What we consume constructs and builds our bodies. The food that we choose to consume should be the food that helps our body run most efficiently. 

That raises the question: What kind of bodies do humans have? 

Our bodies are an herbivore build.

Naturally, we are not carnivores or omnivores. Eating animal products was built upon survival, but most people living today are not living in that form of survival. We have options when it comes to what we eat.

Eating for the best health is about eating what is most suitable for our body and provides us with the best health. So, we can either choose between what our bodies are made to consume efficiently which will create optimal well-being or we can eat merely to survive.

Why are we herbivores? Let's look at the details.

Herbivores vs Carnivores

The difference: Herbivores eat plant matter. Carnivores eat animal flesh.

Note: Omnivores eat both plants and animals, but they exhibit anatomical features like carnivores (unlike humans). So when I talk about carnivores know omnivores have a similar build to carnivores. 

Alimentary Canal Design. The alimentary canal is the passage through which food travels, starting at the mouth and ending at the anus. Herbivore's canals are much longer than carnivores. Herbivore's canals are 10-12x their body length, while carnivore's canals are 3-6x their body length. 

Digestion Time. Another difference is how long it takes food to travel through the digestive system. Since carnivore tracts are much shorter, they digest meat relatively quickly. For humans, meat takes the longest to digest up to 2-3 days, vegetables can pass within a day or even less, and fruit can digest within just a couple of hours. The longer food sits in our digestive tract the more time it has to rot. Rotting is excessive bacterial activity. This activity takes from our energy, can cause fatigue, and increase the risk of developing colon cancer. 

Stomach Acidity Level. A human's stomach acidity matches that of an herbivore and a carnivore's stomach acidity is almost 20x more acidic than herbivores.

Teeth - Jaws - Nails. Carnivores have large sharp canine teeth, jaws with great force, and sharp claws for tearing meat. They can tear flesh and swallow. Their salvia is much more acidic and lacks amylase (a digestive enzyme). Humans on the other hand have soft fingernails, uncomparably small and dull "canine" teeth, and jaws made for grinding vegetation and fibrous plants. Herbivore's digestion starts in the mouth with the enzyme amylase that is present in our salvia - this means we must chew and break down our food starting in the mouth. We are unable to just tear and swallow. 

Looking at these major physiological differences it is clear to see that an herbivore diet matches best with the human system. Plants are easy on the human system which creates space for optimal health.

So when it comes to eating for good health, make sure to go for plants.

Learn about the benefits of eating plant-based.