A few years ago, I wrote a blog post about the book The Vegetarian Myth<\/em><\/a>\u00a0by\u00a0Lierre Keith. \u00a0 I won’t repeat what I said in that post\u00a0except to note that humans are not meant to be vegans. \u00a0We need to eat animal protein (fish, shellfish, eggs, poultry, some red meat) in order to be healthy. \u00a0Fatty fish and eggs are especially important for proper brain growth, development, and health. \u00a0Refusing to eat them could result in decreased mental ability as one ages.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another recent fad is the raw food movement. Now, I am not against eating raw foods. \u00a0However, I am against the concept that one should eat only<\/em> raw foods, especially if that means only vegan raw foods (i.e. no sushi).<\/p>\n

As neuroscientist Susanna\u00a0Herculano-Houzel notes in her TED talk<\/a>, cooking food allowed our human brains to expand in neuronal number and connections far beyond what would be expected for a primate our size. \u00a0If our ancestors had not begun cooking their food, especially meat, we would not be advanced much beyond chimpanzees in brain capacity and ability.<\/span><\/p>\n

Human Brains Need Cooked Food<\/a><\/p>\n

Vegan\/vegetarian diets will also not save our planet from destruction. \u00a0Keith covers some of the reasons for this in her book, but ecologist Allan Savory’s TED talk<\/a> provides yet another reason that humans need meat in their diets: in order to reverse climate change and desertification, we need to have large herds of animals mimicking the herds that once roamed the savannas and grasslands.<\/p>\n

Herd Animals Can Reverse Climate Change<\/a><\/p>\n

Savory’s thesis seems counter-intuitive. \u00a0Even he thought that before he tried it. \u00a0The results are amazing.<\/p>\n

Points to ponder and remember:
\n1] We need cooked animal protein for healthy brains and bodies.
\n2] Managing herd animals correctly can save the planet.
\n3] Grasses (wheat, corn, rice, etc.) are for herd animals to eat, while the herd animals are for us to eat.<\/p>\n

See you at the barbecue!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n