What are the target stimuli to achieve?
The nutritional stimuli that have shaped our biology can be summarised as:
Omnivorous Diet
Early Homo sapiens were opportunistic eaters, consuming a wide variety of foods available in their environment. This varied diet included:
- Animal proteins: from hunting large and small game, fishing, and gathering insects
- Plant materials: including fruits, nuts, seeds, tubers, and leafy greens
- Occasional honey and other natural sweets
Humans can thrive on many different diets but animal food was always present. Plants may not have been but energy density wasn’t high enough for just a plant based diet.
Nutrient-Dense Foods
The foods available to early humans were generally more nutrient-dense than many modern equivalents:
- Wild game was leaner and had a different fatty acid profile compared to modern domesticated meat
- Wild plants often contained higher concentrations of micronutrients and phytochemicals
- The lack of agricultural breeding meant that plants retained their natural nutrient profiles and higher fibre content
This nutrient density meant that smaller quantities of food could provide substantial nutritional benefits.
Low Sugar and Simple Carbohydrate Content
The diet was generally low in simple sugars and refined carbohydrates:
- Fruits were less sweet and available only seasonally
- Honey was a rare treat, not a regular part of the diet
- Grains were not yet cultivated, limiting exposure to simple starches
This lower sugar intake likely contributed to better dental health and potentially lower rates of metabolic disorders.
High Fiber Content
Plant foods consumed by early humans typically had higher fiber content:
- Wild fruits contained more fiber and less sugar than modern cultivated varieties
- Roots, tubers, and other plant foods were often fibrous and required more chewing
- This high fiber intake aided digestion and likely promoted a diverse gut microbiome
Seasonal and Geographic Variability
The diet of early Homo sapiens varied significantly based on season and location:
- Seasonal changes affected the availability of plant foods and the migration patterns of animals
- Geographic differences meant that coastal populations had access to seafood, while inland groups relied more on terrestrial resources
This variability ensured a diverse nutrient intake over time and may have contributed to metabolic flexibility.
Periods of Feast and Famine
Early humans experienced alternating periods of abundance and scarcity:
- Successful hunts or discoveries of abundant plant foods led to periods of feasting
- Lean times, especially during harsh seasons, resulted in periods of relative famine
This cycle may have shaped our metabolism and our ability to store and utilize energy efficiently.
Minimal Processing
Foods were consumed in their natural state or with minimal processing:
- Cooking was used, but many foods were eaten raw
- No chemical preservatives or artificial additives were present
- Fermentation occurred naturally, potentially providing probiotic benefits
This lack of processing meant that nutrients were generally more bioavailable and that the food retained its natural structure.
Nose-to-Tail Eating
When animals were hunted, all parts were typically consumed:
- This included organ meats, bone marrow, and other nutrient-rich parts often overlooked in modern diets
- Organs like liver, heart, and brain provided concentrated sources of vitamins and minerals
- Bone marrow offered high-quality fats and unique nutrients
This practice ensured a more complete nutritional profile and minimized waste.
Soil-Based Microorganisms
Foods were often consumed with small amounts of soil still attached:
- This introduced beneficial soil-based microorganisms into the gut microbiome
- Exposure to these microorganisms may have helped train and diversify the immune system
- It also provided trace minerals from the soil
Natural Probiotics and Prebiotics
The early human diet naturally included foods that supported gut health:
- Fermented foods occurred naturally when foods were stored, providing probiotic benefits
- Many wild plants contained prebiotic fibers that supported gut health
- This combination likely contributed to a diverse and resilient gut microbiome
Varied Protein Sources
Protein came from a wide range of animals, including insects:
- This diversity provided a broader amino acid profile than typical modern diets
- Different protein sources offered varied nutrient profiles, enhancing overall nutrition
- Insect consumption, in particular, provided high-quality protein along with beneficial fats and micronutrients
Strategies
In order for us to get the nutritional stimuli we need in our current modern environment, some of the strategies we can apply are below.
Foundation: Embrace Whole, Unprocessed Foods
The cornerstone should be prioritizing real foods. This means focusing on foods that are as close to their natural state as possible.
Prioritize Real Foods
- Aim to progressively switch to real foods for the vast majority of your meals.
- When opting for packaged foods, scan ingredient lists carefully. Choose products with simple, recognizable ingredients. Packaged doesn’t necessarily mean to avoid at all costs.
Minimize Processed and Takeaway Foods
Processed foods lack the nutrient density and fiber content our bodies expect. They frequently contain additives, preservatives, and excess sugars that can negatively impact our health.
