Here is a listing of our dear paleo gurus. I got the ball rolling, please suggest adds and edits to make it more accurate. Whose viewpoints have you cobbled together to make YOUR viewpoint?
THE BEST SELLERS-- These gurus wrote books that cracked the nutrition bestseller list on Amazon.com. At one point in 2011, three of the top ten nutrition bestsellers were paleo books.
Mark Sisson
Because of his clear and positive message, has converted many to paleo. Err..primal. Has abs of steel at age 56. Former competitive runner. Differed from Cordain in supporting higher fat intake. Blogs daily about not only diet, but natural lifestyle. Some do not like his supplement business. This is the paleo guru I point my mom to.
Robb Wolf
Former biochemist. Former padawan learner of Loren Cordain. Currently runs Norcal Strength and Conditioning. Through his popular book and former crossfit connections, has influenced many to go paleo. Similar to Sisson, addresses diet/lifestyle/exercise. Nothing crazy with respect to food -- avoid neolithic agents of disease.
Gary Taubes
The Taubes! Good Calories Bad Calories had far reaching effects, including turning Kurt Harris paleo. He jumped in front of paleohacker Aravind at AHS11 to ask Stephan Guyenet a controversial question, launching the most epic and confusing paleo war thus far -- low carb vs food reward (ummm...why are they mutually exclusive again?)
Nora Gedgadaus
While not an online presence like some others, Nora wrote one of the best-selling nutrition books of 2010-2011. She is very interested in how food effects the brain.
THE ORIGINAL BIG THREE BLOGS-- Many, many paleohackers learned their basics from this trio of longtime paleo bloggers.
Stephan Guyenet
Neurobiologist who studies obesity. Speaks softly, carries big stick. One of the original paleo bloggers, has covered a multitude of topics including, most recently, food reward. Eats moderate carb.
Kurt Harris
The Honey Badger. He does't give a shit. Except when it comes to Neolithic Agents of Disease. Is/was a neuroradiologist. Has written several monumental posts in the paleosphere, such as paleo 2.0 and Is a Carb a Carb. Went from eating fairly low to carb to eating moderate carb.
Peter from Hyperlipid
He convinced you to drink pots of heavy cream. His last name is near-unpronounceable. Peter laregly explores which macronutrients do what on his blog. He eats low carb and fairly low protein.
THE OTHER MEDICAL DOCTORS-- Very few doctors know about nutrition, and even fewer know about paleo. These doctors have applied paleo to a variety of different medical subject areas.
Ron Rosedale
He's very low carb. He does an abundant amount of volunteer work in India. He has a ton of clinical experience helping people with their diets. Along with Dr. Bernstein, this is who I'd point a diabetic to.
Jack Kruse
Paleohacks' very own Quilt. Neurosurgeon who burst onto the scene in 2010 with interesting viewpoints on leptin, mitochondria, and life extension. Combines viewpoints from several scientific fields. Compared to some other gurus, is lower carb and places more emphasis on supplements.
Emily Deans Are you interested in how to eat to make you feel better? Emily is a psychiatrist who writes extremely informative posts about food and mental health, among other things.
Dr. Oz
Wrote about the "prehistoric diet" recently. Includes tofu and whole grains. Undergrad from Harvard, MD and MBA from Penn. If you ever need support on how education is not perfectly correlated with knowledge, look here.
Dr. Bernstein
Not altogether "paleo", but the venerable Dr. Bernstein is perhaps THE source for addressing diabetes through proper nutrition. A type I diabetic himself, Bernstein provides a simple and structured diet for diabetics.
Cate Shanahan
Author of one of the more original paleo books, Dr. Shanahan is also sort of "beyond paleo". She emphasizes what traditional cultures have learned about health foods. Namely, the health-bestowing properties of eating meat on the bone, organ meat, fermented and sprouted food, and uncooked foods.
Dr. Eades Do you like protein? You'll love Dr. Eades. He and his wife write about how a high-protein, relatively low-carb approach can help you reach your goals. Combined, this pair has an abundance of clinical experience, and have been around since well before paleo became popular.
William Davis
Dr. Davis, a cardiologist, became well-known in the paleosphere for his writing about realities of heart health and other matters. Then he wrote "Wheat Belly", and became famous outside the paleosphere.
Robert Lustig
You've seen the youtube video Sugar: The Bitter Truth, right? That's Lustig. He's not a fan of sugar, to put it mildly.
THE NON-PALEO NUTRITION SMARTIES-- Not every who knows about nutrition eats paleo. Many people could go in this category, such as academic researchers. But some of the smartest nutrition experts actually came from the world of bodybuilding.
Lyle McDonald
Is NOT paleo. In fact, will call you a paleotard if given the chance. But knows more about nutrition than...anybody? Wrote one of the most popular ketogenic diet books over a decade ago, and has followed up with books on flexible dieting, protein, etc etc.
Martin Berkhan
Is NOT paleo. Is ripped to shreds. If you say something that is not scientifically accurate, he will rip you to shreds on his blog. Advocates a daily 16 hour fast combined with a very simple but effective workout plan.
