What is *The Paleo Diet Revised* by Loren Cordain about?

*The Paleo Diet Revised* outlines a nutrition plan mimicking the eating habits of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, emphasizing lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds while excluding grains, legumes, dairy, and processed foods. Dr. Loren Cordain argues this approach aligns with human genetics to promote weight loss, prevent chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes, and optimize health. The revised edition includes meal plans, recipes, and updated research on ancestral nutrition.

Who should read *The Paleo Diet Revised*?

This book is ideal for individuals seeking sustainable weight loss, improved metabolic health, or science-backed dietary changes. It appeals to those interested in evolutionary nutrition, CrossFit enthusiasts, and anyone avoiding processed foods. Critics of modern diets high in grains or dairy may also find its alternatives valuable.

What are the main principles of the Paleo Diet outlined in the book?

Dr. Cordain’s six core principles include prioritizing lean meats, fish, fresh produce, and nuts/seeds while eliminating grains, legumes, dairy, salt, and refined sugars. The diet emphasizes a high protein intake, balanced omega-3/omega-6 fats, and alkalizing foods to reduce inflammation. Three adherence levels—entry, maintenance, and maximal weight loss—allow flexibility.

Does *The Paleo Diet Revised* include meal plans or recipes?

Yes, the book provides six weeks of meal plans and recipes to simplify transitioning to Paleo eating. Sample meals feature dishes like Atlantic salmon, spinach salad, and steamed broccoli, designed to meet 100% of RDAs for essential nutrients. Travel and dining-out tips are also included.

How does the Paleo Diet compare to the typical American diet?

Cordain contrasts Paleo meals with standard American diets, showing Paleo options exceed 100% of RDAs for all 22 nutritional categories, while the latter meets only 80% in seven categories. The diet’s focus on unprocessed foods and lean proteins aims to address deficiencies linked to chronic diseases.

What scientific evidence supports the Paleo Diet’s effectiveness?

Cordain cites studies linking Paleo eating to reduced inflammation, improved insulin sensitivity, and weight loss. The diet’s avoidance of processed foods and emphasis on nutrient density align with research on ancestral health patterns. Critics, however, note challenges in replicating exact Paleolithic conditions and potential nutrient gaps.

Are there criticisms of the Paleo Diet addressed in the book?

While promoting the diet’s benefits, Cordain acknowledges critiques about excluding entire food groups like grains and dairy. The book argues these foods emerged post-agriculture and conflict with human genetics. Nutritionists counter that modern adaptations and fortified foods mitigate historical deficiencies.

How does *The Paleo Diet Revised* approach weight loss?

The diet claims rapid weight loss—up to 75 pounds in six months—by stabilizing blood sugar, reducing calorie-dense processed foods, and increasing satiety through protein and fiber. A dedicated chapter shares success stories, and the “maximal weight loss” level restricts non-Paleo meals to once weekly.

The Paleo diet

lose weight and get healthy by eating the foods you were designed to eat

Loren Cordain

3.72(4616 Reviews)

Overview of The Paleo diet

Discover the revolutionary eating plan that sold over 100,000 copies and became CrossFit's nutritional blueprint. Dr. Cordain's peer-reviewed research reveals why eliminating grains and dairy could prevent modern diseases. What ancient wisdom about eating might transform your health forever?

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Chapter 1

Eating Like Our Ancestors: The Revolutionary Health Solution

Have you ever wondered why, despite our advanced medical knowledge, chronic diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease continue to plague modern society? The answer might be simpler than you think-we're eating foods our bodies were never designed to consume. In his groundbreaking book, Dr. Loren Cordain presents a solution that's both revolutionary and intuitive: return to the diet humans evolved to eat over 2.5 million years. The Paleo Diet has gained tremendous popularity among celebrities like Jessica Biel, Matthew McConaughey, and Megan Fox, who credit it for their lean physiques and boundless energy. Beyond Hollywood, the approach has transformed countless lives, from elite athletes seeking peak performance to ordinary people struggling with chronic illness. What started as a scientific theory has become a global movement, with Cordain's work translated into over 20 languages and consistently ranking among Amazon's top-selling health books. Perhaps most compelling is the diet's foundation not in fads or marketing, but in our evolutionary biology-a return to the foods that fueled human development for 99.6% of our existence.

