I'm A Human - How Should I Eat?

There’s a lot of confusion, difference of opinion and pseudo-science about how we should eat.

One authority says, “Eat plenty of meat and some vegetables, but no grains”; another says, “Go vegan—no meat or anything from an animal source”. 

Still others claim that we should eat primitive, unrefined foods only, while ad after ad hammers us with their sugar- and fat-laden products.

Too Many Diet Plans

There seems to be, on first glance, some logic to many of these approaches. For instance, a high-meat/low carbohydrate diet can result in statistics of improved blood sugar levels, weight loss and better muscle tone. A keto diet that utilizes many ‘quality’ fats can also improve blood sugar and weight, as well as reduce cravings. But are these diets to be used for a lifetime? If we consider the structure and biology of the human system it becomes clear that this is not the case; rather, these diet plans, while sometimes temporarily useful, are not the healthiest, environmentally responsible and economical way to eat.

While certain diets can be useful at times, for specific conditions, the question is, “What is the best diet for a human being overall?” By considering the design and function of the human body, we have a much more accurate basis for proceeding. This approach provides an answer based on observation and common sense, rather than somebody’s opinion, or reductionistic science, or—even worse—marketing!

Body’s Design is the Clue!

A master automobile mechanic could conceivably look at an engine’s design to deduce the ideal fuel to use. Using similar logic, let’s consider a few simple and obvious points of human design.

The mouth and teeth are at the beginning of the digestive tract. Many mammals have mostly sharp, pointed teeth for killing, cutting and tearing animal flesh, whereas humans typically have only a few of these carnivorous teeth. The rest of our teeth are flat surface grinders for vegetable, fruit and whole-grain foods. The ratio of human teeth is usually 25% sharp and pointed teeth to 75% flat surface grinders. (A note of interest: there are four teeth that are transitional between the sharp/pointed and the large, flat surface teeth; these are called premolars or bicuspids, and are meant to transition food from the cutting and tearing teeth to the molars for grinding.) My cats have mostly tearing and cutting teeth for catching, killing and eating prey. By contrast, my teeth are primarily vegetable-source teeth! Nature wouldn’t mistakenly put the wrong teeth at the intake port!

The Human Digestive System

Another indicator of diet by design is the length of the human digestive system. An average adult has a gastro-intestinal tract of around 25 to 30 feet. By contrast, the GI tract of a true carnivore (eats mostly flesh foods) is much shorter, if taken at the same scale by size of the animal. Meat requires less digestive processing, and produces more potentially toxic wastes than vegetarian foods, so the resulting wastes must be expelled sooner. Vegetable, fruit, and whole-grain foods are digested and assimilated much more slowly than flesh foods. Plant-based foods also contain significant amounts of indigestible fiber and water that is useful in the elimination of intestinal wastes.

A true herbivore (eats only plant-based foods) has a longer GI tract than an omnivore (eats a variety of plant-based and flesh foods). So, by design we can conclude that a human being is an omnivore; the teeth and length of the GI tract indicate a ratio of 25% animal-source foods to 75% plant-based foods.

Two Convincing Points

Here’s a couple of quick biological bullet points about the saliva in the human mouth:

• Saliva should be naturally alkaline; this protects the enamel on teeth; plus,
• A naturally alkaline saliva is the proper environment for the starch-digesting enzyme amylase.

These two simple facts of biology are huge in their implications. First, our bodies receive the most usable quantity of alkalizing minerals from vegetables and fruits, whereas flesh foods eaten in excess leave an acidic residue in the body’s tissues, depleting the alkalizing (or neutralizing) minerals such as calcium, potassium and sodium. A human diet too high in meat actually depletes the calcium reserves in bones and teeth. Calcium is pulled from these bony structures to be used to neutralize the acidic wastes left over from the excess protein. After a time, our saliva also loses its stores of calcium, potassium and sodium—so necessary for the conversion of starches to sugars—at which point the person is experiencing bloating, gas, intestinal irregularity and a host of other complaints, all because they no longer have the proper environment (pH) in the mouth for the enzyme amylase.

Aging and Your Daily Menu

Have you noticed as you’ve gotten older that you’re having more trouble with carbohydrates? This is more than just aging! If your saliva has become more acidic, your bank balance of calcium, potassium and sodium is overdrawn, and the environment in your mouth won’t support the starch-digesting enzyme salivary amylase.

An easy, transitional way to achieve this meal ratio is to look at your plate:

Three-quarters of the plate is vegetables (and sometimes a little fruit), while one-quarter is either animal-source foods or whole grains with beans or seeds or nuts . It’s best to separate—at different meals—the grains-beans-seeds-nuts from the animal-source foods . These two food groups require different digestive processes.

Whether you’ve chosen to be a vegetarian/vegan, or are a committed meat eater, 75% of your plate will be a combination of raw and cooked vegetables; 25% will be either whole grains-beans-seeds-nuts or animal-source foods (like meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy).

The 75/25 Rule

If you’ve been getting results from a dietary plan that isn’t based on design, please consider moving toward healthier, environmentally responsible meals that include 75% plant-based whole, unprocessed foods. In other words, get off the diet, and onto a lifelong meal plan by design.

We are dedicated to helping you develop a healthy, satisfying lifestyle!

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