Back in the day, the only Paleo books you could find were written by Loren Cordain (2001) and, of course, Robb Wolf (2010). But a lot has changed since the Paleo Diet and The Paleo Solution were published. Now you can’t even walk into a bookstore without being bombarded with racks and racks of books promising everything from Paleo fast food alternatives to Paleo bread to Paleo smoothies, and even variations of the 30-day Paleo meal plan Robb publicized, but with explanations that are palatable to people who don’t believe in evolution.
 
I personally have a stack of Paleo cookbooks so high that it could take up an entire bookshelf. (At one point I even contemplated writing monthly reviews.) It’s hard to keep up with them as they seem to get published faster than I can read them, let alone use the recipes. But despite the veritable cornucopia of Paleo books on the market, it’s not easy finding one that’s got enough theory in it that’ll help people understand the why behind what they’re doing, but that’s interesting enough that they’ll actually work their way through the pages without finding themselves asleep at their desks.
 
Luckily, Robb’s new book, Wired to Eat, hits the mark on both counts. You can learn about digestion, glucose, and even endocrinology with accessible explanations sandwiched between amusing digressions about porn, malaria, and food eating contests.
 
One thing I really appreciate about Wired to Eat is that Robb goes to great lengths to explain the science behind how things work, down to how we as humans are genetically wired to eat just about anything. Instead of dogmatically reiterating that grains + legumes = bad, you can learn about the way plants try to defend themselves from predators, and how that impacts you.
 
Instead of blaming people for getting fat and out of shape, the book offers an explanation of what’s going on followed by suggestions to overcome these challenges. It further takes the moralizing out of food choices with an interesting dive into what “cheating” on your diet even means.
 
Wired to Eat includes a section summarizing much of the scientific research supporting the Paleo Diet, and debunking some of the common myths and concerns. There’s succinct, accessible information on bloodwork to look at, how to read it in context, and when “good” numbers are actually, well, not great.
 
We all know that health and fitness have to do with more than just the food you put into your mouth. Luckily the book also delves into stress, sleep, movement, community, and other factors that come into play.
 
Of course, there’s a 30-day reset plan, complete with recipes and shopping lists. The recipes are tasty but not too time-consuming, and they were written by Charles and Julie Mayfield of Paleo Comfort Foods fame. The calories and macronutrients per serving are listed for those of us who obsessively track these things. There’s even an auto-immune protocol version of the plan. And, of course, there’s some general advice about food prep, cooking, and eating out to set readers up for success, along with information on tracking results.
 
But Wired to Eat goes beyond that. In fact, one of the highlights of the book that I haven’t seen anywhere else is that it tackles personalized nutrition. The 7-day carb test, to be completed after the 30-day plan, giving readers a chance to (once and for all) determine which non-Paleo foods they can eat on occasion, which to eat occasionally bit in very small amounts, and which they should avoid at all costs because it will take them completely off the rails. All you need is a blood glucose monitor, a basic meal tracker, and a little bit of time in the morning to test out different breakfast options. The book also includes a comprehensive chapter on ketosis, detailing the pros and cons, who it’s for, and how to do it, including meals for the transition to the ketosis diet.
 
It’s relatively easy to hop on the Paleo bandwagon, but maintaining it is a bit harder, so the book has a bit of advice on that as well.
 
Overall, I’d recommend Wired to Eat for just about everybody. It'd be a fantastic read for people who are just discovering Paleo for the very first time. Performance Menu readers in need of a bit of a refresher would benefit as well--it's a great book to have on your bookshelf to reference everything from lab result ranges to the important features needed for digestion, or even just a recipe for lemon-herb salmon or guacamole-stuffed burgers. And, of course, if you've already dabbled with Paleo eating in the past but want to see how to tweak it based on how your body responds to specific carbs, this book will give you step-by-step instructions for that, as well. So yeah, go buy it already.