Chapter 2

The Evolutionary Mismatch: How Our Diet Went Wrong

Imagine waking up tomorrow in a world where everything familiar had been replaced with something slightly different. That's essentially what happened to our bodies when agriculture emerged just 10,000 years ago-a mere 333 generations in our evolutionary timeline. For 2.5 million years before that, humans thrived as hunter-gatherers, consuming lean wild meats, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Our digestive systems, metabolism, and genes were perfectly adapted to this pattern of eating, which provided a diverse array of nutrients from seasonal foods and required significant physical activity to obtain. When our ancestors began trading their spears for plows, dramatic health consequences followed. Archaeological evidence reveals that early farmers were significantly shorter than their hunter-gatherer predecessors - on average 5-6 inches shorter - and showed clear signs of malnutrition in their bone structure. They suffered more infectious diseases due to living in close quarters with domesticated animals and poor sanitation, experienced 50% higher childhood mortality rates, and developed dental problems like cavities and malocclusion that were previously rare. The nutritious diet of lean meats and plant foods was replaced with starchy cereals that provided calories but lacked essential nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, and zinc. This dietary shift represents the most profound change in human nutrition history, yet our genes remain virtually identical to those of our Paleolithic ancestors. Studies show that our genetic makeup has changed less than 0.02% since the agricultural revolution. We're essentially Stone Age humans living in a Space Age world, with bodies genetically programmed for foods that most of us rarely eat. Our digestive enzymes, insulin response, and metabolism are still calibrated for the feast-and-famine cycles of hunter-gatherer life. Today's standard American diet derives 71% of calories from foods that didn't exist in the Paleolithic era: cereals (24%), dairy products (11%), refined sugars (18%), and refined oils (18%). The average American consumes 156 pounds of added sugar annually - a stark contrast to our ancestors who might have found honey a few times a year. We've essentially flipped our ancestral dietary pattern upside down, creating what scientists call an "evolutionary mismatch"-a disconnect between our genetic programming and our current environment. This mismatch is particularly evident in our body's inability to properly process refined carbohydrates and industrial seed oils. This mismatch explains why 68% of American adults are overweight or obese, why heart disease causes 35% of deaths, and why conditions like diabetes and hypertension have reached epidemic proportions. Our bodies simply weren't designed to process the foods that dominate modern diets. The Hadza people of Tanzania, one of the last hunter-gatherer populations, show virtually no signs of these "diseases of civilization" despite living into their 70s and 80s. As Malaya Kulujuk, a Baffin Island Eskimo, poignantly observed: "We never used to be so sick. The white man's food is not good for us." Modern research continues to validate this observation, showing how traditional diets are associated with remarkably lower rates of chronic disease.

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Chapter 3

The Seven Pillars of Paleolithic Nutrition

What exactly makes the Paleo Diet different from other approaches? Through extensive analysis of hunter-gatherer diets, archaeological findings, and modern nutritional science, Cordain identified seven fundamental characteristics that define our ancestral eating pattern: First, our ancestors consumed relatively high amounts of animal protein-approximately 19-35% of daily calories, compared to the 15% in typical modern diets. This protein came primarily from lean wild game, which provided high-quality nutrition without excess fat. Second, they ate fewer carbohydrates than we do today, and these came exclusively from fruits and vegetables-never from grains, refined sugars, or processed foods. These natural carbohydrates have low glycemic indices, producing minimal blood sugar spikes. Third, they consumed substantial fiber-nearly eight times more than modern Americans-from non-starchy fruits and vegetables rather than grains. This abundant fiber supported digestive health and helped regulate blood sugar. Fourth, their fat intake was moderate but consisted of healthier fats than we consume today. They maintained a balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids (approximately 2:1) compared to our current unhealthy ratio (10:1 or higher). They also consumed primarily monounsaturated fats and had no exposure to artificial trans fats. Fifth, they ate foods naturally high in potassium and low in sodium-exactly opposite to modern diets. While Paleolithic people consumed five to ten times more potassium than sodium, today's average American consumes twice as much sodium as potassium. Sixth, their diet created a net alkaline load rather than the acid-producing pattern of modern diets. This alkaline balance protected bone health, kidney function, and muscle mass. Finally, their diet provided abundant phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants from both plant and animal sources, creating a nutritional profile far superior to what most people consume today. These seven characteristics form the foundation of the Paleo Diet and explain why it's so effective at promoting health and preventing disease. When we align our eating with these principles, we're essentially giving our bodies exactly what they evolved to process over millions of years.

