Last year I addressed a diet question from a California gentleman who wanted know if it were possible to get into really good shape without a restrictive diet or training like an Olympian. My answer to the question was yes, and the answer remains yes. But there’s got to be a catch somewhere, right? No, there is no catch but there is a requirement to have a fundamental understanding of natural law to fully appreciate how food works in our bodies.
The late Dr. Sebi said, “If you want a great example of how you should be eating all you have to do is take a look at the zoo.” Animals in the natural world eat according to their DNA (your body’s instruction for living) and for this reason they never need a vet. It is easy to overlook, but there are deeper reasons why the polar bear will never be a grain eater, the eagle won’t dine on strawberries, humming birds avoid dairy products and the zebra will never ask for a steak well done.
Animals that are not domesticated naturally avoid anything not meant for them to eat. This is fundamental to natural law and the first step to improving health as human beings. Health does not begin with exercise health begins with proper nutrition. In addition there is the understanding that nutrition and food is not the same thing. Food will fill your belly but it will not nourish the body. In order for a substance to provide nutrition it must be recognized and assimilated by the body. This is called chemical affinity. If we return to the zoo example and the natural world we share with all things there is insight to be gained that supports our understanding of food, DNA and what we should be eating. Here in New Mexico, the high desert and surrounding reservations there is a critical problem with diabetes. I told my wife (Dine’) that the cure for diabetes lies in understanding the effect that food has on our health.
The cure is in the food? Yes, the cure is always in the food. Let me explain. A gorilla will never eat meat because meat it is not the gorilla’s source of food. Furthermore, the DNA of the gorilla is not designed to eat meat, but nuts, leaves and berries. For example, if you are Native American, Dine’ and your doctor tells you that you are lactose intolerant, what is the message? At one level your doctor is telling you that your body’s DNA cannot process any dairy products from the cow, including the meat as well. Second, and perhaps the most important message is continued use of this product (dairy) will lead to medical symptoms and disease. Why? The cow was created through genetic engineering (see Gregor Mendel) and is not natural to your ancestral environment in North America. This does not make the cow a bad animal as a source of food if your ancestors are European, however, if your ancestors are not European and in this case Dine’, then the vitamin D claims attributed to milk will not apply to you because genetically your body cannot metabolize cow milk.
My first trip through the Window Rock museum yielded interesting facts as I followed the historical timeline. The first thing I noticed was that there was no obesity or other indicators of poor health such as kidney, heart, liver, autoimmune or any other disease associated with 21st century living. If I consume any product not meant for me, regardless of how tasty it is my body will manifest medical symptoms leading to disease over time. As we improve our knowledge of health and nutrition we begin to understand that the health problems we experience in the form of obesity, heart, kidney, or liver disease are really symptoms created through our body’s response to foods or substances we cannot assimilate in our bodies.
It might be easier to make Navajo tacos with Bluebird flower instead of the natural pine nuts used by the ancestors, but the patience of the old ways stored in your DNA lead to health. We can completely turn our health around without ever picking up a weight or jogging a few miles, we simply need to remember to eat the foods that are meant for us.
Greg McNeil is a StrongFirst Instructor, Professional Strength & Conditioning coach, Licensed Clinical Counselor (LPCC), Life Coach, Author, and the owner of Gallup School of Strength (www.gallupschoolofstrength.com)
By Greg McNeil