Many of us get the impression that something is profoundly wrong with the world today. Sometimes, it feels like everything is just too much. Like life is too complicated, and you don’t know how to manage it all. Well, hang in there. We all feel like that sometimes. We live in an age that’s more complicated than ever, with cellphones connecting us to billions of people we’ll never really meet and TV-screens showing us places we’ll never really go. When we can see everything, it seems like we understand nothing. But that’s okay.
The world has gone through confusing changes before, and somehow we’re still here. In times like this, I think it’s important to take a step back and focus on the essentials. If you can control your daily routine and take care of yourself, life becomes alot more manageable. There’s just one problem, however. We all know that we should get enough sleep, eat a healthy diet, and avoid smoking and substance abuse, but that’s really where the clarity ends.
What does taking care of yourself look like? What even is a healthy diet? No one seems to agree. Fortunately, we have access to thousands upon thousands of years of advice in the form of our ancestors. If we can examine what caused them to thrive, and what led to their ruin, then we can get a pretty good idea of how we should be living our lives.
Close human relatives have been around for an estimated few million years, and anatomically modern humans have been around for about 300,000 years. If we can trace a behavioural pattern to all the way back then, and it only went away due to cultural advancement, then it seems entirely reasonable that we should investigate this behaviour for some sort of health benefit, either physical or psychological. (Note that the brain is part of the body, so the two are often related.) If we can turn back the clock, and let go of our modern preconceptions, we might just learn something. Today, we’re going to look at three things early humans can teach us.
#1. Staying Safe
This is a simple piece of advice, often repeated but seldom heeded. I’m sure we’ve all seen photos of hapless tourists standing on precarious ground, or clueless hikers allowing bears too close for comfort. It seems like people have lost any vestige of common sense, especially when concerning physical danger. It pays to be mindful of your environment, and watch out for any potential hazards. People go missing in the wilderness every year, and I don’t want you to be one of them.
Humans only started this pattern of disregard for danger relatively recently. Even in Ancient civilizations, people were well aware of how dangerous it could be to find yourself in the wilderness. (The Greeks were noticeably afraid of leaving their cities.) Before the advent of sedentary civilization altogether, folks were even more cautious. Early humans certainly spent time in the woods, but they would very rarely have been alone, and almost never have been unarmed. That’s the difference between Australopithecus and Homo; we were prepared to fight back.
Why is it then, if humans are the most dangerous apex predator to ever walk the face of the Earth, that maneaters are such a concern? If you want some specific cases, you could look into the Tsavo Lions, the Sanketsu Brown Bear, or the Mysore Sloth Bear. Most experts attribute it to humans encroaching on natural habitat, on predators becoming sick or wounded, but none of these explanations ever seem to make sense. It appears to be an attempt to whitewash nature. As much as I admire conservation efforts, we don’t get anywhere by lying to ourselves. Wild animals are just trying to survive, and if eating you helps them accomplish that, then don’t expect them to hesitate. Compassion is a wonderful thing for humans to show one another, and we can even extend this to our pets, but that’s just not how most wild animals operate. Instead, I propose a more controversial explanation; maneaters are caused by human weakness. Essentially, when a predator learns that modern humans are easy targets, why wouldn’t it target them for food?
Okay, but if predators are so readily inclined to eat people, why do they typically run from humans? How could our ancestors have survived a world full of giant predators? Well, up until recently, most humans knew how to use a spear, and were not afraid to. I feel dejected whenever someone refers to spears as mere “sticks”. As anyone who has studied HEMA will know, spears are the pinnacle of melee weaponry. Fighting a spear-wielding opponent is difficult, to say the least. Plenty of early human cultures lacked bows and atlatls, but spears were ubiquitous. Considering that early humans would have eaten anything that moved, and they certainly had the skills to bring down large game, any bear in its right mind would flee the moment it so much as smelled one.
Now, am I saying you need to carry a spear at all times? No, but it would certainly help. Perhaps similarly effective, we tend to rely on firearms. They seemed adequate to repel tiger attacks in the Vietnam War, although casualties were still incurred. (I imagine they might have fared even better if they were trained in bayonet fighting, but who knows.) Unlike the most instances of maneaters, these tigers were facing hard targets, and were unable to take human life with impunity. By sticking together, and having the proper training with your weapon, you can significantly increase the chances of survival for yourself and others. Of course, these soldiers were mostly in danger because they were forced to camp in dense foliage. If you stick to open clearings and set up a defensible camp, the odds of a fatal animal attack fall even further.
