- Fibre as an Essential Nutrient:
- Classified as an essential nutrient but lacks usable nutrition for humans.
- Raises the question of how it can be considered a nutrient.
- Not Necessary and Potential Harm:
- Fibre is not necessary for the body.
- It may cause harm, including constipation, contrary to common belief.
- Constipation and Fibre:
- Clinical trials show reducing or eliminating fibre can improve and eliminate constipation symptoms.
- Analogy: Treating constipation with fibre is like adding more cars to a traffic jam.
- Colon Function and Hydration:
- Colon's function is to desiccate liquid waste and retain water.
- Adequate fat intake keeps stool soft, regardless of dehydration.
- Fibre may hinder peristalsis and slow bowel movement.
- Evolutionary Perspective:
- Humans can't digest fibre and derive nutrition from it.
- Ancestral cecum once stored bacteria for fibre digestion, now a vestigial appendix.
- Our ancestors didn't consume fibre as a staple for millions of years; questioning its necessity now.
- Fibre as an Anti-Nutrient:
- Indigestible fibre can form a lattice in the digestive tract.
- Blocks digestion and absorption of food, potentially beneficial for low-quality diets.
- Video Recommendation:
- Suggests watching Zoe Harcombe's video "What about fibre?" on YouTube for detailed insights.
- Constipation and Fat Intake:
- Contrary to popular belief, lack of fat intake is a primary reason for constipation, not fibre.
Fibre: YES or NO
Enter the paradox of fibre—an essential nutrient lacking direct nutritional value. As we unravel its mysteries, the conventional beliefs about fibre's role in promoting bowel regularity and overall health come under scrutiny. This exploration challenges long-standing notions, revealing surprising truths that prompt a reassessment of the necessity of fibre in our diets.
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Learning to love your gut
How many people do you know dealing with gut issues like IBS, reflux, bloating, or who need to sprint to the loo after a meal? If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms yourself, or someone close to you is, you’re not alone, and you’re certainly not weak. You’re simply running a high-level biological system on low-quality fuel. The truth is your gut is a powerhouse. It contains a vast neural network (often called the second brain) that works nonstop to turn food into energy, hormones, neurotransmitters, and muscle-building nutrients. When that system is supported properly, digestion feels calm and predictable. But when it’s constantly irritated, your whole body pays the price. Why A Species-appropriate Diet Matters Humans evolved as apex predators and opportunistic scavengers, with stomach acid that stayed fiercely acidic for one purpose: to digest animal foods effectively. While our microbiome can adapt to many dietary patterns, the fundamental design of the human digestive tract hasn’t changed. That’s why I recommend a species-appropriate approach to eating: Animal-based foods as the foundation Fermented foods as intelligent additions Minimal industrial inputs We don’t fix digestion by adding powders, fibres, or ultra-processed fake “health foods”. We fix it by not feeding the gut foods it never evolved to tolerate. Research consistently shows the digestive and metabolic advantages of animal-based diets. Their capacity to improve nutrient absorption and digestive efficiency compared to diets heavy in plant defence chemicals and lectins. Lindberg (2016) describes the digestive advantages of a carnivorous template, especially around absorption and gut workload. Buchinger & Ceballos (2017) highlight the microbiome stability and gut-health benefits seen with animal-based eating patterns, compared to plant-dominant diets that commonly aggravate digestion. On a population level, higher intake of quality animal foods correlates with lower mortality from major chronic diseases, reinforcing the protective role of animal protein and fat in human health (Micha et al., 2017). The Industrial Spray Problem (and why your gut feels it) Glyphosate-based herbicides are used widely on staple crops, and that usage has risen sharply over the last few decades. Benbrook (2016) documents this global surge and the resulting presence of glyphosate residues in everyday foods. Why does that matter for digestion? Because your gut lining and microbiome are sensitive ecosystems. Constant exposure to chemical residues is a modern pressure your body has never had to navigate. Even regulatory reviewers acknowledge the ongoing debate around glyphosate’s impact on human health (Monsanto Company, 2019). And glyphosate doesn’t just sit harmlessly on plants. Zobiole et al. (2010) show that glyphosate alters plant physiology and nutrient dynamics, meaning residues entering the food chain may also change what we absorb and how our gut responds. So if your digestion feels chaotic, sensitive, or inflamed, it’s not random. Your gut is reacting to a modern food environment that’s out of alignment with human biology. What To Do This isn’t about fear. It’s about returning to what works. To support a strong, stable and resilient gut: Eat an animal-based diet that your body can digest cleanly. Prioritise foods that are simple, unprocessed, and unsprayed. Use fermented foods to populate your gut with beneficial bacteria. Cut back on foods that trigger symptoms; listen to your body, it’s giving you the data. You don’t need to fight your gut. You need to feed it like the biological masterpiece it is. FAQs: Is Your Gut Trying to Tell You Something? What causes leaky gut? Leaky gut happens when the intestinal lining gets inflamed, and its tight junctions (your gut’s “security gates”) loosen. This can allow particles that should stay in the gut to cross into the bloodstream and trigger immune reactions. Common contributors include: Ultra-processed foods Industrial seed oils Chronic