I am very pleased to share with all of you my interview with Joe Salama the Author of The Paleo Miracle. One of Joes favrotie quotes is “If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.” by Milton Berle. I think this discribes perfectly what Joe has accomplished through The Paleo Miracle. He built a door so others could have the opportunity to share their own stories of transformation and in turn help many more find their own path to better health. Not only is Joe is giving away a free copy of his book but he is giving us a 10% off. (Enter the giveaway and get the coupon code at the end of the post)
1. How did The Paleo Miracle come together?
I came up with the idea of sharing paleo success stories in a book in August 2012, and quickly decided to go full throttle with it. My goal was releasing it on my one-year paleo-anniversary, on November 3, 2012. I asked Christina Lianos, a good paleo friend, if she was interested in working on it with me. I knew her to be consistently enthusiastic, dedicated, and of high integrity. I was pleased with she agreed to help me with it. Together we contacted over 250 people, asking them if they wanted to be in the book. Most of them were in the International Paleo Movement Group on Facebook ( http://is.gd/facebookgroup ). From all the stories we got, we picked the best 59 to put in the book. The entire project was put together in about 2.5 months.
2. Can you give our readers a brief overview of what they will find in the Paleo Miracle?
They will find 59 stories of people taking responsibility for their own health, typically in defiance of their physicians who have told them that they will have to live the rest of their lives managing a disease and on several prescription medications. They will read stories of courageous people taking a risk, reinventing their health, and coming out better than anyone thought was possible – removing all symptoms of Crohn’s disease, depression, diabetes, heart disease, ADHD, bipolar disorder, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, multiple sclerosis, celiac disease, and many more – by changing what they eat and how they philosophically approach the subject of nutrition.
3.What is it about testimonies that you believe make them such a powerful invoker of change?
They are real people, almost all of whom are pictured, and many of whom have volunteered their contact information. None of them was paid to be in the book – they all wanted to share their stories to help others learn how to become healthy. Instead, they agreed that half the profits from the sale of the book should go to a paleo charity with the same goal: To help others learn how to become healthy. They have bared their souls, admitted to struggling with disease, and have shared their personal triumph. There is nothing more motivating, palpable, and powerful than that.
4. In the book you encourage your readers to do there own research and be advocates for their own health as you did. Is it your hope that the Paleo Miracle will be used as a tool in this way?
Yes. None of us is in this for personal glory. We want to change the world. We want to shake up conventional “wisdom” about health and nutrition until we force the mainstream medical community to reconsider their ineffective and expensive advice. As stated in the book, Paleo is more than just a way of eating. It is a philosophy with the following premise: Take nothing for granted, do your own research about nutrition, eat clean natural unprocessed foods, and listen to your body. We are here to show the world that there may be another option available to people instead of managing their diseases – a healthier and happier one.
5. In your own testimonial you said it took 8 or 9 friends recommending a Paleo diet before you finally gave it a try. What tips can you share with our readers on how to approach friends and family about using real food to improve their health?
I think my story is in the minority in that I fell into paleo by accident. It took that many times because it was never explained to me that it could effectively cure my ADHD. Had I known this would – or even could – be the outcome, I would have done it a long time ago. I started trying to help people by sending out research and studies to friends and family, studies where diet has alleviated or removed symptoms of a particular disease. But unless you are a scientist, studies are less tangible and less “real” than reading personal stories. My personal opinion is that there is nothing more effective in creating a desire to change than to show people what is possible by showing them it has worked for others just like them – which is why I put this book together. The Paleo Miracle is the best piece of paleo marketing material available. It is 8.5 x 11, with color photos, and contains lots of moving stories. I have been giving out as many copies of it as I can to people – people with heart disease, MS, and depression – in the hopes of bringing them health and happiness. But this book is by no means the only way to get people to re-examine their way of eating. The bottom line is that any true change has to happen from within – people have to be personally motivated to do it, and there are may approaches that can be taken to achieve this end.