It bears mentioning that not all firearms are created equal. A coyote gun is probably not suitable for bear defence. Make sure you’re proficient in whatever weapon or weapons you decide to employ. The most important thing is that you are prepared to defend yourself, avoid being alone, and make sure to let someone you trust know where you are at all times. That’s what our ancestors would have done, and that’s what can save lives today.
If you’re interested in the topic, check out the Dark Outdoors podcast. I met Chester Moore at the Fouke Monster Festival, and his presentation was very informative. He’s certainly met more than his fair share of dangers in the woods, and he’s not shy about the fact that the most common threat you’re going to face walks on two legs. (I’m talking about humans, in case you couldn’t figure it out.) So, if you decide to go outdoors, whether you’re trying to get exercise, appreciate nature, or find evidence of an elusive North American primate, stay safe.
#2. Animal-Based Nutrition
We’ve all heard it said before: we should be eating more vegetables. Supposedly, these foods are rich in vitamins and minerals, and reduce the likelihood of developing diseases such as cancer. I took this advice to heart. After all, everyone knows that vegetables are healthy, right? I diligently worked to increase my vegetable consumption. There was even a time where I adopted a strict vegan diet for about a year. I typically preferred plant-based meat-alternatives for dishes such as hamburgers. I drank soymilk on occasion, although not nearly as much as dairy. I definitely loved trail mix. Few will protest, then, when I declare that I really liked eating fruits and vegetables. So imagine my surprise when I learned that plants are trying to kill us.
I mean, seriously? Eating plants is bad for us? For real? I was always told that plants were the pinnacle of healthy nutrition, so to hear anything to the contrary was earth-shattering. I tried to find counterevidence. I tried to find a middle ground, but the nuances were relatively slight. The way our culture thinks about vegetables is deeply mistaken, and most plants are unsuitable for human consumption, being high in carcinogens, antinutrients, and myriad toxins not conducive to health and longevity. Oxalates bind calcium into kidney stones, sulforaphane disrupts the thyroid, lectins devastate the immune system, and that’s not even mentioning the cyanide. And then scientists have the gall to say this is good for us?
How can this be? I thought humans were omnivores, and that plants should be a considerable part of our diet? Well, let’s take it from the beginning. As far as modern science can tell, humans and chimpanzees diverged sometime from about 4-13 million years ago. In that time, human ancestors likely shifted toward a scavenging lifestyle, as opposed to their more herbivorous relatives. This allowed for a greater brain size, as per the expensive tissue hypothesis. Essentially, the brain and digestive system are some of the most energy-consuming tissues in the body. In order to conserve on total energy requirements, making one bigger tends to make the other smaller. A larger brain often entails greater intelligence, while a larger digestive tract allows an organism to extract nutrients from less efficient food sources, particularly tough, fibrous plants. In order to get smarter, an animal has to eat smarter.
Switching from a diet of cellulose and fruit to a diet of meat and fruit allowed human ancestors to dedicate more of their calories toward their brain functions. (Albeit at the cost of reduced capacity to tolerate various plant defense chemicals, and the loss of fibrous plants as a source of calories.) This allows for more sophisticated hunting patterns, more complex social dynamics, and greater capacity for tool production and tool use, particularly in the form of weapons. In summation, these features allowed human ancestors to transition from scavenging omnivores to apex predators.
Before we go any further, we need to discuss what a carnivore even is. A species that eats primarily animal products, but may obtain some nutrition from plants is called a facultative carnivore. There is no precise definition for what makes an animal a facultative carnivore as opposed to an omnivore, but I would propose that it’s a difference of emphasis. If a species can readily thrive by eating plant and animal foods indiscriminately, like most varieties of bear, it is an omnivore. However, if an animal practically requires animal-based nutrition, but can survive reasonably well consuming significant quantities of some types of vegetation, that would be a facultative carnivore. Humans are definitely carnivores.
