Nutrition: Paleo, Primal and Just Plain Better Eating

I try to eat paleo/primal, organic, local and as natural as possible.  I am not 100% strict about it either.  A diet needs to be sustainable and enjoyable.  While some foods may not be the best for you, it doesn't mean you can never have it.  What primal/paleo eating means to me is that many things I used to eat are not forbidden but moved to a treats category.

For example, I drink beer and wine.  I don't smoke but once in a great while a cigar does come to pass.  Coke or Dr Pepper, cake, ice cream whatever sugary buzz you want, I eat it.  But all these things are treats.  Most people and medicine can agree that in excess tobacco and alcohol are bad and in fact they are poisons to us.  In moderation, some people do enjoy them and there are no large negatives.  Sugar and flour are treated similarly by me.  On occasion or when wanted, but no longer a normal part of my every day routine.

What is paleo or primal?

Here are a two definitions that really break it down in a short easy way:

1. Mark Sisson does a great job at Mark's Daily Apple explain the problem with grains and has a food pyramid to illustrate what is primal.
2. Robb Wolf brings scientific expertise to define paleo and fitness to the lay person.
3. Gary Taubes discusses overall nutrition and how conventional facts are not facts at all.  Most conventional ideas of nutrition are incorrect and the data supports a better way of eating.

There are many more bloggers, authors and authorities out there, but these two have an active blog and give good simple advice while also backing it up with facts and science.

If you care to read more, they have some books too (which I have read both).