stress Excess alcohol Food intolerances Chemical residues in food The good news: when the gut is fed species-appropriate foods, and inflammation reduces, the lining can repair itself. Your body wants to heal; it just needs the right environment. Should I be taking probiotics or digestive supplements? Possibly, but they shouldn’t form your foundation. Supplements can offer temporary support, but they won’t override a diet that keeps irritating your digestive system. Think of them like the scaffolding, not the building. Healing should start with food first: Animal-based meals you can easily digest Simple, unprocessed natural ingredients Fermented foods (if you tolerate them) Then, if needed, you can add targeted support like digestive enzymes, minerals, or specific strains of probiotics. Why do “healthy” foods like vegetables, grains, or legumes upset my stomach? Because “healthy” doesn’t always mean human-appropriate. Many plant foods contain defence chemicals, such as lectins, oxalates, phytates, and FODMAPs, that can irritate the gut lining or ferment aggressively in sensitive people. If you get bloating, gas, cramps, reflux, or urgency after consuming certain plants, your body isn’t being dramatic; it’s giving feedback. Sometimes the best gut reset is less variety and more digestibility. What are the signs my digestion is improving? Less bloating after meals Smoother, more regular bowel movements No urgent trips to the toilet A calmer, more settled belly throughout the day Better energy and mood stability Fewer cravings for sugar or heavy carbs Improved digestion is a sign that your entire nervous system is calming down. Digestive health is full-body health. So, look after your gut, and it will look after you, too.
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Time to Relax
The focus of my thoughts this week has been on Relaxation. Not the kind you try to force, but the kind your body naturally falls into when it feels safe, nourished and grounded. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure how to start this one… until I caught a glimpse of myself lying under a huge tree, looking up, just listening. No drama. No noise. Just peace. It’s a place I feel truly relaxed. For me, relaxation isn’t a switch I flip; it’s a practice. A sensory sanctuary. A way of stepping away from mental chatter and dropping back into the body. Sometimes I breathe into every part of myself - jaw, shoulders, belly, hips - and I can feel my whole system soften. A full-body exhalation. Total release. I’m sure you have your own way of finding that kind of peace.But if you don’t, let me gently nudge you: find a practice that guides you there.Because relaxation is trainable, and you deserve it. Gratitude is woven into this, too. Learning to be grateful for your life, even if that blessing is something as simple as resting under a tree and listening to your breath. Truthfully, the words ancestral and animal-based don’t feel big enough to hold this whole idea, so I’m naming this space something wider: Radical Humanism (thanks, Dr Marc Gafni) Meaning: as spectacular beings, we get to love our lives, love each other, and love ourselves… so our experience here can be magnificent. And yes, food matters.A radical human is well nourished.Because a nourished body downshifts more easily and a steady nervous system finds calm faster. That’s why I choose an animal-based, species-appropriate diet, because it gives the body what it needs to feel safe, regulated and able to relax at a cellular level. It’s also why I take our products every morning: they give me a simple, reliable way to start the day feeling fully nourished, grounded, and supported. So, for today, here’s your simple invitation: Find a tree in your garden or a nearby park.Spread out a blanket. Lie down.Breathe. Give yourself at least thirty minutes.If your mind wanders, smile, that’s ok. Let it wander, then return to your breath. Slow in… slow out.Feel the cool air at your nostrils.Notice your chest rising and falling.Eventually, peace will come. It always does. One of our greatest gifts as humans is that we all have this capacity to drop into our bodies and rest. Then smile. FAQs: Relaxation is a practice How can I rest? I feel so wired that relaxation seems impossible.You’re not broken, you’re just upregulated. Start small and try to stay consistent. A guided practice (breathwork, nature time, yoga nidra, prayer, somatic work, even quiet walking) helps train your nervous system to downshift. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen if you keep showing up. And if you need more support, talking with a counsellor or coach can be a powerful step. Do you relax every day?Not perfectly. Life gets busy. But I’ve learned to recognise my signals. When I’m scratchy, resentful, or rushing, I now know that’s my body asking for stillness. Even ten to twenty minutes can change my whole day. Are there foods that help with relaxation?Yes. Keep it simple and species-appropriate: meat, organs, animal fats, eggs, and dairy if you tolerate it. Minimise processed foods and frequent carb spikes. Blood sugar swings can raise stress hormones, and make calm harder to access. A well-nourished body is much easier to relax. What if I sit down to rest and my mind won’t stop?That’s normal. The goal isn’t to silence your mind, it’s to return to your body whenever you notice you’ve drifted. Smile, come back to breath, repeat. That repetition is the practice. I don’t have thirty minutes. Is anything still worth doing?Absolutely. Two minutes counts. One minute counts. Even a single slow breath is a signal of safety to your nervous system. Stack tiny moments of down-regulation through the day, and your baseline starts to shift. Relaxation, nourishment, grounding, that’s the heart of Radical Humanism.The truth is you deserve to feel safe in your own body, connected to your life, and capable of experiencing real peace.
