How is it different than atkins or any other low carb plan? I have been hearing so much about Paleo, can someone please give me specifics??

Probably the best place to start is with google:

http://googleitfor.me/?q=what+is+the+paleo+diet

Then if you have any questions we can try to answer them!

Google searches may just confuse you. The paleo diet was pretty simple but there are a whole load of really annoying people out there now, who seem hell bent on making it complicated (not so much on this site I have to say!). Some of them want to think they are on a paleo diet when they are not and they are very keen to tell you what they think paleo has "evolved" into and they want you to be eating the same as they do. There are also authors selling books that are watered down versions of paleo* to sell to the masses and I think it is them that are causing the confusion.

Paleo is basically meat, fish, eggs, nuts, fruits and vegetables that can be eaten raw (you can cook them if you want). Vegetables that need to be cooked to make them digestible are usually considered not paleo.
No milk or grain products.

Some people eat very low carb paleo and other people eat higher carb paleo. It's a good idea to experiment to find what suits you and your situation.

*Some watered down versions of paleo seem to suit some people and I have no problem with that. I just dont consider them paleo.

Thank you! I 'had" googled paleo many times, and like you said only got confused and this is why I posted the question. One site said white rice was acceptable, and some others say cooked sweet potatoes are okay in moderation.
What about fats? Which ones are okay?

Animal fats are ideal- lard, tallow, fish oil, etc.

Some people eat butter or clarified butter, ghee

Coconut oil is great.

Olive oil is okay.


The main difference between paleo and atkins is that Paleo is a whole foods diet, whereas Atkins tends to be a whole foods diet but can also include highly processed foods.

Another subtle difference is the motivation behind going on the diet. People pursue the paleo diet to get healthy. People go on Atkins to lose weight. Like I said, subtle difference.

Here is a great blog that talks about a version of the paleo diet, called "Primal," and breaks it down for beginners:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

There's that confusion again. Milk products are not paleo.

Mark Sisson isn't paleo either.

Like I said before "Some watered down versions of paleo seem to suit some people and I have no problem with that. I just dont consider them paleo."

True enough in a technical sense, Warren, but some 80% of Europeans (and Americans of European descent) have specific genetic adaptations to milk (Lactace Persistence). Conversely, we do not have homologous specific adaptions to grains, legumes and potatoes. (We 'tolerate' them, yes, but we are not specifically adapted to them.)

If the defining characteristic of "Paleo" is that we should consume a diet of the foods we are genetically adapted to eat, then for many of us milk can be part of that diet.

Twinkies are still totally out of there...

Paleos would argue that lactose isn't the only factor that determines whether milk is good for you or not. Casein and various hormones that cows produce to turn a wee calf into a very, very large bovine are the issue.

Personally, I digest lactose fine, but I still have issues with dairy like: sinus congestion and post-nasal drip, joint aches, muscle spasms and breaking out in zits.

Thank you for your help...Now...I just read on another thread that someone eat Fage Yogurt...thought that was NOT Primal...more confusion!

Dr Loren Cordain, in his newest book, the Paleo Answer, has a 30 page chapter on all the many reasons not to eat dairy, and the bottom line is Avoid Dairy Products. But Sisson included fermented dairy products in his Primal approach or as some call it "Swiss Paleo". A good way to test is do a Whole30 elimination diet and see how you feel when you add dairy back. But I don't get hung up on these minor differences....just eating real food is a huge positive step from SAD and the processed products allowed on some low carb diets.

People who still eat dairy but otherwise feel they're paleo call themselves Primal. People who don't eat dairy or grains generally call themselves Paleo. At least, that's how the current labeling seems to go.

Ah, so that's the difference. Like many LC newbies I am more often than not confused by the many sects of LC...

I've heard that phrased as "Paleos who can't bring themselves to give up dairy" are Primal . Because well, cheese, cream and Greek yogurt are just too darn tasty and make cooking so much easier, precisely why I have Primal listed in my plan.
It's a philosophy of eating real unprocessed foods, not an historical re-enactment.

thanks for the help again... even though my head is spinning

Erialcia, don't get hung up on the labels. I do both Low Carb and Primal. You can easily work out what is best for your body just by observing how you react.
Or as Sean Croxon says, JERF, Just Eat Real Food.