Roughly 2.6 million years ago, meat became a significant part of the early human diet. Today, it is a seemingly normal part of life that we don't even think to question. Until, now. What if you were told that processed meat (including bacon & sausage) is linked to an increase in cancer and can be as dangerous as smoking cigarettes. How about the fact that diabetes was never caused by eating sugar. Rather, "it stems from a diet that builds up fat into the blood aka a typical meat based, animal based diet" (Dr. Neal Barnard). Anything ? How about the statistic that 70% of deaths are from diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, dementia, and obesity. Yet, overcoming these health concerns is very possible. Curious to know how ?
The answer is in what we eat. The focus on sugar and abstaining from sugary products has taken all the attention away from the actual source of all the health anomalies being faced by millions today : meat and dairy. Just one single serving of processed meat a day increases the risk of developing diabetes by 51%. This doesn't even seem plausible, I know. Wait till you realize that the damage is not caused years from now or even in the near future, but rather right then and there. Upon meat entering your mouth, a burst of inflammation occurs within your system, paralyzing your arteries.
In the Netflix Documentary, The Game Changers, archaeologists uncover over 5,000 bones belonging to around 68 gladiators. Gladiators were highly prized, professional fighters who received the most advanced training in the Roman Empire. The analysis conducted by archaeologists showed a very high bone mineral density that came from intense training & high quality diet. More significantly, was the discovery of high strontium levels in the bones. The gladiators were predominantly vegetarian.
The fact of the matter is that humans are not cut out to eat meat. The reason an animal based diet isn’t good for us is because our bodies aren’t built for it. We simply do not have any genetic, anatomical, or physiological adaptations to meat consumption. Our own mouths prove to be the best evidence we have for a diet that could not have been meat. For example, carnivores have distinctive teeth shaped liked scissor blades, designed to shred meat off and swallow the remains. Comparing that to the square and low-cusped teeth of a human being, it is a 180 degree shift that is meant for crushing and grinding tough plant tissues.
It is a very common misconception that you need animal protein to get bigger and stronger and perform at a high level. Throughout the last 50 years, these theories have been debunked. A plant based diet has proved to be the best diet for humans as it optimizes the growth of blood vessels into damaged tissue, laying down new tissue, fighting off infections, and stimulating the immune system.
Need help adopting and navigating a plant based diet ? We got you ! Check out our blog post section to learn more on how you can best incorporate this new lifestyle into your daily routine.