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FINDING YOUR SPARK
One of our core health goals at Homegrown Primal is Vitality; that unmistakable feeling of being fully alive in your body. When you eat in a way that honours your biology, something shifts. A quiet inner fire reignites, reminding you that this is how you're meant to feel. And honestly? Every time I lean into a truly species-appropriate diet that vitality shows up in force. Sometimes the life in my body feels so strong it’s astounding, and it makes me wonder how many people have never felt that before, simply because they’ve never been properly fueled. Vitality foods are simple and powerful. Meat. Organs. Animal fats. Dairy. When you fuel yourself with these potent sources of energy, vitality isn’t something you chase; it becomes something you radiate. And here’s the important part. Vitality isn’t just about sexual energy. It’s life energy It’s the fire in your eyes.The strength in your stride.The clarity in your purpose.That grounded confidence.That “I can handle life” feeling.That quiet, primal sense of resilience. Why Animal-based Nutrition Rebuilds Vitality Unlike modern diets packed with processed foods, refined carbs, and ingredients that don’t serve human biology, animal-based nutrition aligns with the way we’re designed to thrive. Your body recognises it and responds: Hormones rebalance naturally (testosterone and estrogen included) Fertility and libido rise (for both men and women) Energy becomes stable and sustained Mental clarity and confidence return Foods like grass-fed beef, pastured eggs, wild-caught seafood, and raw dairy nourish the endocrine system, your hormone-producing glands that drive vitality. And organ meats like liver, testicles, and heart are the original multivitamins: dense, bioavailable, and deeply supportive for strength, fertility, and longevity. The Forgotten Fire Within In today’s world, vitality is quietly slipping away for so many people because modern food and modern living drain the body over time. For generations, we were taught to rely on cereals, grains, and sugary “convenience foods” as staples. Now we’re seeing what those foods actually do long term: they dull energy, disrupt hormones, and pull us away from the primal spark we were born with. The good news?We can rebuild it.Meal by meal. Habit by habit. Choice by choice. Returning To The Source Vitality isn’t something you find in a stimulant, a supplement, or a quick fix. It’s something you build by eating in a way that matches your biology. So, if you’ve been feeling flat, foggy, tired, unmotivated, or like your spark is dimmer than it should be… this is your reminder: Your body was made for real food. And life feels better when you feed it that way. FAQs: Rediscovering Your Vitality What is Vitality? Vitality is your life-force; the steady energy, strong mood, clear thinking, confidence, resilience, and healthy hormones that humans are designed to experience when properly nourished. It’s how you're meant to feel. Why does an animal-based diet support vitality so well? Because it's the diet humans evolved to thrive on. Animal foods are packed with bioavailable nutrients - meaning your body absorbs and uses them with ease. These nutrients directly support the foundations of vitality: hormones, brain function, muscle, metabolism, and the nervous system. When your biology gets what it’s built for, vitality rises naturally. Why are organs - especially reproductive organs - so important for vitality? Organs are where vitality gets supercharged. They're the most nutrient-dense foods on earth, loaded with the exact compounds our bodies use to build hormones, energy, and resilience. Reproductive organs like testes, ovaries, and uterine tissue are uniquely powerful. They provide targeted, ancestral nourishment for the endocrine system - the hormone network that governs how alive, calm, strong, and energised you feel. That's why our blends are rich in these ingredients. They help support: Deeper, steadier energy A more balanced mood A grounded sense of calm A stronger connection to our natural rhythm It's not magic. It's biology meeting the foods it was designed to thrive on. What if I'm coming from a high-carb or plant-heavy diet? Totally okay. Transitioning can be gentle and personal. Some people feel better fast, others need a few weeks for digestion, hormones, and energy to recalibrate. Start simple: Add more animal protein and fat, remove the biggest offenders (seed oils, refined carbs, sugar), and let your body set the pace. Is vitality only about libido and fertility? No, Libido is just one expression of vitality. True vitality is broader; it provides: Stable energy Emotional resilience Focus and drive Physical strength Confidence and calm A spark of aliveness in daily life When the body is truly nourished, every part rises together.
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