I've been talking about my diet transformation with friends and family for the past few months. My loved ones are very open minded, especially once I've explained the health benefits, and that I'm getting all the nutrients I could possibly need.
However they do still ask lots of questions. My boyfriend (a pure bread Italian who loves his steak) and I have had many
discussions, on the pros and cons of a plant-based diet. Co-workers, who I am still getting to know, are starting to comment on my lunch's. Again, most of them are open-minded but there are a few guys who just plain ignore the pure facts I put before them and move on to their next ignorant comment.
So to anyone reading this blog that is a newbie like my self to the plant-based diet, here is the arsenal I've discovered you will need to handle the uneducated.
| Humans are biologically herbivores |
| Carnivores | Omnivores | Herbivores | Humans |
| Facial muscles | Reduced to allow wide mouth gape | Reduced | Well-developed | Well-developed |
| Jaw type | Angle not expanded | Angle not expanded | Expanded angle | Expanded angle |
| Jaw joint location | On same plane as molar teeth | On same plane as molar teeth | Above the plane of the molars | Above the plane of the molars |
| Jaw motion | Shearing; minimal side-to-side motion | Shearing; minimal side-to-side motion | No shear; good side-to-side, front-to-back | No shear; good side-to-side, front-to-back |
| Major jaw muscles | Temporalis | Temporalis | Masseter and ptergoids | Masseter and pterygoids |
| Mouth opening vs. head size | Large | Large | Small | Small |
| Teeth: Incisors | Short and pointed | Short and pointed | Broad, flattened and spade-shaped | Broad, flattened and spade-shaped |
| Teeth: Canines | Long, sharp, and curved | Long, sharp and curved | Dull and short or long (for defense), or none | Short and blunted |
| Teeth: Molars | Sharp, jagged and blade-shaped | Sharp blades and/or flattened | Flattened with cusps vs. complex surface | Flattened with nodular cusps |
| Chewing | None; swallows food whole | Swallows food whole and/or simple crushing | Extensive chewing necessary | Extensive chewing necessary |
| Saliva | No digestive enzymes | No digestive enzymes | Carbohydrate digesting enzymes | Carbohydrate digesting enzymes |
| Stomach type | Simple | Simple | Simple or multiple chambers | Simple |
| Stomach acidity with food in stomach | ≤ pH 1 | ≤ pH 1 | pH 4-5 | pH 4-5 |
| Length of small intestine | 3-6 times body length | 4-6 times body length | 10-12+ times body length | 10-11 times body length |
| Colon | Simple, short, and smooth | Simple, short, and smooth | Long, complex; may be sacculated | Long, sacculated |
| Liver | Can detoxify vitamin A | Can detoxify vitamin A | Cannot detoxify vitamin A | Cannot detoxify vitamin A |
| Kidney | Extremely concentrated urine | Extremely concentrated urine | Moderately concentrated urine | Moderately concentrated urine |
| Nails | Sharp claws | Sharp claws | Flattened nails or blunt hooves | Flattened nails |
| From The Comparative Anatomy of Eating (PDF), by Milton R. Mills, M.D. |
The above is a table noting all the physical differences of Humans VS Omnivores VS Carnivores. For any passionate meat eater that has read this far I can hear you racking your brain for the best refute ever. Let me just say, that its ooookaaayyyy, calm down and take a few deep breaths. Right now you are going through a very natural process. When confronted by the realization that our current choices may not be the
best choices, it can be unnerving. This leaves us with two options, 1) We admit that we are wrong, which for some people is very difficult to admit, or 2) We reaffirm our beliefs with any excuse that comes to mind until we are in a more comfortable position. So if you are currently finding yourself in such a position its OK, it has a name : Cognitive Dissonance
Now that we can all move on lets take a look at some common misconceptions...
"Humans were made to eat meat."
In some form, this is usually the first point made when discussing the plant-based diet. It covers so many topics that first I'm going to reference the table above. As it describes there is nothing about us that screams
KILLER!!! I've heard humans being compared to
Carnivores! I figured I wasn't talking to the sharpest tool in the shed. Just to clarify a carnivore is defined as a flesh eating animal. Now I've never seen another person start to salivate when they saw road kill or go running through a field to a grazing cow and start gnawing on it. If they did I don't think that person would be defined as Carnivore, but as a deranged lunatic!
"We have Hydrochloric Acid in our Stomachs"
Yes, HCL is an acid that is secreted by out stomachs to aid in the digestion of protein. This acid believes in equal digestion for everyone! Whether your an animal source of protein or a plant source of protein, it will not discriminate. How great is that?!
It's also important to note that your stomach secretes this substance in small amounts, such as the amounts in a plant based diet.... what a coincidence!
"I have canine teeth"
Those four teeth at the front corners of your mouth are canines
in name only. The do not function in the same way as your pet cat's. If you so feel the need, give the mirror a nice big toothy grin :D nope, no razor sharp canines in there! As the table so well describes it, human canines are short and blunt.
While on the subject of teeth, its important to notice that the majority of human teeth are molars, the perfect shape for grinding down plant matter.
"Humans have always ate meat"
This comment was in reference to the cavemen days... personally I don't let cavemen influence my crucial life decisions! But the point was raised so I shall address it.
Our Furry Friends are born knowing what is and what is not food. Humans act through learned behavior or even guesswork, but rarely on instinct.So even if our ancestors did eat meat, it's no argument explaining that we should eat meat. Just because some people choose to eat McDonald's everyday doesn't mean they should.
"We've evolved since caveman days to eat meat"
No we haven't.
We've grown a liking for the taste of a "well prepared", cooked piece of animal protein. We have grown a liking for the taste for a lot of things that are unhealthy. Take cigarettes for example, 50 years ago doctors were testifying to their amazing health benefits!!!
We were brought up to believe that a healthy balanced diet included eating Furry Friends, chicken gametes, muscle fibers and drinking lots of newborn baby cow formula. Do I sound like a baby cow to you?!
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This is the majority of what I'm hearing. I'm positive there will be future funny ignorance's to come and I will be sure to update this page so you can be better prepared. As a nursing student I do have some education in Human anatomy and physiology. However if you need more proof it is all available and highly abundant for everyone to read. Just remember to look for credible sources and that anything I have to say is not to contradict your personal doctors advice.
