The Paleo Answer: 7 Days to Lose Weight, Feel Great, Stay Young

by Loren Cordain

How to take the Paleo Diet to the max for optimal weight loss and total health--from bestselling author and top Paleo expert Dr. Loren CordainDr. Loren Cordain's bestselling "The Paleo Diet" and "The Paleo Diet Cookbook" have helped hundreds of thousands of people eat for better health and weight loss by following the diet humans were genetically designed to eat: meats, fish, fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and other foods that mimic the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors. In "The Paleo Answer," he shows you how to supercharge the Paleo Diet for optimal lifelong health and weight loss. Featuring a new prescriptive 7-day plan and surprising revelations from the author's original research, this is the most powerful Paleo guide yet.Based on the author's groundbreaking research on Paleolithic diet and lifestyleIncludes a new 7-day plan with recommended meals, exercise routines, lifestyle tips, and supplement recommendationsReveals fascinating findings from the author's research over the last decade, such as why vegan and vegetarian diets are not healthy and why dairy, soy products, potatoes, and grains can be harmful to our healthIncludes health and weight-loss advice for all Paleo dieters--women, men, and people of all ages--and is invaluable for CrossFitters and other athletesWritten by Dr. Loren Cordain, the world's leading expert on Paleolithic eating styles internationally regarded as the founder of the Paleo movement

Whether you've been following a Paleo-friendly diet and want to take it to the next level or are just discovering the benefits of going Paleo, this book will help you follow the Paleo path to the fullest--for lifelong health, increased energy, better sleep, lower stress and weight loss.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Food, Fitness, Nutrition, Cookbooks, Diets

336 pages

First published December 20, 2011

About the author

Loren Cordain, PhD, is one of the world's leading experts and researchers in the area of evolutionary medicine. He is on the faculty of Colorado State University and the author of The Paleo Diet and The Paleo Diet for Athletes. He has been featured on Dateline NBC, in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other media."

Reviews

[Angela Boord · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good information and scads of references in the back of the book, but the main text sometimes comes off as sounding rather alarmist, in the sense that he makes claims (for instance, that eating raw kidney beans has been fatal in some cases) and sort of vaguely references the instance or study that supports the statement. In those cases (particularly in the "beans can be lethal" sections) it would have been more helpful to see pointed references, just because the claims are so far beyond our normal day-to-day experience that they end up sounding like urban legends. In my opinion, this takes away from the excellent message of the book, which is to eat meat, fish, eggs, vegetables, fruit and nuts in moderation, and good fats, and avoid grains, dairy, and legumes.

I did appreciate the updates he made to his first book, The Paleo Diet, in this book, especially the updated information on fat.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some kindle notes:

Theodosius Dobzhansky, a well-known Russian evolutionary biologist, said, “Nothing in biology makes sense, except under the light of evolution.” - location 250

In The Paleo Diet, I spoke of the 85/15 rule—meaning that if you are 85 percent compliant with the diet most of the time, significant improvements in your health can occur. The other 15 percent—normally, three meals a week—are open meals, meaning you can choose to eat a normal amount of foods that fall outside the diet plan. - location 403

So, should you go out and eat bacon, hot dogs, salami, and fatty processed meats until you can’t eat any more? Absolutely not. Processed meats are synthetic mixtures of meat and fat combined artificially at the meatpacker’s or the butcher’s whim with no regard for the true fatty acid profile of the wild animal carcasses our hunter-gatherer ancestors ate. In addition to their unnatural fatty acid profiles—high in omega 6 fatty acids, low in omega 3 fatty acids, and high in saturated fatty acids—processed fatty meats are chock full of the preservatives nitrites and nitrates, which are converted into potent cancer-causing nitrosamines in our guts. To make a bad situation worse, these unnatural meats are typically laced full of salt, high-fructose corn syrup, wheat, grains, and other additives that have multiple adverse health effects. In a 2010 meta analysis, scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health reported that red meat consumption was not associated with either heart disease or type 2 diabetes, whereas eating processed meats resulted in a 42 percent greater risk for heart disease and a 19 percent greater risk for type 2 diabetes. - location 620