Chapter 4

Beyond Low-Carb: What Makes Paleo Different

The Paleo Diet is often mistakenly categorized as just another low-carb approach, but this comparison misses crucial distinctions. Unlike popular low-carb diets that permit unlimited fatty meats, dairy products, and artificial sweeteners while severely restricting fruits and vegetables, the Paleo Diet emphasizes lean proteins, healthy fats, and abundant plant foods. Traditional low-carb diets typically allow only 30-100 grams of carbohydrates daily-a restriction that eliminates most fruits and many vegetables. This approach ignores the tremendous health benefits these foods provide, including protection against heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. The Paleo Diet embraces humanity's original carbohydrate sources: wild fruits and vegetables with low glycemic indices that produce minimal blood sugar fluctuations. Another key difference lies in fat quality. Many low-carb diets pay little attention to the types of fat consumed, often resulting in excessive intake of saturated and omega-6 fatty acids. The Paleo Diet distinguishes between beneficial and harmful fats, emphasizing monounsaturated fats from sources like olive oil, avocados, and nuts, while maintaining a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. Perhaps most importantly, the Paleo Diet addresses the acid-base balance that's critical for long-term health. Modern diets create a chronic acid load that forces our kidneys to constantly compensate, potentially contributing to bone loss, muscle wasting, kidney stones, and hypertension. The abundant fruits and vegetables in the Paleo Diet provide alkaline compounds that neutralize the acid produced by protein metabolism. Salt consumption represents another significant divergence. Most low-carb diets ignore or even encourage salt intake, despite overwhelming evidence linking it to hypertension, stroke, and other health problems. Paleolithic humans rarely encountered salt and never consumed the highly processed foods that deliver most of our sodium today. Finally, the Paleo Diet's emphasis on lean protein differs from many low-carb approaches that permit fatty meats. Research shows that lean protein increases metabolism, reduces appetite, improves insulin sensitivity, and enhances cholesterol profiles-benefits that may be diminished when consuming high-fat protein sources. These distinctions explain why the Paleo Diet succeeds where other approaches often fail. It's not simply about reducing carbohydrates; it's about restoring the entire spectrum of nutritional factors that shaped human evolution.

