CORE

Our Hunter-gatherer ancestors ate the entire animal. The organ meats were always eaten first since they were the most accessible & easiest to butcher. The Core meat,  poultry or seafood are skewed on the side of dark meats to compensate for today’s anticipated lower consumption of these purine rich organ meats.

These foods have less of the needed purine & fat content making them a sub-optimal choice for the Hunter-gatherer metabolism. However, they do offer a better alternative than totally abstaining from fish, poultry or meat during a meal. If you plan to eat them these foods will be best tolerated with your evening meal.

Nuts & seeds (as well as nut/seed butters) make an excellent snack for Hunter-gatherers. Nut butters can be spread on small pieces of fruit. Eat no more than one or two handfuls at a sitting & pay special attention to chewing them thoroughly. Do not eat nuts & seeds that have been roasted in peanut or corn oil. Trace amounts of other nuts, peanuts & seeds present in some nut butters are usually acceptable.

There is a higher incidence of allergy associated with these foods. Many are indigenous to warm, temperate climates making them very new foods for most Hunter-gatherers. Cashews (like peanuts) are actually members of the legume family. Most can be eaten once or twice a month without problem.

Flaxseed, borage & primrose oil should not be used for cooking (see Supplements section).

These fats can usually be consumed on occasion (once or twice a month) in condiment quantities with no problem.

Margarine goes through the process of ‘hydrogenation’ to help increase its storage life. Any ‘hydrogenated’ foods have been chemically altered & can no longer be considered as a whole food.

Root vegetables, sea vegetables & wild green leafy vegetables were probably the only source of carbohydrate used by our Hunter-gatherer ancestors. It is little surprise that we are very well adapted to them today. Spinach, asparagus, artichokes & cauliflower have the highest purine content among vegetables. Sea vegetables have high levels of iodine & other trace nutrients that are important for the Hunter-gatherer metabolism.

Hunter-gatherers tend to be less well adapted to these new ‘foods of agriculture’ even though they possess a moderate purine content. There is a higher incidence of allergy with these foods (especially soy). If you over-eat them you’ll run a high risk of developing a new food allergy. These starchy vegetables are also a concentrated source of carbohydrate. Therefore they are best-eaten only occasionally (no more than once or twice a week) & in small quantities as an accompaniment with meat, poultry or seafood.

Many of these foods will generate symptoms. Some can be used in very small amounts. An interesting note is that several of these foods are from the nightshade family. Many arthritics have already associated the ingestion of nightshade vegetables (tomato, potato, eggplant & peppers) with an increase in symptoms. Researchers have incorrectly suggested that this connection is due to the solanine (a poisonous chemical substance) content of these foods. I personally believe that the increase in arthritic symptoms is due to the adverse metabolic shift generated by these Avoid foods in the Hunter-gather metabolism.

You should peel & core these fruits to minimize the impact of chemical pesticides if organic fruit cannot be found. Fruit should NEVER be used alone as a snack unless with a generous amount of nut butter. No more than ½ of a piece of fruit should be consumed, preferably at the end of a meal.

Many of these foods will generate symptoms. Some can be eaten in small, condiment amounts at the end of a meal.

While eggs can be eaten on a regular basis they are not a substitute (due to their low purine content) for the meat, poultry or seafood which should be eaten with every meal. Only use organic, free range or fertilized eggs.

Small amounts of cheese & butter can be used in condiment quantities with other Core & Supplemental foods. These ‘new foods’ should not be used on a regular basis.

Non-dairy acidophillus /lactobacillus supplements should be used instead of yogurt to assist in re-populating the colon with beneficial bacteria.

GRAINS

Salt should be minimally processed & a dirty white or gray color. Bright white sea salt should be avoided since it lacks naturally occurring trace minerals. Foods should be salted to taste.

Other herbs should be tested on an individual basis.

You may be able to tolerate small condiment amounts of the above. They should not however be eaten on a routine basis.

Sample different spring waters available in your area. Taste varies with different waters from different sources. Once you become accustomed to high quality spring water you’ll be surprised at the taste difference with other types of water. Spring waters do not contain fluorine, an element added to tap water to battle tooth decay. Use fluoridated toothpaste instead.

Distilled waters lack trace minerals & are often contaminated with metals from the distillation process. Many find they are sensitive to the bacteria-killing chlorine found in most tap waters. Decaffeinated coffees can contain up to 1/3rd the amount of caffeine as regular coffees. Caffeine-free teas are a safer option.