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Our ancestors from long ago never experienced the health problems that we do such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
The following are some of the reasons why:
- The fruit and vegetables eaten by hunter-gatherers were a lot higher in fibre than their domestic counterparts. Obviously, there was also very little processing of foods which not only meant that their food was a lot higher in nutrients but also a lot higher in fibre. Fibre plays many roles in disease prevention.
- Meat was from wild animals and then later from free range or pasture-fed animals. The body fat content of these animals was generally a lot lower due to seasonal and reproductive variation as well as feed availability. These days, cattle are fed on diets that cause them to become obese in very short periods of time. The animals are then slaughtered when they are at their peak body fat. The so-called marbled meat is very high in saturated fat – the fat responsible for many modern diseases.
- Dairy foods would not have appeared in the hunter-gatherer's diet. Can you imagine trying to capture a wild animal who was feeding their young and then milking them?
Source:
The Lean Aubergine Dietetic Services
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