There are several cultures that eat almost exclusively animal products, including the Inuit, but there are no societies known which traditionally ate almost exclusively vegetation. Meat was long recognized as imperative for human health and wellness, and plant foods are nonessential. From what I can tell, humans and wolves share a similar diet. (which led in no small part to the domestication of dogs, I am sure.) Both species traditionally prefer ruminants, but are capable of extracting nutrition from non-meat animal products and some plants. Also, in both species, a grain-based diet poor in animal foods significantly decreases their lifespan. Humans, coming from an omnivorous ancestry, retain a taste for sweet foods and are proficient at securing fruit; other than that, early humans and wolves largely share a diet. I wouldn’t call wolves omnivores, and so neither do I humans. In fact, early humans easily ate as much as 70% of their calories from animal sources, often significantly more, making them hypercarnivores.
What changed? In short, the Agricultural Revolution. Herbivorous megafauna, a favoured prey for early humans, suddenly went extinct, perhaps as a result of human activity or climate change, or perhaps not. Either way, this likely drove humans to find an alternative source of food, and this appears to have come in the form of domesticated plants. Humans transitioned from a meat-based diet to a grain-based diet, and the health effects were deleterious. Nutrient deficiencies plagued these populations, even as their total populations grew massively. While this strategy allowed for greater total economic capacity and reduced infant mortality, and possibly reduced fatality due to wild animal attacks as well, it came at the cost of individual vitality and longevity.
More recently, the transition from animal-based cooking fats to seed oils has had a devastating effect on global health, resulting in a pandemic of obesity, diabetes mellitus, and many other chronic diseases, including coronary heart disease. If only one ingredient could be removed from the Western diet, choosing high-PUFA seed oils would result in the greatest benefit to health. Saturated fat and cholesterol, long believed to be “artery-clogging”, appear to be quite beneficial to human health. This is mostly because saturated fat is resistant to oxidation, and oxidation is linked to accelerated aging, cell death, and chronic disease. Polyunsaturated fats, on the other hand, oxidize very readily, including in your cells. The more you replace healthy saturated fats, like those in beef, dairy, and coconut, with polyunsaturated fats, like those in seed oils, nuts, and legumes, the less healthy you will be. (For those wondering, monounsaturated fat, like that in olives and avocados, is somewhere in the middle. It’s less healthy than saturated fat, but it’s not nearly as bad as polyunsaturated fat.)
Excesses of processed sugar are certainly a concern, but their effect is minimal in comparison, and sugar in moderation has not been demonstrated to be a significant hazard. Note that natural sources of sugar may be nutritionally superior, although it is unclear why; not everyone agrees with this conclusion, however, and it is possible that natural sources of sugar may not be significantly different from their processed counterparts. Grains are definitely not healthy, although they present a relatively lower risk for most people, provided that the diet is rich in nutritious animal products. So, if you only change one thing in your diet, it should probably be dropping seed oils.
Switching to a diet based primarily on animal nutrition has several health and wellness advantages, and relatively few health concerns. Considering how detrimental a plant-based diet can be, why is it promoted by nutrition guidelines in the first place? Excellent question, and the answer is twofold. The first is that micronutrients were discovered before we understood the concept of bioavailability. Scientists discovered that spinach was rich in iron before we understood that humans absorb less than 1.5% of that iron. Humorously, chocolate is a better source of iron than spinach, and red meat is far greater still.
We have also made the discovery that spinach, like many plants, is full of toxins. The trouble is that small quantities of these toxics appear beneficial rather than detrimental in some studies, in the form of eustress. Plant defense chemicals cause the release of glutathione, in the body’s attempt to manage the plant-based toxins. Scientists then conclude that because the chemical forces the body to release this anti-inflammatory compound, the plant defense chemical must be good for us. While it is true that small doses of plant-based poisons may have some health benefits in some contexts, I think we should be very careful about recommending poison as a health food.
To further complicate matters, nutrition research tends to rely on observational studies, which is basically a questionnaire asking people what they eat. These glorified surveys then conclude people who say they eat meat more often get some diseases slightly more often than people who eat less meat, and then the academic institutions proclaim that a meat-based diet is dangerous, despite more relevant surveys saying the opposite. This is cargo cult science at its finest. While observational studies can be useful for figuring out where to conduct interventional studies, they aren’t typically enough to draw any definitive conclusions. (The exception is in the case of an overwhelming strong correlation, like smoking and lung cancer.) And I’m sure everyone knows how bad the work of Ancel Keys was, even though many people still cling to his anti-meat line of thinking.
