Before the agricultural revolution, humans used to forage for food. The foragers’ secret of success, which protected them from starvation and malnutrition, was their varied diet. Farmers tend to eat a very limited and unbalanced diet. Especially in premodern times, most of the calories feeding an agricultural population came from a single crop – such as wheat, potatoes, and rice – that lacks some of the vitamins and minerals and other nutritional materials humans need.
The typical peasant in China ate rice for breakfast, rice for lunch and rice for dinner. If she were lucky, she could expect to eat the same the following day. By contrast, ancient foragers regularly ate dozens of different foodstuffs. The peasant’s ancient ancestor, the forager, may have eaten berries and mushrooms for breakfast; fruits, snails and a turtle for lunch; and rabbit and onions for dinner. Tomorrow’s menu might have been completely different. This variety ensured that the ancient foragers received all the necessary nutrients.
One unquestionably negative trade-off of the agricultural revolution was the reduction in the variety of foods we eat. Add the industrial revolution and we have a diet that mostly consists of “edible food-like substances” that did not exist 150 years ago.
Maybe we should eat a greater variety of raw real food, ehh?
Love this! The kids and I make dandelion tea and saute the greens. I’m not brave enough to forage for mushrooms. We enjoy clean eating and the little to no waste that goes along with it.
Larry- your cousin Lisa would love this comment. She is certified in Raw food preparation as well as being a Certified Vegan Chef. Must run in the family! So proud of you both.
Definitely agree that a varied diet is the healthier way to go. I use as a guideline to eat fruits and vegetables of as many different colors as I can find – simple way to remember.
Hey Larry. Not sure I’m in agreement with a few things you presented. First ancient foragers would have eaten what was in season at the time. A few times a year their diet may have been somewhat balanced. Native Americans, on the prairies, made a food substance called pemmican that may have extended the season but it wasn’t universal.
After the agricultural revolution farmers may have had a cash crop like wheat. Would they not have had a large garden to grow vegetables that could be canned thus having a more balanced diet for much of the year? When I was young I remember helping my mother can vegetables, starting about now and into September. These were not new habits but ones our ancestors brought from the “old country”. I’ll bet they had been preserving food for centuries.
As for eating edible food-like substances, you are describing someone who makes poor choices and I’m sure that there were those same people making poor choices throughout history.
The industrial age also has brought the ability to ship fresh food from and to all parts of the world. My local grocer was recently selling wild caught Pacific salmon. In this age, here in America, if you do not have a healthy diet, it’s your choice.
God food
The best diet on the planet.
God’s plants (and yes, animals)
Put it there for our use
Ehh! Agreed, and avoid high Fructose Corn Syrup, GMO’s and processed foods.
Buy organic when possible, eat grass fed beef, wild caught fish and organic chicken and eggs.Avoid sugar as much as possible, especially added sugar hiding in processed foods and condiments.
Eat predominantly a plant based diet.
If you implement these dietary changes your health will surely improve!
Test for and remove from your diet foods you may be allergic to such as dairy, eggs and gluten.