Media Archives - The Paleo Network

Welcome to those who've found the site through the article in this weekend's “The Age” newspaper.

It's great to see Paleo getting more and more publicity and for more people to consider removing the grains and changing their diets.

If you're interested in finding out about Paleo there's lots of information on the site and a free guide to Paleo Australia ebook you can download now. Sign up to my newsletter on the right to get your free guide.

The Paleo Movement in Melbourne: Then and Now

Back in June 2012, I was honoured to be featured in The Age newspaper in an article titled “Meat and Greet: Modern Hunger for Caveman Diet”. The article explored how the Paleo lifestyle – once seen as a niche movement – was beginning to take off in Melbourne and beyond. It was so encouraging to see mainstream media not only notice Paleo, but take it seriously enough to speak to everyday Australians who were living and breathing the lifestyle.

At the time, there were only a handful of us in Australia talking about Paleo online. The concept was still relatively unknown outside of CrossFit gyms and health forums. The Age article profiled a variety of Paleo advocates: CrossFit trainers, pregnant mums, software developers, and even musicians, all of whom had embraced the lifestyle and were seeing real, tangible health benefits — from clearer skin and better digestion to improved energy and weight loss.

I shared my own story in that piece – how I’d lost 17kg in just three months by cutting grains and processed food and how my lifelong asthma disappeared. That was the moment Paleo stopped being just a personal experiment for me and became a passion to share with others. Soon after, The Paleo Network started gaining traction, and what had been a small personal blog quickly grew into a go-to resource for Australians wanting to embrace a more ancestral approach to health.

Why Paleo Resonates in Melbourne

Melbourne has always had a strong food culture – we love our brunches, our farmers markets, our artisan producers. But alongside the café culture, there’s also been a deep interest in wellness and sustainability. Paleo ticks a lot of boxes for health-conscious Melburnians:

It focuses on whole, real food, with an emphasis on seasonal and local produce.
It avoids highly processed foods and seed oils – common culprits in many modern health conditions.
It’s flexible – Paleo isn’t about deprivation but about choosing the most nourishing options available.

Since 2012, Melbourne has only become more Paleo-friendly. There are now more butchers who understand the value of grass-fed and pasture-raised meat. Organic markets have popped up across the suburbs. Cafés offer grain-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free options – and even if they don’t use the word “Paleo”, they’re speaking the same language.

Even CrossFit boxes and strength gyms across Victoria continue to champion the Paleo way of eating, often combining it with intermittent fasting, cold exposure, and mobility work – all elements inspired by our ancestral roots.

The Impact of Media on the Paleo Movement

Being interviewed by a major newspaper helped bring Paleo into the Australian mainstream. The Age article gave a human face to the movement and highlighted the diversity of people trying this lifestyle – it wasn’t just “fitness bros” or wellness influencers. It was mums, professionals, people with autoimmune conditions, and busy workers looking for sustainable health solutions.

Mainstream media coverage helped break down the misconceptions around Paleo. Suddenly, people weren’t just seeing it as a weird diet based on caveman clichés – they were seeing it as a real option to help them feel better, lose weight, improve digestion, and even reverse chronic conditions.

Today, we have podcasts, Instagram pages, YouTube channels, and documentaries – but back then, a single print article could ignite thousands of conversations. And it did.

Paleo Success Stories from Melbourne

Over the years, I’ve received countless emails from people in Victoria sharing how Paleo changed their lives. A few highlights include:

Anna from Fitzroy, who healed her PCOS symptoms and lost 10kg without counting calories or doing endless cardio.
Damien from Richmond, who credits Paleo and intermittent fasting for helping him manage Type 2 diabetes and avoid medication.
Miriam from St Kilda, who switched her whole family to Paleo after her daughter’s behavioural issues improved dramatically on a grain-free, additive-free diet.

These aren’t isolated cases – they’re part of a growing body of anecdotal evidence showing how a whole food, ancestral diet can help address modern health issues at the root cause.

