Eat Like a Human

What's Eat Like a Human about?

• Ancestral Eating Focus: The book emphasizes returning to ancestral eating practices, prioritizing nutrient-dense foods and traditional cooking methods. It argues that modern diets have deviated from these practices, leading to health issues.
• Cultural Context of Food: Bill Schindler explores how cultural practices influence our relationship with food, highlighting that food is not just about nutrition but also about cultural experiences and traditions.
• Practical Guidance: It provides practical advice on incorporating ancestral practices into modern life, including recipes and methods for preparing various food groups.

Why should I read Eat Like a Human?

• Health Revolution: If you're interested in improving your health through diet, this book offers a revolutionary perspective on how to nourish your body effectively. Schindler provides insights that challenge modern dietary practices.
• Culinary Techniques: The book teaches ancient cooking techniques that can enhance the nutritional value of foods, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their cooking skills.
• Cultural Appreciation: It encourages readers to appreciate the cultural significance of food, fostering a deeper connection to what we eat and how it affects our health and well-being.

What are the key takeaways of Eat Like a Human?

• Nutrient-Dense Foods: Emphasizes the importance of consuming foods rich in nutrients, such as organ meats, fermented foods, and traditional grains, for better health outcomes.
• Preparation Methods Matter: Highlights that how we prepare food is as important as what we eat, with techniques like fermentation, soaking, and sprouting making foods safer and more nutritious.
• Reconnecting with Food: Advocates for understanding where food comes from and how it is processed, encouraging a reconnection with food sources.

What are some practical methods discussed in Eat Like a Human?

• Fermentation: Enhances the nutritional value of foods, making them safer and more digestible. This ancient technique can be applied to vegetables, grains, and dairy.
• Soaking and Sprouting: Reduces antinutrients like phytic acid in grains and legumes, making these foods more accessible to our bodies and maximizing nutritional benefits.
• Nose-to-Tail Butchering: Emphasizes using all parts of an animal, not just the meat, reducing waste and providing a more nutrient-dense diet.

What are the best quotes from Eat Like a Human and what do they mean?

• "Our ancestors knew how to do this.": Underscores the idea that traditional food practices have been effective for millennia, and we can learn from them to improve our health today.
• "Eating in this way will maximize your health.": Emphasizes the book's core message that the way we prepare and consume food directly impacts our health and well-being.
• "Food is more than nutrition.": Highlights the cultural and emotional aspects of food, suggesting that our relationship with food should encompass more than just its nutritional value.

How does Eat Like a Human address modern dietary trends?

• Critique of Diet Fads: Schindler critiques popular diets like veganism, keto, and paleo, arguing they often exclude nutrient-dense foods that have been staples in human diets for centuries.
• Focus on Nutrient Density: Advocates for prioritizing foods that provide the most nutrition regardless of their classification, rather than strict dietary labels.
• Cultural Relevance: Emphasizes that dietary choices should consider cultural context and personal health needs, rather than adhering strictly to modern diet trends.

What is nixtamalization, and why is it important in Eat Like a Human?

• Definition of Nixtamalization: The process of soaking and cooking maize in an alkaline solution, traditionally using lime or wood ash, to make nutrients more bioavailable.
• Health Benefits: Neutralizes harmful compounds in maize, increases calcium content, and improves protein quality, transforming maize into a safe and nutritious staple food.
• Cultural Significance: A traditional practice in Mesoamerican cultures, reflecting their deep understanding of food processing, with relevance in modern diets to reclaim maize's nutritional benefits.

How does Eat Like a Human address the issue of sugar in our diets?

• Sugar as a Modern Dilemma: Discusses the pervasive presence of sugar in contemporary diets and its health implications, highlighting the need to be mindful of sugar consumption.
• Cultural and Emotional Aspects: Reflects on personal experiences with sugar, emphasizing balancing enjoyment and nutrition, and allowing for cultural celebrations while maintaining health.
• Choosing Better Sweeteners: Suggests opting for unrefined sweeteners like raw honey and pure maple syrup, which offer additional nutrients, and encourages making desserts from scratch.

What role do fermentation and sourdough play in Eat Like a Human?

• Nutritional Enhancement: Fermentation increases the nutritional value of foods, making them easier to digest and more beneficial for gut health, with sourdough highlighted for its unique fermentation process.
• Culinary Techniques: Provides recipes for sourdough bread and other fermented foods, encouraging readers to experiment with these techniques for a deeper connection to food.
• Cultural Heritage: Emphasizes fermentation's importance in preserving traditional foodways, allowing readers to reclaim a sense of culinary history and identity.

How does Eat Like a Human suggest we incorporate insects into our diets?

• Nutritional Benefits of Insects: Highlights the high protein content and essential nutrients found in edible insects, presenting them as a sustainable and environmentally friendly protein source.
• Cultural Acceptance: Shares personal experiences with entomophagy, emphasizing overcoming the “yuck factor” and appreciating culinary traditions of cultures that consume insects.
• Practical Recipes: Includes recipes for incorporating insects into meals, such as cricket granola and chili-lime crickets, making it easier for readers to experiment with insect-based foods.

What is the significance of using earth, ash, and charcoal in cooking as discussed in Eat Like a Human?

• Detoxification Properties: Explains how earth, ash, and charcoal can detoxify foods and enhance their nutritional value, reclaiming traditional food processing methods.
• Culinary Techniques: Provides recipes utilizing these ingredients, encouraging experimentation in cooking for a deeper understanding of their benefits and applications.
• Cultural Context: Reflects a connection to ancestral practices and cultural heritage, emphasizing the importance of integrating these elements into modern diets for health and cultural reasons.

How can I start making my own fermented foods as suggested in Eat Like a Human?

• Begin with Simple Recipes: Provides straightforward recipes for beginners, such as fermented vegetables and yogurt, allowing readers to gain confidence in fermentation techniques.
• Understand the Process: Emphasizes understanding the science behind fermentation, including the role of beneficial bacteria, to appreciate the health benefits and safety of fermented foods.
• Experiment and Adapt: Encourages experimenting with different ingredients and flavors, fostering a deeper connection to food and exploration of personal tastes.