Quote Originally Posted by TsPoet View Post
GLC' answer was dietetic, not "paleo".
The Paleo answer is, butter isn't. A true, strict paleo diet doesn't allow butter. Then again, a true strict paleo diet doesn't allow cooking.
My SO is big into the paleo, due to him I've read a couple of books on it, and the "science" is horribly stupid. The very first contention is that we are >9x% genetically identical to cavemen. Well, we are >97% genetically identical to mice and any other mammal you can think of, so forget it. Also, many studies are now showing that dogs aren't domesticated wolves (I really didn't just change topics, I think the dog=wolf argument is more valid than the modern human=caveman argument).
The paleo people I know all allow butter, especially if it's home made. Many also allow beer, but not oats (my SO doesn't, too his credit).
The addition of butter comes from the expansion of the "paleo" concept to "neolithic" times - when hunter/gatherers started switching to a more agricultural-like lifestyle (but wasn't there quite yet).
The good thing about the paleo diet really is the low carbness of it (I just made up a word, I'm so proud). Some strict paleo folks I know don't allow tomatoes as having too many carbs (~5 g/whole medium tomato), or green beans, or a number of veggies.
Due to my SO, I've gone somewhat paleo, but I refuse to eat all of the fat that's "allowed", including butter, and I eat fruit and any type of veggie I want, they can all stuff their paleo rules.
Wow, you know some crazy paleo people! How would beer ever be ok? That's grain based!

The info I gave is paraphrased from the recent literature on it predominantly by Robb Wolf and originally Loren Cordain. I don't know that either of them really want to emulate what our paleolithic ancestors ate. Their take is that we take what they ate as a guide or starting point, and then update it to be the healthiest we can be using modern food availability and recent research. Personally, I get the idea of trying to be as healthy as possible. I don't get the idea of eating like a cavemen just because we are descendant from cavemen. That argument does not hold water with me at all.

Of course, eating food raw (including meat) would be more accurate, but there is something to be said for having a diet that is enjoyable and sustainable (from a 'eat this way for life' perspective). No diet is worth diddly if one can't stick to it for the long term, right?

V - There are quite a number of good cookbooks recently released. Some are stricter than others so you have to read ingredients and take from them what works best for you. I have the Paleo Comfort Foods and I've made a few things from it, all but one of which have been really good. I haven't tried any of the breakfast type foods though. The chili from that book is excellent, by the way.

My tri book doesn't arrive until tomorrow, but I bet I have it totally read by Tuesday!