TO GET YOUR 10% OFF
Head over the The Paleo Miracle and enter this coupon code at checkout: TVXL7YLK
TO ENTER THE BOOK GIVEAWAY:
1. “Like” The Paleo Miracle on Facebook
2. Comment here letting us know you've completed Step 1 and tell us why you want a copy of ! If you've already ordered a copy, tell us who you'd give a second copy away to and why.
NOTE: Only one comment per person will count as an entry. Posting more than one comment will disqualify you from the contest, so please just post once! Thanks!!
That’s it! No purchase necessary.
Note: This contest will be open for entries through 5pm Eastern time on Tuesday Feb 12th and ONE WINNER will be selected using random.org and emailed and announced here on the blog. If you do reply to the winning announcement email to claim your prize within 48 hours of the announcement, a new winner will be selected in your place.
Comments 65
Liked on Facebook! 🙂 Would LOVE to give a copy of this to my parents – I’ve been trying to convince them to try paleo for a month or two…they keep reading random success stories that I find, but this could push them to actually try it!
I liked The Paleo Miracle on FB. I would love to win a copy of this book, I have been Paleo for 3 months now and have been doing great! Can’t see ever going back.
Cured ADHD! WOW! Body transformations are amazing but to hear it helped mentally…this is something I’d love to try!
Just liked you on facebook. I would use the book for personal inspiration. Once I feel that I’ve achieved my goals I will pass the book along to someone else who will benefit from it.
I already “like” you! 🙂 I’ve been going back and forth, as to whether to buy this book and make the decision to go “Paleo”
I have some health issues and I really think it’ll help me, based on others success stories I’ve read on your FB page…but it’s taking that initial plunge. I would love the book to get more encouragement and a better idea of what and how to eat on a day to day basis. I hope I win the giveaway! 🙂
Hi. I already like you on FB. I have been reading about Paleo and just have not taken the leap. I think this book would be so beneficial to read and digest how Paleo helped those individuals. I had no idea it would help ADHD. I have a teenager with it and I would love to introduce something that could help him for a lifetime.
I “liked” this book on FB ages ago and it is a constant source of inspiration. I would love a copy for firther inspiration and to have it around for our non-paleo friends to have a look through if they feel so inclined. We try to lead by example.
I liked on FB!! I have been working on being Paleo for over 6 months now. Hoping it will help with my depression/anxiety as much as it is helping with my celiac, colitis, migraines, and rheumatoid arthritis!!
Liked on facebook. Slowly working toward the Paleo lifestyle because I want to be healthy. This book should be a real inspiration.
I completes step 1 and would love to win another copy of the book to give away at work. We are starting a paleo based wellness program. The fact that my husband is one of the stories in the book gives the program more credibility.
Liked on FB! My wife tells me that it’s very inspirational and I trust her judgement. I’d like to have a copy to look through and share with others.
I’ve liked you on FB! I’ve been struggling for years with my addiction to flour and sugar, and would love this book. It sounds so inspirational!
Liked on fb! I’d like a copy for my husband who is not convinced that paleo works.
I liked the Paleo Miracle on FB 🙂 and
I would love to win a copy of this book. I would love to read it, use it as inspiration, and also use it to help encourage others. The more I read about and research this way of life for myself, the more I realize there are so many people I know that could benefit from it.
Thank you 🙂
Liked on FB. My hubby and I have been reading more and more on paleo lifestyle. My hubby has many symptoms of MS he has undergone test after test MRI’s, spinal taps, blood work but yet they say he doesn’t have MS. Doctors are stumped. I came across various stories on the paleo diet and thought what would it hurt. We haven’t gone into it 100%, but we are doing more and more of it daily.
I liked the book on FB and would love to have a copy to read and then share with my daughter who has multiple health issues.
I liked on FB. We eat this way most of the time. I notice when I read more about paleo I become more motivated. Would love to share with my Aunt and Uncle. They still think grains are good
Liked on Facebook. I’ve been thinking about trying the paleo diet to see if it helps with my chronic joint pain.
