Richard,

Thanks for the suggestions.  I appreciate it.

<<people tend to have problems with grains, legumes, dairy, new world foods
(tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, white potatoes, chocolate) and
sugar/processsed foods. Try eliminating them for a while and see how you do.>>

I hadn't heard about the "new world foods" thing.  What makes these "new 
world"?  I love tomatoes and peppers--I eat them all the time, and they are 
growing in my garden.  What is wrong with these foods?  They are all 
nightshade family, but they are not poisonous.  I eat tomatoes and peppers 
raw.  (I'm also a chocolate fanatic, though I recognize I will have to give 
that up.)

<<Don't go too low carb unless that works for you. Paleo does not always mean
low carb, though it usually means moderate carb compared to SAD.>>

What is "SAD"?  I've been thinking I should go low carb because I've read so 
much that says so.  I have a history of bowel problems (ulcerative colitus), 
and most nutrition books link this to a diet high in carbohydrates 
(especially refined carbohydrates).  I have not been able to find hard 
information anywhere on what percent of the paleolithic diet consisted of 
carbohydrates.  Does anyone know?

Speaking of carbohydrates, does the paleolithic diet allow any starchy 
tubers?  You can't eat white potatoes raw (the eyes are poisonous).  I don't 
think you can eat beets raw.  I'm not sure about parsnips or turnips or sweet 
potatoes.  I love roasted roots.  Didn't paleolithic people roast roots in 
winter?

I've gained 5 pounds recently, much to my distress, and I believe it's from 
eating a lot of nuts, which are high in carbs as well as fat.  Did 
paleolithic people have nuts available to them in significant quantities? 
 I've been eating lots of almonds.  These grow on trees.  Maybe they are hard 
to pick?  What about flax seed and sunflower seeds?  Flax seed is very 
small--smaller than wheat berries and so I'd think it would be difficult to 
gather.  I've grown sunflowers and hulling the seeds is a pain in the neck. 
 Maybe it's best to keep nuts and seeds to a minimum?  What do you think?

I also am wondering about the lacto-fermentation thing.  I was eating a lot 
of lacto-fermented food--homemade 24-hour yogurt (made from milk hot from the 
cow--I live in rural Vermont), and homemade dill pickles and sauerkraut. 
 When making the lacto-fermented veggies, I innoculate with some whey 
(drained from the yogurt I make) so I don't have to use so much salt.  It 
seems that all my fermented food is "out" with the paleo diet, but I thought 
this was very good for me.  How am I going to populate my intestines with 
good bugs if I don't eat fermented food?  This is of special concern to me 
because I have ulcerative colitus.  Perhaps the intestinal flora is mainly 
for digesting the complex carbs that I'm not supposed to be eating?  I don't 
know.

Thanks for letting me ask all these questions.  I appreciate the opportunity.

     - Sheryl