by Health Dr. 1 on Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:41 am
There are probably as many diets as there are health experts, maybe more since experts often change their opinions. There is some merit to each of these types of diets; however, I don’t know that either one is ideal, especially not for every person. The “feast or famine” has its roots in the Paleolithic-type diets in which people were regularly subjected to times of scarcity; also, caloric restriction has shown some benefits in terms of life extension. Personally, I cannot believe that this principle is best employed by starving the body throughout the day every day and then eating indiscriminately.
As to the all-meat diet, there are many considerations. First of all, a diet such as this one will most likely be acidifying since nearly all animal proteins are acidifying foods; an overly-acidic body is one that is more prone to disease. In addition, many people that consume high amounts of meat are likely to suffer from constipation. If the meats are not organic and free-range, you will also be consuming a high amount of pesticides, herbicides, hormones, and antibiotics as well. From the standpoint of physiology, it appears that humans are not designed to be exclusively meat-eaters, the length and complexity of the digestive tract and the structure of our teeth suggest this. Personally, I think that the most compelling argument against an exclusively meat diet is that you miss so many of the nutrients that are contained within plant foods. This diet makes more sense if it were completely raw and organic; at least, you would be able to benefit from the enzymes present in the meat as well as some of the nutrients that are destroyed in processing and cooking.
Perhaps the diet that makes the most sense for the most people is one that incorporates primarily fresh, raw, organic fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and some organic meats. One could attempt to mimic a more primitive hunter-gatherer-type by eating these types of foods as they are grown fresh and in season. It is also wise to learn how the body digests certain types of foods and combine compatible types of foods for each meal. For instance, meats and starches mixed within the same meal decreases the digestion of both components. This type of diet also excludes the hydrogenated fats, pesticides, chemical additives, synthetic hormones, and many other toxins that are prevalent in the Standard American Diet, SAD. This type of diet is generally rich in vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, anti-oxidants, enzymes, oxygen, fiber, and other health-enhancing substances.
