I've read a fair bit about it and I think the principle is sound for general eating. However, we can probably say with certainty that paleolithic man did not attempt the Ironman. Most animals conserve energy, only bursting forth in the pursuit of prey or to flee from predators. They might travel long distance like migrations, but at a reasonable pace - they don't run, in other words, they amble or walk or browse their way along. Chimpanzees don't take off running for 26.2 miles for no good reason :rolleyes:

Last year my kids and I went on a trip to a local cave that was used by our ancestors from 10,000 years ago on (lots of cool cave paintings). The guy who led the hike was an expert on our paleo ancestors and he said they ate "paleo power bars" - take a bunch of acorns and camas bulbs, cook them and pound them. Add berries and some squashed grasshoppers and there you have it. Put 'em in ziplocks for your bike pocket :)

Mostly, I try to eat a modified Paleo diet. I eat fish, meat, eggs, fruits, and veggies for my main meals. If I'm going to work out, or just back from a workout, I eat complex carbs in the form of whole and sprouted grains, etc. I avoid potatoes and in general don't eat a lot of beans. In the middle of long workouts, I use energy bars like Cliffbars because the concept of trying to make raw berry bars, pemmican, or paleo power bars is just not that appealing to me. I think in general, eating as closely as possible to the diet that humans evolved on makes sense. But I refuse to give up my triathlon training to a dietary principle, so compromises are in order.

There is a great book out there called The Paleo Diet for Athletes which motifies the paleo diet and discusses when each type of food should be eaten. I haven't made it all the way through it (or even very far into it) but it seems to have some good information. I have a number of friends who used this concept for tri training, and believe a number of well-known pros out there follow it as well.

I believe there was a thread or two about this topic around this time last year, so you might want to try a search on here as well for more info.

Oh yeah, I love sweet potatoes. Just not the regular kind. We make sweet potato chips in the oven, yummm!

Beans, well, I tolerate them, they're just not my favorite food. Maybe too many years as a vegetarian, always combining beans and rice, beans and corn for protein...

I do make a mean Bean Stew with 4 kinds of beans plus ground beef, bacon, onions, and a little bit of brown sugar and black pepper. Come to think of it, I ought to make some for dinner tonight. Goes great with cornbread (though that's not too paleo of me is it?)

It's possible to be a vegan triathlete, as long as you are getting enough nutrients and calories from protein, fat and carbs.

It's possible to be vegan and eat like crap. Also possible to be omnivorous and eat like crap.

If you stick primarily to food that has had the least amount of processing, and you eat a varied diet with treats in moderation, all while meeting your calorie/nutrient needs, you are doing fine.

Eating well is about making the most healthful choices the most frequently. Are Cheetos, Pringles, beer, Code Red and Gummi Bears really good for me? No. But as long as I don't make a habit of them (oops--the beer thing not so much), no worries.

My rule of thumb is that about 2,000-2,500 calories per day (my BMR is about 2,000) needs to be clean food--unprocessed fruits and veggies, rice, lean protein--and over that I add my sports nutrition (if you are what you eat then I am made of Gatorade), and snacks. When my daily calorie needs go over 3,500, it becomes tough to refuel solely with clean foods because of the bulk. So that's when you will see (gasp!) Cheetos, Pringles and such in my house.

Even some sports nutrition books will tell you that there are times when your calorie needs are so high in a given day that you may need to eat candy and stuff just to replace calories. Days when I ride 5+ hours are like that. I eat, get full, but I know I need more calories, so I go for the small, calorically dense stuff. BAD stuff. But it's so GOOD!

There's another book called Neanderthin, basically the same concept, anything you can find in the woods, meat and fruit. My book, The CroMagnon Clydesdale Diet is due out next week.