From my ongoing analysis of hunter-gatherers, the most consistent daily eating pattern appears to be a single large meal consumed in the late afternoon or evening. A midday meal or lunch was rarely or never taken, and a small breakfast (consisting of the remainders of the previous evening meal) was sometimes eaten. Some snacking may have occurred during gathering; however, the bulk of the day’s food was consumed in the late afternoon or the evening. The hunter-gatherer pattern of eating could be described as intermittent fasting, compared to our Western customs, - location 793

The only banned vegetables are potatoes, cassava root, sweet corn, and legumes (beans, peas, soy, green beans, peanuts, etc.). - location 802

Almost all domesticated fruits and vegetables have been bred over thousands of years since the agricultural revolution to produce foods that are bigger, sweeter, and less fibrous. - location 841

Rats that were allowed to eat their normal chow consumed more food and gained more weight when artificial sweeteners were added to their diet. We do not currently know precisely how artificial sweeteners cause us to gain weight, but the most likely explanation is that they somehow interfere with our normal appetites and how our bodies handle both glucose and insulin. - location 970

By closely examining this table, you can get a feel for foods that yield excessive AGEs and those that don’t. Advanced Glycation End-Product (AGE) Contents in Foods (kU per 100 grams) - location 1019

Notice that fruits and veggies and staples of the Paleo Diet are very low in AGEs, as are eggs. In contrast, most dairy products and fast and processed foods are loaded with these harmful substances. - location 1035

Raw meats and fish contain much lower concentrations of AGEs, but so do animal foods that are prepared using slow cooking methods, - location 1042

A final tip: cooking with lemon juice can significantly reduce the AGEs in your meat or fish, - location 1054

I quote Dr. Key’s study: “There were no significant differences between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in mortality from cerebrovascular disease, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer or all other causes combined.” I have italicized the last words of this sentence to emphasize the fact that vegetarians do not fare any better than their hamburger-eating counterparts when death rates for all causes are considered. A more recent 2009 analysis, the EPIC-Oxford Study employing the largest sample of vegetarians (33,883) ever examined, came up with identical conclusions: “Within the study mortality from circulatory diseases and all causes is not significantly different between vegetarians and meat eaters.” - location 1171

About five to ten years ago, however, experiments from our laboratory and others unexpectedly revealed that low-glycemic dairy foods paradoxically caused huge rises in blood insulin levels. The table below shows that despite their low glycemic indices, dairy foods maintain high insulin responses similar to white bread. - location 1853

infants whose moms drank milk became colicky, - location 2078

A specific subcategory of saponins found in nightshade plants such as tomatoes and potatoes are called glycoalkaloids, which I will discuss later in the chapter. - location 3602

The nightshade family comprises plant foods most of us eat every day, such as potatoes, tomatoes, green peppers, chili peppers, eggplants, - location 3639

Note that smaller and unripe tomatoes have markedly increased levels of α-tomatine, whereas this compound is barely detectable in a standard ripe, red tomato. By contrast, ketchup, green salsa, pickled green tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes are all potent sources of α-tomatine. - location 3680

it is now known that during pregnancy, women have a reduced ability to metabolize dietary protein. High maternal protein intake increases the risk for low-birth-weight babies and overall fetal mortality. During pregnancy, the estimated safe upper limit for dietary protein is about 25 percent of the daily calories. - location 4631

