Do you think this applies to humans?

(Bob M) #1

I found this to be a very interesting podcast about what animals (mainly, ruminants, and mainly cows) eat and how they choose what to eat:

(Sorry, can’t figure out how to link directly to the audio.)

In this, Dr. Povenza discusses animals and how they choose food to make complete diets. I’ll give you one example. They had put out mineral blocks, which have a lot of minerals for the cows. They could not figure out why the cows were eating so much of the blocks.

So, they put out constituent blocks, like zinc and the like. The cows mainly ignored all the blocks, except for zinc, of which they licked a ton off. Their diets were lacking in zinc, and the cows somehow knew this.

He discussed another example, where cows in one field ate the outside of houses for animals (I forget which), which were bark from a tree. That bark provided the cows with certain nutrients they were missing based on their current feed.

Do you think this applies to humans?

I think it might. For instance, while I like beef liver, I can only eat so much of it. Max is 8 ounces or so at a meal. If I cook a pound of liver, I make lunches with 8 ounces or less of liver, and “cut it” with lean beef.

I also wonder if I like lean beef not because of the protein, but because of the nutrients? Maybe it’s the nutrients that are keeping me full, and not the protein?

#2

You can have too much of a good thing, sometimes, brother…

#3

Looking at people diets, nope, humans aren’t that smart…

But to some extent we surely often feel what we need. Maybe not everyone and not that perfectly (I never felt any pull towards magnesium rich foods when I lacked magnesium) but to some extent.
I always eat a nice amount of protein, not too little, not too much, it’s very automatic. And it seems to work with salt too except in extreme circumstances when I can’t really choose the salt content of my food and it’s not to my liking (I try to balance it out even then but I had limits once).
I have this with water too and I considered it very obvious until I have read that so many people manage to do it wrong…

I am sure there are other nutrients but I didn’t notice it specifically. I just ate whatever and never had noticeable problems until vegetarian keto where I had cramps due to magnesium deficiency…

I don’t eat liver galore either but part of it may be the intensity of the flavor.

Or both and more? I know I need enough calories to satiate me, enough protein… And when I have it, my diet is nutritious so I don’t know what else (but chicken doesn’t satiate me even if I ate more than enough protein and calories so there had to be something else. or it’s just some weird personal factor).

I easily miss eggs but considering how nutritious meat is, I consider it a personal thing (or meat could work but I just can’t eat enough from it before I get bored?).

(Rebecca ) #4

Yes, I actually do think so IF we follow our body’s signals.

(You've tried everything else; why not try bacon?) #5

Well, Raubenheimer and Simpson feel that we have an instinct for the amount of protein we need. Theirs is the thinking that Ted Naiman derives his protein/energy ration hypothesis from. I suppose there could well be instincts for other nutrients, as well. But on the other hand, human beings seem to have a lot of skill at ignoring their instincts, so they can’t be all that strong, except for life and death stuff, such as hunger and thirst.

I worked at a warehouse for a few years, in which management would make us drink electrolyte drinks on really hot days. The instructions said to drink the stuff until it stopped tasting good, and by golly, that’s how it worked. Between one swallow and the next, the stuff would stop tasting great. Does that count as an instinct?

(Rebecca ) #6

Yes!! I’ve just discovered this! I have begun consuming an electrolye drink daily…maybe for about 10 days. I find myself craving it. I take that as a sign that my body needs them.

#7

THIS!

-----------but humans are not food limited like animals are contained and controlled or thru lack of natural roaming and more so ?

you can’t put apples to apples here at all.

plus you can’t even pretend our food around us will ever instinctually show us the way, it can’t, our bodies are so food damaged it is insanity. our food is so lacking with reality and is super hyped on chemical addicting additives.

now stick a human on Naked and Afraid tv show. No food. See how they eat. But another problem is they do ‘think’ so they can actually screw themselves up. Alot of times they poison themselves on eating some damn plant that gets them in med issues and off the show they go.

so yea humans have that instinct but in no way can it be ‘used’ for today plus today’s animals are confined, limited, ‘fed’ so…they go to what they require but they also aren’t getting all they require when they need it ya know. Put out a different hay to feed and that zinc might not even be looked at ya know…plus grazing land is not nutrient dense anymore like natural uninhibited grasses and more so?

nothing is natural out there anymore ;(

I know I absolutely know what to eat when I need it :slight_smile: but also alot of that is just 'what do I ‘feel’ like eating for pleasure too.

