Did you know that humans are the only animals/mammals on this planet who continue to drink milk and eat dairy from other animals long after being weaned from the breast? It’s true! We can all learn dietary lessons from our innate animal friends. So let’s take a closer look:
Humans eat animals and all their by-products (milk & eggs) whereas our primate counterparts do not. In fact, the world’s largest mammals are plant-consuming machines when weaned from their mother’s milk. “The majority of the food consumed by primates today – and every indication for the last thirty million years – is vegetable, not animal.”[1]
- Apes, monkeys, and gorillas eat mostly fruit (70%): bananas, leaves, seeds, stems, termites and caterpillars.
- Elephants consume several hundred pounds of vegetation daily: grasses, small plants, bushes, fruit, twigs, tree bark, and roots.
- Horses eat all day (like me); it’s called grazing. Their primary nutrition source is hay and free-growing grasses and oats. But they also love fruits and vegetables, especially apples, carrots, and bananas.
- Giraffes are naturally herbivores, according to expert source, National Geographic. Their long neck allows them to grasp for all kinds of plants & bushes, consuming hundreds of pounds of leaves per week.
- Cows, goats, and sheep eat grass, hay, corn and oats. They also eat soybeans, sunflowers and many other plants.
- The Buffalo diet is primarily prairie grasses.
When it comes to nutrition, animals are much smarter than us humans.
Animals don’t go on diets, count calories, practice “intermittent fasting,” or engage in bi-annual “cleanses.” Animals eat instinctively and what nature intended; they eat plants. Plants contain healthy, antioxidant-rich phytochemicals and are loaded with vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, water, and fiber…pure energy! The aforementioned animals are large, powerful, high-energy, long-living creatures that thrive almost exclusively on plant foods – when not subjected to cruel human interventions and SAD (standard American diet). And what impresses me most about these amazing, beautiful creatures is their ability to live in harmony with one another despite their physical differences – unlike their human counterparts.
I’m not trying to convert anyone to Veganism, by no means. But I am trying to make a difference. People need to be aware of the remarkable health benefits derived from eating a diet high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. These nutritious whole foods will improve your health, increase energy levels, and extend your (quality of) life. The experts all have their differences, but they ALL agree on one important point: eliminate processed foods, white flour, and refined sugars, and eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fresh fish – and eat less meat. Seventy-five percent (75%) of your daily diet should consist of whole plant foods. Trust me; the popular Paleo Diet isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Recent studies are now demonstrating that our ‘stone age’ ancestors were more vegetarian than meat eaters![2]
I often ask my clients this question: How do you want to look and feel? Then I have them compare a nice firm, slender zucchini to a big hunk of raw, slimy, greasy steak – and I say, “Take your Pick?”
Hmm…what is that saying? “Not a sermon, just a thought!”[3]
If you’re looking to improve your diet or would just like more information, don’t hesitate to contact me today!
[1] Dunn, R. (2012, July 23). Human Ancestors Were Nearly All Vegetarians. Scientific American™. Retrieved from http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/human-ancestors-were-nearly-all-vegetarians/
[2] Zuk, M. (2013, December 17). Paleomythic: How People Really Lived During the Stone Age. Discover Magazine. http://discovermagazine.com/2013/april/17-paleomythic-how-people-really-lived-during-the-stone-age
[3] Lon Solomon
