approach since something I pride myself on as a nutrition coach is understanding and supporting the idea that there will need to be ways of cutting loose from time to time. That said, I agree with Wolf in that cutting loose doesn't need to mean completely falling off the wagon and damaging your digestion and health in the process.

Along with dietary changes, Wolf presents his lifestyle recommendations of getting plenty of sleep in a dark room, (Wait, I thought this was a DIET book and now you're telling me to sleep?!), reducing points of stress in your life, perhaps working a little less and playing a little more, engaging with family and friends in a fun and social way and moving. No, not your home, your body. (p. 135-140) Wolf calls it "activity" and outlines a program that's useful for anyone who may not have done much exercise in years in his chapter entitled "Ancestral Fitness." Following the section on sleep, stress management, fun and movement, came one of my absolute favorite parts of the book, and likely because I was pleasantly surprised to be reading it in a "diet" book. It's a part entitled "Do You Own Your Things, or Do Your Things Own You?" This is a concept that's been pretty close to my heart lately as I've moved three times in the last three years, each time purging my space and my collection of stuff, useful and otherwise, exponentially as I've moved from a two bedroom apartment to a one bedroom apartment, and most recently to a studio. I love that Wolf poses this question to readers to get them to sit back and really THINK about how our stuff impacts how we feel on a daily basis. He even goes so far as to lay it all out there and say that "Having more [stuff] (cars, TVs, houses, shoes... you know, [junk]) does not make you happier. In fact, it makes you unhappy and whittles away your life and causes stress." (p. 140) Here, here! That's just it, folks, taking on a new diet isn't just about the food. It's about making a mental and physical shift. It's about changing your mind, your environment and your entire life to be healthier and happier.

Robb Wolf's "The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet," is definitely a book I'll be recommending that all of my clients read. As a fan of his previous work, a regular reader of his blog and a regular listener of his podcast, I've come to regard Wolf as one of my mentors on the subject of nutrition, health and performance. It's not often that you find a person whose recommendations align with your own general notions of what is "right" for people to be eating, but also someone who recognizes that we are more than molecular beings and that we are entire physical and emotional systems working together to create either health or illness within. Knowing that caring for the human animal is both a science and an art is something I think that Wolf gets and it shows in his work and his passion for not only the subject, but for creating health in the lives of people who look to him for guidance. A "diet book" shouldn't leave you feeling miserable and with a list of bland, unsatisfying foods to eat. It should get excited about all the great things that there are to eat, and motivate you to take charge do some work and make it happen for yourself; create "Your Paleo Solution," as Wolf would say. Now it's time for me to go cook up a big grass-fed steak.

We have been anticipating this book for some time now! Robb's descriptions of how everything works makes the paleo lifestyle interesting, comprehensive and fun. Following the paleo approach has gotten some of our family members off of cardiac meds, assisted friends with their MS symptoms, gotten others off of hard core headache meds and made us all more active and healthy humans. This stuff really works. Now with Robb's approach, we can dig into all the gory details :)

It's a new year, and I've been wanting to drop some pounds, so I decided to give this book a look-see. The premise of the Paleo diet (or 'primal' diet-- There are a few books with these words in their title) is that our distant hunter-gatherer ancestors over 5,000 + years ago ate mostly meat, seafood, fruits/veggies and were healthier than their farmer counterparts. It was only after the agricultural revolution that introduced cereal grains, and dairy to our diet that did we start to see a decline in our health.

The author cites a study of the ancient remains of 2 groups of people that lived in the Ohio River Valley. The farmers who lived in this area about 500 years ago (dubbed the "Hardin village" group) and the hunter-gatherers (named "Indian Knoll") that lived 3,000-5,000 years ago. This site is known for having a large number of skeletal remains of these 2 groups, and the meat-eating Indian Hunter/Gatherers showed less signs of disease, little or no cavities, no calcium, protein or iron deficiencies compared to their farmer counterparts. The author cites no footnotes of this study, but says it's available on his website, which I could not find after much searching.