In addition to these (possibly good-faith) intellectual errors, an ideological opposition to meat was driven by religious and corporate interests. I’m not even kidding; Seventh Day Adventists, notably including Kellogg of the famous cereal brand, partnered with plant producers to advocate for the reduction of meat in the human diet. Then the idea of animal rights came about, and now some people argue that it is morally wrong to kill animals in order to consume their flesh, a position not shared by the majority of world cultures. In recent years, the idea that meat is bad for the environment has entered the discussion, despite strong evidence that regenerative agriculture of livestock is net carbon-negative. (Recall that the Dust Bowl was caused by monocrop agriculture, and it seems very strange to suggest that increasing the prevalence of plant foods will improve environmental conditions.) Livestock is simply more harmonious with the environment, and better for human health. Additionally, it seems that the interests of the pharmaceutical industry and the change-averse mindset of the medical boards may result in widespread misinformation from doctors.
Yet another problem many have with the carnivore diet is ascorbic acid intake. The body needs some vitamin C to avoid scurvy and process collagen, but it needs even more vitamin C to process carbohydrates. Vitamin C also competes with glucose for transporters. So, the higher your diet is in carbs, the more vitamin C you’ll need. You can probably get sufficient vitamin C from meat alone, although some people may need supplementation, particularly as their bodies are adjusting to the new diet. Of course, this isn’t even a concern if you eat fruit regularly or rely on multivitamins.
Okay, so early humans ate an animal-based diet. What kinds of benefits should we expect for doing the same? Well, a variety of psychological conditions seem to improve or disappear entirely, in addition to improved subjective mood and mental health assessments. If you’re feeling down, binging on refined carbs and vegetable oil won’t do you any favours. It also appears that autoimmune conditions are a result of species inappropriate nutrition, and they too are cured by an animal-based diet. (You might have heard of this from Mikhaila Peterson and her father, Dr Jordan Peterson.) As mentioned above, supposedly “age-related” diseases such as heart attacks are prevented by this diet, and it significantly lowers risks of cancer. Oddly enough, it even lowers the risk of sunburn. Add in increased athletic performance, (from protein, creatine, and other nutrients in animal products) improved joint and skin health, (from collagen in connective tissue) and the ability to effortlessly move toward a healthy weight, (due to your natural hunger and fullness hormones working as intended) and there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t give it a try.
So, if an animal-based diet is nutritionally superior, what exactly should we be eating? Well, let’s start with the different kinds of meat. Ruminants, like bovines, ferment vegetation into saturated fat, and will therefore almost always be high in saturated fat themselves, regardless of their diet, making beef perhaps the single healthiest option. (Grass fed beef is nutritionally superior, but commercial beef is still very healthy.)
Monogastric animals, like swine and chicken, adopt the lipid profile of their diet, just as humans do. This means that if you feed them polyunsaturated fat, they will contain polyunsaturated fat. Since commercial pork and poultry farming utilizes a diet rich in PUFAs to feed these animals, their fat is relatively unhealthy. You could avoid these foods entirely, or eat pasture-raised animals. You could also opt for processed fat-free lunchmeat. If you do decide to eat commercial pork or poultry fat, it’s still healthier than potato chips.
Commercially produced eggs are in a similar position, with commercial egg yolks containing around 16% PUFAs. Pasture-raised eggs fare better, and egg whites are also an option. Egg yolks are included in Dr Ken Berry’s list of animal-based superfoods, so they’re definitely nutritious. Also on the list is liver, which is probably the most important organ meat. You should be eating a variety of organ meats and connective tissue, although muscle meat can certainly be the bulk of your diet. If these sorts of tissues are unappealing to you, the option to consume organ supplements and collagen powder is available, although whole foods are generally preferred.
Fish are generally quite nutritious, but make sure to stay within your mercury budget. Essentially, mercury finds its way from the ground into the world’s oceans. Marine life absorbs this mercury, and biomagnification results in predators higher on the foodchain accumulating a greater concentration of mercury. Different fish species contain different levels of mercury, with sharks, swordfish, and bigeye tuna containing way too much, light tuna containing a moderate amount, and salmon, sardines, and anchovies containing very little. Some have opined that these concerns are exaggerated, and that there is no need to limit low-mercury fish species, including light tuna. Others posit that fish are excessively contaminated with heavy metals and microplastics, and should be avoided. It should also be noted that those with autoimmune conditions may be intolerant of fish. You should also probably avoid things like cod liver oil, as the livers of marine animals can contain toxic levels of vitamin A. Fish should probably not be the majority of your caloric intake, but eating plenty every week is probably fine. However, if you’re worried about contaminants, there is no dietary requirement for seafood, and you can get plenty of nutrients from other animal sources.
