The idea of a dietary regime based on what was eaten in the Stone Age dates back to the 1970s, but the term paleo diet was popularized by Loren Cordain, a dietary expert and former professor of Colorado State University who published a book on the subject in 2001. Cordain’s work has spawned an entire paleo movement and a thriving market in cookery books, meal plans and DVDs. The diet’s popular exposure has even led to the informal usage go paleo (= adopt a paleo diet, compare go vegetarian/vegan/teetotal, etc.)

The idea of a dietary regime based on what was eaten in the Stone Age dates back to the 1970s, but the term paleo diet was popularized by Loren Cordain, a dietary expert and former professor of Colorado State University who published a book on the subject in 2001. Cordain’s work has spawned an entire paleo movement and a thriving market in cookery books, meal plans and DVDs. The diet’s popular exposure has even led to the informal usage go paleo (= adopt a paleo diet, compare go vegetarian/vegan/teetotal, etc.)