[raccoon reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is loaded with good information but unless you love reading about science and studies on a nearly academic level, be prepared to nod off a few times. I tried, I really tried to grasp everything he was saying in those sections, but failed. It's just a lot to take in. I did take away a lot of good tips that are going to help me eat better though. I agree with other reviewers who said that Cordain came off as a bit "alarmist" in sections. ie- undercooked beans will kill you! Um... yeah. I also didn't like how sometimes he used research to back up his claims, then seemingly ripped the same research to threads and calling it unreliable and attempting to show why. I didn't take notes, so I can't give you specifics but more than a few times I was left shaking my head thinking- didn't he just slam that same university, gov group, research people saying their research wasn't adequate, reliable, etc etc but when it says what he wants it to say...then "Hot Damn! Those sure are some smart people!" It left me feeling that he's obviously not thinking critically and open mindedly about all the research he comes across. He's biased and going to go for whatever will support his cause and damn the rest of it. That being said, I'm basically doing the same thing on a much smaller scale ;) cherry picking the best features of Paleo and fitting them to my lifestyle. Hands down the most shocking thing I learned from this book was that Folic Acid (not to be confused with Folate- a naturally occurring nutrient in food) didn't exist in our diet before it was *MAN MADE* in the 1940s after which the government launched a campaign to add it to our food... wtf? We are so clueless about our food. According to Cordain the addition of Folic Acid is a bunch of hype and it didn't really result in high changes in healthier births. But he says it did show some improvements. I have to read more about Folic Acid. I went around asking women I knew who'd given birth and couldn't find one who knew that Folic Acid was a man made substance added to our food. They all thought it was a naturally occurring thing and were shocked and all felt pretty ignorant. It's not like I'm going to throw my prenatal vitamins out the window... but I'm learning how little I actually know about what goes into my body. For that reason alone I recommend this book to anyone interested in expanding their knowledge base about food. You may not agree with everything Cordain says, but hopefully it will challenge you to think and research more and decide what you believe not based on "dodedumdum I'll do whatever you tell me to" mentality, but on research and study of the facts.

[JoLene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since dealing with breast cancer a couple of years ago, we have changed our eating habits and generally eat pretty clean (cooking real food, limiting processed foods) and avoiding gluten because it raises the inflammation markers in my bloodwork. As part of a "summer meltdown" program with my bootcamp, they are doing a paleo diet for a couple of weeks (along with several other things). It's pretty easy to get the general concept of paleo --- lean meats, fresh veggies/fruits, nuts and seeds -- not so easy in practice (takes some planning).

Where the paleo diet differs from our normal eating habits is no grains, legumes, or dairy (in addition to a lot more meat --- we ate several veggie meals per week). This book was well-laid out to answer some of the key questions about the paleo eating plan like why no dairy and why no grains and legumes, no dairy (after all they are a whole food) and should you take supplements. While there was a lot of scientific analysis of nutrient content and digestive processes, Cordain was able to synthesize into some understandable nuggets so I now feel like I can explain the rationale.

My biggest lingering question is the abundance of coconut products (milk, oil, meat) used in Paleo recipes ---- it doesn't seem to me that coconuts were readily available to most cavemen :-)

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd been picking up so many nutrition and diet books about paleo-eating that I thought should read up on it by one of its founders. It all started with my viewing on Netflix the documentary, "The Perfect Human Diet" after watching my father suffer and die from heart disease which I totally attributed to his lapse into a Western diet gone turbo. However, it ain't easy to eliminate grains and dairy and legumes, even after I had already decided to try to drastically eliminate highly processed foods from my menus. Cordain's book isn't so recondite that the lay nutritionist couldn't ken the principles on how we're genetically predisposed to thrive on the foods eaten by our hunter gatherer cavemen ancestors, but it's so NOT LACKING in the whys and wherefores of nutrition science underlaying the Paleo-lifestyle that it took me a while to plow through this book. I recommend this book as companion reading to Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food" and recommend that you stick with some of the seemingly abstruse information. I strive still to make food choices optimal to health, and Cordain makes some very convincing arguments buttressed by own personal feelings and experiences of meals that made me feel vital.

[Stephie Jane Rexroth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"From what we know about historically studied foragers, they hunted, gathered, and fished for foods in a manner that maximized their caloric intake verses the energy they expended to obtain these foods. This food-gathering strategy is referred to as the 'optimal foraging theory' by anthropologists. Based on the optimal foraging theory, hunter-gatherers typically maintained the following order of food preferences:

1. Large animals
2. Medium-sized animals
3. Small animals, birds, and fish
4. Roots and tubers
5. Fruit
6. Honey
7. Nuts and seeds
8. Grass seeds (cereal)

… There is no doubt that foragers were opportunists, and if something was edible, it was probably consumed, but only if preferred foods couldn't be acquired first. […] Nevertheless, seeds and grains would never have been eaten on a daily basis as staple foods… Moreover, most wild plant foods, particularly seeds, are not available on a year-round basis but can be harvested and consumed seasonally for only a few weeks or months out of the year."

