Blog #6 3/1/10

In the last section of reading, Pollan challenges himself to make a meal that has been grown, hunted and foraged. He talks about the evolution of the human body and how it is all connected to the Earth, from our jaw structure and teeth to enzymes in our stomachs. Something that the human race lacks that other animals do not is the natural instinct to know what we can and can’t eat. Humans have discovered through trial and error what is edible and nutritious. I wonder, do we lack this instinct simply because we do or is it because unlike most other animals, our bodies and brains are extremely complex and require many sources of nutrition to survive. I’m thinking the later. But I do wonder if humans could lead a healthier life with a small diet that includes only the necessities like other animals. The thought of developing a disease such as diabetes or developing cancer is frightening to me, and there is no doubt that the increasing numbers of deaths and diagnoses is from the diets/habits/environments that we live in. If there was a simple yet proven diet guide to living a cancer/disease free life I would follow it in a heartbeat, I do not like the thought that I could be slowly killing myself and not living my life to the fullest.