Robb Wolf writes in a witty and sometimes sarcastic tone that is enjoyable and counters much of the 'geek' science behind the premise of how the Paleo diet works.His passion for the subject spill out on to every page. He tells of his own family history with very sick parents-his mother suffered celiac disease (body's inability to digest gluten) and other autom immune disorders. The author himself adopted a vegetarian diet that led to all sorts of health problems-high blood pressure, weight loss and general lack of energy. Much of this book dives into the science of behind the Paleo diet--covering everything to how fats have been incorrectly blamed for obesity, the importance of sleep, the effects of stress and cortisol, to a chapter on ancestral fitness and how to track your progress. Chapter 12 outlines a 30 day eating plan.

I give the book 3 stars. I found the book a bit disorganized. I have the Kindle version and the only way to search the through the chapters is to tab back to the Table of Contents at the beginning of the book. It lacks footnotes for any of the studies it cites. The meal plan has you eating last night's leftover fish for breakfast. Overall, the meal plan doesn't look like something I could stomach for more than 30 days.

I would posit that much of the inspiration behind this book is the author's own experience--he readily admits this stating that experience is perhaps the best teacher and often cuts through any confusion surrounding the Paleo way of eating. This book fails to recognize other non-Western diets that are healthy despite the fact they've changed very little. (think China, Mediterranean, etc). This book also fails to take into account genetics and family history. Not everyone has celiac or inflammation or (fill in your ailment here) for which the Paleo solution claims to remedy. He also notes that there is a clear absence of an authoritative voice on the subject of diet and nutrition and that there's a vested interest in keeping this "confusion" going--the feeding of the supplement & fitness market, grants to keep research institutions open and the money flowing, the pharmaceutical industry and doctors, etc. I don't disagree with this position at all.

However, when the author, despite his academic cache and experience, states that this is the "only way" to better health, I take exception. He already knows that there naysayers out there who thinks we aren't going to buy into asimple solution such as this. In making the Paleo Solution the 'answer' we may ultimately be sold another diet plan that may be tossed by the wayside whenever the latest research comes along and sells us something better.

As a diet, I might be inclined to try this, but I'm not convinced the Paleo Solution is the 'solution' for everybody.

You won't find these phrases used very much in The Paleo Solution: calorie counting, portion control, burn calories, or lots of cardio. These ideas are not needed for weight loss with a paleo approach to nutrition, and in fact can be detrimental, since they put you on the wrong track and ultimately do not work long term (these terms constitute mainstream advice, but just look around you). Robb Wolf clearly and concisely lays out why we should eat like humans have always historically eaten (pre-agriculture), in order to achieve and maintain optimum health (including optimum weight). It will all make sense to you. You'll also learn how the mainstream organizations promoting nutrition advice (USDA, AHA, ADA, etc.) have gotten stuck on the wrong track.

Now, it can sound too good to be true to say that you can lose weight and optimize health without counting calories, controlling portions, or running on a treadmill for hours, because we've all been told that's what it takes, along with steely willpower. But Robb takes you through the history of human nutrition and the information that biochemistry has revealed in recent years (think leptin and insulin, to name a few) to show how the hormones our body produces in response to the TYPE of food we eat, more so than the QUANTITY of food, ultimately control our hunger. So if you eat the right kinds of foods, hunger will normalize and behave as nature intended, also normalizing weight without the need for conscious micromanaging of portion and calories. Ever see a fat antelope on the nature TV shows? No -- their hunger mechanism works perfectly, because they're eating the foods they've adapted to eat over millennia. We need to do the same, like all other animals. Robb completes the picture by tying in sleep, the right kind of exercise, and the other main factors necessary for health, all based on how humans have adapted to their environment (hint -- we haven't had enough time to adapt to things like bread, pasta, or trans fats, which have only been around for a short time, biologically speaking, not to mention constant artificial light and 6-hour sleep nights).

It's been said that fear and force don't work in helping people to implement change in their lives, even with a compelling reason for change, like overweight or health problems. What works better is hope. The Paleo Solution will give you that hope, through education and real-life examples of dramatic health improvements and weight loss. Make no mistake, you'll have to deal with change to follow this program, compared to the standard American diet. You'll have to cut out some habit foods, but you will do so on the basis of solid knowledge, and you will quickly reap huge rewards that will reinforce what WORKS. And the typical approach of starving yourself and enduring hunger are not a part of the deal. You will actually have increased energy, even while losing weight.