There is an ongoing debate in the carnivore community about which, if any, plants are part of a proper human diet. Some, like Dr Anthony Chaffee, argue that human beings should only eat plants as a matter of necessity, and that humans should avoid eating any carbohydrates if possible. On the other hand, Dr Paul Saladino argues that long-term ketosis is unhealthy, and that some plant foods are healthy. If you’re attempting to reverse an autoimmune disease, then a strict animal-product-only diet is probably best. If you’re worried about committing to a diet that lacks a variety of flavour, then adding some plant foods might work better for you.
In general seeds are the most toxic part of a plant, (despite having the most nutrients in theory) and fruit is the least toxic part of a plant. Seeds are like the plant’s offspring, so it doesn’t want them to be digested. Fruit is a part of the plant that is supposed to be eaten, but not every creature spreads seeds equally. Therefore, fruit is often toxic to some creatures, but not others. (For example, capsaicin in peppers doesn’t affect birds, and birds are incapable of digesting pepper seeds.) Other parts, such as roots, stems, and bark tend to be relatively less edible.
As for what plants to avoid, cassava and almonds are near the top of my list. They are commonly described as “health foods” in the West, despite containing dangerous levels of cyanide. A pound of almonds can kill an adult in a single sitting, (wild almonds are even worse) and chronic exposure to cyanide is not what I’d call healthy. Stone fruit pits and apple seeds are similar, with a single pit being potentially lethal, but most people know to throw those away.
Green vegetables are next, as spinach, broccoli, and similar plant products are mildly poisonous, and contain almost no bioavailable nutrients. There’s just no reason to eat them. Nuts and legumes in general are high in polyunsaturated fat, not to mention that beans are often startlingly high in lectins. I would avoid them if possible. Most mushrooms will kill you, and the others are probably still really bad for your health. Nightshades like peppers, potatoes, and tomatoes are relatively toxic, and have been responsible for fatalities in humans. Grains are also pretty bad, albeit less than the worst offenders on this list, as they are essentially grass seeds. Refined grains are better than whole grains, as the bran is the most toxic part of the seed. Wheat contains gluten, and other grains contain similar defense chemicals. The most tolerable grain seems to be white rice, but it’s still not exactly good for you.
Foods such as sweet fruits, pickles, sauerkraut, iceberg lettuce, raw honey, genuine maple syrup, squash, pumpkin, cucumber, and arguably even avocados and olives are reasonably healthy in moderation. Most spices are fairly toxic, but they are typically consumed in small quantities. Some people do fine with tea and coffee, although it bothers others. Plant-based fats like coconut oil, cocoa butter, and palm kernel oil have a similar lipid profile to animal fat, albeit with less nutrients. If you’re worried, research what’s in the specific kind of plant you want to eat, and make an informed decision for yourself and your family. For example, I’m skeptical of citrus fruits, particularly grapefruit and unripe limes, as they contain phototoxins, but I don’t think a ripe orange every now and then is a problem.
There is a similar discussion about dairy. Dairy is a rich source of nutrients, especially raw milk. That being said, there are some concerns, including inflammation, allergies, and weight gain. There is also the concern that lactose takes the body out of ketosis. If you can tolerate it, milk is an economical source of many nutrients, although many cannot. Aged cheese has a different protein structure and very few carbohydrates, so it works better for some people. Most carnivores agree that butter and ghee are fine for the majority of people, although some prefer to avoid dairy entirely.
Now that we’ve gone over what kinds of foods to eat, we have to talk about how to actually implement the diet. I’ve heard the concern of cost brought up. Well, there are economical meat sources, and some have noticed that their overall diet was cheaper. Foods like eggs, light tuna, sardines, canned salmon, lunchmeat, hotdogs, milk, block cheese, and cottage cheese are actually quite economical, and are significantly healthier than something like grains. Grass-fed fresh beef may be nutritionally superior, but almost any meat is still abundantly nutritious. An animal-based diet can be affordable just about anywhere.
Another difficulty people often have when sticking to a diet is eating out. When you’re driving around, perhaps with friends and family, and you decide to stop at a restaurant, you naturally have to worry about finding food you can eat. Fortunately, there are several restaurants that offer all-beef patties, including McDonald’s. You can order steak or burgers, just as long as they aren’t cooked in seed oils. If you tolerate rice, then sushi can be a good option; if you don’t, then sashimi might be better. (Just avoid anything that has mayonnaise or spicy mayo, and consider whether you want to eat soy sauce.) If you can’t find a restaurant that works for you, you could always bring a snack like jerky, canned fish, or dried fruit.
