Paleoista: Gain Energy, Get Lean, and Feel Fabulous With the Diet You Were Born to Eat

by Nell Stephenson, S. Boyd Eaton (Foreword)

Building on the huge success of books like The Paleo Diet , Nell Stephenson’s Paleoista offers a fun, female-friendly way for women to enjoy the health benefits of what has been called the “Caveman Diet,” including more than fifty simple, delicious Paleo recipes!

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Nutrition, Food, Diets, Cooking

276 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 2012

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite being recently published, this book perpetuates some dietary myths that have been repeatedly disproved - fat is bad (she is still advocating lean meats and lower fat overall), ketosis is dangerous (wrong - that is *ketoacidosis* which is not the same thing, despite the similarity of the words), low carb eating is dangerous and unpleasant, the ideal paleo diet is 40% protein 30% fat 30% carbs (nope - that diet has already been written. It's called the Zone and there is nothing ideal about it), etc., etc.
In addition to the factual errors, the author has a terrible case of "one wrong move" syndrome. Even in the first 49 pages, which is the point at which I began writing this review, she has repeatedly stated that even "one bite" of grain, sugar, dairy products, or processed food will damage your body and send you into a tailspin. This might be possible for some individuals but is still a dangerous proposition. This kind of thinking can lead to orthorexia or anorexia nervosa even in (mentally) healthy eaters, and could be downright deadly to anyone with a history of or tendency toward eating disorders. I have never seen established paleo diet authors and researchers, such as Mark Sisson or Robb Wolf, advocating this type of black-and-white thinking with regard to food.
It is likely that I will finish the book. Its chatty style is easy to read and I am interested in the case studies. It is not likely that I will revise my rating.

[Joooordan! !!! · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm fairly embarrassed to put this book on my e-shelf. I'm only rating it here to clarify how much I absolutely did not enjoy it, despite going into the book with an expectation of loving it.

Stephenson's writing style works better on a blog, as her advice tends to repeat throughout 3/4 of her book. The introductory chapters work well for an overview of the Paleo diet, but her insistence on losing weight and constantly reworded and vague promises of "feeling fabulous" left me with the impression of being sold a quick-fix diet.

Overall, her best information is cited from Corbain's 'The Paleo Diet', so stick to his book if you want to learn about this diet. Otherwise, 'Paleoista' doesn't cover anything that you can't find in an afternoon on a few Paleo blogs.

[Tressa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy reading books on whole food eating, but this one just didn't work for me. From the too-tall unrealistic female image on the cover to the somewhat condescending, overbearing writing style and advice, this book kind of annoyed me. And there's a lot of information about marathons and running included, so perhaps someone interested in these things would get more out of this book.

Like some other reviewers mentioned, they don't like diets that cut out all of one food group, nor do I. This book comes down hard on dairy, and I'm not 100% sure about some of the nutritional advice in this book, especially about the food groups she encourages her readers to eschew.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't have weight or digestive problems, so I read books like this one purely out of curiosity. I found this to be a very quick and easy read. It was interesting to learn the philosophy behind this eating style. There seemed to be a lot of sound nutritional information, and it is much less extreme than some of the eating styles that have gained in popularity recently (i.e. Atkins or vegan diets). That said, I personally don't care for any nutritional philosophy which advocates that the average person eradicate all of an entire food category from their diet (the obvious exceptions would be individuals with a medical condition/allergy). I simply cannot subscribe to the theory that grains and dairy should be eradicated from my diet entirely. There were some appetizing recipes towards the end of the book that I may try out, but I won't be going "Paleo" myself.

[Anna Blaine · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I'd realized this was the co-author of the Paleo Diet Cookbook, I wouldn't have read it. Those recipes were so blechhy they almost scared me off the diet that cured my IBS and acne. The ones here are also sound pretty unappetizing.

Also, why does anything that targets women do so by throwing in references to shopping and Martha Stewart? Yeah, b----es be shoppin' and craftin'!

Two stars for the discussion of paleo diet and endurance training.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good, but not the best paleo book out there. In fact, I can think of at least 5 paleo/primal books I'd recommend ahead of this one. Also not especially applicable to me as I do include some dairy in my diet and am not an elite athlete, or even a wannabe elite athlete . . . I'll be happy to run a 5k, do the splits again and play on the women's rec hockey team.

[LM · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this failed in its attempt to be a girlfriend's guide, by not making Paleo eating look attractive, and including very little science or basic reasoning behind the food choices.

[Amber]

Good book for someone who is just starting out on Paleo, or is just curious about Paleo (like myself). Contained some good, basic information but unless you are just starting out, I don't know that you would glean much from this book. The author is obviously quite fond of The Paleo Diet Cookbook by Dr. Loren Cordain and references this book many times. I have not read that book so I can't comment there. She also seems to be a big fan of French cuisine, which is not something I personally prefer. I know that eating hormone free, antibiotic free, free range, organic, grass fed, etc meat is ideal; however, I personally cannot afford it on a regular basis. Where I live 3 medium size chicken breasts are going to cost around $20. I would spend $40 just on meat for one meal to feed my family. Not many people can afford that. Overall though, it was a good book and I am looking forward to trying out a few recipes.

