Back to the Paleo Diet

recently i've noticed that the paleo diet has been making its way around the media again. two books on paleo* are in the top 20 advice books listed in the times and there are plenty others out there. i remember when i first heard about paleo in the media and it was in the form of caveman jokes. well times have changed!
so what's going on? i think it has something to do with the increasing popularity of cross fit as many cross fit trainers do paleo. cross fit focuses on strength, conditioning, creating a community and uses the "wod"-workout of the day. the workouts include timed activities such as tire flips (huge tires), kettle bell swings, pull ups, etc. it was started in 1995 by  former gymnast greg glassman and has been growing rapidly. in 1995 there were 18 affiliated gyms and by 2010 there were 1700.
my diet is quite paleo.  one recipe i make often is "paleo rice" and even if you don't do paleo this is a good way to get more vegetables into your diet instead of grains.

paleo rice

• take one cauliflower, wash, remove any leaves and cut out the hard stem
• break into florets
• grate florets with a cheese grater or pulse in a food processor -not too fine. this way  is much faster and easier on the hands
• you can either stir fry on top of the stove with a little oil**and your favorite spices or bake in a 375 degree oven on an oiled cookie sheet
• either way, stir occasionally until  the "rice" is soft and lightly browned

*if you want to know more about paleo i suggest "the paleo diet" by loren cordon
**coconut oil is often used in paleo cooking and another oil that seems to be getting more notice lately is ghee