For those just starting this diet a tip for replacing potato is to use cauliflower - it can be riced or mashed and is really satisfying when you really feel you need something to mop up juices from the main part of the meal. Another good website for recipes is www.paleodietlifestyle.com you have to buy the pdf files, but they are good recipes! Can I also suggest www.devonrose.com for game and meat produced the paleo way. They actually do a paleo box for customers!

Hi Amanda & all! Have been so interested in this since you first mentioned it! We have been a bit naughty and have actually started it already - on the 1st January, we made a clean break and started on this straight away! I have been keeping a food diary over the last 8 days, as I think it will be very interesting to have a read back through - especially when looking for inspiration! So far, I'm feeling great I must say! I have always been a cheese-fiend! But to be completely honest with you - I've not missed it at all. I've not wanted any - something I never thought I would say. It's changed my whole perception on food & meals. I know it's only been 8 days, but it really does feel amazing so far! There are some great recipes out there that are really worth trying - and some terrible ones that I will never try again! Haha! The cauliflower-base pizza is a massive no-no for me! It was soggy & just not like pizza. But hey, you've got to try these things! Find some things that you like & build on them! Our favourite so far is "courgette spaghetti" - we had it with meatballs & a red pepper and tomato sauce. We have bought the best meat that we can afford - today, we had some beef steak mince from the butcher! It was just amazing & actually not that much more than the lean mince that you get in supermarkets. But the taste was second to none. Another good one was some local butcher's sausages (gluten free) - We had them with sweet potato & suede mash. So far, so good! It's just been amazing. We've had on average 10 portions of veg & fruit a day. Really, really looking forward to continuing this. I also want to say a huge thank you for introducing us to it. I've never felt so strongly about this sort of life change before, but this fits us so, so well. Good luck everyone - looking forward to hearing your experiences & sharing ideas!

What supplements (if any) are recommended for someone on the paleo diet? I’m otherwise healthy and 66 years old. Thanks Sue Fallon

Dear Sue Good question. We are presently embarking on some research as to how the nutrition Gap manifests in people eating the paleo diet. We have done the work on a standard UK diet but not tailored towards paleolithic eating. My own feeling is that the foods that are included (fruit , veg and meats) are much the same as we analysed for our original work and the same shortfalls will apply. We know that fresh fruit and vegetables contains around 60% less minerals than the same foods did 80 years ago, the same is true of most meat. So to be on the safe side and ensure you have sufficient nutrients for protection and optimal metabolic function I would suggest our Wholefood Multi plus either fish or krill oil would be an effective level of supplements to accompany the paleo diet. I will be rewriting our current Nutrition Gap information over the next few months, looking in detail at the profile of the foods eaten by paleo man and the profile of the same foods now and establishing the nutrition gap – but from my current knowledge and research to date I am confident that what I have suggested above will be very much representative of the shortfalls that will prevail today. So if you are 9 stone or over I would go with 2 wholefood multi and 1-2 krill oil/day. If you are eating more than 3 portions of oily fish a week then reduce the krill to 1 a day. If you are under 8.5 stone then reduce the wholefood multi to 1 a day. Best wishes Amanda - Cytoplan