The Chimpanzee Diet Diary Paper Example

12th October 2018

7.00 AM: I had 1.5 oz. of unsalted nuts and 3lbs of raw fruit. I also drank one glass of water. I did not feel like I had eaten anything for breakfast on that morning. My morning diet did not satisfy me. While I had the meal, I craved for a warm glass of milk in place of water.

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10.00 AM: I took 13 oz. of raw celery and 3lbs of fresh fruit for the second time. I had a rough time eating the raw celery although the food provided me with energy for many hours. It felt odd having to eat fresh celery. I was not satisfied with the meal. I craved for my usual biscuit snack.

1.30 PM: I ate 5 oz. of raw spinach and 1 oz. cooked meat. I had a slight stomach upset. Regardless, I enjoyed the meal since it comprised of meat. I also drank one of glass water. The meal was relatively satisfactory. However, given a choice, I would have had rice with the 1 oz. meat.

6.00 PM: For dinner, I had a combination of 13 oz. raw celery, 1 oz. meat and 3lbs of fresh fruit. Besides, I drank my third glass of water for the day. The meal was satisfactory. However, I craved for a sweet dessert comprising of ice cream.

8.000 PM: I had 3lbs of raw fruit as I prepared to sleep. I found the fresh fruits most tolerable of the available foods. It was a long day spent entirely famished due to the new diet.

13th October 2018

7.00 AM: I consumed 1.5 oz. of unsalted nuts and drank a glass of water for breakfast. I barely put thought into the meal as I was eager to resume my usual diet.

Having finished the twenty-four period for the chimp-diet, I had a glass of milk and biscuits two hours later. Before resuming to the human diet, I was anxious to taste something that contained the amount of sweetness I was accustomed to consuming. After the snack, I felt reenergized and developed a jovial mood.

Discussion

From my feelings, cravings, and hunger, I could tell that the daily lives of chimpanzees are spent consuming natural foods that are beneficial to their health. The limited diet choice and quantity consumed by chimpanzees lacks ingredients and additives that characterize human diets. I experienced cravings and discomforts as I am not used to the foods I ate during the twenty-four-hour period. Over time, unlike the chimpanzees, the human body has evolved and adjusted its digestion systems to process specific food types. Therefore, the introduction of new forms results in discomfort as the digestive system figures out how to handle the food. The cravings arise due to low levels of specific food components that are usually present in the body.

Due to years of consuming unhealthy foods, I tend to prefer eating diets that lack foods with critical minerals and vitamins. Consumption of healthy meals such as the chimpanzee diet combinations is likely to contribute to good health. However, I am unable to consume whole, natural foods for long periods. I had to exercise self-control to survive the twenty-four-hour chimp diet day without consuming my usual diet. I developed cravings for the delicacies that I regularly enjoy. I lacked enthusiasm throughout the chimp diet day. I resumed my unhealthy diet plan, and I regained calmness. Despite my poor eating habits, my body tells me I need to adopt a healthy diet.

The things I hate about the chimp diet include the need to consume raw, uncooked foods. Besides, the menu prohibits the use of various ingredients necessary to add flavor to the food. The two factors hint at evolution in the human and chimp species. Whereas it is not easy for human beings to chew and grind raw foods, chimps can do it with ease. Changes in the jaws and teeth size and shape contribute to difficult in consuming natural foods among human beings (Sampson n.p). Human teeth and the small gut size are not adapted to eat foods that require a lot of energy to break down. Failure to cook the foods contributes to the upsets I experienced. The foods I craved for are components that chimps would avoid.

Whereas chimpanzees embrace the consumption of healthy, nutritious diets, human beings prefer to indulge in unhealthy eating habits. Chimpanzees tailor their foraging activities depending with their optimized list of sources of nutritious foods. Thus, a chimp is likely to skip meals that do not offer the exact desired components (Sampson n.p). They have several diet choices, but they often prefer to consume according to needs. On the side, human beings rarely control the urge to eat whatever they come across first. They quickly give in to their desires that contribute to poor eating habits and ill-health among the people. Thus, human diets comprise of unbeneficial components.

There is an obesity epidemic in post-industrial nations across the world. Obesity refers to a health condition characterized by increased weight due to the accumulation of excess body fat. From my experience, the evolutionary process contributed to the situation. As humans interacted with the environment, they adopted a way of life that reduced the quality of foods. Evolution advanced higher preferences for sugars and fats among humans as compared to chimps (Sampson n.p). Unlike chimps, humans cannot easily digest natural foods. Thus, chimps can benefit from raw foods while humans have to consume unhealthy foods that lead to obesity.

Compared to the chimp diet, my first post-diet meal had little nutritional value. The meal comprised of milk and biscuits. Milk has high levels of calories while the cookies contain vegetable oils, sugars, and sweeteners. The composition of the diet includes elements that are absent in the wholesome chimp diet. I think my preference for a meal with less nutritional value points to the average person's poor eating habits and the human tendency to veer towards unhealthy foods.

Work Cited

Sampson, Dave. "UTM 4: The Chimpanzee Diet." Prezi. 28 Sept. 2018. https://prezi.com/3avatxkmwrxw/utm-4-the-chimpanzee-diet/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy#. Accessed on 11 Oct. 2018.