In their natural habitats, omnivores, carnivores, and herbivores are not confused about food. Instinctively, they know what to eat, and their choices keep them healthy. They don’t have to think about it. With humans, that’s not the case. Rarely does our instinct tell us what and when to eat. Our thoughts and taste buds do.
Scores of available diet options and the frequency with which we bounce from one diet to another are evidence of our confusion and uncertainty when deciding when and what to put in our mouths. The manipulation of information by the food and pharmaceutical industries through the media to promote and sell their unhealthy products confuses us even more. This confusion results in a world population that is constantly getting sicker and with shorter life spans.
THE FIBER FACTOR
Although Ernst Ruska invented the first electron microscope in 1931, it was in 2007 that technological advances opened up a whole new world of the human microbiome. Plant fiber was confirmed to be the primary sustenance of the good bacteria in our gut and an important indicator of our health and well-being. Over the past five years, scientists have conducted more than 50,000 studies on the human microbiome. No other area of health has attracted such interest.
Since 1) the microbes in our gut microbiome require fiber as their primary food source, and 2) fiber is found only in plants, plant-based foods should be considered the foundation of a healthy diet. Because the healthiest and longest-living populations (i.e., the five Blue Zones*, rural China, Japan, and parts of Africa) consume abundant whole plant-based foods, their fiber intake surpasses the minimum recommended requirement. On the other hand, according to the American Department of Agriculture, populations on the Standard American Diet stressing meat, dairy, eggs, and highly processed foods get approximately 15 g of fiber, merely half of the recommended daily fiber requirement of 35 g for men and 25 g for women. Among the consequences are an unhealthy microbiome, a weak immune system, chronic inflammation, autoimmune diseases, painful chronic diseases, and premature death.
* I highly recommend the Netflix documentary “Live to 100 – The Secrets of the Blue Zones).
Many self-called “experts” with popular podcasts speak of the health benefits they’re experiencing on diets laden with meat, dairy, and eggs. I’ve met a few who even eat meat exclusively and rave about their health. When I asked their age, most responded that they were in their 40s, 50s, or 60s. Since history has proven that humans can survive on meat, it should come as no surprise that, for a time, we can feel good consuming animal-based foods. That doesn’t mean that meat is healthy in the long term. When we discover that some populations thrive on whole plant foods in their 80s, 90s, and 100s, feeling healthy when you’re 60 is no significant accomplishment. For the majority, it’s when we are in our 70s that chronic diseases manifest. And, while some meat eaters boast and are proud of their middle-aged health, they may be unaware that the chronic disease process has already begun.
So, if you want to thrive as an octogenarian (I’m 83} and beyond, the ideal path as a human omnivore is a fiber-powered whole plant-based diet. Essential sources are beans, grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Research and studies from the “Blue Zones” and rural China, Japan, and Africa indicate that for optimal health and a robust immune system, “whole” plant-based foods should comprise at least 85% to 90% of your diet. Although it’s acceptable to occasionally consume animal-based foods, if the goal is optimal health, a robust immune system, and a body free of chronic disease, the foundation of our diet should include an abundance of the whole plant-based categories listed above.