[Crys · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh... Honestly, if you removed any material from this book that was repeated more than once it would be a much shorter read. A good book for anyone who knows nothing about Paleo and enjoys the sassy "Skinny Bitch" style of writing. It's not as much fun as SB, but there is a lot less guilt and the author is very up front about the challenges and benefits of going paleo. The Skinny Bitch book makes no mention of the fact that it is a vegan diet book until you are a few chapters in... Even the back cover summary says nothing. I appreciated that Paleoista was honest about their audience and the fact that this is a lifestyle change based on your health needs.

[Meredith Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not entirely sure why other people disliked this. Perhaps most likely is the fact that they're too lazy to commit and are searching for counter claims for self-justification. This makes tons of biological and nutritional sense and the tips geared towards women makes it easier to implement. Do we all need to be as anal retentive starting out, is it ok to have some cheese or vinegar or peanuts now and then? Probably. But is it ok to make a habit out of these foods, probably not. I truly appreciated the practical approach and many of the vignettes were quite touching.

[Missy Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so fascinated to see how this book would sell Paleo.
Because that is what it is - really.
Marketing the Paleo diet to an audience that I think is ripe and eager for the next "diet trend"
This book is picks up where "Skinny Bitch" left off.
I do think the author was right in noticing the stereotype of "paleo" as being "caveman" and a diet for man who are marrow and raw meat and bringing it into a more palatable lifestyle.
ANYWAY - Paleo = NO PEANUT BUTTER.
That's just...no.

[Abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I saw the author on Dr. Oz and liked the recipes she featured. I found the tone of the book to be condescending. We are not girl friends, I don’t share her enthusiasm for shopping and I am not a Prada kind of gal. I felt like the majority of the information could be found online for free. However what I did like was the information on kitchen gadgets, cooking terms, meal ideas and recipes.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Paleo diet is a pretty hot topic right now. And rightfully so, as many people have reversed autoimmune conditions or lessened symptoms of them. The author does include really easy and good recipes. But they only thing that annoyed me is how she kept selling the diet as "hip and sexy." I felt that a bit patronizing. I am not sure the paleo diet is 100% for me but those that have found success on it, this a good book to borrow from the library.

[Marena VanOrden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative and entertaining

This book reminds me of "French Women Don't Get Fat", but in a more modern style, and the solutions proposed are much more relatable to the chaotic American lifestyle. Definitely a good read for the aspiring Paleoista- which I believe we should all strive to be. As a very busy, active, health-conscious female, this book was all I needed to commit to giving the Paleoista lifestyle a go :)

[Francesca · Rating 3 out of 5]

More than a diet plan; a life changing commitment to eating unprocessed, off-the-hoof and from-the-garden foods. She makes an eye-opening case for staying away from processed foods with lengthy and unpronounceable ingredients. These nasty chemicals can contribute to disease in both body and mind. The paleo regimen is a bit too intense for me, but I do plan to steer clear of anything labeled "diet" and start reading the contents of what goes in my mouth!

[Sophie Jeffery · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really informative book, but I kinda wish I had bought it six months ago. I already knew a lot of the information Nell presented. It's a good book for someone completely new to the paleo lifestyle though, for sure! And the recipes at the end sound delicious. Can't wait to try some out!

[Rachel Maxwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's ok. I liked the first half where she went into a lot of explanation about what paleo is and I loved reading the first hand accounts. The second half was really boring. Definition of braising and what chopping actually meant. Plus the recipes were dull, but the first half was really informative.

[Hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because it gave tips in organizing your time so that you're not having to cook every night. It gave a realistic approach to the paleo lifestyle as well as some great recipes (larabars especially!). I didn't like how the recipes didn't have pictures. I also skipped over the blurbs of real life stories about people who were trying paleo.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok. I didn't like the authors style very much and think there are other, friendlier introductions to paleo. I did like the profiles of her clients successes but other than that this is a pass.

[Michelle Jennings · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is definitely geared more for athletic women rather than a 300lb woman who is trying to loose weight. There are some good recipes and advice, but I didn't really feel like I could relate at all.

[Spook Sulek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really, not my cup of tea. Going into it I was thinking it'd be about the Paleo diet, but breezier, and it really was more of a fluff-book with little to no scientific information. I may read the books recommended, but for me it wasn't a good use of my time.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written book including the reasons to go "Paleo". I found it very convincing as it seems to be a way to improve several health concerns. The recipes and menu plan look very do-able and delicious. I don't think you will feel deprived on this way of eating.

[Rebecca Cunningham · Rating 1 out of 5]

As terrible as you might expect at first glance. Eating paleo seems to make sense, but I'm embarrassed to say I read this book through. Much more thorough books exist which outline the paleo diet in ways relevant to the lifestyle of a relatively normal human being.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great overview of eating Paleo, I just knew most of the principles, so I didn't really learn too much information that was new. But good book for anyone wanting to learn more about paleo.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the wealth of information out there about the paleo diet, this book doesn't provide anything revelatory.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some great info, some unnecessary info and the recipes really weren't too appealing. I especially like the info on how to cook like a paleoista including the "weekend hour in the kitchen" routine.

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasn't to bad. Thought the recipes were a little to hard for a person just starting out,

[Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd time reading--good guide to shortcuts with a busy lifestle

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Very concise information about the Paleo lifestyle & what to expect. The author is very thorough about how to prep your kitchen & realistic in regard to busy lifestyles.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Has a good foundation for learning about the paleo lifestyle but is poorly written. The writer seemed a bit egotistical for my taste.