Be mindful of over-consuming calories
Our instincts push us to overconsume and, judging by the trends in people being overweight, it’s very easy to get more calories in than burnt day after day. What’s not spent is greedily stored by our bodies as fat for the week-long famine period that never comes.
Most of us should probably err on the side of consuming less calories than more.
(re)-Balance Your Macronutrients
Understanding and balancing your macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fats) is crucial for optimal health.
Ensure Sufficient Protein Intake
Protein is essential for numerous bodily functions, including muscle maintenance and immune system support.
- Many people don’t consume enough protein. Aim to include a source of protein in every meal.
- Animal proteins are above plant proteins in quality and availability for your body, so if your availability for your body, so if your views are consistent with eating sourced foods, privilege these.
- Treat processed meats as occasional treats.
Be Mindful with Carbohydrates
They’re very easy to overconsume in our modern food environment, so be mindful. Tubers are the closest source of complex carbohydrates our bodies evolved with, so privilege them if possible.
Fats are essential but high in calories
You definitely need some (see below for food sources) but, again, the imbalance between our energy expenditure and consumption is constraining us. Cheese may be excellent nutritionally, if you let loose regularly on it, you’re going to feel the weight.
Vegetables at Every Meal
Vegetables provide essential nutrients and fiber, supporting gut health and overall well-being.
- Aim to include vegetables in every meal. Start by being strict with this rule, then relax your approach over time as it becomes a habit.
- You can get them raw, cooked, fermented, etc.
- If you vary the colors, you vary the nutrients (simple and true).
Choose Your Food Sources
The source of your food can significantly impact its nutritional value and environmental impact.
Prioritize Quality Animal Foods
When consuming animal products, prioritize:
- Wild animal meats and wild fish.
- Pasture-raised meats when possible. These often have better nutrient profiles than their conventionally raised counterparts.
- Conventional meat without antibiotics is still ok: so don’t avoid meat if pasture-raised is difficult to get in your situation.
- Avoid farmed fish: these are raised in conditions that result in a completely unnatural diet. (Cows have been selectively bred to be domesticated, you won’t see them in the wild.) Fish are different.
- Make an effort to get as much variety in the cuts you consume as you can. Meats: go for bone broths, and the organ meats you like. Fish: canned sources have edible bones providing a whole range of nutrients in themselves.
Choose Fats Wisely
The type of fat you consume can have significant impacts on your health.
- Processed vegetable oils are best minimized: plant oils aren’t part of our natural diet and for good reason. The process to extract them often involves chemical reactions to extract the most oil. Even cold-pressed ones are coming from plants that were never cultivated before a few thousand years ago.
- Animal fats and traditional plant fats like coconut oil, olive oil and nuts don’t come with the sam disadvantage.
Whole Fruits and Seasonal Vegetables
- Consume whole fruits rather than juices. Whole fruits provide fiber and other nutrients that are lost when juiced. Drinking orange juice or eating an orange results in very different bio-mechanisms at work in our bodies.
- Choose seasonal and local produce when possible. This often ensures fresher, more nutrient-dense options. It also gets you back to a seasonal pattern and variations that form part of the stimuli beneficial for ur bodies.
Grains and Breads
This is a whole topic in itself but 2 key points:
- if you’re going to eat bread, get your portions under control. Most of us find it satisfying, some addictive, and we have trouble not to east a more than expected portion. It’s not empty calories but it’s still low-density and high in calories.
- minimize processed bread: sliced bread and other types of processed bread is often little more than a chemical experiment. Seriously, look at the ingredients. Very different from a sourdough that only has a handful. And 2 slices can be 300 calories, or a fifth of the calories recommended for the average person…
Reconsider Your Beverages
What you drink is just as important as what you eat.
- Avoid or minimize soft drinks. These provide little nutritional value and can disrupt metabolic processes.
- If you do consume soft drinks, opt for zero-calorie versions to mitigate caloric impact.
- Water should be your primary beverage.
- Alcohol is best minimized. If you consume, again, mindful of hidden calories.
Choose local or organic if you can afford to
Organic produce don’t provide more nutrients than standard ones but do minimize exposure to pesticides. Local produce by small scale farmers are
And always keep in mind…
The human body is extremely resilient. It’s both a strength and a weakness as it also means it can take a lot of silent abuse before suddenly breaking down.
But it does mean the above strategies don’t have to be followed 100% of the time. As long as you get it right the majority of the time, the impact of occasional treats will be negligible.
So organize yourself to get it right in your daily life, then don’t fret when life makes it difficult to sustain: in the end, it won’t matter so no stress!
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