I lost 70 pounds with this approach and in my 50s have reached and maintained my college weight. Never hungry. Never counted a calorie. Maybe three hours of exercise per week. Better than perfect blood tests. Again, it may sound too good to be true, but YOU CAN DO IT TOO!! I'm just a regular guy with a desk job. I've since read lots of material on the subject, and Robb Wolf's book is one of the best, with great concise and up-to-date information, explaining the reasons why paleo nutrition is best for overall health and showing how to do it. Take Robb Wolf's advice and try it for 30 days. The changes you will see in that short span can spur you on to a healthier future than you could have imagined. You just have to get on the right track, and the improvements in weight and health will take care of themselves.

Robb has finally put it all out there in a way that anyone can understand. I have heard Robb speak three times and am a regular listener to his podcasts. His humor and no nonsense way of talking are evident throughout the book. Now I have an easy answer to folks that ask me why I look & feel...Buy the Book!

Whether you are curious about Paleo or a seasoned caveman or cavewoman, this book is chocked full of truly amazing information. A perfect mix of science and real world examples of the phenomenal results this way of eating can bring to us all.

Thank you Robb! I have your genuine care and passion for paleo to thank for starting me on this path over 2 years ago. The results I have seen for myself, my wife and family are simply amazing. Congratulations on an amazing piece of literature.

I have bee listening to rob Wolf's podcast religiously for 44 weeks. When I started to read the book I thought I would be getting the same material but in a more formal format. What I did get was as Robb would put it was a "TON of new information" Robb takes his vast knowledge in nutrition, biochemistry and research and takes the reader through foods journey from the mouth to every cell of the body and out the other end. You have to have an open mind to realize everything you are probably doing now that you think is healthy is probably killing you.. Rob challenges the established mainstream nutritional approach with one statement that is echoed throughout the book. "Try this for 30 days if you don't look, feel and perform better go back to what you were doing . I can tell you as a person who has tried everything from Vegan to the Atkins diet YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE HOW YOU LOOK FEEL AND PREFORM, and your blood profile will be much better then when you started. It is life altering.
The book is easy to read. There is a thorough amount of humor and Robb must spend much of his time watching movies because there has to be at least lines from 30 different movies throughout the book.
Do your self a favor and read this book and buy a copy for anyone who is close to you and apply it's principles. You will not regret it.

We are conditioned to think that if something hurts, all we need to do is pop a pill or drink some awful tasting liquid and we'll be okay. After having problems with IBS for years which was steadily getting worse, I was ordered by my doctor to eliminate all grains, beans, corn, and root vegetables from my diet. Paleo was a great guide and it works. Once you get past the detox (yes, it is an adjustment) you will notice that foods taste different. I lost 20 pounds in the first month and the gas, bloating and other unmentionable unpleasant issues disappeared. I sleep more soundly and have almost entirely eliminated snacking in between meals. I get sick less often and my recovery time has drastically shortened. I could go on and on about the benefits I received through this method, but it's best you try it yourself.

The book is very technical at some points but very straightforward. The workout was a bit much for me with my adjustment time, so I opted for something less strenuous. My doctor is keeping close tabs on me and so far all systems are go. I have modified a lot of my recipies for Paleo, but I am going to get a cookbook to support this lifestyle. Bottom line? This is the best thing I have ever done for my health.

