First World Problems

Today’s modern society is teeming with relatively new diseases. In modernized countries, 60% of people suffer from at least one chronic inflammatory disease: such as stroke, cardiovascular, heart or respiratory disease, cancer, obesity, type 2 diabetes and autoimmune disorders. There is no evidence of these in our ancestral history. All of these modern diseases can be traced to chronic inflammation in the body stemming from the food we eat. The modern civilization’s diet is high in:

• Ultra-processed foods like fast food and packaged foods

• Grains

• Added sugars

• Excess fiber

• Toxic industrial seed “vegetable” oils

• Cultivated high-sugar fruit that would be unrecognizable to our ancestors

• Cultivated vegetables that did not exist before the agricultural revolution

By eliminating these foods from out diets, we can regain control of a healthy body where we thrive, without chronic disease.

Archaeological evidence of our most recent ancestors, the hunter-gatherers of the last 10,000 years, shows that they ate mostly fatty, nutrient dense animal foods. This provided the most satiety and at least two-thirds of calories for their lifestyle. Prior to them and before the agricultural evolution, there is little evidence the that our ancestors ate anything but a high-fat, meat diet. Because of this, our bodies are still genetically wired to thrive on animal fat.

Animal foods are the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, offering their nutrients in the most bio-available form. This means we absorb more nutrients more efficiently in meat, than from plant sources. Some of these nutrients specific to meat include:

• Vitamin B12: liver, red meat, oysters, seafood.

  *Essential for maintaining a healthy nervous system, the production of DNA and red blood cells, and maintenance of cognitive function.
  

• Choline: eggs, organ meats (beef liver, kidney), red meat, salmon roe, fish.

  *Especially important for fertility–supports neurological development, fetal growth, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases later in life
  

• Vitamin K2: Goose and beef liver, pork chops, eggs, chicken wings, cheese.

  *Unlocks the potential of all other fat soluble vitamins. Supports heart health, bone health, and prevents cancer.
  

• Preformed vitamin A (retinol): Duck liver, lamb liver, cheese, salmon roe.

  *Essential for healthy immune function, vision, physical growth, and fertility.
  

• Carnitine: Lamb, ribeye steak, pork.

  *Supports brain and heart health. Also reduces aging by directly boosting cellular energy.
  

• Heme iron: Red meat, liver.

  *Supports immune function, cognition, and energy metabolism.
  

• Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA): Fatty fish, lamb.

  *Anti-inflammatory, supports male and female fertility, basis of hormones that regulate blood clotting and health of arterial walls.
  

• Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA): Lamb, beef, eggs.

  *Supports immune function, strengthens bones, supports heart health, improves excess fat loss, and significantly reduces the risk of various cancers.
  

• Taurine: beef, fish, and dairy.

  *Supports eye health, nervous system function, immune regulation, provides antioxidant effects, and balances electrolytes.
  

• Selenium: Eggs, liver, beef, fish.

  *Supports thyroid health, immune function, DNA synthesis. Offers antioxidant, anti-cancer, and neuroprotective properties.
  

• High-quality protein: Meat, eggs, dairy.

  *Metabolic health, cognition, muscle growth, brain function.

What About Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, Seeds, Grains?

Modern vegetables, fruit, and oils (even olive oil) did not exist in the time of our ancestors. Edible nuts, fruits, and seeds were few and far between, required substantial processing to remove toxins and anti-nutrients, and provided much fewer calories. In regards to their caloric return, it simply wasn’t worth the effort for our ancestors to spend time and energy seeking out these inferior foods when there were plenty of fatty animals roaming around.

Grains were not part of the human diet until around 10,000 years ago. When we compare the remains of "pre grain ancestors" to "post grain ancestors", the transition to a grain-based diet resulted in widespread disease and shrank our skeletons, muscles, and brains. Since fruit was infrequently available, and consumed sparingly, archaeologists postulate we ate sweet potatoes and raspberries if needed.