colonyofcells wrote:In the traditional diets, most of the calories come from about 2 starch staples. It does look simple except that they also consume lots of wild plants. Indigenous diets probably have as many as 200 different food items. For example, the 1949 okinawa diet looks simple since most calories come from sweet potato. But they also have soy, lots of teas including turmeric tea, many wild plants, vegetables like mushrooms, seaweeds, greens, gourds, and bitter melon, they have the low calorie konnyaku, condiments like miso, etc.
Good point. There are many plant foods that may not contribute many calories, but do contribute nutrients and phytochemicals. My Chinese tonic herb tea has five different "herbs" which don't contribute calories, but do contribute nutrients. It's hard to say what value these phytochemicals have in complexity of the overall diet. So I take an approach similar to colony and look to traditional diets. These herbs and spices have stood the test of time because they at least taste good, and modern research finds health benefits.
I'd like to think my particular concoction will turn me into a Taoist Immortal, but I won't be disappointed if that doesn't happen.