WE ARE NOT MEANT TO BE VEGAN➡️A THREAD
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I’d like to make a clear statement: just because we are cousins or close relatives to chimps and apes does not mean we should still eat like monkeys.
We are not monkeys. We are humans and have different digestive systems.

To start, we have more acidic stomachs, similar to scavengers and carnivores. Scavengers tend to eat on carcasses which can be covered in harmful bacteria, thus stomach acidity must be potent enough to destroy any harmful bacteria that may lay there. Carnivore on the other hand are eating fresh meat, and this type of protein can be more easily degraded by high stomach acidity. Ever felt like a piece of chicken is just SITTING inside of you? Most likely low stomach acid.

Based on the acidity of our stomach, we biologically should be eating meat, for that is its purpose. Apes and other animals that are more vegetarian, have more alkaline stomachs, hence why they are more herbivores.

Then we have larger small intestines and smaller large intestines when compared to them, meaning the focus is more on being able to digest proteins more quickly in the stomach and in the small intestine we are breaking down the foods even further (even though protein is already done through the stomach). The small intestine is where most nutrient absorption occurs and because it is larger we assume that this is because we should technically be eating foods that are easily absorbable because our large intestine isn’t as big, so less volume should be entering it. Foods like simple sugars (fruits), easily digestible carbs (roots) and fats (saturated) are what we thrive off of.
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Then our large intestine is where the fermentable fibers left over go, particularly for the bacteria we have left in our colon- not so much for us. Those fermentable fibers are then transformed into short chain fatty acids with the help of the bacteria which create energy. Too much fiber, the digestive system slows down, and bacteria can proliferate causing problems like lipopolysaccharides or other endotoxins.

My question here is, why go against our biology?
You are not a monkey.

STOP TRYING TO ONLY EAT THINGS THAT YOU’RE BIOLOGICALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO EAT
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This means beans, nuts, seeds, grains and some vegetables!
⚠️Note: this isn’t to say you can NEVER eat them, but they should NOT be the bulk of your diet, and here’s why ⬇️
They have anti nutrients also recognized as lectins, phytates, oxalates, saponins and goitrogens to name a few, all in which can inhibit digestive enzyme production, mineral absorption and create further gut irritation.
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If you have the option to eat something you can digest better and is more nutrient dense, WHY choose the latter? This is the case of our recent obsession with all of these plant based sources.
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For instance, lectins, which are found in some legumes and wheat, have been shown to bind to sugar molecules called polysaccharides and reduce the body’s ability to absorb specific types of nutrients as well as agglutinate, aka stick to, our cells which in turn can create digestive distress and inflammation. Conversely, lectins have also been shown to encourage the growth of bacteria in a pathogenic manner because of the poor digestibility, leading to fermentation in our colon.
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Phytase, found in nuts, seeds, some grains and legumes, are composed of phytic acid which can bind to minerals our bodies need to function like magnesium, zinc, calcium, potassium, etc. Their main function is to keep phosphorus stored in THEMSELVES, so they release these anti nutrients so you DON’T eat them. The purpose of many seeds is so they can be RESEEDED when the FRUIT is eaten via our feces. Yes, you read that right.
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Oxalates are made up of oxalic acid which, yes, we make in our liver, but the type we produce is not dangerous. It’s more what we ingest which act similarly to phytase and lectins. Oxalates can be found in leafy greens and other sources mentioned. They, too, bind to minerals and can potentially cause kidney stones.
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Lastly, goitrogens, found in cruciferous vegetables, interfere with particular mineral uptake which can possibly cause a goiter and suppress thyroid function.
Many of these foods due to these anti nutrients strip our intestinal lining which can then leave us susceptible to pathogenic bacteria in the gut to come In contact with the epithelium which can provoke an immune response. The entire colon is covered in mucus and if that mucus is stripped off, we’re in trouble.
This isn’t to say you can NEVER eat these foods, they have a place when properly prepared, but my question to you would be why opt for something that you can’t absorb as well, isn’t as nutrient dense, and can potentially harm your digestion in the long run?

