The feeling to tell others will wear off in about a month or so. My best advice is to lead by silent example and if someone notices your healthy results and they ask you about your diet, then take that as your cue to tell them all about your paleo diet. I've learned that most people have no interest in hearing that their current diet is bad.

Tell people about how great you feel and any progress you've made, rather than how you did it. And if they ask, underplay the diet so it doesn't seem so radical a change. Quite a few will have considered whether they eat too much bread. But try and avoid anything that makes it sound like a low-carb or anything they can write off. Ratios, calories, none of that matters - it's about your food sources. Then you can build in to some of the details if they are still interested and asking questions. That's my approach. I also took pictures of my meals for a while when I started, so I could very easily illustrate how 'deprived' I was.

I just say I avoid processed foods and eat whole ones, such as meat, eggs, fruits and vegetables. I also tell them I make yogurt at home, so by the time I get to how I brew fresh water kefir every day they're watching me with huge eyes and can't think what to ask first.

Since they all know I've lost a ton of weight and I'm feeling much better, about all they can do is shake their heads and say meekly, "That's great!" :-))

For me, the feeling to tell others waxes and wanes with the progress I am making, or feel that I am making. Like today, I was in a physical theatre class (yay, grad school), and someone commented on my vibrams and that I look built. It was a good feeling, and I told them about paleo.

On the flip side, I used to eat very differently, so I sometimes need reminded that people are doing the best they can for their health based on their knowledge and budget. The most I can hope for is to offer a bit of knowledge and let them draw their own conclusions. Still, some knowledge, like "get more sleep and you'll be healthier" is pretty self-evident, which makes me feel better about telling people about my lifestyle, or parts of it.

Usually, if anyone shows the slightest bit curiosity in my way of eating, I draw them in with a simple question that is hard to answer "no" to. That question is "Do you agree that people can become unhealthy or even ill by choosing to eat foods that are bad for them? Upon their "yes" answer I begin talking about how food can also heal different illnesses and ailments, as well as improve many other aspects of life. Usually that is enough to spark their interest and continue positive dialogue.

Less is More.

At first, I too was overwhelmed by a desire to enlighten people around me, because eating this way had rocked my world beyond what I had ever expected. Really quickly tho, I found most people are not ready, and I'm gonna be disappointed by 99% of their responses.

Fast forward 8 months, I just want to live it not talk it; this includes around family. In fact, if someone asks what I'm doing, I make it very brief and light: "living right, eating well". If they continue & push for more, I give a little more, "oh, eating nutrient-dense foods and getting hard exercise". If they REALLY push for more then I know my audience is ripe and I'll go into some detail, and give them a link or two for their own research.

Paleo has given me the kind of fantastic results (health, weight loss, energy, end of crazy hunger, etc) that everybody supposedly wants, and it was easy. So I can't begin to understand why everybody who hears about paleo doesn't try it immediately. People look at me and say "omigod, you look great, how'd you do that?" But what kind of answer do they want?

I'm still puzzling about this in my mind, and trying to formulate the perfect answer. Right now I'm going with something like this:

First response: Oh, I did a complete reversal in terms of food I eat and food I avoid.

If questions, on to second response Maybe something like: Hmmm, well. You know, I discovered that some of the stuff I've believed all my life about food was wrong. When I learned what the science really says, that changed everything for me. And so I changed my diet. I used to eat oatmeal for breakfast, for example. Now I have bacon and eggs. Lots of changes like that.

If more questions, I try to address those. I try to give short but interesting answers, so people can opt out at any point without being overwhelmed.

I get the desire to "share the good news." But it just so much reminds me of evangelism and what I don't like about it, namely practically everything. I have Buddhist friends and Hindu friends and Pagan friends, all of whom believe very profound things, but none of whom go door to door trying to bring people into the fold.

It can be very difficult to wrap our minds around why people we love are busily killing themselves via lifestyle choices. Seriously, slow suicide can be hard to watch. One must learn to do so. People who learn to do so are called grownups. The impulse to "save the world" is not, ultimately, the altruism it purports to be. It is a form of narcissism.

People who are bent on self destruction, and who do not utter so much as a request for insight from others, deserve the right to pursue their quest in peace, or in the misery they have chosen.

I would love to get our family to switch to a paleo "diet" (hate that word because it just sounds negative and like it is going to fail before you even start, but that's what it is...like, "My diet consists of..."). They listen and see the results, but mostly dismiss it. My parents say, "Well I mostly do that already anyway." A bagel every morning is not even close, mom. Or my in-laws, HA. Forget about that one. My FIL drinks diet soda like water, literally. He went through two cases in a day! And my MIL buys all this c**p that is prepackaged processed junk, and still sees my husband as the little boy who used to eat it (because he didn't know any different). We aren't even trying with them.

We were able to make some headway with my SIL. Here's hoping she sticks it out. We did tell her it will be tough going for a while. We will see.

Never tell people that you eat fat! They immediately get on the 'What about your cholesterol?' kick and stop listening.