Primal eating and the Paleo diet: is the "caveman diet" for you?

Primal eating or the Paleo diet, sometimes called the "caveman diet," has a certain mystique. Some folks consider it the diet that advocates eating the way nature intended; others say it's a bunch of baloney (and no, you can't eat baloney on this diet).

Here's the skinny:

• There are a lot of "no's" on this diet: no processed foods. No cereals. No dairy. No legumes.
• What do you eat? Lean meat, veggies (nonstarchy only), poultry, fish, seafood, and fruits.
• The "science" behind the diet: our ancestors never heard of or tasted sugar, fatty meat, dairy and processed foods - and they had no weight problems. Yet DNA studies indicate that we haven't changed since caveman stalked the earth. Therefore, it's what we eat today that results in excess weight.
• Want to try it? Invest in The Paleo Diet Cookbook: More than 150 recipes for Paleo Breakfasts, Lunches, Dinners, Snacks, and Beverages and Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking for a Gluten-Free Kitchen