Who reads any more? I mean with social media giving you all the information you need you should be set, right?
“Just Google it.” A phrase that has become a norm in any conversation. It’s an understanding that we have all the answers in the world at our fingertips.
However, as fortunate as we are to have Google, and don’t get me wrong I use it dozens of times a day, books still hold a place in society because of the ancient wisdom that gets carried along in them.
To kick off this article I’ll share a quote with you that resonated with me, I’ve never thought about books like this before:
“The world of books is the most remarkable creation of man. Nothing else that he builds ever lasts. Monuments fall; nations perish; civilizations grow old and die out; and, after an era of darkness, new races build others. But in the world of books are volumes that have seen this happen again and again, and yet live on, still young, still as fresh as the day they were written, still telling men’s hearts of the hearts of men centuries dead.” — Clarence Shepard Day
In this article we’ll look at the best books about Paleo from some of the big wigs out there today who’s leading the charge for the primal way of eating.
What Is The Paleo Diet?
The Paleo diet is a way of eating that’s similar to our hunter-gatherer ancestors in the Paleolithic era because the foods we create and have today are making us sick and obese.
The Basics
Eat More:
- Meat
- Veggies
- Fish/seafood
- Healthy fats
Eat Less/avoid:
- Processed foods
- Grains
- Added sugar
- Vegetable/seed oils
- Legumes
- Dairy
You can read a FULL guide on the Paleo diet that I wrote here, explaining exactly what it is, how everything changed and exactly what to eat/avoid in today’s world for healthy eating like our ancestors.
Our hunter-gatherer ancestors over 10,000 years ago would pick at berries, eat leafy greens, snack on nuts and even find some grains to devour.
Also a huge staple of their diet was meat and fish. They have the name “hunter” because they would catch animals and have feasts after taking down a buffalo or bison, for example.
They would get plenty of exercise in various forms as well such as slow walking for long distances, short-intense sprints, jumping, climbing and smashing objects.
The Paleo Diet today is modern humans trying to imitate what our ancestors ate. It won’t be a perfect formula for what they ate and nor should it, because if we’re to evolve then eating 100% like we were over 10,000 years ago isn’t going to take us forward.
The reason to go Paleo is because our foods today are not as nutritious as whole foods and some are making us sick. Foods like genetically modified grains, packaged “food” and other altered meals.
For me, I’ve had horrible digestive issues, thyroid problems and other diseases that have come up from not eating the right foods over the years.
Since I’ve been eating healthier and following the Paleo diet I’ve managed to feel okay again, a miracle I thought I’d never get to.
How To Choose The Right Book For You
Below I’ve listed 5 books about the Paleo diet I’ve read and are some of the most popular choices.
To choose the right book for you it really depends on where you’re at in your health journey and what you’re looking for.
Under each book listed I have a “recommended for” section that will point out who it’s best for.
Some of the books are good for beginners or those new to the Paleo diet and other books are good for people who want to deepen their scientific knowledge of the body, nutrition and subject.
Below are the best books about Paleo on the market today, enjoy!
1. The Paleo Diet: by Loren Cordain, Ph.D.
He was not the first to write a book on this diet though. Dr. Walter L. Voegtlin wrote a book in 1975 called The Stone Age Diet that was the initial book on the Paleo diet. Cordain just made it mainstream and refined the diet when he wrote his version in 2002.
When Cordain wrote it he set the ground rules for what the Paleo diet is today. There are different versions out there on primal eating but this one is more restrictive than most, however probably healthiest overall.
Cordain sets the rules I discussed in the beginning of the article and talks about best omega 6 to omega 3 consumption. The best omega 6 to omega 3 consumption he points out should be 2:1, respectively.
He goes into vivid detail of numerous foods that are good to eat and which should be avoided.
He talks about the best nuts to eat in terms of their omega 6 to omega 3 ratios.
Pros
- Great to get the foundation of the modern Paleo diet
- Explains why certain foods should be avoided
Cons
- The diet he lays out is very restrictive and cuts out some decently healthy foods that could still be ok to eat
Recommended for:
Someone who wants a foundation of the traditional Paleo diet. It’s more restrictive than most primal eating diets out there. It also explains scientifically why you want to avoid certain foods and why you’d want to eat more of veggies, fruits and grass-fed meat.