Liked on FB. I need this book to inspire me. I have been toying with paleo (primal) for the last year. I have It starts with food, practical paleo and well fed so I understand what I should be doing, but find myself falling off the wagon and starting over constantly. I think being able to read about other people’s success may help me succeed and perhaps get my husband on board too!:-)
I just liked your page on Facebook, bummed I am just now finding it! I have been eating Paleo since September, but have recently been falling off the wagon. A copy of this book would help me re-gain my focus! I know I feel great when I am eating well, but some bad habits are sneaking back into my life. Help me re-gain that control!
I would love to give this book to a friend who is suffering from Lupus. I believe the Paleo diet would help her and this book would be the motivation she needs.
I actually ‘broke up’ with my doctor after almost 20 years seeing her…she refused to believe that I could change my hyperthyroid and IBS with a lifestyle diet change. After 1 year of eating real food, ALL my test results are normal and I’m healthy as a horse 🙂
Liked on FB! Read this book already for free on kindle, would love to win a real copy to share with people that I know would benefit from it! So hard to see this people feeling so bad and eating the wrong things!
liked on facebook..
I try eating paleo already but i just need more help to stick to it
I liked the facebook page. I would love the book to help keep me motivated on my paleo journey! Thank you for the offer!
I’d love a copy to convince my family to go paleo!
Liked on Facebook! I have recently completed a Whole30 and am now transitioning into full-time paleo eating. Any help and support I can get (like this book!) would be most helpful!
I ‘Liked’ the Paleo Miracle on Facebook.
I am just starting our Paleo journey and need all the help I can get!!!
I have struggled for 60 years with weight fluctuations. A year ago, I found a nutritionist who supported my Paleo experiment. No other eating plan has made my body leaner or stronger than Paleo. I’m the oldest member of my Crossfit box, lifting weights I never knew possible. I also work with children and see so many behaviors that I now believe to be likely due to diet issues. I would love to have this book to help spread the word in my world.
Oh, yes, I also “liked” on Facebook!
I actually already liked this page on facebook. I’m much more motivated by seeing other people’s success, especially when they started off with some work to do!
Hi – Liked – would love a copy of the book – I have health issues to deal with and it is helpful and inspiring to see that other’s succeed.
I’d love a copy of the book because I think it would help me with the lifestyle change I started implementing a few months ago. It became about more than just weight loss for me. I want to find the best foods/lifestyle for my body and I think this book can greatly contribute to that quest.
Liked the FB page. Could always use real life stories to maintain motivation.
I would love a copy of the book. My husband and I are beginning this journey and we could use ALL the help we can get! We both are sick and tired of being sick and tired… and fat.
…and I did step #1. 🙂
Liked on face book. I would love a copy of this book. I am new to the Paleo way of life and need to stay motivated! Love all of the success stories!
Liked on Facebook!
I would love to win a copy of the book so that I can show others that this isn’t just a fad diet with lofty promises. Showing the positive influence it’s had on others will help me show fiends and family that I’m not out of my mind. 🙂
Liked on Facebook!
I would love to read this book. It looks so inspiring. I have fallen off the Paleo wagon after being side-lined from CrossFit with an injury. This book looks like it would remind me of why the Paleo way was so effective.
like on FB. I need this book for continued inspiration and to keep me going. As the only one in my family that is living this lifestyle, it is kind of hard not to go back to old habits sometimes…
I liked The Paleo Miracle on FB. I have been on a Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, low sugar diet for 14 months now and know I am still consuming foods that I am still reacting too. I am totally compliant with my diet but believe there must be some cross reactivity going on. I keep reading about Paleo, perhaps that is the correct route for me. I am in research mode and this book would be a good read for that reason.
I liked The Paleo Miracle on FB. I’d love to win and share this book with all of my extended family!
Liked on Facebook! i would love the book to use for motivation. I’ve gone Paleo to heal my IBS and lose excess weight. Being able to read other’s success stories would certainly help me persist!