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Chapter 5

The Protein Advantage: Why Lean Meat Helps You Lose Weight

Contrary to decades of dietary advice demonizing meat, protein-particularly lean protein-emerges as a powerful ally for weight loss and health improvement. The science behind this might surprise you. Protein possesses a unique metabolic advantage through what scientists call the "thermic effect of food"-the energy required to digest, absorb, and process nutrients. While your body uses about 5-10% of calories from carbohydrates and fats for digestion, it burns 20-30% of protein calories during processing. This means that 100 calories of protein might only provide 70-80 net calories after digestion, creating a significant metabolic boost. Research from the Dunn Clinical Nutrition Center demonstrated that high-protein diets increased daily energy expenditure by 12 percent (about 220 calories) compared to high-carbohydrate diets. Over six months, this metabolic advantage alone could translate to 10-15 pounds of weight loss without reducing caloric intake or increasing exercise. Beyond its metabolic effects, protein dramatically influences appetite regulation. Studies consistently show that protein-rich meals create greater satiety than equal-calorie meals of carbohydrates or fats. This satisfaction extends between meals-research at Karolinska Hospital found that women who ate high-protein lunches consumed 12% fewer calories at dinner compared to those who ate high-carbohydrate lunches. The body's limited capacity to store protein also contributes to its weight-loss benefits. While excess carbohydrates and fats can be readily stored as body fat, the liver's restricted ability to process dietary nitrogen effectively caps protein consumption at about 35% of daily calories. This biological ceiling makes it virtually impossible to overeat protein. Perhaps most importantly, lean protein improves insulin sensitivity-a critical factor for weight management. Most overweight individuals suffer from insulin resistance, where the pancreas must produce extra insulin to clear glucose from the bloodstream. This creates a metabolic environment that promotes fat storage and triggers false hunger signals through reactive hypoglycemia. High-protein diets normalize this insulin response, creating favorable conditions for fat loss. Real-world success stories confirm these scientific findings. Dean Stankovic, featured on Dateline NBC, lost 75 pounds in six months following the Paleo Diet. His key insight: "It is a very satisfying diet; I don't feel hungry." Similarly, Dr. Ben Balzer, an Australian physician who lost 30 pounds, noted immediate improvements in energy, fitness, and chronic health issues like heel pain syndrome and headaches. These experiences reflect a fundamental truth: our bodies are designed to thrive on the lean animal proteins that sustained our ancestors for millions of years.

Chapter 6

Food as Medicine: How Paleo Principles Prevent and Heal Disease

The Paleo Diet's impact extends far beyond weight management-it addresses the root causes of many chronic diseases plaguing modern society. By eliminating foods that trigger inflammation, disrupt metabolism, and create nutritional imbalances, this approach often produces remarkable health improvements. Cardiovascular disease, which causes 35% of American deaths, responds dramatically to Paleolithic nutrition principles. The diet's optimal fat profile-primarily monounsaturated fats with balanced omega-3 and omega-6 ratios-reduces inflammation, improves cholesterol profiles, and protects arterial function. Research shows high-protein diets more effectively lower total and LDL cholesterol while raising beneficial HDL cholesterol compared to low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets. The Lyon Diet Heart Study demonstrated that a Mediterranean diet with similar fat characteristics reduced cardiovascular mortality by 76% compared to the American Heart Association diet. Metabolic syndrome-the cluster of conditions including insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia-affects nearly half of Western adults. The Paleo Diet addresses this syndrome's underlying causes by eliminating the high-glycemic carbohydrates that spike blood sugar and the inflammatory foods that promote insulin resistance. Jack Challem, a health journalist who followed essentially a Paleo Diet, normalized his blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides within three months while losing 20 pounds and 4 inches from his waist. Autoimmune diseases, which develop when the immune system attacks the body's own tissues, often improve with Paleolithic nutrition. Research increasingly implicates Neolithic foods-particularly grains, legumes, and dairy-in these conditions. Cereal grains contain proteins called lectins that can increase intestinal permeability, allowing partially digested food proteins and gut bacteria to enter the bloodstream. These substances may trigger immune reactions through "molecular mimicry," where the immune system confuses them with the body's own tissues. Sally's story illustrates this connection dramatically. Diagnosed with Crohn's disease at age 13, she spent years cycling through steroids and immunosuppressive drugs that treated symptoms but not the underlying condition. After discovering literature about dietary approaches similar to Paleo, she became 90% symptom-free within a month of strict adherence. After two years, she lost 45 pounds, became completely symptom-free, no longer needed doctor visits, and began running 4 miles daily-something previously impossible. Even mental health can improve with Paleolithic nutrition. Research shows populations consuming little wheat, rye, and barley have lower schizophrenia rates. Wheat contains narcoticlike substances that may affect brain behavior, while similar compounds exist in milk. Additionally, omega-3 fats have proven effective against depression, hostility, and bipolar disorder in controlled studies, explaining why fish consumers report fewer depressive symptoms. The diet's impact on bone health challenges conventional wisdom about calcium and dairy products. Despite eliminating dairy, the Paleo Diet protects against osteoporosis through its alkaline load from fruits and vegetables. Research from Tufts University and over 100 subsequent studies confirm that people who consume the most fruits and vegetables maintain the strongest bones, regardless of calcium intake. These diverse health benefits stem from a single principle: aligning our diet with our evolutionary design creates the optimal conditions for human health and vitality.

