Column #10

Marketers and commentators have changed the original meaning of the “Paleo Diet.” It never meant one should exercise, hunt, or eat exactly like a caveman. Nutritional scientists originally used it to describe the chemistry of man’s diet prior to grain farming. They would say the “Paleo Diet” differed from the chemistry of today’s modern diet and then explain the negative impact those changes have had on health. The Paleo emphasis today is more on lifestyle than food chemistry.

Natural, organic, lean, non-GMO, free range, heart healthy, local, cage free, and similar labels mean nothing in terms of nutrition and food safety. When livestock nutritionists formulate feeds for cattle, poultry, pigs, and other animals, they never focus on those labels (unless a feed buyer wants a marketing ploy to suck in the gullible public). Instead, livestock nutritionists analyze their feed rations based on the chemistry and cost of individual feeds to determine if they will economically provide the nutrients for raising an animal either for slaughter or for maintaining it for long-term breeding and production.

Finishing feeds that are formulated to produce rapid growth of muscle and fat are primarily grain-based. The feed formula for sustaining a long, healthy, productive life is drastically different.

When it comes to people, the objective should be a very long, disease-free life. But hardly anyone, especially physicians and pharmacists, have focused on how the chemistry of food impacts health. The result has been a steady increase in chronic disease and healthcare costs decade after decade as the masses accept their slow march to an ugly death as part of the normal aging process.

For optimal long-term health, animals need the nutritional components of the green leaf to be at the bottom of their food chain. In that respect kale is a perfect food because it has 100% of man’s nutrient needs (except Vitamin D) in a dense package. The same nutrient package is in all meats (from land or sea) that have the green leaf at the bottom of their food chain. Since meat has Vitamin D, it’s even better than kale–but only if it’s grass-fed. Think chemistry.

The chemistry of grains, seeds, tubers, and nuts differs from green leaves. Those four foods groups contribute to the Omega-3 deficiency because they are loaded with inflammatory Omega-6 and deficient in Omega-3 fatty acids. They are missing many nutrients required to support animal life. Grains, seeds, and tubers are high glycemic. Our nation’s current food system is grain-based. This has dire consequences. A steady diet of grain-based foods (including grain-fed meats) is a “finishing ration” for the masses that is very similar to the finishing rations fed to livestock in feedlots!

Knowing food chemistry (total nutrients, nutrient densities, essential fat profiles, and glycemic loads) and how chemical properties impact animal bodies is knowledge. Wisdom is understanding the difference between a finishing diet and a diet that supports long-term health. What are you eating?

To your health.

Ted Slanker

Ted Slanker has been reporting on the fundamentals of nutritional research in publications, television and radio appearances, and at conferences since 1999. He condenses complex studies into the basics required for health and well-being. His eBook, The Real Diet of Man, is available online.

For additional reading:

Diet Formulation and Common Feed Ingredients

Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Health and Disease and Growth and Development