(Jane) #8

The jokes about pregnant women having weird cravings was true for me.

I craved pickle juice and would chug it straight from the jar. Must have needed the pH adjustment LOL

#9

But pickle juice is pretty normal, I heard about multiple people loving it in big quantities.
I always loved sour stuff. My pickle juice is very vinegar-y :slight_smile: And I ate mustard all by itself as a kid… Mom said I must lack acid :smiley: I have no idea what’s “wrong” or different with me, I never experienced any problem related to it. I was fine without consuming much vinegar, I just enjoyed it immensely. I always had a huge sweet tooth but even sweets can’t compare to SOUR things :smiley:

(Edith) #10

I think it’s true if we are eating all natural, unprocessed food. If we eat processed food with emulsifiers, artificial flavors, refined sugars and grains, artificial sweeteners, foods that have been fortified artificially with vitamins and minerals, we destroy our natural ability to instinctively know what we need.

I got to this point when I was doing carnivore where I just did not want any more meat. The thought almost repulsed me. My mind kept thinking I should try vegetarian. I ate some arugula (I have never been a fan of arugula) and thought it was the most delicious thing. I ate it for about a week and then it went back to being “meh.”

I was also not eating anything processed to fool my mind/body. I do think my body knew what it needed.

(Rebecca ) #11

Yes, to all of this!!
Edith, are you still Carnivore?

(Edith) #12

No. I tried it on and off for over two years, my longest trial was seven months, and while I did have some benefits; overall, my body didn’t seem to like it very much.

#13

for me I went Keto when preggo. I only gained 19 lbs with my one and only kid. I made sure I never gained that ‘preggo’ weight I always heard about…my cravings was McDs double Q with cheese and most times I ditched the bun back then…but my issue with weight and preggo was after. 70 lbs gained as I didn’t know how life would be with a kid and bored and ate and ate while I decided to keep ‘my real work job’ and keep the farm going or just work and close farm or quit work and farm or ? I tell ya at age 43 and my 1 kid I finally got twisted up on how my lifestyle was gonna go? I got lost and the lbs. came on super fast. I thought ‘I won the weight preggo battle’ but damn I did not!! ugh

#14

how far off are you now from zc? just wondering on where ya landed now.

(Rebecca ) #15

I gained a lot staying home with my kids ( a job I will never regret doing!) I remember eating a lot of junky stuff and taking then to MCDonalds once a week, for lunch. I know that was really for me…to feed my Monster Within!

#16

yea I feel ya on that. I inhaled frozen pizzas while watching the tiny baby girl just snoozing fine in her bassinet and ‘stuck’ at home and I don’t know, just stuck’ in choices I guess but happy of course, but darn, boredom and instant lifestyle change hit me hard. I threw 70 lb. hay bales when 9 mos preggo like it was nothing, little baby comes along and kept me in the house at a standstill? but I loved it too LOL

oh man how we walk thru life huh? :slight_smile:

yea, that ‘feed the kids’ was an indicator you could easily inhale down the crap too…oh yes I been there :wink: hear you loud and clear on that one!

(Edith) #17

I guess you could say I am low carb, low oxalate paleo. I am eating some veggies, some fruits, and meat. I liked the simplicity of only having to cook meat on carnivore, so I am maintaining that simplicity most of the day and just a serving of fruit or veggie with dinner.

#18

yea. that is a very simple meal prep etc. too so it keeps you in that easier level of not having to deal too much with food :slight_smile: Happy you are doing well and finding what suits you!

(Edith) #19

Thanks. My body is happier with a small bit of carbs. The interesting thing is I’m down 3 pounds.

#20

If you wanted to paste in the audio…

Audio