Rediscovering Ancestral Eating: A Journey Towards Better Health

A New Old Way To Eat

“Eating is a ritual that connects us to the Earth and our distant memories, making every meal and calorie a conscious act in the modern world”

LAST OF THE BUFFALO, ALBERT BIERSTADT

Mainstream Propaganda

Many of us recognize that accurate information about the food we should consume is often obscured by relentless waves of advertising propaganda. We are bombarded with ads promoting convenient, tasty treats designed for the fast-paced modern lifestyle.

Unfortunately, these ads often neglect to mention the hormone-disrupting ingredients such as seed oils, soy, corn syrup, and artificial dyes. Such "foods" make up a staggering 80-90% of the items in a typical grocery store. As a result, people are becoming more aware of the harmful effects of these foods on their health and are taking more ownership over their dietary choices.

This rejection of unhealthy foods has led to the rise of numerous "healthy choices" marketed as the solution. However, these alternatives often present themselves as fleeting trends; fads that eventually fade away. Alarmingly, many of these supposedly healthier options still undergo similar processing and packaging methods as their sugar-filled, seed oil-laden counterparts.

The Paradox of Fad Diets

As the cultural shift in nutrition continues, veganism has emerged as a prominent movement, curiously backed by the very same companies and governments that contributed to the health crisis in the first place.

Amidst this confusion, some individuals have sought a more genuine approach to eating that supports their physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. This approach goes by various names, but one that accurately captures its essence is "Ancestral Eating"—a refinement of the old saying, "Eat what your grandmother would have eaten." I propose that we go further and adopt the mantra,

“Eat what the noble forebears of your lineage would have eaten, and accept nothing less."

Revisiting the Past for Wisdom

When we examine historical records such as Greco-Roman texts on health and athletics, medieval sagas, 19th-century cookbooks, and accounts of castle food expenditures, we can identify common patterns that can inform our food choices today. Meat and animal products constituted the majority of diets in the past, with game animals being especially prevalent due to the widespread practice of hunting.

Illustration for the story Lgov (from A Sportsmans Sketches), by Ivan Turgenev, 1870s 

Literary works from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight to Turgenev’s Hunter’s Sketches describe daring hunts of boars, stags, and partridges. It is clear from various recipes that both muscle meat and organs were consumed.

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Embracing Ancestral Eating Today

Hunting may not be feasible for many of us today, but stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods offer grass-fed beef and frozen liver and bone marrow from local farms. These options provide a solid foundation for protein, fats, and micronutrients.

Although fish and fowl were historically more common than beef, it's best to source these from trusted local farms or butchers to avoid the issues of soy-rich diets and microplastic contamination. Eggs are another nutrient-dense food that can be prepared in various ways. Raw dairy products, like milk, cheese, and kefir, offer digestive enzymes and vitamin D that are lost during pasteurization.

Not Ignoring Carbohydrates

Unlike keto and carnivore diets, Ancestral Eating embraces carbohydrates, with the source being crucial. Fruit and raw honey are the most optimal choices, providing numerous health benefits. Honey, in its raw, unheated, and unfiltered form (that means no plastic honey bears) is a superfood loaded with nutrients and digestive enzymes. These foods should be the base for anyone endeavoring to eat ancestrally.

Eating Seasonally

While these foods ought to be eaten year-round, it is helpful to adapt our diets to the climate and seasonal changes. This can help us better align with the eating habits of our robust ancestors. Our bodies function in cycles, craving different nutrients during warm and cold seasons.

While the changes don't have to be drastic, one should be mindful of the body's natural cycles, which are beautifully designed to adapt to seasonal changes. Like a clock, our bodies’ systems are cyclical, and desire different nutrients when it is a warm weather season like spring and summer than a cold weather season like fall or winter.

Summer & Spring

During warmer months, our bodies require less and lighter food. Fruits, honey, and raw dairy products are ideal for these seasons, as they digest more easily. Meat and eggs can still be consumed in moderate portions throughout the day. Historically, spring and summer were times of celebration and abundance, characterized by leisurely enjoyment of food.

Fall & Winter

During the harsh falls and winters, the body craves more food and satiation, since this is the time where food traditionally is harder to source and our biological systems want to store as much as possible. Fall and winter are the times to start adding in heavier and warmer meals, with hefty amounts of protein to support muscle protein synthesis throughout the year. For those who engage in resistance training, this approach supports muscle growth or fat loss without requiring a sport-specific diet. The primary adjustment is to consume the majority of carbohydrates pre and post workout so that the body can use the glucose and insulin spike for more energy and muscle output.

Benefits of Ancestral Eating

Ancestral Eating enriches a man in all ways possible: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. After 4-6 weeks of consistency, cravings for the sugar-laden processed slop wears off and the body wants these whole foods that have been prized for generations. It will go so far as to reject anything less through bloating, inflammation, brain fog, fatigue, and gut issues. All of the things we have been told are normal after eating go away: acne reduces and the skin glows on its own with a beautiful elasticity, energy levels shoot up, testosterone increases and estrogen is reduced along with less cortisol spikes due to regulated blood sugar and insulin, no diarrhea, bloating, distension.

Mental illness symptoms can be reduced and eliminated when combined with a holistic lifestyle that rejects the degeneracy and cynicism of the Modern Age. When a person eats what God has put on Earth for us we are connected in some small way to Him, since He works these things to our benefit and what He has given us is good.

With this in mind, how could it be possible to eat something produced in a lab by a pencil neck? How could one eat something made by a company that has to use marketing techniques to get around the fact that they make food-adjacent items made from engine lubricant and addictive substances? When the ingredient label can fill a leaflet and cannot be pronounced without a PhD, how can it be justified entering the body? It is unfortunate that this has to be a call to arms, that eating like a functioning human is “alternative” and “rebellious” but it needs to be understood that the powers at be do not care about your health, and have reasons to undermine it to advance certain agendas.

If you cannot bring yourself to eat like your ancestors for the innumerable advantages and connections to the past, do it for this: THEY HATE YOU, THEY WANT YOU FAT, WEAK, AND UNABLE TO THINK. You do not need to be convinced, you know this already. The choice is simple, and wavering is only a disservice to yourself and everyone who relies on you.

Liked what you read? This article was written by Raymond Hoffman. You can reach Ray on Instagram or check out his Soundcloud. You can check more of his work here.

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This article was originally published in Issue 07 of the WarKitchen magazine. You can read it in its original form here. If you’re on the newsletter, you’ll be the first to know when the next issue drops: warkitchen.net.

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