What exactly IS Paleo, and where should I start?

Excellent questions! First of all I will say up front, Paleo is a sacrifice, at least it will seem that way for the first few weeks. Paleo is a gluten, wheat, corn, rice, soy and legume-free diet. Milk is avoided usually but occasionally whole-fat milk is fine, and some even encourage raw milk if you can find it. But that's on you. Paleo is about eating real food without preservatives, added hormones, antibiotics and other not-good-for-you stuff. If it doesn't expire until August 2015, it ain't Paleo!

So, first things first, do some research. Decide if this is something you are ready to do. I really hope that it is, I feel great! Then decide when you want to start and what your goals are, if any other than just being healthier and feeling fantastic.

While I love the science behind all of this and I will talk about it regularly, doing some research on your own is the only way you will decide if this is something you are willing to commit to. I started with the book my friend bought for me called "Practical Paleo" written by Diane Sanfilippo who IS a certified nutritionist. This book contains the science (the WHY and the HOW) of Paleo, as well as some beginner recipes and meal planning tips. I may refer to her book quite a bit and show you how to improve on some of her recipes, but this is definitely a good place to start.

You have been eating things that you will no longer eat for your entire life (unless you go 85/15, but that is something for another day and not important for your first 60-90 days), and so the adjustment can be jarring. Stick with it. Unfortunately I do not live on my own at the moment, but if you do you have a little more help on your side because you can get rid of everything in your fridge and pantry that isn't Paleo! That's right. You're going to be throwing out a lot of stuff. My advice, give what you can to friends and family (unless of course they are coming along for the ride too), and consider donating any sealed, unopened food to your local food pantry.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH:

Start up isn't cheap. Whole food isn't cheap, but there are bargains to be had. Do some pre-shopping at your local Whole Foods, Sprouts, or other "natural" grocery store. Don't buy anything, yet. Make a list of some of the staples you will be purchasing (i.e. coconut oil, coconut milk, almond milk, almond butter, grass fed beef, coconut and almond flour, ect...) and write down their prices. NOW, go you your local everyday supermarket and see if any of those things are available there for less $$. The same thing goes for your produce, checking Sunday ads is a good way to cross-compare prices of things before you go. If you can find a local farmers market, you've hit the jackpot. 

Obviously, you're going to be reading labels. If you weren't before, you are now. 

Things to look for: 
A lot of foods like almond butter in packages, almond milk (you will not find this in the dairy section), and coconut milk are not all the same. READ THE LABEL. Many of these foods have added refined sugar, soy lecithin, potato starch, rice protein, corn starch, ect. Avoid those. If you are new to Paleo, make a list of the brand names that are Paleo friendly so you can find them again later.

Also note, things like almond milk may come in varieties of flavors. You will want unsweetened. Flavored almond milk will almost always have more than one thing you don't want in it. If you really want vanilla almond milk, get plain and add a couple of drops of vanilla extract (read the label on your vanilla!) and if you need it sweetened add some raw honey a 1/4 tsp at a time. (Most people don't sit down with a glass of almond milk and just drink it, but some do. It can sit heavy in the stomach for some. I mostly use mine for shakes, cereal (later!) and baking.) Also, almond milk is good for MONTHS in the pantry as long as it remains unopened. After you open it, write the current date on it with a sharpie. Almond milk is good for 7-10 days after opening in the refrigerator.

Tip:
If you find you are not using all of your almond milk or coconut milk before it may go bad, pour what's left into an ice cube tray and freeze. This is also a great idea for shakes or recipes where you only need a little bit. Both of these liquids separate (because they don't have things like soy lecithin to bind the two parts together). That is natural. Don't freak out.