tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1205553946247440689.post6097921749896402022..comments2023-10-14T07:58:55.155-07:00Comments on Ron's News and Musings: Eat to LiveUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1205553946247440689.post-647042768991773172009-08-24T22:10:55.920-07:002009-08-24T22:10:55.920-07:00Well, I'm not having too much luck losing weig...Well, I'm not having too much luck losing weight right now (although I've upped my exercise level a lot in the last 6 months and have a lot more stamina then I did), but...I think that humans generally do better eating some amount of animal protein. Humans are omnivores; we require a certain amount of protein as well as fats (those essential fatty acids) to live. If you don't eat enough protein, the body starts ripping it up from places where it is less important to put it where it is more important (the body can't synthesize protein). Interestingly enough, we don't actually require carbohydrates in our diet. So, the problem with vegetarian diets is that it's much more difficult to get the required amount of protein than with an omnivorous diet.<br /><br />Most Americans go way overboard, though, and eat too much protein. Even so, there is some evidence that an Atkins-style diet is not significantly worse for you than the typical high-carb-low-fat-and-protein diet (see WebMD for some info; unfortunately I don't know how to insert links here) and may even help you lose weight due to feeling more full.<br /><br />Obviously evolution didn't plan for the extra resources needed to raise enough meat to provide the required protein for 6 billion. Reminds me of the classic Fredrick Pohl novel <i>Gateway</i> where the protagonist works (initially) in the Wyoming food mines, where they take oil shale and use it as the foodstocks for protein-bearing algae to feed the world.Ex-PFC Wintergreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00422458739121731831noreply@blogger.com