Ancestral
Generation, Ancestral Foods
"The
writer is
fully aware that his message is not orthodox; but since our orthodox
theories have not saved us we may have to readjust them to bring them
into harmony with Nature's laws. Nature must be obeyed, not orthodoxy."
--Weston A. Price,
Nutrition and Physical Degeneration
For decades, Americans have seen their health decline even while following conventional dietary wisdom and mainstream nutritional advice from public health authorities.
We are told that most of
our chronic diseases are genetic, including obesity, heart
disease, infertility and many others.
This is only partly true: susceptibilities
to 
these
diseases are
genetic, but they do not develop to any significant extent in
hunter gatherer
cultures eating traditional diets, even when those hunter gatherers
reach old
age. What we know
of human life from
pre-civilization times, and from modern hunter gatherers, is
that our
genetic heritage is a program for robust health and vigor when we have
the
right foods.
Things began to go wrong about
10,000 years ago when humans began collecting grass seeds (what we now
call grains) for their food.
Comparative data from the 20th century indicate that Americans still have not re-attained Paleolithic (i.e. pre-civilization) levels of height or bone structure. Bone and dental health are also superior in hunter-gatherers vs. those eating grains. This biological history suggests that our genes aren't faulty, and that vigorous health is our birthright. By and large, we are not victims of our genes as we are so commonly told. Our genes are victims of us; of our own dietary choices.
Diet
Although numerous problems
contribute 
to the current
obesity, depression, and disease trends—such
as sedentary lifestyles and modern job stress—the problem of
modern
food is paramount. Many of the things we are now
introducing
into our bodies as food are essentially foreign ingredients in
the
biochemical sense and in some cases, toxic substances. They
are the
real culprits behind our ill health.
Here is an example. The term 'trans fat' refers to a certain configuration of how hydrogen atoms are arranged on the carbon atoms in a fatty acid. In a trans fat, where there is a double bond in a fatty acid chain, the hydrogen atoms branch off in opposite directions from one another, creating a straight molecule. These fats are created by hydrogenation technology (a few occur naturally). In the molecules of fat that make up our cell membranes, the hydrogen atoms usually occur in the 'cis' configuration: when there is a double bond the hydrogens branch off in the same direction as one another, creating a bent molecule.
Unfortunately, when we eat lots of
trans fats—which are ever-present in the average American diet—the cis
fats in our cell membranes are replaced with those trans fats, causing
rigidity and
imbalances on the cellular level. One such
imbalance interferes with insulin receptors and decreases cells'
ability to take up glucose. This in turn can lead to insulin
resistance and ultimately, Type II diabetes. This scenario
creeps up slowly and insidiously, unlike our response to something like
spoiled food, which is nearly immediate. Therefore, we often
miss the connections between the foods we eat and how they contribute
to the onset of chronic disease.
Our approach encompasses the wisdom
of learning from our biological history and validating that knowledge
with modern science. Thus, we take advantage of ancestral
foods and eschew the more recent foods that wreak havoc on our
physiology. Such ancestral foods, with nutrients necessary for optimum
health and vitality, include naturally raised meats (including organ
meats), eggs, fish and seafood, poultry, game, nuts, and
vegetables. Modern foods such as grains, sugars, and
vegetable oils are at the root of many of our health and mental health
crises, and yet they have unfortunately been recommended by health
authorities for decades. The consumption of these modern
foods, some with dangerous chemical additives, is often enough to tip
our balance from thriving to merely surviving.
Were Paleolithic people
really healthy and robust?
The
misconception that our Paleolithic ancestors were unhealthy is
widespread, despite what is well-known among anthropologists who have
studied the archaeological record: that they were healthy and robust.
While the average Paleolithic lifespan was short (between 30-35 years),
high infant mortality and other traumatic injuries were
common. When infant mortality is eliminated, the average age
was actually around 45. When Paleolithic skeletons are recovered, not only are the palates broad with plenty of room for the wisdom teeth, there is little to no dental decay. How many of us could survive for 45 years without dental hygiene or professional dental care? Somehow, this information about paleolithic health hasn’t made it into the annals of nutritional science, for the most part. We know now that certain chemicals in foods that were introduced later in human history contribute to altered bone structure, stunting of growth, and the promotion of tooth decay and osteoporosis. Other chemicals from grains are also implicated in Type II diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, and many more conditions.
The few modern hunter-gatherer cultures that remain also have robust development and health and a lack of tooth decay. They eat foods that are probably very similar to
what
Paleolithic peoples ate:
wild meats, eggs, fish, seafoods, nuts, vegetables, and
fruits. While their lifespans are also shortened due to high
infant mortality and trauma, those that do survive to old age are free
from chronic diseases such as heart disease and type II
diabetes. Contrast this with the numbers of modern American children suffering
from obesity, heart disease, and even type II diabetes.We deviate from our ancestral foodways at our own peril.