Book review: Primal body, primal mind
As Gedgaudas puts it herself, Primal Body—Primal Mind describes “an approach to diet, nutrition, and health so simple even a caveman can do it.”
Sounds good to me! That alongside the clue to our successful future as a species lies in our past - as the cave paintings on the cover suggest. Gedgaudas is not the first to point out that modern humans are essentially genetically identical to our ancestors of more than forty thousand years ago. “We are all [still]—biologically, genetically, and physiologically, without exception—hunter gatherers.”
This implies that the “natural” diet of humans centered primarily on animal source foods, which provided adequate amounts of protein with generous quantities of fat—always coveted as a concentrated energy source, especially in colder regions. Depending upon climate and geography, fibrous fruits and vegetables, with some nuts and seeds, were also part of some of our ancestral diet. In this pre-agricultural proving ground, humans had very little dietary exposure to starchy carbohydrates, and grains were notably absent. In fact, as Gedgaudas emphasises, carbohydrates are the single macronutrient that is not required for human health. Fats and proteins are absolutely essential, however. Only red blood cells require glucose as fuel, and the body can manufacture that from a combination of fats and proteins when needed. All other tissue cells in the body—including those of the brain and heart—prefer ketones, energy units metabolized from fat, as their fuel source. Most medical authorities and conventional nutritionists completely ignore this fact, says Gedgaudas, even in the face of “abundant evidence that many modern disease processes, including cardiovascular disease, elevated triglycerides, obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cancer, to name a few…are the product not of excess natural fats in the diet, but of excess carbohydrates.”
I particularly enjoyed Gedgaudas’ idea that fundamental principles lead to a true understanding of how both the body and mind function and are based on essential human physiology. Our most basic nutritional requirements—as conditioned by our long history as hunter/gatherers—point the path to vibrant health. Let’s go get it!