I have been sick all my life. I have multiple autoimmune disorders. But at a young age I was put on a modified version of Atkins. (no dairy or grains or seeds but more veggies) My problem went away until I would eat lunch at grade school. Where they put soy fillers in their meat patties. It took years and years to find out what was causing me to go down hill. It wasn't until I was out of highschool and I rebelled and became a vegan that I learn the crap meat at school I was eating had soy in it. I quickly went back to the modified Atkins and my inflammation and flare ups went fully away. Granted I bought my own food grassfed and organic. Later I stumbled upon Paleo which is the spitting image of the diet I HAVE to eat. I have several books but this one I love the most because it gets to people in a humorous way. I have had so many doctors and specialists try to switch me over to a whole grain diet and I politely tell them that they may want to look at more literature before recommending that. But seriously. If I had the money and the ability to distribute, I would have these just sitting in candy stores, doctors offices, coffee shops, airplanes. . you name it. There are several GREAT Paleo diet books out there and more that are more informative on the diet. But this one is such an attention grabber that it is worth the buy. I find this Paleo book has more success convincing the nonbelievers more than any other books on the subject. I HIGHLY recommend it.
I just wanted to add that I am raising 2 children on this diet. (almost 3 as I am expecting) My son who is 6 is quite tall and extremely muscular for his age. People always ask me what I feed him because he is so energetic and towering over the rest. The same goes for my 2 year old daughter. (both in in 90th percentile for height and 70th percentile for weight) They have both NEVER been sick, which let me tell you is remarkable. So this "diet" isn't merely just a "diet". It is a life style (I know cliche). But so true.

Highly recommend this book to anyone even vaguely interested in learning what Paleo-Nutrition is about. The various web pages you'll find with an internet search will not give you the information you need (and in fact, many are chock full of conflicting info!).

The beginning of this book is a fun and easy read. Then Mr. Wolf gets into the scientific stuff... which, I confess, makes me glaze over. He makes it as interesting as possible, I'll give him that, but I found myself scanning more often than not. I highly recommend BUYING the book, not taking it out from the library, for this reason. I'm sure I'll be going back and re-reading sections here and there over time. My copy is full of bookmarks and notes already.

The meal and exercise plans are handy suggestions, but there are also tons of paleo-friendly recipes available through web searches. The scientific shtuff is really the main reason to buy this book. It's not information that I've been able to find elsewhere.

As far as the plan itself goes... well, I won't go too much into that since so many others have already done so, but in brief: After one week, I have more energy than I know what to do with, my skin has cleared up and my tone is unbelievable, and yes, my belly is definitely flatter.

Plus, my boyfriend is on board, and even gets into looking up and making Paleo-friendly recipes for us both. In fact, he's jealous of the meals I make when he isn't around, which definitely was never the case before.

One copy of this book isn't enough. I'm ordering two more today; one to send to my father (who has some health issues that I strongly feel a Paleo nutrition plan would be likely to help with), and one to loan out! So many people are asking me what I've changed that I want a copy I can let people borrow!

Thank you, Robb Wolf, for writing this book. I am ridiculously excited about my new life.

Everyone with an autoimmune disease should be required by their doctor to read this book. It was a life changer for me.

I have actually eaten this way for much of my adult life. However, I enjoy reading new books that might give me variations on the theme. This is a great book for people who are new to the concept of Paleo Diet. I loved the incorporation of exercise advice -- which is critical to good health. Also the comprehensive descriptions of how your body works and why this type of diet works best for most individuals. My theory is to eat right 95% of the time, exercise consistently, take high quality supplements and get 8 hours of sleep every night. If you treat your body well 95% of the time, you can get away with eating wrong 5%. The truth is that the longer you eat this way, your body really, really does not like it when you eat junk food or sweets! Your body sends immediate signals to your taste buds and you tend to have indigestion -- something I never have when I follow the Paleo diet. Highly recommended.

I've been following the paleo way of living for almost a year now. It takes a lot of research and learning on one's part to get all the science. Robb Wolf managed to bring the science in a very understandable way, with humor and clarity.
I can't stress enough the benefits of evolutionary/paleo/primal way of living and eating. My health improved tremendously and I am never going back to grains and SAD! Do yourself a favor and read it!

There is a lot of really, really great nutritional information contained in the book. Robb does a very good job explaining how food affects us at a biochemical level, and what we can do to be healthy and realize our weight loss or fitness goals. The chapter on stress, sleep, cortisol, and insulin resistance is worth the price of the book all by itself. Arguably, sleep deprivation is the number one way folks sabotage their weight loss efforts: you can eat great and exercise a ton, but without enough sleep, you'll stay fat & won't reach your goals.

Highly recommended.