One of the most greatest psychological benefits has been the lack of guilt associated with eating. You don't have to count calories or worry that you ate twice as much today as yesterday. Every meal is nourishing. I never try to pretend I'm not hungry to keep pounds off or eat just because it's meal time. The second is the simplicity. It's so easy once the dietary guidelines become second nature. Homemade meals can be as simple or complex as you desire and taste great either way.

I love how eating paleo eliminates the hunger cravings. I can easily fast for 6-18 hours without any hunger pains or drops in performance/attention.

I'm amazed when I hang out with friends who go crazy after only 3-4 hours of not eating, they become distracted by their hunger and can only focus on the next meal.

Better sleep and less inflammation.

there are 2 questions people are answering, since the original question was a little ambiguous.

1. the original post asked what is missing from your paleo lifestyle
2. the original post asked what is underrated about the paleo lifestyle

i think the original poster didn't mean underrated, but perhaps under-emphasized. but since people gave answers addressing the literal meaning of underrated, i'll answer both questions based on my experience.

1. what's missing for my paleo lifestlyle at the moment is good stress-reduction habits. i'm still a procrastinator, and this is an on-going struggle, which i'm making some progress on.

2. what is underrated, or not recognized enough, is that (for me) paleo has greatly improved my mood. i don't get down as much, i have a longer fuse, i get out of a bad mood faster, and i just have a greater sense of well-being and less anxiety.

My whole life I have had at least 6 or 7 cavities per check up. Since I have been on the diet, I haven't had a single one. That means, not a single cavity in a year and a half. I was always diligent about brushing and flossing, but no matter what I had cavities until I was on the Paleo diet. How annoying is it that a simple diet change could save me from dentures, and the dentists had no idea!

Thank you, Paleo Diet.

SLEEP! SLEEP! SLEEP!

To me it's the liberation from all the misguided and harmful dietary common wisdom. I especially feel it when I eat the drippings from cooked meat instead of discarding it. Something about that act really brings it all home. It feels amazing.

Intermittent Fasting. This does the same thing that Zero-Carb does for 19 hours a day. And you can still eat pretty normal.

Sunlight, VitD3, and sleep.

Pre-Paleo, I would stay up for days at a time, eventually becoming delusional, and incurring tons of psychosomatic stress and hormonal imbalances. Sugar rushes through unhealthy snack consumption and energy drinks were a few of the tools involved. Sometimes this was insomnia, at others, it would be voluntary.

After about a year of Paleo, I've recently noticed that my body has arrived at some sort of equilibrium, where sleep becomes absolutely necessary after a certain point. I attribute this to regulation from VitD3 consumption and dietary habit changes. Good healthy rest has really allowed my days to become priority focused, as productivity has greatly increased.

As an add in, I'd say "playing" more is pretty underrated. Really helps mitigate the stress from the day to day life.

By far, one of the most mundane yet beneficial aspects of my dietary change has been that I no longer get headaches. I use to have a ready supply of Excedrin and acetaminophen to handle the daily headaches I would get. Now? None. I don't know what to do with all of the excess pills.

Clean, low volume stools.

For me, the biggest thing was the way my energy levels went way up almost immediately. But so many good things happened so quickly that it's hard for me to do anything but stare in puzzlement at anyone who tries to tell me that I'm doing something 'unhealthy'. It's like they're not even in my universe anymore, y'know?

And all this on a "diet" where I can have bacon for breakfast every day if I want. What's not to like?

Simplicity! As a batchelor, spending more than 15 minuits per meal seems a waste - and with paleo it's unnecessary. All the benefits and no need to play with my food.

Sounds trivial, but embarassing cold sores are a thing of the past.

I have a tendency to get into a routine--similar diet, workouts, length of fasting--and this is limiting my results. The most underrated aspect of paleo for me is spontaneity and randomness.

I agree that there are some smaller, less talked about benefits to the paleo-lifestyle but it may very well have saved my life so that's what I'm concerned with.

I've lost 30 lbs and my blood pressures dropped from 170/110 to 148/78 in little more than a month. I also anticipate that my triglyceride and HDL levels have improved significantly since my last check-up.

If anything, for me at least, the little things (e.g., aesthetics) are merely window dressing compared to paleo's life-altering (potentially extending!) benefits!

Having energy levels be entirely uncorrelated with food intake. I eat twice a day, but feel like I could go on a 24+ hour fast with no ill effects. It's great not having to take a break from studying, work, etc. to eat.

Also, looking great naked!

More time with nature, less time staring (and typing) at glowing rectangles. Like I'm doing right now.

I think it depend on whose guidelines you're following! I like Mark's (from Mark's Daily Apple) and Kurt's.

From those lists, here are the four things I'm still working on:

1. Intermittent Fasting - I'm not good at this one at all...
2. Dairy - I eat way too much dairy (mostly raw dairy tho)
3. Getting More Sleep - I average about 7.25 hours/night
4. Getting More Sunshine - I average about 30 minutes/day

rightsizing + sunlight -> look good naked -> improved libido -> little cave-babies

Faster growing and healthier feeling/looking hair (from diet), in addition to dropping harsh detergent shampoo and products. As someone with thick, curly formerly unmanageable hair, this is a lifesaver.

The most underrated is the fact that paleo plus Vit D3 either in the form of UVB sunlight 20 min a day front and back or 10,000IU a day results in very little or no cavities and no diseases of the mouth.

I've taken all my Weight Watcher and low calorie cookbooks to the Salvation Army store. (probably should have put them in the recycle bin) I love being able to lighten my load of stuff as well as getting lighter in body and mind. For some reason I worry less in general than I have my whole life. If I can lose weight eating yoghurt made with full cream and eat all the butter I can slather, bacon regularly and breeze through the supermarket without getting trapped by carbs, then who knows what other wonders are out there that I don't know about. . . yet. Thanks for updating this thread.

I feel calm and centered and 'saner'. I sleep much more deeply and enjoy it.

I think that unstructured play is the thing that most modern adults have lost. I think going out into nature and mucking about, even if your Nature Area is just a City Park, is wonderful.

Yes, it is wonderful - even if it is covered in snow.

being tough enough to miss a meal or two

No more munchies after smoking bud.

I don't sweat the small stuff - if I cant change it or if it does not directly affect me - I send it through to the keeper! Paleo and helped me find calm in my life - and I am loving it!

Rest, relax and play.

It's the time I get to spend with friends and family in the kitchen instead of stuck in front of an idiot box. Also I love having a good reason to exercise my academic muscles and utilize the wealth of medical information that is available to me through my university. Honestly, those reasons right there are more than enough for me. The high quality food, health benefits, weight loss, and strength gain are all just perks compared to what I'm mentally getting out of paleo.