2. The Primal Blueprint: by Mark Sisson
It goes into vivid detail of how they lived their lives, what they ate and immerses the reader into a journey of why this diet is meaningful today.
This book is great for an overview of primal eating and is also less restrictive than most Paleo type diets out there. His branding and idea is about “primal” eating not the strict Paleo that cuts out diary.
He still includes dairy and other ingredients but takes more of a holistic approach without being overly limiting.
Pros
- A fun story and look into history as the reader follows Grok and his family
- Less restrictive than traditional Paleo eating
- Explains also about weight control and body composition
Cons
- VERY long winded and explains things in a way that can be shorter
Recommended For:
Someone who is just starting in the primal/Paleo eating or someone who wants a high level view of the primal way of life, how to get started in it and the history behind it.
3. The Paleo Cure: by Chris Kessor
Kessor is an integrative medicine practitioner with a private practice in California. So he has an extensive background in nutrition and remedies that are good for us.
The book lays out the Paleo diet and is based on a 3 step program.
The program is to reset, rebuild and revive.
- Reset: Just starting down the Paleo diet and to eat very clean for a month
- Rebuild: About bringing foods in to see what bugs you and what you can deal with
- Revive: How to personalize the diet for you and to focus on other aspects of health too such as lowering stress, sleep, exercise, getting outside, play and more.
It shows a great breakdown of health problems such as digestive issues, thyroid issues, diabetes and what to do to help cure them; he provides specific plans for each ailment.
Pros
- Great book on providing a helpful solution to today’s most common chronic health problems
- All inclusive on health, such as sleep, exercise, play, rather than just food
- Gives specific remedies for different health ailments, not a one size fits all
Cons
- Although he gives specific recommendations to certain ailments, I found it to not be that accurate to me; others have said similar. Specifically I looked at the digestion section and there are certain foods on there that don’t bug me at all that he listed to avoid and others I can’t consume that he suggested to look at. Yes he does say that it’s all customized but I found them to not be that helpful for me specifically.
- Some feedback from others is that there’s nothing new in this book that you can’t find online or in other areas
Recommended For:
Someone who has some health issues and is wanting a full program of how to reset their bodies, what to stay away from and what to put in place to heal.
4. The Paleo Solution: by Robb Wolf
Yes, this book has a personality! That’s the first thing you’ll notice is that Wolf definitely writes with his voice and he’s not afraid to show it.
I found it fun and enjoyable but other readers didn’t like his quips and teasing as much.
I also found that this book was too science heavy in the beginning. Wolf goes into depth about nutrients, hormones and more that I didn’t really find as useful in a Paleo book.
Pros
- Good layout of an all encompassing health plan and reasons why Paleo is worth at least trying
- Great exercise plans and reasoning behind working out, plenty of stories of people just doing the exercise portion and losing weight
- Fun and light writing style (not for everyone)
Cons
- Overly scientific in some areas that just went on too much
- Some people weren’t a fan of his light and fun writing style
Recommended For:
Someone who wants to learn more of the scientific side of vitamins, nutrients, hormones and scientific breakdown of those. A great layout of why and what the Paleo diet is. Also for people to get good workout plans.
5. Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook: by Mickey Trescott
I also found a lot of these recipes easy to do, I’m not much of a recipe guy right now (maybe something down the road!), and I found following these recipes was rather simple.
Pros
- More than just a cookbook because it explains a lot of the why
- Simple and easy recipes for people new to this way of eating
- Detailed shopping lists and meal plans
Cons
- No nutrition & calorie lists
- Meal plans set for 1 person
Recommended For:
Someone who is just starting and at the beginner level of Paleo cooking or autoimmune dieting.
In Conclusion
Those are the best Paleo books out there on the market today and you can start with one that appeals most to you then move on to the others.
I’ve read through all of them and found each one valuable in it’s own way.
Just be sure to check the “recommended for” section and you’ll be on your way to abundant health!
Please leave a comment to share your thoughts on the article.
Don’t forget to share it on your favorite social media platform so others can find the book that works best for them.
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