I can understand the shock of it all, and when some people act like you have to go 200% right away it can put you off. I'm a year in and I probably only follow the 'rules' 80% of the time. It is true that you should try to be as strict as you can to truly test out the diet initially, but not to the extent that you can't stand it.

Primal Blueprint is also a good perspective; it's a lot less strict than Paleo, in a good way.

For low-salt snacks I would suggest actually getting into the habit of eating vegetables and sometimes fruits when you feel like snacking. I used to hate salad and most vegetables, but now I'll just get myself a bowl of raw spinach, kale, lettuce, etc. and eat them like I would potato chips. Also try fresh or frozen berries, as they are mostly very low in sugar and are very good for you. They also have a lot of fiber (some starches, though). Especially look for frozen wild blueberries, as they have literally no sugar and taste even better than cultivated. I use frozen mixed berries as my ice cream replacement. You can eat the whole bag for less than 30g sugars (I swear I only did that once).

Oh, and true dark chocolate is another amazing snack that should have low salt. I really like the Lindt 90% dark, but it is an acquired taste.

If blood pressure is a concern IMHO it is a lifestyle/stress issue more than a sodium/food issue. I have moderate acne that I initially cured with Paleo, but as I get more stressed through the semester (engineering student) it rears its ugly head no matter how I eat. Stress is decidedly non-paleo, so do everything you can to deal with or eliminate it. It took me until the beginning of this year to start making an effort to Paleo-ize my life in areas other than just my diet.

I think several important ways to ease your blood pressure are to engage in regular walking, avoid processed foods and manage emotional stress.

Walking/Stress. Start where you are, meaning that you should do enough to "feel like you did something" but not so much that you are too sore to do the same thing again tomorrow. You don't have to walk every day, though. 3-4 times per week will give you recovery time and on the other days you might consider listening to soothing music or taking a bubble bath or doing a hobby you find relaxing. A good goal for the walking is to go just a few yards farther each time until you build up to 2-4 miles per walk. An important part of managing stress and blood pressure is getting enough sleep.

Avoid Processed Foods. First, avoiding processed foods is the easiest way to avoid excess salt as well as vegetable oils that may be causing inflammation. Eating meat, fruit and vegetables that are mostly unprocessed will taste good and provide the best possible nutrients. You don't have to eat things you don't like, but keep trying things to see if they taste better after you've been off sugar for a while. And it's okay to sprinkle a little salt on the unprocessed foods.

The nice thing about eating unprocessed foods is that it's easier to lose a little weight and that frequently results in lower blood pressure.

A couple of thoughts... One is walk for 30 minutes a day five days a week. The other is to avoid sugar and salt...

Honestly, I don't think people on here are jerks, I just think there's a rising level of frustration when every other day you see a comment from someone who's been eating Paleo for 2-4 weeks and is already struggling with the lifestyle change. For me, and probably for others, it truly is a lifestyle change we've made for health reasons and not a diet we've started purely to lose weight, so the "I've been doing this 2 weeks and gained 2lbs!" stuff can seem a bit superficial (at least to me).

That said, I also understand that the PH community can be a bit intimidating at first. There's a lot of hard science being thrown around. The way I came to it, and the path I would recommend for other beginners, is to start on Mark's Daily Apple. His website has tons of links for people who are just getting started, success stories (with pics) are posted every single week, and his 80/20 rule is a bit easier to adhere to when you're starting out. I'm down 50-60lbs since I read the Primal Blueprint back in July. The basic change in lifestyle gave me a huge amount of initial success but when it came time to really dial in my diet PH was the place for me. If I want a basic breakdown of the carb continuum I go to MDA.com. If I want to search for a specific topic and find tons of helpful people, a wealth of information and the hard science to back it up, I come to PH.com.

I hope that helps. Just give this some time, focus on the basics, and read a useful primer like the "Primal Blueprint" or the "Paleo Solution" to help get you started.

The salt craving is part of a larger problem. It can be adrenal fatigue, lack of iodine, or thyroid related. No matter which, it will take some time to fully heal. My money is on adrenal fatigue, but who knows.

Wow, thanks for all the advice. No one ever attacked me personally. The person above was right....I was reading posts and seeing lots of Arrogant responses and it was intimidating....that's all. Simple as that. I just being honest. I could see how it is frustrating to some of you long timers hearing Some newbies complain about gaining 2 lbs but I assure you that is The least of my concerns. Blood pressure issues are serious and can Make you feel rotten but perhaps walking more will help. I do a lot of Yoga so not sure how that is looked upon in the paleo world.
I would say about 4-6 hours of yoga a week. Maybe going cold turkey is Proving to be a bit stressful on.my bp or perhaps more time will really help. This is an exciting adventure for me but I suppose I get scared sometimes When there is little support for this diet.out there.
Im looking forward to reading the Primal Blueprint. Thanks for the positive Advice.