There are great answers above, but i wanted to try to dilute some of your confusion.

This paleohacks website draws from a number of related source of information, and while I see where the confusion can come from, this is not a site focussed on just Dr. Cordain's books.

He was not the first or the last to write about an evolutionary eating approach, and we draw from many sources here.

We can be a bit overwhelming when you are looking for simple places to start, but i hope that we make up for it with the depth of our experience and information.

Here is my $0.02...

If you do nothing more than eliminate grains and sugar from your diet, I believe your health will improve and you will lose weight. This couldn't be bad for your blood sugar, either.

Lean or fatty meat...I never gave any thought to this. I began to eat a meat-based diet with no grains and no sugar and the change was pretty dramatic, in terms of body composition, weight, mental acuity, personality (less high-strung), and so on.

Personally, I don't recommend exercise for someone who is trying to make a major dietary change. I feel that it has its place after a person gets his/her diet together. Because we've been habituated for decades to eat a certain way, it could take months (years?) to reverse this. At some level it's like taking on a second job.

I believe you will have good luck with a paleo diet (using Cordain's book or whomever)...

If I were diabetic, I'd eat large quantities of fatty cuts of meat (preferably grass-fed) and green leafies and eat only as much steamed/boiled potato as I needed to replenish my glycogen. Just have a lot of it pre-made and if you feel your blood sugar drop or if it tests low, then eat some amount of potato and you'll eventually get a handle on how much is actually necessary. Put copious amounts of pasture-fed butter on everything. Drink cream if you want. Eat a lot of coconut chips/oil if you can.

Take 5000 IU of D3 a day. Take 100-200 mcg of K2 a day The green leafies should cover everything else.

Good luck...if you stick with it, you should be completely asymptomatic eventually.

I shoot for low blood sugar; not necessarily paleo. They are very similar, but I eat dairy and like to drink alcohol. Just an FYI: my blood sugars have not only completely normalized, with an HbA1C of 5.2, but my system is actually getting stronger, now after 2 years. I no longer spike and can eat a lot more carbs than I could just a year ago. My phase I response is back more often than not, and my weight dropped back to my college weight. All health markers have optimized and I can run again for the first time in 25 years.

Keep the faith.

Hi, Newbie.

It sounds like you are really on the right track to change. I suggest you read Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint book and check out:

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/

My suggestion is to cut out all grains entirely. Eat non-starchy veggies, no potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, or corn until your blood sugar gets under control. Eat high-quality meat (grass fed if possible) and consume animal fat. Although contrary to what conventional wisdom tries to advocate, fat itself does not make you fat, but rather it is fat combined with carbs leading to high insulin levels and fat storage. Add Organic virgin coconut oil to your diet (I use 5 Tbsp per day.

High fat dairy is ok if you tolerate it, raw and/or organic butter, heavy cream, and eggs are all good. Nuts, seeds, and low-sugar berries are also good in moderation. Make protein and fat 95% of your caloric intake. Stock your fridge with boiled eggs, baked chicken, and other low-carb snacks. If you are hungry or want a snack, eat a chicken leg or some pork rinds (no MSG). Track your food on Fitday.com. It is free and gives you a good picture of what your are eating.

If you are struggling to break the carb habit, you might also try the amino acid L-glutamine. When having a sugar/carb craving, break open a capsule and dump it on your tongue. The craving will dampen within seconds. If you can make through the first 3 weeks, the cravings will subside.

I also recommend getting things that you can't eat out of the house. It is hard to make good choices with cookies around. Hope this helps!

REad bernsteins diabetes book too. His diet is compatible with paleo and he has said that he eats no grains himself. The nuts and bolts of dealing with t2 make it worth the read.

I strongly recommend starting with Dr. Bernstein's Diabete's Solution and Mark Sisson's Primal Blueprint, to get both the diabetes information and great primal/paleo nutrition (as many have said, cutting out sugars/grains/legumes/soy). Then, as it starts to make sense, get Robb Wolf's The Paleo Solution. Listen to Robb Wolf's podcasts. Also, Jimmy Moore does a great podcast about things of interest to people who follow low carb diets, interviewing all the above experts, as well as researchers on cholesterol, the link between mental health and nutrition, etc...Don't get too caught up in the minor differences between authors--you'll soon see many commonalities.

1. If meat is grassfed, fatty is good. If grain fed, avoid fattier cuts. (Um, I don't actually do this myself, but the understanding and intent is there!)
2. Bacon is a great condiment, especially for green vegetables like kale and brussels sprouts. Basically, any food you thought you didn't like is improved by bacon. Buy the best quality available to you.
3. Butter and cream are okay in small amounts. I wouldn't try to deliberately add more to your diet. But for example if you have milk in your coffee, cream would be better. Given the option, and depending on taste, try cooking with coconut oil instead, especially as you're concerned with weight loss. Many people find it hard to lose weight when consuming dairy (not everyone).

Congrats on taking this first step. I am convinced it will change your health for the better!

My general menu:

1) Carbs held to less than 30 gm/day, usually less. 2) Red meat (primarily because I live in west Texas where acquiring other meats can be problematic), bacon, sausage, eggs cooked in butter or beef tallow, etc.

I don't worry about the sodium content of the bacon or sausage. Since I no longer eat carbs my kidneys dump the excess sodium with no problem. I used to have high blood pressure but it is now low normal and my blood pressure doesn't even bobble after a meal with, or of, bacon or sausage or bacon and sausage. (Bacon-wrapped sausage, cooked over wood, is mucho delicious.)

3) Very few veggies. I have never like veggies anyway. Once or twice a week I'll choke down a handful of fresh baby spinach or broccoli but that's about it. I am very fond, though, of fajitas: beef with sauteed bell peppers and onions (no tortillas). 4) I eat a handful of blueberries or raspberries once per week. 5) One day per week the only thing I ingest is a version of a non-alcoholic eggnog: 4 egg yolks, 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, vanilla, nutmeg, and a packet of sweetener. I will drink this maybe three times on the randomly chosen day but two usually will do me for the entire day. 6) Every morning I eat four or five filberts and about a half ounce of macadamias.

I have a tendency to view the world as black and white, with little gray area. I consider ALL carbs and ALL fats not from an animal as the enemy, veggies are viewed with a jaundiced eye, and berries are a rare treat. Generally, if it ain't meat and and fat, it ain't my friend. (Maybe an acquaintance but not a friend.)

The result of the above: No more medication of any kind (I was on meds for high blood pressure and gout), a loss of thirty pounds, vastly lowered blood pressure, the complete reversal of a diagnosed "pre-diabetic" condition, and after twenty years of suffering from gout, I've not had an attack for over a year. From an economic standpoint, my medical bills went from about $2000 per year to exactly $0.00 (zero point zero zero) in 2010.

There are the naysayers and the scoffers but to them I say "Paleo works for me so phukk off and die." (This sentiment is also for those insisting I eat lots of veggies. Blech.)

I was going to answer but Melissa sums it up pretty well.

Exactly what Melissa said. I'll add this...a fatty cut of meat from a grassfed or pastured animal is higher in Omega 3 fatty acids than conventional corn fed meat, which is why you're hearing "eat more fat." Specifically, "eat more omega 3 fatty acid fat."

Bacon is just plain yummy. Eat it if it's nitrite free, pastured, uncured and season it yourself.