The SAD diet aside, both sides of the spectrum argue that their diet is the best for human health.
Vegetarians state that their diet is low in artery-clogging saturated fat, high in anti-oxidant rich fruits and vegetables, and rich in whole grains and legumes. They argue that all the protein necessary for human consumption can be obtained from plants and, in the case of lacto-ovo vegetarians, from dairy and eggs. They also point to the ecological consequences of meat consumption including excessive use of energy, water polution, and the fact that a large percentage of grains and legumes grown in America are fed to animals, land that can be used to produce food for human consumption. Vegetarians also point to the human intestinal track being shorter than predators in the wild, claiming that we are not meat-eaters.
Omnivores, on the other hand, argue that the protein in animal foods is easier for humans to assimilate and that some saturated fat is healthy for humans. They also argue that humans were originally hunters and gatherers, so a diet based on animal foods and fruits and vegetables is more closely in line with the diets of our ancestors. They also point out that there have never been any thriving, completely vegetarian, civilizations in the history of humanity.
Since I had grown up clueless about diet and nutrition and had been eating a diet analagous to the SAD diet, I knew I needed to make drastic changes. With the encouragement of a close friend, I became a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I also began reading about health and nutrtion and did the best I could to eat a healthy, low fat diet.
Fast forward 15 years: I had put on 60 pounds. I'd developed arthritis in my knees. Bone density tests showed I was losing bone in my spine. And I was so tired I could barely get through my work day. I thought I was eating a good diet. What was I doing wrong?
I had already been taking courses towards an advanced degree in Holistic Nutrition, so I began looking into studies that had been done regarding the dietary habits of different populations.
Indigenous Diets
In the 1930’s, Price (1997) traveled the world in search of indigenous peoples isolated from modern civilization who lived on natural diets that had not changed over the centuries. He wanted to determine why people in modern civilizations were experiencing poor overall health and specifically, poor gums and teeth while people on indigenous, natural diets generally had fewer dental problems and good overall health.
Price’s purpose was to obtain information specifically pertaining to diet and nutrition that would apply to the problems of modern degeneration, “including tooth decay, general physical degeneration, and facial and dental arch deformities and character changes” (Price, 1997).
To further investigate his theory, Price studied indigenous peoples who have survived and thrived with little evidence of physical degeneration. His study included isolated groups of the following peoples from around the world: “Swiss, Gaelics, Eskimos, North American Indians, Polynesians, Melanesians, Africans, Australian Aborigines, New Zealand Maori, Malay Micronesians, Ancient Peruvians, Isolated Peruvian Indians, High Andes Indians, and Amazon Jungle Indians” (Price, 1997).
He discovered that these indigenous peoples, while living in isolation and consuming their natural diets, overall had less than 1% dental carries, despite the fact that they knew little of dental hygiene, did not suffer from degenerative diseases, and had good general overall health, staying active into their senior years. All of these isolated indigenous peoples enjoyed high levels of immunity to dental carries despite the wide variation in their diets which included the following:
· Swiss of the Loetschental Valley: Dairy products from pasture-grazed goats and cows, whole rye bread, meat once a week, and vegetables as available.
· Gaelics of the Outer Hebrides: Sea foods, oat cake, oat porridge, marine plants and vegetables in season.
· Eskimos and Indians of Alaska and the Far North: Sea and land animal tissues, especially animal organs, limited vegetables, very limited seeds, and green foods in season and stored.
· Polynesians, Melanesians, and Micronesians: Sea foods, marine and land plants, limited seeds, and lily roots or taro.
· African Cattle Tribes: Milk, blood and meat, some plant foods.
· African Agriculture Tribes: Domestic animals, especially animal organs, fresh water marine animals, insects and variety of plants.
· Australian Aborigines: Wild animal life, wild plants, and fresh water or marine sea food where available.
· New Zealand Maori: Marine animals and plants, marine birds and eggs, land birds, tree seeds and plants and vegetables, especially fern root.
· Plains Indians of North and South America: Organs and tissues of wild animals, variety of plant foods, and fresh and salt water marine life where available.
· Coastal Indian Tribes of North and South America: Sea life and plant life of coastal regions.
· Amazon Jungle Indians: Fresh water animal life, small land animals and birds, wild plants and seeds.
While these native diets vary considerably, Price discovered that they all contain the necessary vitamins, minerals, and body building materials necessary to avoid dental carries and degenerative diseases. Chemical analysis of these various diets revealed that they contain two to six times the necessary body building materials as compared with modern diets of his time. They also all contained animal foods in varying degrees.
