Inuit Way Certainly, There Probably

¶ … Inuit Way

Certainly, there probably are some cultural issues with regard to the Inuit's ability to consume so much protein as opposed to more carbohydrates. The author of the article's experience is interesting in that she mixes the traditional and modern modes of culture. She has a freezer full of traditional food that is sent by her family in the northern reaches of Alaska who will ship her traditional foods such as walrus and whale meat. Cochran feels that unfortunately the Inuit have lost their connection with their food which directly is a connection with nature when she says that in modern society people have "lost that sense of kinship with food sources…You're taught to think in boxes…In our culture the connectivity between humans, animals, plants, the they live on, and the air they share is ingrained in us from birth… (Gadsby 188)

She makes a very unique observation when she says that "The diet of the Far North shows that there are no essential foods-only essential nutrients (ibid 185)."

This choice is not only natural, but also pragmatic that appeals to this author who can certainly understand her philosophy that though she can not do something about a big environmental issue like global warming, a person can control what they put in their bodies. Certainly, it is understandable for her to conclude that while they can not be sure what kind of toxins are in the seafood they bring in from the coasts of Alaska, it is still certainly better than bringing manufactured toxins into the human body (ibid 188).

The body's ability to process proteins is amazing. The key here is fat. In this case, there is a big difference between saturated and unsaturated fat. Since there is not much unsaturated fat in wild game, the consumer has to gorge themselves to get enough fat to survive. This diet has been humorously referred to as the "original Atkins" diet because when there is not enough fat in the meat, the body of course burns its own fat reserves causing the subject to loose a lot of weight due to this and the lack of carbohydrates. These wild sources of meat are posited against domesticated animals that are very high in saturated fats. Since the wild animals are ranging and eating what nature intended, they have fat that is far more healthful. Less of the fat is saturate and in monounsaturated form (like olive oil). It is now understandable why tuna is so good for a person considering that the fats are of the monounsaturated kind. Also, there are fewer of the LDL (bad cholesterol) triglycerides and trans fats that cause fat buildup in artery walls and lead to heart attacks (ibid 187).