The human ancestral diet did not contain cereals, milk, breads, pasta, cook- ies, crackers, cheese, and other processed foods of the modern day. However, it is not so much that these foods are bad for us as it is that they have replaced and displaced the healthier foods like fruit, vegetables, and lean animal meats from our modern diet. When compared with the ancestral diet, our modern diet is ex- tremely high in sugar and salt, low in healthy fats (omega-3s and monounsatu- rated fats), low in fiber, low in vitamins and minerals, and extremely low in phyto- nutrients. This displacement of healthy foods in our diet is the main cause of chronic degenerative disease today.


So what is the diet our genes evolved on like? It is a diet rich in fibrous vegetables, fruit and lean animal protein. It is a diet that contains only complex carbohydrates as opposed to refined carbohydrates. It is a diet that contains animal products from animals that have been raised on their own ancestral diet of grasses and vegetation rather than grain. It is a diet that has an abundance of health promoting nutrients as well as a healthy ratio of fats. It is a diet that allows for healthy genetic expression.


Sugar and Fiber The diet of our ancestors was lower in


sugar-rich foods and higher in fiber be- cause it was mostly a vegetable diet. Al- though people in our culture conceive grains as being high in fiber, they don’t hold a candle to vegetables or fruit. The body functions in relatives and not abso- lutes; meaning the amount of fiber com- pared to the amount of sugar is most im- portant. Refined grain products are almost all sugar, and whole grains are mostly sugar compared to fiber. Fruit has higher amounts of fiber relative to sugar when compared to grain and grain products, and vegetables have the highest amounts of fiber relative to sugar. Our ancestral diet was extremely rich in fiber and contained very little sugar.


Sodium and Potassium Like sugar and fiber, the body needs


a relative balance between sodium and potassium. Refined and processed foods tend to elevate sodium and lower potas- sium while vegetable and fruit diets do the reverse. This leads to optimal potassium and sodium ratios that have favorable ef- fects on nervous function, fluid balance,


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Nutrient Content


A diet with optimal amounts of lean animal protein and large amounts of fruit and vegetables is synergistic in its healthy effects on the body. This diet leads to nutri- ent content that greatly exceeds the typical starch rich diet of the modern western world. It is estimated that our ancestral diet had double or even triple the RDA (Recom- mended Daily Allowance) of all nutrients in the diet.


Of interesting note, grain products are


known to have high levels of B-vitamins, but many of these vitamins do not get absorbed adequately for use by the body. This is especially true of vitamin B6 and biotin.


Animal Protein Our ancestral diet is considered by


many to be a high protein diet. A high protein diet, without the balancing effect of plenty of fruits and vegetables, is not optimal; but a diet combining protein and vegetables has been shown to be protec- tive against obesity, heart disease, diabe- tes, osteoporosis, and many other chronic diseases.


By


Jade Teta, ND, CSCS &


Keoni Teta, ND, CSCS, LAc Today it is known by many that a diet


low in animal protein can lead to deficien- cies of iron and vitamin B12. On the other hand, not many people know that there are many other healthy nutrients in animal protein that cannot be found in plant foods, like carnitine, taurine, and carnosine. Carnitine is best known as a fat burning nutrient, and is known to balance thyroid function. Taurine is needed to regulate nervous function, while carnosine is getting a lot of press as an anti-aging nutrient.


Phyto-nutrients A grain-rich diet, especially one that


is high in refined grains, is extremely low in phyto-nutrients when compared to a


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