Where to Start with Paleo in Melbourne

If you’re new to Paleo and found this post through The Age or another mention, here’s where to begin:

Download my free guide – it’s tailored specifically for Australians, including local ingredient swaps, where to shop, and Aussie-friendly recipes.
Explore the blog – there’s a treasure trove of information here on topics like batch cooking, eating Paleo on a budget, and navigating social events.
Join the Paleo community – we’ve got an active mailing list and social media pages full of recipe swaps, events, and support.
Check out local resources – farmers markets, CrossFit boxes, organic grocers, and ethical butchers are great places to start living Paleo without compromise.

And if you’re not in Melbourne? There are Paleo communities popping up across Australia – from Brisbane to Hobart, Byron Bay to Adelaide – and I feature them regularly here on the site.

Paleo Today: Fad or Foundation?

Back in 2012, critics were quick to dismiss Paleo as a fad. Dietitians called it “extreme” or “unsustainable”. But here we are over a decade later – and Paleo is still going strong. The key reason? It works.

Unlike crash diets or 6-week challenges, Paleo isn’t about deprivation or dogma. It’s about removing inflammatory foods, nourishing your body, and reconnecting with real food. Once people feel the difference – clearer skin, fewer bloating episodes, steady energy, better sleep – they don’t want to go back.

Sure, the name “Paleo” may not be as trendy now as “Whole30”, “Ancestral Health”, or “Clean Keto”, but the principles remain the same: Eat real food. Avoid modern junk. Honour your body’s needs.

Final Thoughts

Looking back at the Age article reminds me just how far the movement has come. I was proud to be one of the early voices advocating for a smarter, ancestral approach to food – and I still am.

If you’re here because of that article or because someone shared it with you: welcome. Whether you’re experimenting with Paleo for the first time, or you’ve been on this journey for a decade, there’s a community here to support you.

Let me know in the comments:

Did you read the Age article when it came out?
Have you noticed more Paleo options in Melbourne since 2012?
What’s your number one tip for someone starting Paleo today?

Let’s keep spreading the word – and keep building a community where ancestral health isn’t a fringe idea, but a normal part of everyday life.

I couldn't resist jumping on the bandwagon & creating what I think are the 6 perspectives of Paleo.

The 6 Perspectives of Paleo – Why Everyone Thinks You're Doing It Wrong

One of the more entertaining aspects of adopting a Paleo lifestyle is discovering just how wildly misunderstood it is. As soon as you tell someone you’re “doing Paleo,” it’s like a Rorschach test — everyone projects something completely different onto you.

I created the meme above to highlight the six most common perspectives people seem to have when they hear the word “Paleo.” It's funny because, well, it's painfully accurate. Let’s break it down, shall we?

1. How My Friends Think I Eat: Two Sad Lettuce Leaves on a Plate

To some of your mates, “Paleo” is just the trendy diet where you nibble on leaves and pretend to enjoy it. You must be starving, surely? When they see you pass on the burger bun or opt for sparkling water instead of a beer, they imagine your entire life has become a joyless parade of rabbit food.

This perception comes from the conflation of “healthy eating” with restriction — and from a culture that’s been told for decades that fat is bad and salads are the only path to thinness. What they miss is that Paleo meals are often hearty, satisfying, and rich in flavour and nutrients.

2. How My Family Think I Eat: The Government Food Pyramid Reimagined

Family members, especially older generations, often visualise Paleo through the lens of conventional dietary guidelines. They picture a colourful plate with grains, fruit juice, and maybe a dollop of low-fat yoghurt. If you try explaining that grains are out and full-fat is in, you might be met with raised eyebrows and concerned questions about cholesterol.

Many families still regard the food pyramid or MyPlate model as gospel. When you disrupt that with your pasture-raised eggs, organ meats, and coconut oil, it challenges long-held beliefs — and that can be confronting.