With that in mind, there are some religious concerns some people have with eating some animal products. Buddhism, for example, may prohibit the consumption of meat, including fish. This still allows for a diet rich in dairy and eggs, supplemented perhaps by sweet fruit and gourds. This situation is often similar in Hinduism, although the eating of non-bovines meats may or may not be permissible. Some Christian denominations also call for temporary fasts, especially during the Great Lent, wherein meat and possibly fish may be prohibited or discouraged; this still allows for a diet consisting entirely of dairy and eggs. In Islam, foods such as pork and blood are forbidden, and a particular method of slaughter is required. Otherwise, I could find no issues with a carnivore diet.
In Judaism, the answer is a bit more complicated. In Rabbinic Judaism, meat and dairy may not be eaten together, although the exact details vary between sects. Karaite and Messianic sects may have less stringent laws, or forgo the prohibition entirely. (Fish and meat may also require separation.) As for mammals, only animals that “chew the cud” and have “cloven hooves” are permissible; this includes ruminants like bovine, deer, bison, buffalo, and even giraffe, and excludes swine, rabbits, squirrels, bears, monkeys, and many others. As for birds, poultry is allowed, but birds of prey and ratites are not. All reptiles are prohibited. As for seafood, only fish with “fins and scales” are allowed. In Rabbinic Judaism, this includes only certain types of scales; tuna, salmon, sardines, herring, saltwater cod, tilapia, mackerel, and anchovies are kosher, while shark, catfish, eel, crab, shrimp, shellfish, calamari, freshwater cod, and swordfish are not. As for bugs, grasshoppers and crickets are typically considered kosher, but most others are not. Blood and suet are also prohibited.
In more stringent communities, kosher slaughter is required, and meat may need to be kashered to remove the blood. More lenient sects forgo this requirement, and require only that meat come from a clean animal. There may also be a positive commandment to consume bread, particularly for the Pesakh seder and for Shavuot. This is also the case for those participating in the Eucharist. If you’re making the bread at home, you could probably make the bread out of gourds. (Think zucchini bread.) If you have an autoimmune disease, most religious authorities will grant you a medical exception. Even if you do end up eating grains for these observances, it’s still far less harmful than making these foods a regular part of your diet, especially if you only consume the minimum quantity.
Many Jews have successfully adopted the carnivore diet, sometimes to treat an autoimmune disease. As long as you are mindful of what you eat, there should be no conflicts. Instead of frying meat in butter, you could use coconut oil, or just grill it. (Tallow is processed suet; some Jews allow it, others do not.) Stay away from pork and shellfish, of course. Don’t put cheese or dairy-based condiments on meat. Simple stuff, really. I myself keep kosher, (albeit not quite as stringently as Orthodox Rabbinics) and I’ve had no issue phasing most plant foods out of my diet.
With all of that in mind, it seems like an animal-based diet will work for everyone, although individuals may retain different degrees of plant foods. However, if, for whatever reason, you still refuse to consume animal products, then there are a few guidelines you should follow. Try to get plenty of saturated fat from coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and cacao butter, and eat lots of protein powder, or maybe tofu. Avoid seed oils, green vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Avoid grains if you can, opting for pumpkin or squash instead. (Or maltodextrin powder, if you so desire.) If you’re going to eat grains, refined is better, with white rice being the best. Take plenty of vitamin B and D supplements, and make sure you’re getting enough iron. This won’t make the diet healthy by any stretch of the imagination, but that’s how I would make the most out of a bad situation.
Note that a plant-based diet is not suitable for children or pregnant mothers. Malnutrition and chronic toxicities from a plant-based diet are highly detrimental to the child’s health, and can result in a range of health conditions from stunted growth to outright death. If a consenting adult voluntarily decides to subject themselves to this diet, it is typically considered within his rights to do so, but I, for one, draw the line at children. Malnutrition from a species-inappropriate diet is a worldwide health concern, and I would not like to see that expand into developed countries.
