 "Facts vs. Fiction" | 2009-09-21 |
| - Reviewed By User: AEJA4WKZ5QUWS |
Fact: Paleo Man didn't drink diet soda. This is the first thing that turned me off about this book. Here Cordain, a big advocate of non-processed foods, states in his rules processed foods are not to be consumed, and then lists diet soda in his meal plans. Technically I guess diet soda isn't food. I'm also thinking warm beverages "teas" made with various plants were consumed during Paleolithic times, yet tea and coffee (caffeine) is banned. Tea and coffee actually are far less processed than diet soda. (note - I do not consume coffee/caffeine, so I'm not saying this out of personal preference).
Fact: Paleo Man did eat legumes and grains. From my anthropology classes I remember evidence of digging tools for gathering roots and tubers. They have grinding tools for grinding the grains they gathered. Evidence of grains and legumes has been found in petrified feces.
Fact: Game was scarce at times, unavailable. Granted he states some of the above foods were eaten during hard times, but what evidence that they were only eaten occasionally? During times of scarcity, grains, seeds and roots may have been the only food available.
In general the best advice in this book is to eat non-processed whole foods. It is limiting otherwise. Yes, you will lose weight, and if you eat the typical American diet, you will regain some health. Cordain eliminates calorie dense, nutrient deficient foods. Kudos for saying no to refined sugars and grains. But it is far too limiting by banning many healthful foods, and promoting huge amounts of animal flesh. I haven't finished the whole book, but would point out too that Paleolithic man didn't inject game with hormones and antibiotics. I'm hoping he does advocate organic animal protein. Also, the environmental consequences of modern animal (and plant) farming are neglected so far. Maybe this is to come later in the book. |
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 "Good information, easy to read." | 2009-08-24 |
| - Reviewed By moderngent |
So I haven't started to fully jump into this eating style, but I think I will give it a shot. Loren Cordain Ph.D makes a great case as to what diet us in modern time should be eating - the diet our Paleo ancestors ate.
Lean meats, Vegetables, Fruit & nuts.
This has to be one of the easiest diets I have ever come across...oh and delicious.
The author makes it easy to understand, gives you great case studies and backs it up with a huge bibliography of knowledge.
What I loved about it was the menu's that you could use and the charts of food information. You can even discover how alkaline raisins are.
Overall I think this way of eating could be really beneficial to me. The symptoms of a bad diet that the author goes over are exactly what I have been experiencing lately in my life.
So I will recommend this diet when it starts to work fore me, but I will recommend this book right away. Great information and easy to read. |
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 "Exactly what I have been looking for - Eating the way my body was designed for!" | 2009-07-09 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1C0AYQJVWYOJS |
| Finally, getting back to reality when it comes to eating the way our bodies are wired for. Tired of "diets" and tired of the hustle and bustle of everyday life - eating foods that can cause our bodies to actually work against us with different problems and diseases. The concept is simple, doable and reminds you over and over that this will take time. Not a "Get thin or healthy quick plan" BUT a LIFE PLAN on how to heal your body and eat for longer life and better health.....and a better body! |
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| "Unless you trust infomercials, this book will not convince you of the science behind the Paleolithic diet" | 2009-07-01 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2MVWGRFFEFKW0 |
Reading a good non-fiction book should be a pleasant experience, exposing you to fascinating and illuminating new ideas which give you those "aha!" moments we all love.
I had no "aha!" moments reading this book. I was too busy struggling with all the problems in it. And there are many, but the concept that sums them all up is a general disrespect for the intelligence of the reader. The author spends most of the time speaking AT the reader rather than WITH them.
The most obvious example of this is the unbearable "used car salesman" tone the author uses, where it feels like he/she can't go more than a few sentences without reminding us how this diet will fix almost every chronic health problem in existence and change our lives. Really, why don't you let the research and data speak for itself? Show me, don't tell me.
The problem with that is that there is almost no research and data presented to the reader. The author usually introduces an idea by saying "my colleagues and I determined that so and so" or name dropping some other researcher, then presents some numbers, hoping that we just take it on authority that the research is correct rather than showing us how the research was conducted and actually comvincing us.
To lower the standard of "evidence" (and respect for the reader) even more, the author even resorts to anecdotal stories of people who underwent the paleo diet and experienced incredible health transformations. Yeah, just like infomercials do.
Then there are the contradictions and unanswered questions this book raises.
