To go forward, look back. Way back. Way, way back. This is the premise of the Paleo Diet, which advocates eating as our earliest ancestors did in Paleolithic times, before we learned to milk cows or raise grain.

The Paleolithic era, also known as the Stone Age, began roughly 2 million years ago and ended 10,000 years ago, give or take, which is a huge chunk of time. For the purposes of this discussion, it is considered the era of hunter-gatherers, when food was basic animal protein and fiber from plants.

Adapted for the modern eater, the Paleo Diet encourages proteins, fiber and certain "good" fats. It discourages dairy, gluten, refined sugars and oils, processed food, sodium, grains and legumes. Those last two might come as a surprise but have to do with avoiding foods that are difficult to digest.

I’m not going to try to explain the entire diet premise, but suffice it to say that many people are adapting Paleo eating as a way to lose weight as well as to fight chronic health conditions. A few requests have come my way for good sources of recipes.

Here are two: Arsy Vartanian’s cookbooks "The Paleo Slow Cooker," which came out last year, and "The Paleo Foodie Cookbook," just released. Even if you don’t buy into the whole Paleo concept, these books would be useful for those who must avoid gluten, and for general cooking they are intriguing in their use of less familiar, but quite tasty, ingredients.

Coconut aminos, for example. Made from the sap of the coconut tree, this gluten-free substitute for soy sauce is a truly delicious flavor booster. Vartanian also uses a lot of cumin, turmeric, garlic, ginger, cayenne and lime, often in interesting combinations.

This Asian pork recipe uses the slow cooker to produce a tender, fragrant and bright-tasting stew. It calls for coconut oil (one of those "good" fats), coconut aminos and shrimp paste shopping tips follow the recipe. The first two are pricey $8 for an 8-ounce bottle of aminos; around $10 for 14 ounces of coconut oil but if you are going to eat Paleo, you’re going to need them.

If you’re not a believer but would just like to try the recipe, you could substitute vegetable oil for the coconut, soy sauce for the aminos (use half as much) and fish sauce for the shrimp paste.

ASIAN PORK WITH COCONUT AMINOS

"The Paleo Slow Cooker," by Arsy Vartanian (Race Point Publishing, 2013, $27)

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into chunks
4 shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 to 4 chili peppers, sliced
1 teaspoon dried shrimp paste
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
Pepper, to taste

Melt 1 tablespoon coconut oil in skillet over medium heat. Brown pork in batches, about 5 minutes per batch, and transfer to slow cooker.

Saute shallots in remaining oil, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and chilies, continue to cook 3 minutes, then add mixture to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on low 4 to 6 hours, until meat is cooked through and tender. Season with pepper. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional analysis: 200 calories, 10 g fat, 6 g saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 450 mg sodium, 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g sugar, 17 g protein

Ingredient notes:Coconut oil is sold in jars in the Asian section of some supermarkets and most natural food stores. Coconut aminos are sold in bottles near the soy sauce at natural food stores (common brand is Coconut Secret). Shrimp paste, made from dried fermented shrimp, is sold in jars at most supermarkets, sometimes called shrimp sauce (common brand is Lee Kum Kee).

Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S. 

Write “By Request,” Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.