Liked on FB-desperately need the motivation!
liked on FB; would love to have a copy for self-motivation and also to loan out to others to help inspire them
Just “liked” on FB; would love to have a copy to share with others! I’ve been paleo for over a year now and grow ever more thankful for the healthy lifestyle change it has brought into my life. This book would be the perfect tool to help explain/inspire/encourage others to make the change!
I’d like to pass this on to my parents who’d be more willing to be Paleo after reading these transformations!
I liked paleo miracle. I would like to give it to my sister who is thinking about changing some things in her life.
liked on facebook and would love a copy of the book for self motivation and inspiration.
Liked on Facebook. Would love to read all the success stories!
Liked on FB…interested in all the interesting stories.
Liked FB!!! I have adopted Paloe lifestyle since last year September. My allergy and issues of stomachache and craving are gone gone and gone. I am still absorbing lots of awesome information from Balance bites Podcast and The Paleo Miracle book will enhance my knowledge and implementation of my Paleo lifestyle.
Thank you.
Done, liked on FB. Jan. of 2012 I started the paleo lifestyle and started feeling better, even dropped 30 pounds. The last 4 months have been horrible. Turning 65, having to change Doctors, etc really threw me for a loop. I fell off my strict eating habit and have struggled despirately to stay back on it. I’ve had fibromylgia for over 20yrs and also suffer from depression. My medication list is long but I’m working on making it shorter. I believe that reading the wonderful success stories/pictures would be such an encouragement for me to carry on! My heartfelt thanks to all you beautiful people who are willing to write and share your stories and struggles…Thank You!
Liked on FB!
I’d love a copy of this book to help inspire my parents, both on the cusp of turning 70, to reclaim their health and fitness during their golden years. I’ve been paleo for almost 2 months now and am a full fledged believer in the lifestyle! I believe that nothing motivates us more than seeing how other people achieve their goals, and to have an entire book dedicated to that would be a wonderful, invaluable resource.
Thanks! 🙂
Like on FB! I did the Lurong Challenge for 9 weeks and looked and felt great! Slowly started eating crappy again. I need to get motivated and get back on the Paleo Train!!!
I liked the page on FB awhile ago, I like reading the inspirational stories. I have been mostly paleo for a month now to help with depression and weight loss. Would love to have the book to read how it has helped so many people!
I liked The Paleo Miracle on FB and would really love the book to inspire my future clients. I am a holistic nutrition student.
Liked on FB. I feel like I need constant reassurance and success stories from other people to stay on track. Living Paleo is hard where I live because there is not much mainstream support. I’m trying to get my family on track also, but I’m having trouble getting my girls and husband on board.
Diane,
Thanks for this great giveaway! I liked the book on FB, and now I really really hope to win it so that I can ingest the inspirational stories to help me get on track. I have let well-ingrained, backwards ideologies get in the way of reaching optimal health, and would love this book as…not a kick in the pants, but rather a carrot (or pork chop, or steak) to dangle in front of myself. And then, I’ll pass it to my family members!
Liked on facebook! I would love a copy of this book to help convince my husband to make the full on switch to paleo – he’s been gluten and dairy free for a while but I think going full paleo will help him with his ADHD and other mental health issues. Thanks for the chance!
sorry to be a bitch but this article needs some editing. By even just quickly browsing I came across spelling errors and typos. “favrotie” in line 2, “discribe” in line 3. “their” not there and on and on. Just run a quick spell check folks
I’d love to receive a copy to help motivate my teenagers to jump aboard the Paleo wagon for life.
Congrats, Joe! The book is a great accomplishment and I love seeing a bunch of friends in there.
Liked on FB! I would love a copy to share with my parents and in-laws, but mostly for my hubby.
I liked on Facebook. I have to win a copy because I need to see who the couple is in the Jamiaca pictures, I think I SAW them when we were there in 2012!! I think we stayed at the same resort!!