The author doesn't miss any chances to take pot shots at "faddish" low carb diets, saying they encourage too much animal food while limiting cancer fighting fruits and vegetables, then later on mentions the inuits lived free of chronic diseases on a 97% animal food diet. The apparent contradiction seems lost on him/her.
The author warns of the dangers of fructose, as found in table sugar and high-fructose corn syrop, then in the next sentence says eat all the (fructose-based) fruit you want! How is eating fruit better? The reader is left wondering.
The author says it's impossible to overeat animal protein, due to it's effects on satiety, then warns of the dangers of animal protein overconsumption leading to "rabbit starvation". Which is it?
I'm really trying to think of something positive to say about this book. The author really does seem like he/she knows this subject very well, as evidenced by the 21 page bibliography, but simply does a very poor job convincing the reader. I do believe in the healthful benefits of following our natural, evolutionary diet, but wanted a bit more certainty, and this book failed to deliver on that.
I would recommend reading this book for a basic introduction to the Paleolithic diet, but not as a convincing critical analysis of whether it's healthful or harmful. |
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| "So far so good!" | 2009-05-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: A372MWBGW3BAHY |
| I have been on the diet 3 weeks and I feel great. I have also lost 10lbs. This is a great guide for starting the Paleo Diet. If you can make it through the first 48 hours of carb withdrawl, it will work. I also recommend "Neanderthin". But this book really does a great job of explaining the entire process and the theory behind it. It makes the plan simple with a food guide. Do it! |
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| "Practical and Effective" | 2009-05-21 |
| - Reviewed By capricornio12345 |
[NOTE: This review relates to the paperback edition.]
At first glance, the Paleo diet seemed extreme to me. Give up grains AND beans AND dairy completely? What's left? Won't I be hungry? Won't I get bored? Won't I die of malnutrition? Obviously the answer to all of the above is "no." My body adjusted quickly to lean meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, raw and cooked vegetables, and fruit. I'm eating 10 times more fruits and vegetables than before, snacking more and cooking more. My food cravings are gone, and I feel sated after I eat. Oh yes, and did I mention that I lost 8 pounds over the past 4 months?
I've seen numerous health benefits from lowering my glycemic index and salt intake and eliminating the indigestible proteins found in grains and beans. Acid reflux, gas, joint pain, sinus congestion -- all completely gone! Amazing.
Since nobody's twisting my arm, I've "cheated" a few times and eaten something that used to be part of my diet, like oatmeal or corn chips. Next day the acid reflux, gas and congestion come back. My sense of taste has become more sensitive and I notice a rancid, unpleasant note even in foods like organic oatmeal. So the desire to stray has diminished and staying on the diet is easy. However, there are a couple of things I've chosen not to give up: organic butter as a condiment on vegetables, and organic half-and-half in my coffee. I've noticed no ill effects, and get a lot of taste enjoyment from these items, which is important even when eating healthy!
I've given the book 4 stars rather than 5, because there are a few things here and there that I don't agree with. I don't think one should heat flax seed oil. And the recipes, while passable, don't excite me very much. Also, the book is written in a popular self-help style, focusing on weight loss and bypassing a purely health-conscious viewpoint. One example: although Dr. Cordain says we really shouldn't drink it, he mentions diet soda as a possible beverage. He knows better.
On the other hand, the health benefits for "eating Paleo" are offered in an understandable way, explaining why it's good for high blood pressure, osteoporosis, diabetes and so on. If you read the book, you will know how to "do the diet" and why it's a good idea. The science is well-presented. There's a 20-page index of double-blinded study research results from around the world, to which Dr. Cordain refers throughout the book. This is not some weird dietary notion that somebody invented. It was arrived at by hard research, investigation and study. Whether you accept the notion that we should strive to approximate our caveperson ancestors' diet is beside the point: from my experience, this is a healthy diet that eliminates the pitfalls of eating foods our bodies were not genetically programmed to digest. My results speak for themselves.
Some people do have bodies that can handle just about anything they feel like eating. And ethnic, regional and personal variations ensure that the Paleo diet will never take over the world. All I can say is that eating Paleo has improved the quality of my health immeasurably. And as a weight loss diet, it's foolproof. Eliminate junk food and fast food and replace them with high quality animal protein and as much fresh veggies, fruits, nuts and seeds as you can pile in your mouth...and thank Mother Nature (and Dr. Cordain et al) for Her bounty with every bite. |
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