Guest Blogger Felicia Libo Reviews The Paleo Answer by Dr. Loren Cordain

We're happy to welcome back Felicia Libo, who reviews books for us from time to time.  Felicia provides holisitc health counseling locally, and blogs at One Word at a Time.  You can reach Felicia at felicialibo@gmail.com.

We are noticing several books about the Paleo diet flying off our shelves, including Paleo Comfort Foods and Everyday Paleo.  We recognize that there's plenty of interest out there in following the Paleo diet, and we were pleased to hear that Felicia wanted to review Dr. Loren Cordain's latest book, The Paleo Answer.  Cordain is also the author of The Paleo Diet and The Peleo Solution.

I have been experimenting with a Paleo based diet to address autoimmune challenges, and came across Dr. Loren Cordain’s newest book, The Paleo Answer in the process.  Cordain, “founder of the modern Paleo movement” and a top global researcher in evolutionary health, has written several best-selling books about the Paleo diet and its benefits for people with autoimmune disease (and for its health benefits in general).

The Paleo Answer: 7 Days to Lose Weight, Feel Great, Stay Young is about a “lifetime way of eating to maximize health and well-being,” based on the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors (and fine tuned to meet our modern day and unique individual needs). The Paleo Answer is based on extensive updated research, including recent findings from scientific studies throughout the world as well as stories from people who have implemented the Paleo diet with successful results (including Cordain and his family).

Cordain says that research confirms “our Paleolithic genomes have barely changed in the last ten thousand years” and that the Paleo “way” is about “adopting a modern healthy diet and lifestyle consistent with our genetic heritage as hunter-gatherers.”

I didn’t realize I was starting on a Paleo path when I gave up gluten eight years ago for health reasons, but it made a significant difference in my health, as does some of the other suggestions Cordain makes in his books. I also work with a health practitioner who supports the Paleo approach, and I feel better, my test results continue to improve each year, and I’m more easily able to handle health and other challenges when they arise.

Some of the suggestions in this book and others that are “Paleo based” may be counter to how you were raised or conditioned, so it may take time to see if it’s correct for you or not. This is not a fad diet but a lifestyle change that can be significant. I encourage you to read Cordain’s other work as well as the growing body of Paleo based work by other authors and researchers. Cordain writes:

“Not only have Paleo dieters written to me — so have their physicians. These medical professionals have repeatedly informed me that when they put their patients on Paleo diets, many of their clients experienced improvements or even complete remission of various autoimmune disease symptoms.”

I seem to be one of them, and time will tell, since I am fairly new to the Paleo approach and am looking forward to seeing what happens with it over time.

Thank you to Maria’s Bookshop, who loaned me a review copy of the book for this post.