Yes, I think Paleo is the best things since sliced... brisket, but for anyone starting Paleo there are a few things I think you should know. I want to get this stuff out of the way so we can get on to the fun stuff, i.e. FOOD.
As with any drastic lifestyle change, there will be physiological changes too. These are a few I have noticed:
#1 - Eating Paleo is like eating all natural Miracle Grow. If you are like me then your hair and nails will grow faster than they did before, at least until your body acclimates to its new routine. Girls, you may go through an extra razor a month, and guys, your 5 o'clock shadow may show up early.
#2 - IMPORTANT: I noticed for about the first three weeks I regularly felt "shaky" (low blood sugar) because I was no longer eating those already processed, pre-broken-down carbs. After a few days I noticed this happened about the same time every day and I was able to fend the feeling off with a half an apple or another small snack. If you're not diabetic, there are worse things than feeling this way. After all, when your blood sugar drops and it doesn't have any instant burn carbs ready to go, it begins breaking down FAT into useable stuff like glycerol and fatty acids. Then your body can take those fatty acids and further break them down into glucose. Biologists call this "gluconeogenisis". I call it "Bring on the skinny jeans!"
After a few weeks of your body adjusting (mine took 3 weeks) you should no longer experience those "downs". Your body will just do its thing, the thing it was designed to do (and the typical American diet keeps it from doing). Combined with exercise, this is how you can see those awesome BIG changes in as little as 4 weeks!
#3 - Hormonal changes: Yes, you may experience some mood swings in the first week or two. After all you are hitting "reset" on your entire body and it will be looking for its new normal. For guys, I honestly don't know what its like for you, but as a girl I did notice a couple of things. First, I DID have mood swings and not "those" kind. I didn't notice them very much, but my partner at work started asking me if I had my snack yet. (This was harder for me because I wasn't HUNGRY). A half piece of fruit or a half cup of sliced veggies was perfect for me. Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers were a favorite of mine and I didn't have to worry about them turning brown. Second, after my second month on Paleo, I noticed that the certain cycle of life us girls have...moved. My girl to girl advice is to just make a note in your calendar and track it for the next couple of months. No big deal. Unless there's a chance... you know. Then go see your doctor.
There. Now all of that boring stuff is out of the way.
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