Wow, that took a while longer than I thought. Thank you to everyone who’s still reading this. I hate to dump so much information into your lap all at once, but I think it’s important. I had sarcopenia for years as a result of mainstream health advice, and I still haven’t fully recovered yet, but I’m working on it. It just makes me so frustrated to see our nutritional establishment basically lying to people. If I can help someone else have a healthy childhood, then it’s all worth it. And none of this would have been possible if we couldn’t examine the lives of our earliest ancestors. I guess it’s really them I have to thank. We wouldn’t even be here without them.
And if you’re looking for new ideas on what to make, I’ve got good news for you. Sporkless Entertainment is working on creating a food blog, where we can deliver healthy and exciting recipes you can make from the comfort of your own home. I plan on sharing quite a few animal-based dishes myself, including several interesting ways I’ve learned to incorporate protein powder and canned fish into my diet. Our goal is to make home cooking simple, affordable, and customizable, with something for just about everyone. Some of these ideas are certainly…unique, from a flavour perspective. I’ve never been afraid to experiment, and I’m happy to share my progress with all of you. Stay tuned for more!
#3. Friends Are Important
If there’s one thing we recognize as a human value, it’s cooperation. Humans have long needed to work together to survive. Even from our earliest days as hunters, we had to communicate constantly and act in unison with others of our kind. From gathering food to fending off predators, we needed to get along well with others. Among all the wild animals, most similar to humans is the wolf, and we got along with wolves so well that they now live in our houses. Then that started to change. Modern society values independence to the highest possible degree, yet people are growing less competent than ever. Why is that?
Well it would appear that it starts at the developmental level. If we look at our distant relative the rhesus monkey, impaired socialization in early childhood leads to reduced social skills, depression, and anxiety. We’ve conducted similar experiments on adult humans in the short-term, but it would obviously be unethical to try this with children. It is abundantly clear that, for social primates, companionship is a necessity. Modern parenting styles that promote isolation and independence in infants cause psychological impairment in children. Leaving them alone to “cry it out” leads to chronically excessive cortisol levels, resulting in a brain that is permanently altered. Such children may experience poor memory, elevated stress levels, and difficulties connecting with others, and that’s assuming there isn’t a specific disorder involved.
If we look at this from the perspective of early humans, it starts to make sense where things went astray. Outside of the modern West, people don’t leave young children alone. It doesn’t make any sense. Due to our large brains and narrow waists, humans are born very early in their development. For many species, such as bovines, newborns can walk the very day of their birth, but not so for us. Human children are frail, needy, and vulnerable. For our ancestors, leaving a child alone was a death sentence, and still isn’t exactly safe. When children are raised to learn that others will be there for them, they feel confident and assured, and can gradually learn independence as they grow up. But when children are isolated, all they learn is that when they need help the most, no one will be there for them.
Even in adulthood, some of the most common fears include fear of the dark and fear of the unknown. If you can see or anticipate a threat coming, then maybe you can protect yourself. A leopard isn’t quite as scary when you know where it is, and have the light of the sun to reveal its approach. All of these things are true, but I don’t think they’re the whole story. You see, I would argue that behind most fears is another, the fear of being alone. People are much less afraid when they’re with other people they can trust. If we don’t feel like we have someone we can depend on, life seems an awful lot less manageable.
Social isolation is a serious mental health concern. Up until very recently, the vast majority of people spent much of their time close to people they cared about. With people living alone more than ever, and social media replacing normal human interaction, is it any wonder people are feeling lonely and discontent?
Take some time to catch up with friends, and remember to talk to your family once in a while. The people we care about are the most important things in our life, and we can’t pretend like we don’t need them. To depend on others is part of being human. If you’re feeling lonely or anxious, talking to someone you can trust is often the first step toward recovery. And, for what it’s worth, I hope you’re doing well.
In Conclusion
This one was really special for me. I’ve been wanting to discuss these topics for a long time, and I’m glad I finally got the chance to do it. I’m sorry it went on as long as it did, but I felt the information was necessary. Sometimes we create our own problems, and we have to take a step back to solve them. There are plenty more tips and tricks we can learn from our ancestors, but I think these are most important. I really wish I was taught this kind of stuff growing up, and this is what I would teach my children if I ever managed to become a parent. Maybe it’ll help you too.
As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read this. It means alot. I’m just fascinated by so many topics, and I’ve recently been learning more about how early humans lived, so I just had to share it with you. I know this article got a little heavy into lifestyle advice, but I should be publishing more of our regular content again soon. Take care.
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