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Chapter 7

Implementing the Paleo Diet: Practical Guidelines for Modern Life

Adopting the Paleo Diet doesn't require special foods, supplements, or complicated rules-just a return to the wholesome foods humans evolved to eat. The fundamental guidelines are straightforward: eat all the lean meats, fish, seafood, fresh fruits, and non-starchy vegetables you want, while eliminating cereals, legumes, dairy products, processed foods, refined sugars, and added salt. To ease the transition, Cordain offers three progressive levels of implementation. Level I (Entry Level) follows the 85-15 rule: three of your approximately twenty weekly meals (15%) can be "open" meals where you enjoy favorite non-Paleo foods. Level II (Maintenance Level) allows two weekly open meals (90-10), while Level III (Maximal Weight Loss) permits just one (95-5). This flexibility helps overcome the psychological barrier of feeling deprived while still delivering significant benefits. Shopping for Paleo foods requires no specialty stores-everything you need is available at regular supermarkets. Focus on the perimeter where fresh foods are typically located, and choose the leanest cuts of meat available. "Range-fed" or "grass-fed" beef is preferable to grain-fed because it's leaner with a better omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio. Similarly, "free-range" chickens provide healthier meat than conventionally raised birds. Fish and seafood nutritionally resemble humanity's original staple food-lean game meat. They're high in protein, low in total fat, and typically rich in omega-3 fats. Despite concerns about mercury and other contaminants, studies show that regular fish consumption poses virtually no risk to brain or nervous system function, with health benefits far outweighing potential risks. Fruits and vegetables should comprise about half your daily caloric intake, though this can be challenging due to their bulk and low caloric density. On a 2,200-calorie diet, this would require over 5 pounds of produce daily. Moderate consumption of calorie-dense plant foods like avocados, nuts, and olive oil helps achieve caloric needs while providing beneficial fats. Dining out requires strategic ordering but isn't impossible. For breakfast, choose poached eggs with fresh fruit; for lunch, select salads with olive oil-based dressings (hold the croutons); and for dinner, request dishes prepared without flour or breading, skip potatoes, and order steamed vegetables. Japanese restaurants offer excellent options with fish and vegetables; at Chinese restaurants, avoid sugary sauces and request steamed dishes. While traveling, bring food in coolers or shop at supermarkets rather than stopping at fast-food restaurants. Fresh fruits and vegetables travel well in ice-filled coolers, and supermarket deli options like rotisserie chicken (skin removed) make good travel foods. Support from family and friends significantly helps with dietary changes. Explain your goals and the logic behind the Paleo Diet, and share your successes. Remember that the Paleo Diet is humanity's normal diet; the grain, dairy, and processed food-based Western diet is the abnormal one.