[Annie Kostyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was looking for a book that explained the original details of the Paleo diet. So many of them have simply made up their own diet incorporating what we eat today into Paleo - which is pretty much against why you should follow a Paleo diet.

This book is written by Paleo's founder who compiled all of the studies showing why a hunter gatherer diet is a better option than our current diet. This book elaborates on it and got into specifics of autoimmune diseases and cancer tweaks to the diet.

A true and recommended Paleo diet consists of all wild or pasture raised meats/fishes/seafood, all organic vegetables except potatoes (sweet are okay), all organic fruits, raw nuts and seeds, and nut/fruit oils. Unsalted, grass fed butter is okay on occasion. The doctor and studies stress eating a large variety of all of the foods or you will develop other problems.

I'm suffering from colitis and want to get off of my meds and this diet was recommended to me as beans, dairy, grains and nuts are making it worse for me instead of better. One day down.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed learning about the paleo take on ideal human nutrition. I must say, this book has converted me to believing that a paleo diet is the best choice for health. I no longer see legumes or grains as necessary for nutrition; unfortunately, I have not been able to entirely cut them out of my diet. The paleo diet makes a lot of inherent sense, but the best part of this book is all the science that Cordain brings to the subject. He cites numerous studies in defense of his viewpoint. Where studies don't exist, he uses scientific reasoning to support his conclusions. Clearly more research needs to be done on this diet!

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike other diet-based books which tell you to eat a certain way because it will help you lose weight, Dr. Cordain explains the science behind everything and why eating a diet that includes dairy, grains, and legumes leads to many of the current diseases, inflammations, and autoimmune disorders occurring in our culture right now. He debunks the marketing exploits used to promote dairy, grains, and supplements while also providing an alternative eating regimen that is suitable to how the human body is wired. This book contains a lot of solid, researched information on proper eating habits to extend longevity and health.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really got me thinking more about the things we eat and how so many people just eat whatever without even thinking about what it could be doing to them. It is a very informative book.

If you're someone who just wants to eat paleo because you were told it's good and know by others' experiences that it works, but you don't care WHY things are bad for you, then I wouldn't bother reading this. If you are a very curious person and love to learn why things are the way they are, this book is for you.

[Booksy · Rating 2 out of 5]

An incredibly depressing book... tells you that pretty much everything that you put in your mouth is highly toxic and lethal... except for fish and meat (that the author so conveniently forgets to mention also contains toxins). So, I closed the last page feeling very very down... went out and bought a huge block of hazelnut chocolate and had a piece with a great sense of enjoyment from being alive... despite the high content of toxins contained in that piece of chocolate that even kills a dog :-)

[Leila · Rating 2 out of 5]

As someone whose diet pretty much aligns with paleo, this book appears to have been written to stroke the egos of the author and anyone who's jumped on the paleo bandwagon. I swear that at least 10 page sections were devoted to outlining how vegetarians have it all wrong-- and aren't they silly? I couldn't stop groaning and sighing in my impatience to finish this book, since I had to read all of it for work. I just really don't recommend it for anyone with a preference for science based evidence over anecdotes.

[Malcolm Bastien · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't get much out of this book. From the first few chapters I have a better understanding of the problems with vegetarianism, dairy, and legumes.. but besides that it goes into a level of detail about the effects of non-paleo foods that's just too deep. If you're looking for more reasons why you shouldn't eat stuff, this book references tons of studies. If you already know what the paleo diet is, this book won't give you much new information.

