My two bits... We (Paleo Eaters) are trying to avoid two things, allergies to foods, and hyperinsulinism. The mild allergies to some foods (e.g. grain) are theorized to cause arthritis and heart disease. The hyperinsulinism causes diabetes. That is really what a Paleo Diet is about. Now for each food candidate we need to see if either of the above is a problem. One can either go only by personal testing or can go by general population allergy rates. By pursuing Paleo Diets with the no grain, no dairy (or not much) and no beans as a guideline we broadly eliminate many substances that our present society does not think are allergenic. This is the general allergy by population approach. The rule, "Eat only foods that can be eaten raw" gets rid of classes of food, such as grains, dairy, and beans, that are probably allergenic because they are recent in evolutionary history as food for Man. Coincidentally, these foods also a frequently strongly allergenic among the total population. I see a lot of argument on this alias about specific foods, lately tomatoes. Such "odd ball" foods that don't easily fit a broader classification and do not have good general population data must be tested on an individual basis. Try a few weeks without them, then try a few weeks with them. How does it feel? There are also foods that are very difficult to eat without eating waaaaaaaay to many carbohydrates, such as potatoes. Another good analytical approach is just ask yourself the question, "Do you know anyone who is allergic to ........ or have heard some stories about being allergic to it?" E.g. Beef - I have never met anyone who is allergic to beef. there must be someone but it is very uncommon. Pork - Nope Sheep - Nope Chicken - I have some allergies to chicken, maybe. This seems to come and go, so it may be what the chickens are eating, or how it is cooked. When I cook it it is good, when my wife cooks it it is not good. Is this some psychological thing? Peanuts - Yup, my daughter is deathly allergic to them as is my sister and ...... Corn - Nope, but I know lots of people (on this list) that cure arthritis by eliminating corn. Wheat - Oh yeah, lots of people are allergic to wheat. Milk - I know many people directly allergic to milk. Lettuce - Nope, is ANY one allergic to lettuce? Celery - Nope Carrots - Nope Olive Oil - Nope Peanut Oil - Yup, big time allergies. Nuts - Yup, lots of people. This is a tough one. Are nuts really Paleo? I find I get a bit of a buzz from nuts if I eat too many. The thing is that nuts are just so Paleo because Indians ate nuts, acorns and such. Maybe they are not so good allergy wise, but were a ready source of calories. Beans - Nope, but many beans are poisonous if not cooked so I 'm suspicious. (Oh, yeah, Peanuts are beans) In fact some of the "nuts" are beans and there are definitely problems there. To me beans are semi-Paleo for the same reason nuts are. There a native american food. Then again, so is corn. Fish - Some people are alergic, but seems to have some very good properties too. Chocolate - Yup, but I don't seem to be. There is the cafine though, and sugar in it. OK, so how does one decide? My approach is to follow the Paleo guidelines, then after getting a realy "clean" diet, experiment. What 1.5 years of experience has shown is.... Lots of salad with olive oil, some meat, lots of fruit. If trying to loose weight, less fruit, more meat. If trying to build muscle, more salad and fruit, less meat. (higher energy level to excersize) Bacon and Eggs in the morning, pre-cooked-then-frozen-and microwaved meat for lunch at work, and dinner is a huge salad and some meat. A little chocolate seems OK. Fish once a week. Some nuts with honey, like cereal. Occasional french fries or other indulgence. Lots of water. Lots of sleep (don't do too well on that one.) Richard Keene, Novell Inc, Provo, Utah, 801-861-4389, [log in to unmask]