Chapter 8

The Exercise Connection: Moving Like Our Ancestors

While diet forms the foundation of the Paleo lifestyle, physical activity provides a crucial complementary element. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors achieved exceptional fitness simply through daily survival activities-finding food and water, building shelters, making tools, and gathering wood. Their physical activity levels were approximately four times greater than today's sedentary office workers. Research shows the average !Kung man walked 9.3 miles daily, while women averaged 5.7 miles, resulting in aerobic capacities comparable to modern elite athletes-all without formal exercise programs. This natural integration of movement into daily life contrasts sharply with our modern compartmentalized approach to "exercise." The concept of structured exercise would have seemed absurd to our ancestors. Amazonian Indians visiting New York found the idea of jogging in Central Park comically nonsensical-why would anyone run without purpose, not to escape predators or capture prey? In their world, every movement served a function. For modern humans seeking to restore this natural movement pattern, the key lies in finding opportunities to move throughout the day rather than viewing exercise as a separate obligation. Walk or cycle to work, take stairs instead of elevators, park farther from destinations, conduct walking meetings, or keep exercise equipment in your office. At home, choose manual labor over laborsaving devices when possible. When designing structured exercise programs, consider that hunter-gatherers' activity patterns resembled modern cross-training, alternating between aerobic and strength activities with intervening rest days. Men hunted 1-4 days weekly, combining long walks, sprints, and carrying heavy loads. Women gathered food every few days, walking long distances, digging, climbing, and carrying children and supplies. This suggests we're best adapted to programs that alternate strength and aerobic activities with rest days. For minimal health benefits, accumulate at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity most days, and perform strength training at least twice weekly, incorporating 8-10 exercises targeting major muscle groups. While exercise alone creates too small a caloric deficit for meaningful weight loss, it proves crucial for maintaining weight loss long-term. More importantly, regular physical activity significantly improves insulin metabolism, enhances HDL cholesterol, lowers triglycerides, reduces blood pressure, strengthens cardiovascular function, and alleviates stress-all complementing the metabolic benefits of the Paleo Diet. Joe Friel, an internationally renowned fitness expert who coached Olympic triathletes, experienced this synergy firsthand. Initially skeptical but willing to try the Paleo approach, he noticed dramatically improved recovery and endurance after two weeks, enabling him to increase his training volume from twelve to sixteen hours weekly without illness-something impossible for him in the previous decade. This transformation highlights how aligning both diet and activity patterns with our evolutionary heritage creates optimal conditions for human performance and health.

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Chapter 9

A Return to Our Nutritional Roots: The Promise of Paleo Living

The Paleo Diet represents more than just another weight loss approach-it's a return to the nutritional environment that shaped human evolution for millions of years. Unlike modern diets based on agricultural products that entered human experience only recently, the Paleo Diet provides the foods our bodies are genetically programmed to process. This evolutionary alignment explains why so many people experience profound health transformations beyond simple weight loss. Ann, who had followed a near-vegetarian diet emphasizing grains and minimal fat for seven years, developed chronic fatigue, frequent injuries, and iron-deficiency anemia. After switching to the Paleo Diet with lean meats at almost every meal, her energy stabilized within a week. After three months, she lost 5 additional pounds, developed better muscle tone, and saw her anemia and other symptoms disappear. Similarly, Melissa Diane Smith, a nutritionist and health journalist, gained 30 pounds and developed chronic fatigue syndrome after adopting what she thought was a healthy diet of bagels, muffins, pasta, rice, and sandwiches. Within six months of switching to a diet based on lean animal protein and non-starchy vegetables-free from wheat, dairy, legumes, processed fats, and sugar-she effortlessly lost all 30 pounds and completely recovered from chronic fatigue syndrome. These experiences reflect a fundamental principle: when we eat according to our genetic design, our bodies function optimally. The Paleo Diet works because it's not invented but uncovered-it's the diet to which humans are genetically adapted, the foods consumed by every human being until a mere 333 generations ago. Unlike most diets that create temporary results through unsustainable restrictions, the Paleo approach produces gradual, continuous improvements that can last a lifetime. It normalizes weight without hunger due to protein's satisfying effects and the diet's low glycemic load, which stabilizes blood sugar and insulin levels. Perhaps most importantly, the diet addresses the root causes of modern chronic diseases by eliminating the foods that trigger inflammation, disrupt metabolism, and create nutritional imbalances. It restores the proper balance of nutrients that supported human health for millions of years before the agricultural revolution. The choice to embrace this ancestral eating pattern offers numerous benefits with virtually no risks. By returning to the foods that gave our Paleolithic ancestors vibrant health and freedom from chronic disease, we can reclaim our birthright of vitality and well-being in the modern world. As you consider this approach, remember that you don't need to transform your diet overnight. Start with just one day of eating only fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats. You'll likely discover you aren't hungry and feel nutritionally satisfied. Within days, many experience improved energy levels without mid-day slumps. Weight loss begins quickly and continues steadily. Many health problems-from joint stiffness and sinus issues to digestive problems-often improve within weeks. The Paleo Diet ultimately offers a simple but profound insight: the path to optimal health lies not in the latest nutritional trends or pharmaceutical innovations, but in reconnecting with the foods that sustained humanity throughout most of our evolutionary history.

