Perfect Human Diet Is Recipe For Good Health
In his film, Charles Hunt contends that our population hasn’t evolved to the modern agriculture revolution; thus, the human population can’t properly digest processed foods from grains and fats derived from vegetable oils.
April 24, 2012
There’s a growing movement that believes the conventional wisdom of eating “everything in moderation” is simply wrong. Perhaps achieving optimal health is as simple as drawings on the cave wall – eat like our ancestors and live a long, healthy life, with meat as the primary source of fuel.
I recently watched a new documentary, “In Search of the Perfect Human Diet” by journalist Charles J. Hunt. Hunt was inspired by his near-death experience in 1978, when paramedics revived him following a full cardiac arrest suffered while jogging. He was 24. With a second chance at life, Hunt traveled through time to find solutions to the current epidemic of obesity and its related chronic diseases.
“The confusion for most Americans is we see and hear so much contradictory advice, that we don’t really understand what to eat for optimal health. How can we deal with a national obesity epidemic when we don’t even know how to lose our own excess fat?” Hunt asks.
This reporter can relate to Hunt’s contentions, as I am one of those people who constantly gained weight despite diligent dieting and exercise. I was sick and tired, but a diagnosis of an autoimmune disorder related to gluten – a protein derived from wheat – changed all that for me.
When I cut grains from my diet, I discovered the concept of eating like a caveman and was amazed how quickly the weight came off and how easily I was able to manage my health.
I realize espousing one food group over another is a recipe for a heated, politically charged debate. In fact, Barry Sears, author of “The Zone Diet,” says there are three “visceral” things in life – religion, politics and nutrition. “They’re all based on belief systems and none like to be challenged.”
In his film, Hunt contends that our population hasn’t evolved to the modern agriculture revolution; thus, the human population can’t properly digest processed foods from grains and fats derived from vegetable oils. His documentary concludes that beef is a superfood, and Hunt hopes more Americans will challenge conventional wisdom and explore the perfect food diet, where beef is king!
Here are a few points covered in Hunt’s film that health-conscious consumers should keep in mind as you plan your diet for optimal health.
• “Our nutritional requirements are shaped by evolution. The evolution of the human brain was dependent on eating animal foods,” says Loren Cordain, author of “The Paleo Diet.”