It's always safe to recommend to focus on whole foods (meat, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables) and to avoid processed engineered crap (bread, chips, cookies, crackers, candy, seed oils, etc). I think it's safe to recommend to eat enough protein and to suggest meat and eggs as good sources of complete proteins. That will probably give your clients the most bang for their buck anyway.

Carmen,

The sad reality is that if you offer any advice that falls outside the USDA Dietary Guidelines, you expose yourself to civil liability. Your average jury doesn't know much about nutrition science, and they are perfectly willing to accept that the Guidelines are the "gold standard" for advice about diet. If one of your clients dies of a heart attack six months after you recommend they increase their fat intake, some lawyer is going to start looking for a deep pocket.

That's why, for example, the "official" Crossfit diet is The Zone. The macronutrient ratios and emphasis on lean meats and monounsaturated fats, and the fact that it's calorie-restricted, put it within the USDA Guidelines. (If you go to Crossfit's nutrition webpage you'll see they only recommend learning about Paleolithic diets, not following them.)

So, if you're keen to introduce your clients to a Paleo diet, just tell them that it worked for you. Also, since they now have the approval of the American Diabetes Association, it's safer to recommend a low-carb diet, as long as you stipulate that it's for weight-loss only and not to be followed for more than a year.

Regarding the China Study, don't argue with her. Point her to Denise Minger's takedown. Or this excellent review. http://www.humananatura.org/viewarticle.php?article=2030

Science is subjective (most studies rely heavily upon human interpretation of data, etc. See Bruno Latour for more on this)...so I don't think you're going to out-science your boss. As professional, you are basically just offering your clients options -- one of those might be paleo. There are many weight-loss diets that 'work.' It's really up to the client to experiment, etc, and determine which diet feels right. This is coming from someone who's worked w/a personal trainer before (for muscle gain & other fitness goals, not weight loss), but who's also deviated when necessary and consulted outside sources.

I think this largely depends on what state you live in. I'm in Ohio, one of the strictest states. I don't tell people what to eat, but I will respond with what I eat if I'm asked (which is often - the most common question is what do you eat before a workout).

If you can spare a little cash, why not buy a bunch of Mark Sisson's or Robb Wolf's book (get a bulk discount) and hand 'em out when people ask?

Whatever your own personal beliefs about "Paleo," MS and RW both keep things simple: eat real food, get your butt to bed, get some sunlight, and get up off the couch once in a while. (But I agree with Mike T as well - eat REAL FOOD. The only thing is, if you make simple suggestions like that, then you might have people asking questions about why red meat and eggs aren't bad for them, or why they're supposed to avoid all those "healthy whole grains" and fat-free yogurts they've been eating all their lives, and you'll need to be prepared to answer them without scaring people off.)