Humans have also become very clever at separating out essential nutrients, naming them and then showing what a deficiency means. And then making synthetic copies and selling them as ‘healthy’.
Whilst this understanding is clever, I consider it to be unnecessary. No, I’m not a world authority on nutrition. I don’t have a qualification on nutrition. However, I am an observer. And I always turn to nature for my answers. Man is too unreliable, with fads and fashions changing every year. Profit also plays an enormous part in what is recommended.
However, Nature is reliable and eternal. Natural laws never change. Nature has no profit, or ego, agenda.
I feel that all your nutrition should come from good food, following your evolution.
Humans are omnivores, evolving over millenia on a specific diet.
There are a few indications that can indicate what food is healthiest for humans.
The big apes are our closest cousins. Mostly they are vegetarian, but chimps will hunt occasionally. The emphasis is on occasional. Once a week or maybe once a month.
This idea is supported by human anatomy.
Human teeth are more like horse’s teeth (a herbivore), than cat’s teeth (a carnivore).
Human intestines are much longer than a cat’s, as plant fibre takes longer to process than does raw meat.
Both our teeth and our intestines show that humans are naturally at the herbivorous end of omnivores.
So a diet high in animal protein is not in our evolutionary experience and I suggest that it does not contribute to your good health. And I’m not alone.
Another aspect is also important.
Wild animals only eat raw food. Cooking destroys essential nutrients and alters others.
By eating a diet that is high in plant foods (fruit and vegetables) and low in animal protein also complies with the 80/20 theory, put forward by Dr Baroody and many others. That is 80% alkaline forming food (as is plant food), 20% acid forming food (as is animal protein).
And by making at least 50% of the diet raw, means that you will be getting the enzymes and other nutrients essential to good digestion, as well as good health.
Diet is so important to natural good health, it can (and does) become a maintaining cause of ill health when it is high in:
- processed food (white sugar, flour, artificial ingredients including supplements)
- animal protein
- cooked food
It is also now known that pharmaceutical drugs cause acidity to the body.
People are often concerned about protein and calcium levels if they adopt a low animal protein diet.
There is much protein in plants. It is also far more easily digested and utilised than animal protein. How often have you heard people say, ‘the meat just sits in my stomach, like a heavy weight’? However, you will need to eat more than you currently do. Not a massive amount, but perhaps a little more by weight than the meat.
Green leafy vegetables are high in calcium. Although they may measure as less than in milk products, it is more easily digested and utilised. It’s not about the amount, it’s about how your body can absorb and use it.
If you’re still unsure, look at how quickly a cow, or an antelope, grows. They grow from a baby to a full, very large adult in less than a year. And they only eat grass and other plant material. Yet they are active (protein) and have huge, strong bones (calcium).
Many athletes are turning to a raw, vegan diet with increased performance, rather than decreased.
You may find these two links of interest.
Food Matters
Raw for 30 Days