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read this book from cover to cover. However, I'm impressed by what I have read. I've been following the Paleo program for a couple of weeks now, and have experienced weight loss as well as relief from stomach distress. Dr. Cordain, the founder of this movement, backs up his information with impressive scientific research. Definitely a good resource if you're thinking of trying this program for either weight loss or better health and well-being.

[Rosalía · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Cordain explains the Paleo diet further in this book, and describes an option for those with an autoimmune disease such as multiple sclerosis. I am forever grateful for his discoveries and appreciate the many graphs and scientific research in this book even though all people can benefit from this information.

[Mary-anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loren Cordain certainly knows his stuff and gives many compelling reasons to try the Paleo Diet. I do find his writing style a touch heavy and felt a little lectured to at points.. probably because I don't want to give up ice cream. LOL Very well researched though, and a LOT of excellent information

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading alot about Paleo lately but haven't been able to take the leap and give it a try. This book is pushing me further in the direction of at least trying. I like that there is an 85/15 rule - paleo 85% of the time, other foods 15%. That alone makes if feel more approachable. I don't like that the 7 day meal plan relies on recipes in ANOTHER book, though.

[Morelos Barros · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to improve your health, this book is a must.

It's flawlessly researched and well written.

However a warning must be made. This book WILL scare the crap out of you. The author claims everything you eat and do will kill you mercyless. So you must use your wisdom and smarts to skim through the fear.

[Dania · Rating 2 out of 5]

It hard to get through. In fact, I DIDN'T get through it, I skimmed through it.
A totally unnecessary read in my opinion. A positive? He talked about children and different stages of your life...that was good.
I liked how he recommended a higher intake of fruits for kids that makes sense.
Nothing really that new?

[Darrin Holst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably not a good intro to paleo book, but there was some good info even if there were some uncomfortable parts when he was tearing down vegetarianism and the dairy industry. The chapter on water was a new one for me...gives you even more stuff to think about :-/

The book appeared to be a long one, but an amazing 40% of it was references and index.

[Lia Yuniarti · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get a lot of info from this book. But, I am getting confuse with writer statement about the worse of dringking milk. If milk is too bad, why rhe quran say that it is a good drink? I am a moslem and really believe in quran. So this statement make me confuse And I should read another writing to make it clear. Any suggestion?

[Melissarose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good science and some studies he didn't go into enough detail but partly because there is a lot left to research. I know my body feels best when I eat the way Cordain recommends and this book does a great job of explaining why that is. It is also a great read to review some basic nutritional knowledge like the role of omega 3s, certain minerals, saturated fats (and their myths) etc.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides up to date science to support a thorough analysis of why grains, dairy, and beans should not be part of one's diet. I already eat a paleo diet but having the science at my fingertips to understand why the paleo lifestyle feels so good is wonderful.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book carefully and followed the recommendations in it. So far I have found the information to be correct and was able to build my own guidelines from it and live a much healthier life.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much easier to follow than the previous book by Dr. Cordain. Very cleanly laid out and a good summary of the scientific principles behind different health choices. Looking forward to leafing through his extensive set of references.

[T.C. Westminster · Rating 4 out of 5]

The science makes sense. We'll see how the diet goes. He relies a little heavily in the 'well our ancestors did it...' reasoning and it gets comical at times. But he uses 'real' science and studies to back his claims.

We'll see.

Easy read!

[Mark Chalmers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Takeaway info: wheat, corn, dairy, and regular potatoes are killing us, and the people that don't have them aren't dying of the same things as us. He says over and over that he can't imagine why the USDA can't figure this out. My bet is money.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

some good points although I don't agree with everything pertaining to a vegetarian diet. I read it a few times and will reference it when I need to. interesting how wheat and potatoes block nutrients being absorbed.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not highly impressed w/ this. Some points are compelling but overall I just felt like the "research was pushed". I wanted to embrace it & see the merit in a new way of thinking when it comes to eating but cannot bring myself to jump on board. Best of luck to those that are able.

[Marliss Bombardier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent introduction to the Paleo diet lifestyle. It provides a layman's explanation of the reasons for eating Paleo, and the benefits of it.