Zero Carb Keto: Ethology and Natural Living

Zero Carb Keto

Ethology and Natural Living

I think about ethology quite a bit. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ethology:

1: a branch of knowledge dealing with human character and with its formation and evolution
2: the scientific and objective study of animal behavior especially under natural conditions

I think it is important for us to acknowledge natural animal behavior, including human. I feel that the zero carb / carnivore lifestyle does acknowledge natural animal behavior. When looking at the history of homo sapiens and its direct predecessors, we can see that their lives were based on hunting megafauna until their extinction, then aurochs and antelope-type animals.

These animals provided us with everything necessary to sustain us: full nutrients and calories, fats for lighting and treating the skin, leathers for clothing and sleeping, sinews for sewing, bones for tools, toys, furnishings, jewelry. 

When we explore prehistory, we find that many of the modern fruits and vegetables did not even exist then. It was too cold during the Ice Ages. And even in the places where they did exist, they were much less edible than today's plants, which have been engineered to be larger, sweeter, with less seeds and not as fibrous skins. And yet they are still not all that digestible even now! For more information, see Georgia Ede's "Little Shop of Horrors" presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdRBFiBWQZQ 

Also, the return on investment for plant matter is just not there. It takes far too much resources and labor to be worthwhile when trying to glean enough nutrition and calories from plants alone. The only way modern humans have done it is through monoculture crops, chemical use, and wholesale destruction of topsoil and smaller animal and insect populations.

In order for animals, including humans, but also natural herds of ruminants, pollinators, birds, insects, worms, and microorganisms in the soil, to continue to thrive is for us to acknowledge ethology. 

Part of that is to acknowledge that we are obligate carnivores. It is important for us to understand our role as a predator. Predators in the wild are what keep large wild herds moving, a natural version of rotational grazing. We do that now through ranching and intentional rotational grazing. But either way, it allows the soil to be enriched, unlike agriculture, which destroys it. There is such a huge amount of life that is dependent on the health of intact soil. We must play our part as stewards of the soil.

I feel strongly about environmental conservation, which is why I went plastic-free, zero-waste, do not drive and no longer use air travel. Along with grassfed carnivory, I am trying to do my best to be a good steward. And by weaning myself off of computer usage, not using a cell phone, don't even own a television, and avoiding most "media", I feel like I am starting to learn my own human natural behaviors. I am rediscovering the joy of walking outside in the woods, or playing a simple acoustic instrument, or painting! And freeing myself of medications, supplements, chemical toiletries, plastics and plastic textiles, I am starting to remember what it is like to be human again!

Just a note: I am considering stopping computer use altogether at home (no choice at work!), so I may be discontinuing this blog.