Following is a draft of some handwritten notes I've been keeping for a while.  I'm trying to do a comparison between the big three paleo sources.  Any and all comments would be greatly appreciated.

Question 1: How much and what kinds of fat should I be eating?

On pages 65-67 of Neanderthin, Ray talks of "the right kinds and proportions of dietary fat" and that "many health conscious people are...concerned about eating too much saturated fat..."  He goes on to say that "if your diet is composed mostly of foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and [monounsaturated fats], your [saturated fat] intake will be regulated as a side effect."  Cordain says on page 22 of his book to "eat a moderate amount of fat, with more good (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) fats than bad (saturated fats), and nearly equal amounts of omega 3 and omega 6 fats."  The Eades' say on page 318 of The Protein Power Lifeplan that "the quality of fat more clearly determines good health than the quantity does."  They recommend eating omega-3 fats, monounsaturated fats, and "naturally saturated fats", while "keeping a rein on the amounts of the omega-6 fats."  Although Cordain comes the closest by calling saturated fat "bad", none of the three denies the importance of saturated fat in the diet.  (As a matter of fact, on page 49 of Cordain's book he recommends only that we cut our current consumption of saturated fats in half.)

Question 2: Are grains always bad for me?

Ray says unequivocally on page 44 that because grains, beans, potatoes, milk, and sugar are "impossible for us to eat... when found in the wild in their original state..., it is necessary to eliminate these from our diet completely."  Cordain and the Eades' aren't quite so black and white on this issue, since both allow for different "levels of commitment" (as the Eades' say), although both eliminate grain consumption in the strictest version of their diets.  In several places in his book, Cordain talks of autoimmune disease and grain consumption.  The Eades' section titled "A Dangerous Case of Mistaken Identity", beginning on page 144, is a classic.

Question 3: Do Calories Matter?

Ray implies that they don't on page 19 of his book.  Cordain says, in effect, yep they do matter but by following my plan you don't have to pay any attention to them: "Although you don't need to count calories with the Paleo Diet, if you did you'd find that a little more than half -- 55 percent -- of your calories comes from lean meats, organ meats, fish, and seafood."  The Eades' say on page 46 that "calories do count... but not as much," that insulin resistance is the cause of obesity.  The common thread in the three ideas seems to be that the source of the calories is most important, that obesity has as its primary cause something more than simple caloric intake.  All three caution, though, against eating calorically dense foods such as nuts and dried fruits when trying to lose weight.
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