The Foraging Diet focuses on eating the quantities and types of foods that primitive hunter - gatherer societies ate. This includes seasonally available plant material, nuts, berries, tubers, fungi, whole uncooked grains, clams, mussels, insects, worms & grubs, honey, water, and to a lesser degree, game meat, fowl and fish. Additionally, the quantity of food consumed at any one time is minimal, so several small meals are eaten throughout the day.
History
Primitive man ate a foraging diet for thousands of years, according to archeologists and anthropologists. Man ate this way during that time because there were no other dietary options. It was a more primitive time, a time before agriculture or domestication of animals. In that age, nomadic tribes were the norm, generally consisting of anywhere between 40 and 200 people. People moved with the seasons, traveling to warmer climes in the winter and colder climes in the summer. This nomadic behavior necessitated that people searched for food along the way daily since there was no farming or methods of preserving foods in times of plenty. Early man spent most of his time searching for food in these hunter-gatherer societies.
Research
Just within the last 20 years have scientists been able to better analyze tooth enamel from skeletal remains of primitive man. Sample scrapings of ancient tooth enamel revealed traces of food material that supported long held theories about early diets. These trace food particles indicate protein, grasses, vegetables and fruits were all a part of the diet. While the research supports the theories, there is not enough evidence to prove the theories.
Theories/Speculation
Much of is known about prehistoric man's diet is admittedly speculation. Modern surveys of primates in the wild reveals that apes like to eat a variety of foods, feasting when a troupe finds food in plenty and moving on when the food is gone. Studies of more recent human history, such as American Indian tribes, also serves as strong evidence of nomadic behavior. Knowledge of glycemic index, insulin, and fat storage in the body are also strong indicators that man is genetically predisposed to function better with several small meals as smaller meals are less likely to cause insulin spikes. Nutritionists and doctors have for years recommended that diabetics eat small meals throughout the day. Finally, it must also be noted that the concept of breakfast, lunch and dinner only surfaced since humans were able to choose when they ate. This was not an option before the advent of farming and domestication of animals.
Down to Fundamentals
The basics of the diet include eating six to eight small meals daily, spacing those meals out about two to three hours apart. A good rule of thumb is to eat four to five servings of fresh fruits, six to eight servings of fresh vegetables, five to six servings of whole non-cereal grains such as millet, couscous, brown rice and wild oats, one or two servings of starchy vegetables, two to four servings of nuts, one to two eggs, one serving of lean meat/fish/poultry and plenty of water. Avoid dairy, salt and refined foods like sugar, syrup and flours.
Warning
Very little is truly known about the diet of primitive man. Paleontologists have made educated guesses about primitive man's diet based on fossils. Fossils of teeth, tools, and skeletal remains all give clues about nomadic behaviors and diet. The trouble is there is no definitive evidence. While there are similarities between a foraging diet and healthy diabetic diets developed by doctors and nutritionists, it is imperative that you talk to your physician or a nutritionist about this or any diet before starting.
References
- "The Paleo Diet: Lose Weight and Get Healthy by Eating the Food You Were Designed to Eat"; Mark Sutton; 2002
- "Evolution of the Human Diet: The Known, the Unknown, and the Unknowable (Human Evolution Series)"; Peter Unger; 2006
- "Paleonutrition"; Mark Sutton; 2010
- United States Department of Agriculture
- American Diabetes Association: Planning Meals
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