Are You a Carnivore, Herbivore, or an Omnivore?

Before you quickly answer, let’s consider the meanings of these classifications:

Omnivore – “Omni” means “all or everything.” For example, omnipotent means all powerful, authority, and influence. Omnipresent means in all places at all times. And Omniscient means all or infinite knowledge.

Omnivores eat ALL things, everything! These are clean-up animals. I had a dog, Poker, who ate everything, even other animal droppings… And for what he didn’t eat, he entertained himself by chewing on it.

Besides my dog, another good example of an omnivore is swine.

Now I am sure there are things I can put on your plate that Poker and pigs will eat, but that you will not eat. So, I will conclude that you are not an omnivore.

Could You Be a Carnivore?

Carnivores are “mostly flesh eaters” by definition. Their characteristics include:

1. Pants – they do not sweat.

2. Very sharp teeth and claws are meant for ripping and tearing. Carnivores have forks and knives built in, so to speak, so they can walk right up to another animal rip into their fur, skin, and flesh, and start eating.  Now I am just wondering how many of you think you can do that.

3. Chew food very little. Now you may think you fit that description, but carnivores usually chew one or two times, and down the hatch it goes.

4. A short, smooth gut. Humans have a very long and sculpted gut.

5. Quick digestion with a stomach acid that is 20 times stronger than herbivores. Why? Because it has to break down all that meat! The transit time for one pound of beef is typically 30 minutes.

6. An acidic pH balance.

7. A diet that is high fat, high cholesterol, low fiber (there is no fiber in meat products), very high protein, high sodium/low potassium, and is acid-forming. All animal foods, beef, chicken, fish, pork, game, cheese, milk, or eggs are acid-forming. In humans, disease thrives in an acidic environment.

From the list above we can see humans do not fit this description. So that leaves just one category left.

Herbivores

Herbivores “feed on plants” The characteristics of herbivores include:

1. Sweats.

2. Teeth are flat for grinding and chewing.

3. The gut is 30-35 feet long and sculpted.

4. Digestion begins in the mouth, preferably has a more alkaline level, and is dependent on enzymes for proper digestion. Transit time for one pound of beef is approximately 72 hours on average. Plant foods have a transit time of 12-24 hours.

5. The pH balance is alkaline in the blood, saliva, and urine.

6. The ideal diet is mostly low fat, no cholesterol, high fiber (fiber is found only in plant foods), low protein, high potassium/low sodium, and mostly alkaline forming (even acidic foods like lemons form an alkaline ash).

Now of these three choices, which one do you think best describes human physiology?

That’s right, herbivore.

So you may be asking, “What’s the big deal? Does it really matter?”

We will answer that question in our next blog post! So stay tuned.

Blue Skies,

Dana West, RD, LD, DIPACLM

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