Sally Fallon and Mary Enig
They are not quite paleo. But Weston A Price was arguably instrumental to the development of paleo, and these two wrote the book on adapting a WAPF diet.
Anthony Colpo
I'm not sure if he's eats "paleo". Anyone know? Here's what I do know: He wrote a seminal book about cholesterol, he pissed of some other gurus (Eades, others), and he knows a lot about nutrition.
Matt Stone
Another "guru" who is famous largely for pissing off other experts. I did read his blog near the beginning of my paleo transition, as it is informative and contrarian. He decries the "typical" paleo-type menus in favor of eating big, aka RRARF. Yes, RRARF. I don't remember what that stands for, so you're going to have to search if you want to find out.
THE OTHER PhDs-- These people have PhDs, but not necessarily in nutrition. Commond thread: they are scary smart
Paul Jaminet
An astrophysicist who wrote arguably the most rigorously-researched paleo book along with his cancer researcher wife Shou-Ching. One of the nicest guys in paleo, the Perfect Health Penguin supports a highly nutrient dense diet, with some micronutrient supplements, as well as a low-moderate carb intake and low-moderate protein intake. His blog has an excellent round-up of what's going on in paleo that week, and he responds in an amicable fashion to many of the comments. A swell guy all around.
Ray Peat
Who loves coconuts, fructose, and hormone supplementation? Ray Peat. He has very original viewpoints, and will make you think. If you think you have everything down, just visit Ray's website for some new ideas.
Chris Masterjohn
Does anybody know more about cholesterol than Chris Masterjohn? Leans toward a Weston Price type diet. Heavy on the eggs and bone broth.
Mat Lalonde
Doesn't blog. Doesn't participate in blog comment battles. Knows a shit-ton about nutrition. The Kracken is an organic chemistry PhD from Harvard.
THE INTERESTING BLOGGERS-- Paleo is driven by blogging, pure and simple. Dr. Oz, Oprah, and Fox News are not going to tell you what's healthy. Rather, we depend on free information from gracious paleo bloggers.
Chris Kresser
An acupuncturist with a clinical practice focusing on nutrition issues, Chris has written many posts that make complex nutrition subjects more clear. Also hosts a podcast that has featured several guests from elsewhere on this list.
Denise Minger
Former vegan Denise Minger is the person who told T. Colin Campbell what's up when he tried to pass the China Study off as truth. She likes to eat raw food and analyze flawed studies with just the right amount of humor.
Melissa Mcewen
Another paleohacks original, Melissa was one of the first widely-read paleo bloggers and one of the young guns featured in the New York Times. She combines knowledge of ancestral diets with food politics/economics, interesting posts on gut health, and a variety of colorful dresses.
Dr. BG
Dr. BG, known as grace on paleohacks, writes a very unique blog which also was one of the first widely-read blogs in the paleosphere. As a pharmacist, Dr. BG has a deep knowledge of what the heck is going on chemically. She has some very informative posts on gut health, and may crack you up with her kooky sense of humor.
J. Stanton
Author of the Gnolls Credo, J. Stanton also has a long-running paleo blog. His recent mega-serieses shed light on topics such as hunger and altered metabolism resulting from weight gain. Very good at putting the evidence together.
Don Matesz
In early 2011, Don renounced paleo in a famous and contentious blog post. His new diet still seemed quite paleo, but he definitely did not espouse typical paleo viewpoints with regards to meat, macro, and micronutrients. Definitely worth a read.
Jaime Scott Has one of the better blog names (ThatPaleoGuy). Jaime writes an eminently readable blog with thorough posts on a variety of subjects, from ancestral diets to study reviews to exercise and lifestyle issues.
Dallas and Melissa Hartwig
One of the premier gateways to paleo, Whole9 has provided the template to many for easing into a paleo diet. Hold on, not easing. Busting your ass, really. 30 days with no "non-paleo" foods isn't easy for anyone, even those on a paleo-ish diet for a while. Side note: they are really tall.
THE HALL OF FAMERS-- We owe these people, big time. When you look down at your newer, smaller belly every morning, repeat these names twice and spin around three times in tribute to their groundbreaking work.
Loren Cordain
The original gangsta paleo guru. Originally advocated a lean-meat paleo diet, but has recently been more accepting of saturated fats. Knows a ton about paleo anthropology, has published several articles. Does not like dairy or nightshades.
Art DeVany
This old bastard looks a good twenty years younger than he is. He led many people to the paleo diet. Some of his views might seem dated, such as his relatively lower fat stance. But he knows his stuff, and has been in the game longer than some of us have been alive.
Boyd Eaton
Who wrote the first academic article on the paleo diet? Boyd Eaton. Who wrote the first paleo book? Boyd Eaton. I haven't fully verified these facts, but the question remains...why doesn't Dr. Eaton get more mention for his extremely important work?
Ray Audette
Wrote "Neanderthin" many years ago. Advocates eating fatty meats. Hunting wild game with hawks. Cured himself of arthritis and diabetes. Not keen on publicity.
Staffan Lindeberg
Mr. Kitava. This MD, PhD informed us of a culture largely devoid of chronic disease that eats lots of saturated fat and tubers, while smoking like chimneys. He also wrote an influential textbook on nutrition and disease.