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Key Themes in The Paleo diet

evolutionary biology
hunter-gatherer nutrition
ancestral health
glycemic index
metabolic mismatch

Quotes from The Paleo diet

The white man's food is not good for us.
We're essentially Stone Age humans living in a Space Age world.
Our bodies simply weren't designed to process the foods that dominate modern diets.

Characters in The Paleo diet

Loren CordainAuthor and scientist who developed the diet
Malaya KulujukBaffin Island Eskimo who observed dietary changes

About the Author

Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet Revised: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Foods You Were Designed to Eat, is a pioneering nutrition expert and professor emeritus at Colorado State University’s Department of Health and Exercise Science.

A leading authority on evolutionary nutrition, Cordain developed the Paleo Diet® concept through two decades of research into ancestral dietary patterns, collaborating with renowned scientists like Dr. Boyd Eaton and Dr. Staffan Lindeberg. His work emphasizes aligning modern eating habits with humanity’s genetic adaptations, advocating for whole foods, lean proteins, and unprocessed fats while eliminating grains, dairy, and refined sugars.

Cordain’s expertise spans over 100 peer-reviewed studies, and he has authored several bestselling books, including The Paleo Diet for Athletes and The Paleo Answer. His research is widely cited in academia and popular health circles, reinforcing the diet’s focus on preventing chronic diseases through ancestral nutrition.

A dedicated educator, Cordain has made his extensive body of work accessible via platforms like ResearchGate, bridging scientific rigor with public understanding. The Paleo Diet Revised remains a cornerstone of nutritional literature, inspiring global adoption of hunter-gatherer dietary principles.

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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco

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1M+ learners

"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."

@Moemenn

"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

@Chloe, Solo founder, LA

117

"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."

@Raaaaaachelw

"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."

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108

"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

@Erin, Investment Banking Associate , NYC

254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

@djmikemoore

"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."

@Pitiful

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"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."

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@Jaded_Falcon

201

"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."

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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"

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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."

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"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."

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254

"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."

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Chapter 6

The Paleo diet

OverviewOverview of The Paleo diet

One book. Many ways to hear it.

Eating Like Our Ancestors: The Revolutionary Health Solution

The Evolutionary Mismatch: How Our Diet Went Wrong

See every word as you hear it

The Seven Pillars of Paleolithic Nutrition

Beyond Low-Carb: What Makes Paleo Different

Get more out of The Paleo diet

The Protein Advantage: Why Lean Meat Helps You Lose Weight

Food as Medicine: How Paleo Principles Prevent and Heal Disease

See every word as you hear it

Implementing the Paleo Diet: Practical Guidelines for Modern Life

The Exercise Connection: Moving Like Our Ancestors

Get more out of The Paleo diet

A Return to Our Nutritional Roots: The Promise of Paleo Living

You made it to the end of The Paleo diet

Key Themes in The Paleo diet

Quotes from The Paleo diet

Characters in The Paleo diet

About the Author

Download Summary of The Paleo diet

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FAQs About This Book

What is The Paleo Diet Revised by Loren Cordain about?

Who should read The Paleo Diet Revised?

What are the main principles of the Paleo Diet outlined in the book?

Does The Paleo Diet Revised include meal plans or recipes?

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1,000,000+ curious minds.

1,000,000+ curious minds.

One book. Many ways to hear it.

Eating Like Our Ancestors: The Revolutionary Health Solution

The Evolutionary Mismatch: How Our Diet Went Wrong

See every word as you hear it

The Seven Pillars of Paleolithic Nutrition

Beyond Low-Carb: What Makes Paleo Different

Get more out of The Paleo diet

The Protein Advantage: Why Lean Meat Helps You Lose Weight

Food as Medicine: How Paleo Principles Prevent and Heal Disease

See every word as you hear it

Implementing the Paleo Diet: Practical Guidelines for Modern Life

The Exercise Connection: Moving Like Our Ancestors

Get more out of The Paleo diet

A Return to Our Nutritional Roots: The Promise of Paleo Living

You made it to the end of The Paleo diet

Users also liked

Discover more

Overview of The Paleo diet