Protein and the Eskimos

Mmmmm....Perfection




When I tell people about my diet they usually have 2 things to comment on, #1-protein, and #2-the fact that Eskimos have been eating a very different diet for a very long time and thriving. I never know what to say about the high protein, high fat fish diet they eat because I've never researched it. Today I came upon an article by Dr.Mcdougal which I found very interesting.





"Eskimos, who daily consume 250 to 400 grams of proteins in fish, walrus, or whale meats and 2,200 mg of calcium from fish bone, have the highest incidence of osteoporosis of any population in the world. And proof of the Eskimos' affliction with "thin bones" can be found in bodies that are centuries old. Two women, about 20 and 40 years old when they died, were buried in an ice flow in the Arctic more than 500 years ago. Recently their well-preserved frozen bodies were discovered and autopsied. The examination showed that both women had suffered from extensive atherosclerosis and osteoporosis."





So, I guess they weren't really "thriving" all that much. While I agree that eating a fruitarian diet here in Canada isn't exactly natural since I can't grow my own food, I think it is still the optimal diet, and someday I plan to move to a place where all my food will come from my backyard.



Protein???

Protein, that's people's biggest concern. I guess I can see why since we're constantly being bombarded with the "fact" that we aren't getting enough. It's everywhere! How many people do you know that have a protein deficiency? Probably not too many. The only ones I know of are some people in third world countries who are starving to death. How many people do you know of who have one illness or another from excessive protein intake?? Probably way too many to count. It's nearly impossible not to get enough protein when you're eating enough calories. Considering I get about 2500 calories a day(seriously!), I don't think I need to worry about it. For the average person my size the daily protein requirement is only 39 grams. I can already hear people saying "but fruit has no protein", I hear it from my dad all the time. Let's look at one of my favorite juicy fruits, watermelon. On a typical summer day I would eat 2 medium melons, for a grand total of (drum roll =D ) 56 grams of protein! Already more than I need. there's more than 5 grams in a little pomegranate! Now you can stop worrying, fruit won't make anyone fade away =D