Price took his studies further and examined these same peoples after contact with modern man and exposure to the white man’s diet of refined white flour, refined sugar, canned foods, and polished rice. His study showed a prevalence of dental carries, 30% and higher, and degenerative diseases among all native peoples who had changed over to the modern diets. In addition, he noted physical changes in the first generation after the parents had adopted modern foods including narrowing and lengthening of the face and hips, a lowering capacity for reproduction, constricted nostrils resulting in mouth breathing, mental backwardness, and juvenile delinquency among others.
Price concludes: “One of the most serious of the present confusions is failure to appreciate that an adequate, well-balanced diet is capable of building people strong and well in all respects and adequate from maintaining health and strength” (Price, 1997, p.498).
The Mediterranean Diet
The World Health Organization (1993) mortality statistics of 1960 – 1990 showed that the people of the Mediterranean region had longer life spans and reduced rates of coronary heart disease in comparison with European and North American countries. Research from studies in Greece, Denmark, and Australia demonstrated that the traditional Mediterranean diet positively affects life expectancy (Trichopoulou et al., 1995a; Osler & sChroll, 1997; Kouris-Blazos et al. 1999).
“The traditional Mediterranean diet may be thought of as having eight components:
1. High ratio of monounsaturated to saturated dietary lipids (mainly olive oil);
2. Moderate ethanol consumption;
3. High consumption of legumes;
4. High consumption of non-refined cereals, including bread;
5. High consumption of fruits;
6. High consumption of vegetables;
7. Low consumption of meat and meat products;
8. Moderate consumption of milk and dairy products” (Trichopaulou, 2004).
These studies focused on a limited use of saturated fats and high complex carbohydrates as a major factor contributing to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Further study, using the Greek diet as a model, indicated that “the antioxidants, which exist in abundance in vegetables, fruit, beverages and also virgin olive oil, may contribute to the prevention of heart diseases and possibly several forms of cancer and other diseases, thus providing a plausible explanation for its apparent benefits (Trichopoulou, 2004).
The Blue Zones
“The Blue Zone,” has been defined as regions of the world where the populace have lifestyles and dietary habits resulting in longevity, including Sardina, Italy, Okinawa, Japan, Loma Linda, California, Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, and Icaria, Greece.
The diet of the Sardinians in Italy includes whole grains, sheep and goat milk products, an abundance of fruit and vegetables, especially fava beans, and red wine. Meat is only eaten on Sundays and special occasions.
The Okinawans in Japan enjoy brown rice, miso, tofu, vegetables, sweet potatoes, and fish. Pork is eaten in small amounts for ceremonial occasions.
The Seventh Day Adventists of Loma Linda, California follow a vegetarian diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, nuts, and water.
The Costa Ricans on the Nicoya Peninsula consume oranges, mangoes, papayas, corn, beans, rice, squash, and eggs. Their water is high in minerals.
The people of Icaria, Greece have a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and greens. They also drink an herbal tea that is a diuretic and tends to lower blood pressure.
Studies of the diets of healthy and long-living people around the world, including the natural diets of indigenous tribes, the people living around the Mediterranean Sea, and the centurions of the Blue Zones, while they vary widely, have common characteristics. These diets include natural, whole foods from their immediate environments. Foods that are not contaminated with pesticides, food additives, chemical fertilizers and include animals that are either wild, come from the sea, or free-range animals (and dairy products from said animals) which are not injected with hormones and antibiotics or fed unnatural foods. They also include, with the exception of the Seventh Day Adventists in Loma Linda, California, some animal foods.
In addition to these studies, I learned that I was unable to digest soy and had problems with beans, legumes, and dairy and was not getting enough protein. As a result, I had been eating too many carbs in order to get full and I'd been losing muscle. With this information, and the encouragement of my medical doctor and naturapathic doctor, I changed my diet again. This time my diet included:
50% fresh fruits and vegetables, organic as much as possible, locally grown as much as possible
whole grains, beans, and legumes
free-range eggs and organic dairy (mostly goat milk, goat cheese, and goat yogurt)
wild fish and seafood, free-roaming poultry, and occasional (about once a month if that) free range red meat
I try to limit sweets as much as possible, but the sweet tooth pops up here and there!
The result:
I lost 30 pounds (still working on the rest)
The pain in my knees is reduced to a mild discomfort
My bones stabilized and I had no further bone loss in my spine
My energy increased.
This is my personal experience and I will stick to this diet unless I feel a need to change. While a vegetarian diet may work for some people, like any diet, there is no "one-size-fits-all." We are all different and it is important to custom-design our own healthy and satisfying diets.
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