FRUIT IS THE BEST SOURCE OF CARBOHYDRATES
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So we may have similarities to our so-called monkey cousins!
Carbs are our cells preferred source of energy-however, the source in which they come from matter.
The lineage we come from the animal kingdom predominantly eat a fruit based diet. Granted, we are NOT monkeys per say, but this similarity is important to note ⬇️
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As mentioned earlier, our digestive system cannot handle too much fibrous foods because we don’t ferment our food in our colon (unlike apes). However, we still require easily digestible foods beyond our protein and fat sources because our cells require glucose. Fruit is the perfect food where it is abundant in minerals like potassium, magnesium, and other trace minerals, as well as simple sugars that are easy to break down and absorb!
Our close relatives primarily reach for ripe fruit- keynote here is RIPE. If you read my last post all about nuts, seeds, beans and grains and how they contain anti nutrients, you’d understand that these chemical defense mechanisms are a message from the plant to NOT eat it. Fruit has the same signaling system- however it deteriorates as it ripens! Meaning, as a fruit becomes more colourful, softer, sweeter in smell, it is tantalizing us to eat it!
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Why is this important? Because when we eat it, we continue to spread the circle of life, and this is through excreting the seeds through our bowels to be reseeded.
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Conversely, the readiness of fruit goes beyond of when it is supposed to be eaten for proper consumption, but ripened fruit also carry antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that is supportive to our gut bacteria. So all you “anti sugar” and “candida diet” crazies gotta sit down because if you’re cutting out fruit during a yeast or fungal detox THIS is why it comes back stronger.
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Fruit sources, including some vegetables, are anything that contain SEEDS, so think of zucchini, eggplant, tomato, cucumber, strawberries, apples, oranges- you name it.
In addition, tubers and ground vegetables like potatoes and carrots are just as acceptable but vary depending on one’s blood sugar balance and ability to handle starches.

BUT AREN’T SATURATED FATS BAD FOR YOU?
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Unsaturated fats are very unstable to light, air and heat. Our 36.6 degree bodies are pretty darn hot, and to be ingesting these fats on a regular basis, and in high quantities, can potentially cause oxidative stress as they release free radicals within us due to oxidation
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Now hold up- does this mean ALL unsaturated fats are bad? No. Many of these fats, if they are delivered in their whole food forms are protected by antioxidants like vitamin E to prevent oxidation. However, most of the unsaturated fatty acid sources come from plants like vegetables, nuts and seeds, which as I mentioned in my previous post, can be potentially problematic due to the anti nutrients and digestibility of them if not prepared correctly and if eaten in large quantities
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Because we are not biologically made to eat large amounts of these foods, our only other sources of fats come from animals which leaves us with saturated fats.
Making sense?
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Our fat system is relevant to the gut and acts as a protective component through the secretion of bile and fatty acids that are meant to bind to endotoxins, keeping the small intestine clear from bacterial overgrowths BECAUSE most of the bacteria in your gut should be in your colon! Why? Because the food we ingest should be absorbed by us, NOT bacteria
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This is the issue with low fat, particularly low saturated fat diets, for they’ll reach for higher carb sourced foods to satisfy themselves (grains, nuts, seeds, legumes) which can cause irritation, oxidation and the release of anti nutrients, which can then lead to digestive distress and fermentation, and a lack of bile production which act as an antimicrobial against bacteria and pathogens.
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Fats also induce particular enzymes like alkaline phosphatase and lipase which have anti bacterial effects.
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Conversely, fatty acids, when in the intestine, stimulate the release of cholecystokinin which stimulates the production of digestive enzymes and stomach acid to help break down and absorb our food.
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So which fats should we be reaching for?
Things like gelatinous meats, eggs, tallow, ghee, butter, coconut oil, whole fat dairy, and even avocado and olives.