3. How Society Thinks I Eat: Like a Caveman, Possibly with a Club

To the general public, “Paleo” often gets written off as some primal cosplay where you swing a club and gnaw on raw meat while wearing a loincloth. There’s a strange tendency to take the term literally and imagine Paleo people living like our ancient ancestors in every sense — never mind the advances in cooking, nutrition, and food sourcing.

This view often stems from misunderstanding. Paleo isn’t about mimicking cavemen exactly — it’s about eating real, whole foods our bodies evolved to thrive on, while ditching modern, industrialised food products. It’s not about “eating like a caveman,” it’s about eating in a way that aligns with human biology.

4. How the Media Think I Eat: Meat, Meat and More Meat

Mainstream media loves extremes, and when it comes to Paleo, the meat obsession angle makes headlines. Paleo gets lumped in with keto or carnivore, and suddenly it’s all about steak, bacon, and giant hunks of beef. Balanced meals full of vegetables, herbs, fermented foods, and nourishing fats don’t make for good clickbait.

Sure, Paleo does encourage meat — but it’s about quality over quantity. We’re talking grass-fed, free-range, ethically sourced meat as part of a diverse, colourful plate that also includes vegetables, healthy fats, herbs, and bone broth. Media portrayals rarely show that side of the story.

5. How I Think I Eat: Instagram-Worthy Paleo Perfection

Then there’s your own perception. You imagine yourself whipping up stunning rainbow salads, grilled meats with vibrant herbs, and coconut-milk panna cotta topped with fresh berries. You plan to meal prep every Sunday, spiralise zucchini, ferment your own kraut, and always have bone broth on the go.

You picture Paleo perfection. But…

6. How I Actually Eat: Bacon. A Lot of Bacon.

Reality check. Some days it’s just bacon. Or leftover steak from dinner. Or a bunch of nuts and an emergency boiled egg. Life gets in the way of perfection, and that’s fine.

The beauty of the Paleo lifestyle is that it’s flexible and forgiving. It’s not about eating picture-perfect meals or living up to some Instagram ideal — it’s about making better choices, one meal at a time.

So, What Is Paleo Really About?

If you strip away the memes, misunderstandings, and media hype, Paleo is incredibly simple:

Eat real food: meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and natural fats.
Avoid processed foods, grains, industrial seed oils, refined sugar, dairy (unless tolerated), and legumes.
Sleep well, move naturally, get outside, manage stress, and live intentionally.

In short, it’s a lifestyle that encourages health through ancestral principles, not a rigid list of rules.

Why This Matters — Especially in Australia

In Australia, where supermarket aisles are stacked with ultra-processed convenience foods and healthy eating still revolves around Weet-Bix and skim milk, Paleo challenges the norm. It asks us to question the way we’ve always done things — and to pay closer attention to how food affects our health.

From autoimmune conditions to metabolic syndrome and food intolerances, many Australians are discovering that simply removing modern foods and returning to a more natural diet can have a dramatic impact on how they feel, sleep, think, and move.

Let’s Redefine What Healthy Looks Like

Maybe you don’t eat like a caveman. Maybe you’ve got bacon in your fridge and fermented carrots on the bench. Maybe you fast sometimes. Maybe you don’t. Maybe you have days where your Paleo “perfect” is a bit more relaxed.

That’s ok.

Paleo is a journey — one that’s personal, flexible, and ultimately about living better. If you're curious, the best way to understand it is not by googling another list of forbidden foods — but by trying it for 30 days, listening to your body, and seeing how you feel.

Over to You

How do people respond when you say you eat Paleo? Do you get confused stares, concerned lectures, or enthusiastic curiosity? Have you noticed these same six reactions in your own life?

Drop your story in the comments — or tag a fellow Paleo friend who gets it.

Let’s keep the conversation going and continue busting myths about what Paleo really is — and what it isn’t.

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